Religion & SpiritualityJudaismSpiritualityExplicit

18 Questions, 40 Mystics

18Forty

18 Questions, 40 Mystics is a new podcast and video series by 18Forty and Share interviewing the leading rabbis, teachers, kabbalists, and artists immersed in the world of Jewish mysticism.

Join Rabbi Benji Levy as he asks 18 of the most existential questions to 40 mystics from around the world. If you are looking to dive into the world of spirituality, inspiration, and pnimiyut, then this is the podcast for you.

Have questions or comments? Shoot us an email at info@18forty.org.

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26 episodes
weekly
Avg 40 min
English

Episodes 26

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S2 · E40
September 14 · 33 min
Gedale Fenster: 'Focus on the message, you won't stay in the mess'
For Gedale Fenster, Jewish Mysticism is not a retreat from reality but the "expanded consciousness" needed to see that “the problem is the solution.” Gedale Fenster is an internationally renowned motivational speaker, spiritual leader, life coach,...
S2 · E39
September 7 · 37 min
Victoria Hanna: 'The riddle is a part of our existence'
Victoria Hanna sees tremendous power in riddles. In many ways, she argues, questions are more important than answers. The Israeli musician uses sounds and letters to understand God and the world, believing in the power of the “limitless within the...
S2 · E38
August 31 · 26 min
Shlomo Pill: 'Mysticism is really just a mapping of human experience'
For Rabbi Dr. Shlomo Pill, self-satisfaction is the biggest obstacle to living a more spiritual life. Based on the teaching of the Arizal, Rabbi Isaac ben Solomon Ashkenazi Luria, he argues that a sense of lack is what promotes true spiritual growth....
S2 · E37
August 24 · 55 min
Fally Klein: 'To me, God is the unanswerable question that keeps you asking'
Fally Klein stumbled upon Jewish mysticism almost on her own, as a teenager battling cancer. Now she’s on a journey to fill in the gaps in her knowledge and anchor her natural spiritual inclinations in the deep-rooted, ancient tradition of Jewish law...
S2 · E36
August 17 · 46 min
Eli Rubin: 'The Arizal was the first herald of modernity'
For Rabbi Dr. Eli Rubin, in an ideal world all people would be mystics. He argues that if mysticism means connecting to God, then everyone should feel that connection. And through it, everyone should be able to live better, more meaningful lives. ...
S2 · E35
August 10 · 31 min
Aron Moss: 'The term religious doesn't really exist in Judaism'
It is difficult to navigate the complexities of the world without having inner purpose. For Rabbi Aron Moss, Jewish mysticism provides this crucial depth. He describes God not as a distant figure but as the inner reality of everything and the life...
S2 · E34
August 3 · 41 min
Yussie Zakutinsky: 'God is as much part of this world as He was before Creation'
For Rabbi Yussie Zakutinsky, Jewish mysticism means reintroducing the soul into the body of the world, turning every action into a gateway for the Infinite, who is closer to us than we are to ourselves. Rabbi Yussie Zakutinsky is a prominent lecturer...
S2 · E33
July 27 · 28 min
Faigy Blumstein: 'Take that darkness, flip it over, and see the light'
For Faigy Blumstein, mysticism is the secret that reveals the vibrant, colorful layers hidden beneath the surface of a black-and-white world. It is a soulful GPS for navigating life’s darkest challenges, transforming our struggles into a radical...
S2 · E32
July 20 · 48 min
Judah Mischel: 'I identify as somebody who is living in the days of redemption'
Raised in a home that focused on the soul of Judaism, Rabbi Judah Mischel was immersed in the world of mysticism from a young age. For Rabbi Judah, true connection with God begins with love for other people. Rabbi Judah Mischel is the Executive...
S2 · E31
July 13 · 37 min
Elliot Wolfson: ‘Jewish mysticism is the garment that I wear in this world’
Professor Elliot Wolfson, one of the world’s foremost scholars of Jewish mysticism, has dedicated over forty years to teaching and researching Kabbala and its expressions across Jewish history. He explores how ancient kabbalistic concepts resonate...
S2 · E30
July 6 · 45 min
Efraim Palvanov: 'Every person can be the Messiah'
What is taught today as basic science, argues Efraim Palvanov, was taught centuries ago in the Zohar. To Efraim, complex scientific functions such as quantum physics, epigenetics, and wave particle duality go hand in hand with Torah and Jewish...
S2 · E29
June 29 · 41 min
Fruma Schapiro: 'The direct path of connection to Hashem is through the simple and the small'
Fruma Schapiro’s connection to Jewish mysticism is deeply entrenched in Chabad Hasidism. She has seen the way it can transform lives and nourish souls, and she is particularly drawn to the idea that each and every person has a responsibility to spread...
S2 · E28
June 22 · 55 min
YY Jacobson: 'Jews were chosen to hold onto the frequency of redemptive consciousness'
In this insightful conversation, Rabbi YY Jacobson presents Jewish mysticism as a dynamic framework for consciousness and connection rather than abstract theology. He passionately and clearly illustrates how faith and, ultimately, surrender can...
S2 · E27
June 15 · 15 min
Oshra Koren: 'If this is not redemption, I don't know what is'
For Rabbanit Oshra Koren, mysticism is the soul and spirit of the Torah that animates the "body" of Jewish law. It is a path of deep longing that wakes the sleeping heart, transforming the way we see ourselves and our capacity to heal the world....
S2 · E26
June 8 · 40 min
Jonnie Schnytzer: 'The world caught up with kabbalists'
For Dr. Jonnie Schnytzer, Jewish mysticism teaches us to recognize that nothing in this world is the way it appears to be. Kabbalistic study is a process in deconstructing something we think we understand and rebuilding it. Dr. Jonnie Schnytzer has...
S2 · E25
June 1 · 24 min
Dina Etigson: 'The point is not to transcend this world but to bring God here into it'
For Dina Etigson, encountering Jewish Mysticism has been a transformative experience. Beyond the academic and textual Judaism she already knew and loved, she describes the experience as entering “a different dimension,” where spirituality and...
S2 · E24
May 25 · 1 hr 7 min
Biti Roi: 'Every generation brings mysticism to a different stage'
For Dr. Biti Roi, the texts of Jewish mysticism aren’t just ideas to study – they are a life force. A renowned scholar of Zohar, Kabbala, and Chasidut [Hasidism], these texts are the animating energy behind Dr. Roi’s teaching and way of life. Dr....
S2 · E23
May 18 · 35 min
Zvi Leshem: 'Modernity in general was a movement that was anti-mystical'
As director of the Gershom Scholem Collection for Kabbalah and Hasidism at the National Library of Israel, Rabbi Dr. Zvi Leshem dedicates much of his time to the study of Jewish mysticism. He believes Jewish mysticism teaches us to listen, uplift, and...
S2 · E22
May 11 · 36 min
Devori Nussbaum: 'I see God as this one coherent frequency of truth'
For Devori Nussbaum, Jewish mysticism is the study of the soul behind the psyche, a transformative framework that integrates the profound spiritual truths of Chasidut [Hasidism] with insights of psychotherapy to foster personal healing and divine...
S2 · E21
May 4 · 46 min
Simon Jacobson: 'The music of Judaism is what I’m looking for, not just the mechanics'
Rabbi Simon Jacobson describes his childhood years as being shaped by his nature of being a “skeptic and a seeker.” As he grew older, he began to study other traditions, eventually returning to a deeper study of Hasidic thought, where he found “the...

Showing 1–20 of 26 episodes