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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20 episodes
Updated Yesterday
Explicit

Episodes20

Newest first

Yesterday · 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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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....
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...
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...
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....
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...
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...
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...
April 20 · 37 min
Jeremy Tibbetts: 'Being a spiritual seeker is not in vogue'
For Rabbi Jeremy Tibbetts, Jewish mysticism is all about turning inwards: both individually and religiously. While he did not grow up Orthodox, Rabbi Jeremy was exposed to Hasidic teachings for the first time at eighteen years old and found that there...
April 13 · 51 min
Yehudis Golshevsky: 'The root of all prophecy is spiritual imagination'
For Rebbetzin Yehudis Golshevsky, Jewish mysticism is a living tradition, one that influences daily life and decision-making. She emphasizes the importance of loving-kindness and Jewish mysticism’s practical applications. Yehudis Golshevsky is the...
March 30 · 42 min
Shlomo Katz: 'Today's idol worship is self-persecution'
To Rabbi Shlomo Katz, the song of Torah is the most natural gateway into Jewish mysticism. A spiritual disciple of Shlomo Carlebach, Rabbi Shlomo believes that our greatest challenge today is that we lack the courage to connect with others and show...
March 23 · 26 min
Tonia Chazanow: 'Every soul has a story'
Tonia Chazanow believes everyone deserves to have access to Jewish mysticism because it is a tool through which each person can discover and understand the divinity in their own life and help others find theirs. Tonia Chazanow is a Los Angeles-based...
March 16 · 1 hr 1 min
Daniel Rowe: 'It's very easy to either idolatrize God or just misuse mystical teachings'
Rabbi Daniel Rowe sees Jewish mysticism as a path to deepen one’s relationship with God. He connects Jewish mysticism to the deeper dimensions of the Torah, viewing it as a unifying principle that integrates various aspects of Judaism such as its...
March 9 · 30 min
Shoshana Judelman: 'Our greatest challenge is as individuals facing our own demons'
For Rabbanit Shoshana Judelman, mysticism is a lens through which one can see through God’s reality and recognize the divine hand in world events and personal growth. Shoshana Judelman is a passionate educator of Torah and Jewish history. Shoshana...