Session 59: "Bein Einecha" - בין עיניך
in Shema
Session 58: "VeHayu LeTotafos" - והיו לטטפת
in Shema
Session 57: Tefillin 3 - The Mitzva of Tefillin
in Shema
Session 56: Tefillin 2 - "Ukshartam" - וקשרתם
in Shema
Session 55: Tefillin 1 - "Ukshartam" - וקשרתם
in Shema
Session 54: "VeDibarta Bam" - Part 2 - ודברת בם
in Shema
Session 53: "VeDibarta Bam" - ודברת בם
in Shema
Session 52: "Al Levavecha" על לבבך
in Shema
The first 10:20 minutes feature a discussion on the importance of mashalim to learning, in creating an experience of knowledge that reaches deeper into our minds than pure information alone.
Session 50: Bonus Track! Teshuva — Not Just for Elul
in Fundamentals
Bonus Track! A post-shiur discussion on practical Teshuva in daily life. Yes, you really can change your future… and your past.
Session 49: You are a Unique Reflection of God
in Shema
"Loving HaKadosh Baruch Hu with one's unique nature… is the highest level of Ahavas Hashem [love of God] of which a human being is capable."
"During a person's suffering, he has a direct connection with HaKadosh Baruch Hu."
— Rabbi Shimon Schwab, "Rav Schwab on Prayer".
The stepwise progression from "all your heart" to "all your soul" and then "all your might" encapsulates the personal Avoda of the Shema portion of daily prayer: dedication of one's self to God through reflection and demonstration of the Tzelem Elokim (Divine image) within. Don't miss the end-of-shiur discussion on validating our suffering even as we feel closer than ever to Hashem.
"Ve'Ohavta Eis Hashem Elokecha BeChol Levavcha U'VeChol Nafshecha U'VeChol Me'odecha" — "You shall love Hashem your Lord with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might." "ואהבת את ה' אלקיך בכל לבבך ובכל נפשך ובכל מאדך"
Session 48: Even Unto Death — “U’VeChol Nafshecha U’VeChol Me’odecha” - ובכל נפשך
in Shema
Please listen to the prior classes on Shema (at least sessions 43-47, and preferably sessions 39-47) before hearing this session, as they provide necessary foundation work.
"U'VeChol Nafshecha U'VeChol Me’odecha" — "…with all your soul and with all your might." Ultimately, our love of G-d means that we will stand by Him even unto death. Rabbi Akiva died with the words of Shema on his lips, and love in his heart — because he prepared his entire life for the eventuality of dying Al Kiddush HaShem, for the sanctification of God's Name. ובכל נפשך ובכל מאדך
Session 47: BeChol Levavcha — With All Your Heart(s) - בכל לבבך
in Shema
"BeChol Levavcha" — "with all your heart (hearts)". The ultimate unification of one's personal life mission is the dedication of one's total self — both Yetzer Hara and Yetzer Tov, Bad and Good Inclinations — to building towards God's Will with love. "ואהבת את ה' אלקיך בכל לבבך"
Session 46: VeOhavta 2 — Infatuated with God - ואהבת
in Shema
Can you feel the love?
“VeOhavta eis Hashem Elokecha — And you shall love Hashem, your God…” — it's possibly the most romantic paragraph ever written. This week, we talk about how to achieve infatuation with God. Don't miss this session.
ואהבת את ה' אלקיך
Session 45: VeOhavta 1 — An Intimate Relationship with God - ואהבת
in Shema
"You shall love the Lord your God" — with these words, we let our hearts fall in love with our Creator, and use our minds to channel that passion into commitment that will last for eternity. ואהבת את ה' אלקיך
Session 44: What in Heaven's Name does "Baruch Sheim Kevod Malchuso" Mean? ברוך שם כבוד מלכותו
in Shema
What (on Earth) in Heaven's Name is the meaning of "Baruch Sheim Kevod Malchuso LeOlam Va'ed"?!
Just in time for Yom Kippur, we explore the mysterious power of this verse — stolen from the angels, whispered in a hush each day; and shouted out with glory and awe on Yom Kippur.
ברוך שם כבוד מלכותו לעולם ועד.
This shiur was given in Givat Ze’ev, Israel, with shout-outs of appreciation to the women of the weekly Davening Shiur in Santa Monica, CA!
Reading Shema Yisrael (Eidot HaMizrach / Sephardi)
To follow up on our discussion of the importance of reading the Shema accurately, here is a beautiful recording of Rabbi Daniel Cavalier of Jerusalem and Los Angeles, chanting the Shema Yisrael prayer in accordance with the Sephardic (Sefardi) tradition. Thank you, thank you, Rabbi Cavalier!
Session 43: Shema Goes Nuclear
in Shema
You, too, can be a Kabbalist! Weave together kavanos, concentrated thoughts, into an atomic Shema prayer of awesome power, and realize the capacity of experiential knowledge as a portal to higher dimensions of living. "שמע ישראל ה' אלקינו ה' אחד
Warning: This shiur goes seriously overtime as the last session before the summer break.
Session 42: Shema! Hear!
in Shema
Hear ye, hear ye! We discuss the verse of "Shema Yisrael"; the importance of every precise word we say as testimony to our personal knowledge of God; halachos and minhagim that increase our focus; and the secret bond that ties together the "Naaseh VeNishma" (“We will do and we will hear!”) of Mount Sinai with "Shema Yisrael". שמע ישראל
Note: This shiur has two audio files; the second one is a short postscript.
Session 41: Keil Melech Ne'eman and Amein [Shema] - קל מלך נאמן - אמן
in Shema
"Keil Melech Ne'eman" — also known as "Amein" — is the three word power formula that encapsulates and delivers our faith and trust in God's revelation of Himself to the world through Creation, the Giving of the Torah, and the ultimate Redemption. "The gates of Gan Eden are opened to whomever answers 'Amein' with all his might."
"כל העונה אמן בכל כחו פותחין לו שערי גן עדן."
"א-ל מלך נאמן"
Session 40: Kabbalas Malchus Shamayim via Shema
in Shema
"Your Command is My Wish" — Rina L.
This is your How-To primer for Kabbalas Malchus Shamayim — receiving Hashem’s reign.
Insight into the process of choosing Divine Will (=Shema), and using it to transcend the change made in Gan Eden, the Garden of Eden.
Easier said, of course, than done. But practice makes perfect…
שמע ישראל ה' אלקינו ה' אחד. קבלת מלכות שמים.