The Thinking Jewish Podcast: Recent Episodes
Rabbi Zvi Gefen
I've been blessed to have spent many years learning from some of the greatest Jewish thinkers in the world including Rav Yitzchok Berkovits Shlita. Listen in and hear perspectives on Marriage & Chinuch. Tune in as we explore relevant ideas on the Parsha and Yomim Tovim! This podcast will give you a new perspective and understanding of Living Jewish. For feedback, questions, and comments please email me at gefenzvi@gmail.com
What is it about the Farmers that kept Shemitta that led the Medrash to call them Giborei Koach? Strong and Powerful?
At the beginning of אחרי מות asks the Sefas Emes; –נדב ואביהו knew exactly what they were doing. They brought a אש זרה and knew they were going to die. Why did they do it?
Two stories; one of Rav Dovid Soloveichik and one of Vilna Gaon
Each week we say in Havdalla
לַיְּהוּדִים, הָיְתָה אוֹרָה וְשִׂמְחָה, וְשָׂשֹׂן, וִיקָר / layehudim haisa ora v'simcha v'sason v'ikar" -- "'For the Jews there was radiance, and happiness, and joy, and honor' / so may it be for us!"the Gemara in Megillah teaches that orah refers to Torah, simchah refers to Yom Tov, sasson refers to milah, and yekar refers to tefillin. If so, wonders the Sfas Emes, why didn’t the Megillah express this directly, by saying that the Yidden had Torah, Yom Tov, milah, and tefillin,instead of using codes? Why do we have to infer that orah is Torah, and so on?
Is there a difference between the Joy of Purim Katan and the Joy of Purim?
This year more than other years we need both!
What actually belongs to you?
A story and quote "If Hashem put into your head to call that person - call them. They might just need it"
Why is the song of Az Yashir written in future tense?
How can the Jewish people sing this shabbos?
Elkanah Vizels Last Letter
The Maharal says a yesod - every Jew has a connection to leaving eygpt id
The fact that we can see ourselves as we go out means we all live Galus mitzraim to kabalas HaTorah. in other words we all live the pride of not being a part of the natural world and our priorities are different. Gashmius is a necessity and temporary, but our mindis in Ruchnios.
When you tie on You Tefillin we have to feel like we are proudly parading the fact that we are from the Yetzias Mitzraim group.
👉 A story of the care and greatness of Rav Mattisyohu Salomon zt"l.
👉 How did Basya know the baby she found was a Jewish child?
What can we learn from the Viral video this week of Hadas Lowenstein wife of Elias Lowenstein HY"D).
Such incredible Emunah & Clarity
What does it mean Yaakov Avinu was alone?
Building your inner world
Standing for the truth in a Confusing world 🌍
How to remain anchored in these distressing times?
What does it mean Rachel has a child and finally has something to Blame ??
This week's viral story of Emma Platt
Good shabbos!
Parshas Chayei SarahWe ask ourselves if we are living the good life.
How do we define a good life?
We often say I am married and have kids and have money and have a good community. I have a good life.
They tell a story of a lady who lived a long time ago andher father gets thrown into a fire and burned alive. She then leaves that town and has no idea where she is going to live and she goes with her husband and when they get there the economy collapses and they have nothing to eat and thenshe gets kidnapped and is almost raped and then her brother gets taken captive and once he is Bh saved she says I can’t have kids and gives her husband to another woman to have a child and they do and she feels like 2 cents. Then shefinally has a kid and is so happy and everyone is happy for her but behind her back she hears how she is too old to raise a kid and then even her kid is taken to be executed. You would say she had a bad terrible life but it says this is thelife of Sarah and Rashi says they were equally good. Kulan shavin letova. How could this be?
The Jewish People are compared to the Sand⌛, Stars⭐ and Soil
Why?
How does this knowledge give us strength in these challenging times for An Yisroel?
Don't ask why, ask why?
We have seen Klal Yisroel come together as one people!
Am Yisroel Echad!
We are all soldiers in the army fighting this battle.
Do we know our mission? our purpose? How are we pushing that 1% more?
The גמרא says
אמר רבא כל המעביר על מידותיומעבירים לו על כל פשעיו שנאמר נושא עוון ועובר על פשע, למי נושא עוון למי שעובר עלפשע:
We have souls, and we have the ability to rise above our nature.
Tomer Devorah – speaks about the middos of Hashem our job isto be similar to Hashem. (normally its dangerous to copy, be yourself, we don’tcopy other light. We allow ourselves to shine). We say be the most you can be. Themost you.
But we say copy Hashem because we have a chelek elokei mamaal. The reason we try to be like Hashem its possible to grow beyond the physical.
The first midda is Hashem is good to those that rebel against him. A person can be cursing, at same time Hashem giving the ability to speak. To be similar is to be good to someone that is bad to you. Its okayto be upset. That is a normal feeling. It’s a human feeling. Hurt by what thatperson says. the task to bring yourself beyond that.
How can we ask that?
· b/c you have a soul. You arepart of Hashem. That doesn’t mean you can process feelings, and we also have toprotect ourselves. But we have that power. I’m capable of doing good to aperson that wronged me.
· anything that happens to usis from Hashem. You understand that if it wasn’t through them it would be someoneelse. Same way you trip on pavement – you don’t hit the pavement, you understand.Hashem runs the world.
so think of someone that hurt yourfeelings, turn around and go back to them and act the way you did before theyhurt you.
Everyone here. think of someone that you have a grudge against. Child, neighbour, relative, mentor, friend.
When you make that phone call – they are giving you a standing ovation.
We are asking for forgivness, Hashem says – why can't you give mechila
Call a person – he was wrong I was right.
There was a guy walking down street, sees car 80 mph, says to himself - I have right of way, and continues to walk across, car comes and hits him and kills him on the spot - on grave it says “he was right but now he is dead right”.
Pre Yom Kippur - A Day of Love
How is Yom Kippur a day of Love?
Isn't it a day of fasting and davening?
Furthermore - The Gemara tells us לא הוי ימים טובים לישראל כחמישה עשר באב וכיום הכיפורים - Yom Kippur was a joyous day. How could it be?
This year Rosh Hashana falls on Shabbos.
What do we do as a zechus instead of blowing the Shofar?
What does it mean for Hashem to remember something?
An inspirational story ❤️
Every person needs to take pleasure that they have an individual role in the world 🌍 that no one else can complete
Parshas Ki Savo📖
Why does the Torah not mention more of the brochos?🙌
An inspirational story❤️
What does it mean to be ממליך ה' on Rosh Hashana? 👑
Rosh Hashona Part 4:
What is the Judgement of Rosh Hashana all about? ⚖️
Story of The Scratched Luxury Car🚘
I included a one-minute audio from Rav Berkovits
לעילוי נשמת הבחור יהודה זאב בן ישראל ז"ל
Elul Day 2:
🔥A powerful question of the Baal Hatanya - Why isn't Elul one long Yom Tov?
✍️ A powerful story that brings out the idea of what it means to live with a relationship with Hashem.
Rabbi Yosef Shapiro counsels infertile couples in his community. He has the unique vantage point to offer practical tips to those who are struggling, as well as advice to friends and family supporting them. He shares some of the personal struggles that he and his wife went through on their path to parenthood. This is a powerful story that offers information, hope, and encouragement for those on similar journeys as well as advice on those that want to accompany couples as they walk this path.
To purchase a copy of the book: https://www.feldheim.com/in-it-together
To speak confidentially to Rabbi Shapiro: ryosefshapiro@gmail.com
In this episode, we sat down with philosopher, thinker, and educator Rabbi Friedman to hear his journey from a traditional background to becoming an observant Jew.
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What does it mean to believe in a God?
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Where are the main proofs of a God and Torah?
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Can a rational person believe in a Creator?
Tune in to hear Rabbi Friedman discuss his views on God and Torah.
For Rav Moshe YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIa4P4kp7toFDgAdlUSYcNw
For the Aish UK Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/AishUk
Rabbi Jack Cohen is the North American Director of Education at Olami as well as the co-author of "nurture their nature"
Today we live in a more populated and more connected world it's easy to get lost. People are looking for their place in a world of 7 billion people.
We discuss how to learn about ourselves and maintain individuality when often conformity is encouraged.
See this article written by Rabbi Cohen: https://www.theexpressionoflife.com/p/the-whole-world-for-you
Did you ever wonder why doesn't the Torah mention the philosophical journey of Avrohom Avinu? Isn't it important to learn how he found Hashem in a polytheistic world?
Rav Berkovits explains the connection between the chessed of Avrohom and finding Hashem.
In this episode we hear from Shira. Who has been working and volunteering at GIFT.
She shares how valuable in life it is to not just see what change is needed in the world but also be part of the change in the world 🌍👐
Shira shares stories of how people were helped during lock down and what it means to be there for someone else.
@giftcharity
After taking her gap year in 2003-4 to study at Michlala Seminary in Jerusalem, Shira returned to the UK to attend Central School of Speech and Drama. Her love of volunteering caused her to spend all her free time (and some of the time she should have been in lectures) supporting every charity under the sun
Shira is a passionate, heartfelt, and effective educator, having previously been a leader for Aish UK, and other organizations. She combined her easy-going and warm personality with her love of educating and in 2006 took up the post of ‘Informal Educator’ in Hasmonean High School.
Today she is High Schools, Student & Volunteer Manager at GIFT. Tune in and hear all about the life of someone working at GIFT and the gift of living life as a giver.
The origins of the Jewish nation starts with Avrohom Avinu. Yet his beginning we read in the Torah are full of challenges. Wouldn't it be nicer if the stories we read worked out better for Avrohom?
Rav Berkovits would say, "This is what we are here for. We have one purpose in this world, which is to earn eternity. To bring ourselves to be closer and closer to Hashem. Everything in this world is nothing other than a test. They are the things that give us the ability to jump higher".
Good Shabbos
Zvi
In this mid-week series, we ask our guests - what do they feel is most critical to a thinking Jew?
Rabbi Goldwater shares insights and concepts that he learnt or came across when he was older but would have liked to have known more about and had more access to when he was younger.
For more info and suggestions: gefenzvi@gmail.com
Have a wonderful week and enjoy the "Thinking Jewish podcast"
If you were to ask yourself, "who am I"? - Where do you point towards?
Rabbi Moshe Friedman explores this foundational Jewish idea of how the human mind works, and acts.
Rabbi Moshe Friedman grew up in Manhattan, New York, and received his B.A. in Politics, Philosophy, and Economics at the University of Pennsylvania. He studied Jewish Thought and Talmudic Law for ten years in Israel, including several years at the Mir Yeshiva, and has passed rabbinic ordination examinations from the Israeli Rabbinate. Rabbi Friedman has been a regular lecturer at Machon Yaakov Yeshiva in Jerusalem and on numerous learning-based Israel trips.
In 2017, he moved to London with his wife and children to take up the role of FJL UK Liaison, a role that includes regular campus visits and London-based educational programs. Known also by his stage name "Rav Mo", Moshe is a rapper and spoken word artist and has produced music videos with international acclaim.
Links to Rav Mo Youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIa4P4kp7toFDgAdlUSYcNw
How does one connect to the Simcha of Sukkos?
A great story of the Baal Shem Tov and Chaikel the water carrier (it's always a water carrier!)
Yom Kippur can be and should be a serious yet happy and beautiful day. A day of closeness and love. How can we experience that?
Listen to the episode and hear how you can connect in a very real way to Yom Kippur.
There are certain stringencies that Jews take on between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur. If we aren't going to take them on long term isn't that a show? Who are we fooling?
Why would the Torah command someone to choose life? Doesn't everyone instinctively do that?
When we wish one another כתיבה וחתימה טובה – what does a good year look like?
And finally - when we say Avinu Malkeinu - when we affirm our faith in Hashem - what exactly are we saying?
Plus inspiring story at the end!
Enjoy
How do you relate to Rosh Hashana? Been doing this for years unsure about what its all about? The type that is uneasy, perhaps even scared? Is there a better approach?
Each week we will share timely messages for you to go into shabbos with and share with others at your Shabbos table!
This week Parshas Ki Savo we explore what it means to be והלכת בדרכיו and a great story with Ronnie Greenwald!
In my first episode, we introduce a different perspective on our relationship with Hashem. Ani L'dodi V'dodi Li. We explore how one is supposed to prepare for Rosh Hashana and what it means to take on something new to do.