Practical Spiritual Tidbits

Ep. 89- "Fear of God" deeper meaning

Could it really be that our Divine Source wants us to feel afraid of 'Him'? Is that really what the concept of "fear of God" means? In this episode we explore the true, deeper meaning of the concept of fear of God.

Ep. 88- Feeling Feelings

In this episode, we give a Kabbalistic explanation of the benefit of feeling one's feelings, i.e. developing a positive relationship with one's emotions.

Ep. 87- The 12 Tribes

The Zohar teaches that the 12 Tribes, all together, form the completion of the Divine Presence. In this episode, we explore the unique energy of each of the 12 Tribes, as seen in the qualities and personalities of the 12 sons of Jacob and their descendants. Most of the sources quoted in this episode are from the book "Tribal Lands" by Tamar Weissman.

Ep. 86- Knowing what you want

In this episode we discuss wants/desires. Why is it valuable to know what you want? We discuss 2 approaches on how to clarify one's desires, based on Kabbalistic and psychological sources.

Ep. 85- Seeing with depth

In this episode we discuss the idea of seeing the soul of things; with more depth. The ability to see through this lens was described by the Kabbalists as the ability to see truth. We discuss multiple examples and sources, and offer 3 practical applications.

Ep. 84- "Soulmate Day" (The 15th of Av)

In this episode, we share 4 insights about the holiday of Tu B'Av (the 15th of Av), which is known as an opportune time to find one's soulmate. Why is specifically this day opportune? What energy is more accessible on this day? What is the significance of a full moon? What's the deeper meaning of the 3 types of people described in the Talmud? This episode was recorded on the 14th of Av. Books quoted include B'Yam Darkecha (teachings of Rav Itche Meir Morgenstern), The Months of Tamuz and Av by Rav DovBer Pinson, Moadim U'Mudaut by Rav Yitzchak Arad, and B'Maagalei Hashanah by Rav Avraham Mordechai Gottlieb.

Ep. 83- What is the "Shechinah"?

In this episode we discuss the concept of the "Shechinah," often translated as "Divine Feminine." What actually is it? What do the Sages teach about it? What philosophical question does it help to answer? How does it impact a person practically? One source I forgot to mention connected to the prayer idea is the Talmud (Pesachim 46a) which says "When a person is in pain, what does the Shechinah say? 'Woe to my head, woe to my arm!'" Some of the sources used in this podcast are: "Linked to the Shechinah" by Rav Yaakov Hillel, and "32-Gates" by Rav DovBer Pinson, Gate 12.

Ep. 82: The voice of self-doubt

In this episode we explore the inner voice of self-doubt. Based on a Kabbalistic reading of two characters in the Bible, and based on that, what seems to be the biblical advice for overcoming that voice. Please note that this episode was recorded outdoors, please forgive me for the audio quality.

Ep. 81- Divine timing

In this episode, we discuss the topic of Divine timing. Is it really true that there's a preordained time for when things will happen? And, is there anything we can do to speed up that timeline?

Ep. 80- Music & Unity

In this episode we look at the power of music to foster unity. We quote Kabbalistic, Talmudic, and psychological sources.

Ep. 79- Why do we always want more?

In this episode, we explore the phenomenon that humans always seem to want more/growth/expansion. We go through some stories and sources on the topic, and offer a Kabbalistic explanation for it.

Ep. 78- Gog & Magog

In this episode we discuss the prophecies about the war of Gog and Magog from Ezekiel 38-39 and Zechariah 14, and how later Sages understood them. What is it? Who is Gog? Who is involved? Is it metaphorical? What is its purpose? And more...

Ep. 77- Aura

In this episode we discuss the concept of an aura. Starting with Nicola Tesla and other scientists, and then getting into multiple spiritual/Kabbalistic sources.

Ep. 76- The "Third Eye"

In this episode, we suggest 3 different sources for the concept of the 'third eye.' We get into a discussion about where desires originate.

Ep. 75- The energy of "appreciation"

In this episode we discuss the energy of "appreciation." We discuss the spiritual impact of appreciation, including a few stories, as it relates to different types of relationships in our lives: person to person, person to self, and person to Creator.

Ep. 74- Gemstones' Healing Powers

The fact that gemstones have healing properties is rooted in the Bible. In Exodus 39:10-14 it lists 12 gemstones that were to be placed in the breastplate the high priest in the Temple, each stone corresponding to a son of Jacob. The Kabbalists (e.g. Rabbeinu Bachya (1255-1340), on Exodus 28:15) teach that based on what we know about the life of each of those sons, we can derive what the healing powers of each respective stone are. In this episode, we go through each stone and its healing properties. (The English definitions of the stones come the research of the Italian physician Abraham Portaleone (d. 1612, a student of Rabbi Dr. Eliyahu haKohen of Izmir), in his book Shlatte Giborim, which I learned of from Rabbi Shaul Shimon Deutch from the Living Torah museum in Brooklyn, New York.) In Summary: 1) Ruby (Reuben)- Strength, energy, and healthy pregnancy 2) Topaz (Shimon)- Cools the body, calm 3) Emerald (Levi)- Insight, wisdom, ability to self-express 4) Garnet (Yehuda)- Self-confidence, enemies run from you 5) Sapphire (Yissachar)- Heals eye-sight (inc. third eye), pain, swelling, depression 6) Diamond (Zevulun)- Helps with sleep 7) Opal (Dan)- Creativity/ vision 8) Agate (Naftali)- Balance, protection from plague 9) Amethyst (Gad)- Courage and strength of mind 10) Beryl (Asher)- Digestion, wisdom and understanding 11) Onyx (Joseph)- Attractive to others 12) Jasper (Benjamin)- Good reputation

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Ep. 73- God: Being or Principle?

In this short episode, we discuss whether G-d is more of a being or a principle.

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Ep. 72- Rabbi Josh Zebberman: Couples Counseling

In this episode, I sit down with Rabbi Josh Zebberman, who is a rabbi and couples counselor. He shares his unique approach to counseling, which involves focusing more on & highlighting what's working well, and less on what's not working as well. He shares many stories of different clients and how this approach has helped. We get into Hasidic and Kabbalistic discussions related to this approach. You can find him on his website rabbijosh.org; instagram @rabbijoshzebberman.

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Ep. 71 - Katia Bolotin

Katia Bolotin, a Torah educator and speaker, writer, pianist and composer, is the author of the recently published book "Making it Relevant," which is about finding practical meaning and application from the weekly Torah portion. In this conversation we talk about King David's life, various lessons from Psalms, resilience, optimism, setbacks, a perspective on sadness, and more! You can find her book on Amazon here, or from Mosaica here, and her music on streaming platforms.

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Ep. 70- Noa Amalia Arazi: Conversion to Judaism

In this episode I sit down with Noa Amalia Arazi, the founder of "Destined to be a Jew," an organization that supports thousands of people converting - and considering converting - to Judaism. We discuss her personal story converting to Judaism, the top reasons why people decide to convert, where across the globe most conversions take place, how long conversion takes, common challenges, how it feels to convert/ if it feels totally different, how much is one expected to know before converting, and more! You can find her on instagram @destined_to_be_a_jew, on her website here, and on Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, and on her Whatsapp community.

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