Religion & SpiritualityJudaismSpirituality

The Shema Podcast for the Perplexed

Dan Kullman

Focused on practical spiritual growth, this podcast explores Jewish wisdom through real-life experience and thoughtful conversations, helping listeners build clarity, resilience, and deeper meaning in their lives.

Play

Open in

20 episodes
Avg 41 min
English

Episodes 20

Newest Oldest Longest

All20 Unplayed20 In progress0 Played0

S7 · E264
September 10 · 22 min
Tishrei: Returning our Harvest
Tishrei opens with an interesting pattern. Esav is associated with the sun, Yishmael with the moon, while Yaakov’s calendar requires both. Why does Jewish time refuse to choose one or the other, and what does that reveal about the work of the new year? This episode explores how Tishrei turns that tension into a framework for what we do with everything the past year has placed in our hands, including the parts we wish had gone differently. Join the Conversation! Be part of our growing community—join the Shema Podcast for the Perplexed WhatsApp group to share feedback, discuss episodes, and suggest future topics. Click here to sign up.
S7 · E263
September 8 · 37 min
Episode 17: The Yetzer Hara Firewall
Why do even people with deep faith, tremendous spiritual awareness, and sincere desire to do the right thing still fall prey to the Yetzer Hara? Rav Dessler identifies a subtle opening that can turn even a moment of uncertainty or distraction into something far more dangerous. In this episode of Strive for Truth, Rabbi Michael Cohen and I explore how that opening develops, why it becomes especially powerful when we are worried about the future, and what this teaches us about the role Torah is meant to play in protecting our choices, our focus, and ultimately the direction of our lives. Join the Conversation! Be part of our growing community—join the Shema Podcast for the Perplexed WhatsApp group to share feedback, discuss episodes, and suggest future topics. Click here to sign up. Connect with Rabbi Michael Cohen Reach out to Rabbi Michael Cohen to learn more about his one-on-one coaching work, where he applies the teachings of Strive for Truth to help individuals untangle inner confusion, clarify priorities, and live more grounded, self-expressed lives. To inquire or connect, email him at mailto:rabbicohen@msn.com or connect through LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelcohen101/
S7 · E262
August 20 · 34 min
Episode 16: The Pursuit of Happiness
In this episode, Rabbi Michael Cohen and I explore Rav Dessler’s teaching on the opening chapter of Tehillim and discover a radically different way to approach happiness, ambition, struggle, and spiritual growth. You’ll learn how to pursue greater things without feeling deficient in the present, how to recognize opportunity and meaning even when life is difficult, and how to stop allowing external circumstances to determine your inner state. Most importantly, this conversation offers a path toward realizing that a life directed toward Hashem can provide meaning, purpose, and genuine happiness right now. Join the Conversation! Be part of our growing community—join the Shema Podcast for the Perplexed WhatsApp group to share feedback, discuss episodes, and suggest future topics. Click here to sign up. Connect with Rabbi Michael Cohen Reach out to Rabbi Michael Cohen to learn more about his one-on-one coaching work, where he applies the teachings of Strive for Truth to help individuals untangle inner confusion, clarify priorities, and live more grounded, self-expressed lives. To inquire or connect, email him at rabbicohen@msn.com or connect through LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelcohen101/
S7 · E261
August 19 · 41 min
Spiritual Infrastructure: The Hidden System Behind Physical Reality
In this episode, I’m trying to give us a clearer map of the reality we actually live in so that Torah, mitzvos, prayer, and Hashem’s involvement in our lives become easier to understand as parts of one integrated system. My goal is to move beyond seeing the physical world as self-contained and begin recognizing how the visible layer of reality fits within a much larger spiritual architecture. By understanding where the human being and Klal Yisrael fit within that structure, we can begin to appreciate why our choices matter far beyond what we can immediately see, and why developing this Binah is necessary if we want Torah to move from abstract belief into something we can increasingly recognize and live. Join the Conversation! Be part of our growing community—join the Shema Podcast for the Perplexed WhatsApp group to share feedback, discuss episodes, and suggest future topics. Click here to sign up.
S7 · E260
August 12 · 33 min
Elul: Redirecting Energy to its Purpose
The different symbols and spiritual attributes of a Hebrew month usually offer multiple perspectives on a common theme. Elul is different. Its permutation of Hashem’s Name, letter, mazal, tribe, faculty, and bodily faculty unfold as a sequence, creating a practical step-by-step framework for teshuvah. Together, they show us how to recover the energy that became misdirected in the past year and redirect it toward growth in the year ahead. Join the Conversation! Be part of our growing community—join the Shema Podcast for the Perplexed WhatsApp group to share feedback, discuss episodes, and suggest future topics. Click here to sign up.
S7 · E259
August 7 · 24 min
The Serpent’s Method: The Corruption of Perception
In this episode, we examine how the serpent changed Chava’s perception until the forbidden began to appear beneficial. In doing so, we uncover the system the yetzer hara still uses within us: how it reframes a choice, shifts the question from truth to personal gain, and makes the wrong path appear reasonable or even necessary. We also attempt to reconstruct the human condition before the sin so that we can better understand what was lost and what Torah is guiding us to restore. By tracing both the original order and its corruption, we can learn to recognize the tactic earlier and restore the movement from truth into action and lived reality. Join the Conversation! Be part of our growing community—join the Shema Podcast for the Perplexed WhatsApp group to share feedback, discuss episodes, and suggest future topics. Click here to sign up.
S7 · E258
July 29 · 23 min
The Architecture of Creation: Introducing Stage Two of From Binah to Daas
In this episode, I introduce From Binah to Daas, Stage Two: The Architecture of Creation. The first stage focused on the internal architecture of the human being, how intellect, emotion, imagination, speech, and action can become aligned so that Torah moves from understanding into lived reality. Stage Two turns outward to the architecture of the world in which that transformation takes place, helping us understand how Hashem structured reality, why there is concealment and resistance, and how the systems around us shape our avodah. The goal is to see Torah as one integrated whole, make mitzvos more meaningful, and better understand our role within Creation. Join the Conversation! Be part of our growing community—join the Shema Podcast for the Perplexed WhatsApp group to share feedback, discuss episodes, and suggest future topics. Click here to sign up.
S7 · E257
July 14 · 33 min
Av: The Hidden Harmony of Opposites
In this twelfth episode of The Power of the Hebrew Months, I explore how the month of Av can help us live with experiences that seem impossible to reconcile. Av teaches us how to remain connected to Hashem when compassion feels hidden, how to stop treating painful emotions as proof of spiritual failure, and how to direct powerful traits like anger, ambition, intensity, and fear toward a higher purpose. By learning to hear the unity beneath judgment and mercy, mourning and consolation, and revelation and concealment, we gain a practical framework for staying faithful during uncertainty, recognizing hidden growth, and bringing the divided parts of ourselves into the service of Hashem. Join the Conversation! Be part of our growing community—join the Shema Podcast for the Perplexed WhatsApp group to share feedback, discuss episodes, and suggest future topics. Click here to sign up. Get the Companion Guide: The Power of the Months This free resource outlines the spiritual focus of each Hebrew month — including its mazal (zodiac sign), tribe, Hebrew letter, body part, and unique avodah. It also includes suggested actions you can take to align yourself with the energy of the time. Click here to download and keep this month-by-month guide as a tool for your own growth and reflection.
S7 · E256
July 12 · 32 min
Episode 15: Foundations and Roots
What if the greatest obstacle to spiritual growth isn't a lack of knowledge, but a weak foundation? In this episode, Rabbi Michael Cohen joins me as we explore Rav Dessler's profound meditation on the opening words of Mesillas Yesharim. Together, we discover how to build a life in which every role, every decision, and every mitzvah is rooted in a single purpose, why truth must move from the mind into the heart before it can transform us, and how living with Yiras Shamayim can reshape the way we experience every moment of life. Join the Conversation! Be part of our growing community—join the Shema Podcast for the Perplexed WhatsApp group to share feedback, discuss episodes, and suggest future topics. Click here to sign up. Connect with Rabbi Michael Cohen Reach out to Rabbi Michael Cohen to learn more about his one-on-one coaching work, where he applies the teachings of Strive for Truth to help individuals untangle inner confusion, clarify priorities, and live more grounded, self-expressed lives. To inquire or connect, email him at rabbicohen@msn.com or connect through LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/michaelcohen101/
S7 · E255
June 30 · 1 hr 30 min
Investigative Reports from the Spiritual Realm with Rebbetzin Nomi Freeman
In this profound episode, we explore the ultimate purpose of life through the lens of Torah wisdom and the extraordinary stories of near-death experiences. Joined by Rebbetzin Nomi Freeman, we delve into the transformative insights shared by individuals who glimpsed the spiritual realm, aligning their experiences with the timeless truths of Torah and mitzvos. Discover the deeper meaning behind life’s challenges, the ripple effect of our actions, and the profound importance of kindness, Torah study, and fulfilling mitzvos. Through inspiring firsthand accounts, this episode sheds light on how we can focus on life’s true mission and build an eternal legacy. This episode is a must-listen for anyone seeking clarity, purpose, and a deeper connection to Hashem. Join the conversation: Be part of our growing community! Join the Shema Podcast for the Perplexed WhatsApp Group to share feedback, discuss episodes, and suggest future topics. Click here to sign up
S7 · E254
June 23 · 1 hr 53 min
A Message from Hashem to You with Jake Turx
What if I told you that the Creator of the Universe wrote a letter to comfort you during these challenging times since October 7th? In this episode, we're joined by Jake Turx, senior White House correspondent and chief political correspondent for Ami magazine, and a political contributor at Newsmax. Jake analyzes Sefer Ovadia, the shortest book in the Prophets section of the Tanach, with just one chapter and 21 verses. Despite its brevity, it delivers a powerful message of divine justice and the fate of Edom. This is a message dictated by the Almighty to His prophet, Ovadia, 2,800 years ago, specifically for you today.
S7 · E253
June 16 · 49 min
Tammuz: Rectifying Our Perception
In this episode of The Power of the Hebrew Months, Rabbi Pill and I explore the avodah of Tammuz: learning to perceive reality through the eyes of Torah. We discuss how the meaning we attach to life's events often shapes our experience more than the events themselves, and how many of our greatest struggles stem not from what we see, but from how we interpret it. Tammuz provides a framework for finding Hashem within moments of confusion, uncovering hidden opportunity within apparent setbacks, and transforming the way we relate to challenges, disappointment, and uncertainty. Join the Conversation! Be part of our growing community—join the Shema Podcast for the Perplexed WhatsApp group to share feedback, discuss episodes, and suggest future topics. Click here to sign up. Get the Companion Guide: The Power of the Months This free resource outlines the spiritual focus of each Hebrew month — including its mazal (zodiac sign), tribe, Hebrew letter, body part, and unique avodah. It also includes suggested actions you can take to align yourself with the energy of the time. Click here to download and keep this month-by-month guide as a tool for your own growth and reflection.
S7 · E252
June 16 · 39 min
The Korban System of Transformation
What was the Korban Chatas really designed to accomplish? Most people view the Chatas as a sin offering, but this episode explores a deeper possibility: that the Korban Chatas was actually a structured framework for personal transformation. Building upon themes from The Structured Path of Deveikus, we examine the thesis that the Chatas follows the same transformational architecture revealed at Krias Yam Suf, a process designed to move Torah from Binah to Daas, from intellectual understanding into lived reality. By walking through each stage of the Chatas process from recognition and investment to ownership, consequence, elevation, and internalization we uncover a remarkable Torah system for transforming knowledge into experience, desire into deveikus, and even failure into spiritual growth. Join the Conversation! Be part of our growing community—join the Shema Podcast for the Perplexed WhatsApp group to share feedback, discuss episodes, and suggest future topics. Click here to sign up.
S7 · E251
June 7 · 35 min
Episode 14: From Theory to Transformation
In this special installment of Strive for Truth, Rabbi Michael Cohen and I step back from our study of Rav Dessler's essays to explore how these profound ideas apply in everyday life. Why do so many people remain stuck despite sincere efforts to grow? How do the stories we tell ourselves, our hidden assumptions, and our internal dialogue shape our relationships, careers, spiritual lives, and personal happiness? Drawing upon both Rav Dessler's teachings and his experience coaching individuals, Rabbi Cohen shares practical insights and real-life examples that demonstrate how greater self-awareness can help us move beyond old patterns, see reality more clearly, and create meaningful change in our lives. Join the Conversation! Be part of our growing community—join the Shema Podcast for the Perplexed WhatsApp group to share feedback, discuss episodes, and suggest future topics. Click here to sign up. Connect with Rabbi Michael Cohen Reach out to Rabbi Michael Cohen to learn more about his one-on-one coaching work, where he applies the teachings of Strive for Truth to help individuals untangle inner confusion, clarify priorities, and live more grounded, self-expressed lives. To inquire or connect, email him at mailto:rabbicohen@msn.com or connect through LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelcohen101/
S7 · E250
May 31 · 20 min
Living in the Midbar
What if the wilderness wasn't merely a place, but a stage of life that every person must eventually pass through? In this episode of From Binah to Daas, I explore the Torah's concept of the Midbar as the space between who we were and who we are becoming. Drawing on the journeys of Adam HaRishon, the Jewish people, and our own life experiences, we examine how Torah presents recurring patterns that operate on the level of the individual, the nation, and humanity itself. Along the way, we uncover why transformation requires uncertainty, why the Midbar lasted forty years, what the Golden Calf, the spies, and Korach teach us about navigating major life transitions, and how periods that feel like detours may actually be Hashem's preparation for our next mission. If you've ever felt caught between an ending and a beginning, this episode offers a Torah framework for understanding why. Join the Conversation! Be part of our growing community—join the Shema Podcast for the Perplexed WhatsApp group to share feedback, discuss episodes, and suggest future topics. Click here to sign up. Explore The Art of Prayer Download a collection of beautifully designed blessings (brachos) including Modeh Ani, Asher Yatzar, Netilas Yadayim and more. Free to download and perfect for your home by clicking here.
S7 · E249
May 27 · 36 min
Episode 13: Mistaking the Visible for the Real
In this episode of the Strive for Truth series, Rabbi Michael Cohen and I explore a powerful essay from Rav Dessler on Emunas Chachamim and the danger of mistaking surface-level events for the deeper reality behind them. We discuss how our personal biases distort not only how we see situations in the moment, but also how we connect cause and effect over time. Through examples from the Purim story, the Holocaust, and everyday life, we examine why Torah teaches us to rely on the wisdom of the sages and how much of what we confidently call “reality” may actually just be the story we’ve constructed in our own minds. Join the Conversation! Be part of our growing community—join the Shema Podcast for the Perplexed WhatsApp group to share feedback, discuss episodes, and suggest future topics. Click here to sign up. Connect with Rabbi Michael Cohen Reach out to Rabbi Michael Cohen to learn more about his one-on-one coaching work, where he applies the teachings of Strive for Truth to help individuals untangle inner confusion, clarify priorities, and live more grounded, self-expressed lives. To inquire or connect, email him at mailto:rabbicohen@msn.com.
S7 · E248
May 25 · 33 min
The Ultimate Purpose of Sinai
In this episode I explore a deeply transformative idea from the writings of the Baal HaSulam regarding the true purpose of Torah and Matan Torah. We often measure spiritual success through knowledge, observance, or identity, but what if Torah was given to accomplish something far deeper within the human being itself? Together we examine the illusion of separateness, the connection between self-love and fragmentation, why Sinai did not permanently transform humanity, and how Torah and mitzvos function as a gradual process of reshaping consciousness from isolation toward connectedness, responsibility, and alignment with Hashem. Join the Conversation! Be part of our growing community—join the Shema Podcast for the Perplexed WhatsApp group to share feedback, discuss episodes, and suggest future topics. Click here to sign up.
S7 · E247
May 15 · 25 min
Shiras HaYam - Dismantling the Illusion of Independent Power
In this episode in the “From Binah to Daas” Series, I explore Shiras HaYam not merely as a historical song sung after the splitting of the sea, but as a daily framework for dismantling the illusion that the systems, pressures, and powers we encounter in life operate independently from Hashem. By walking line by line through Az Yashir, we uncover how the Torah trains us to reinterpret moments where reality appears closed, overwhelming, or fragmented, and how Kriyas Yam Suf becomes an ongoing internal experience that transforms intellectual belief into lived awareness. This episode is designed to help listeners deepen their perception of Divine unity, move through fear and uncertainty differently, and understand why Chazal placed Shiras HaYam at the climax of Pesukei D’Zimrah immediately before prayer. Join the Conversation! Be part of our growing community—join the Shema Podcast for the Perplexed WhatsApp group to share feedback, discuss episodes, and suggest future topics. Click here to sign up.
S7 · E246
May 12 · 1 hr 2 min
Sivan: The Secret of Unity Through Multiplicity
In this episode, Rabbi Shlomo Pill and I explore the deeper structure of the month of Sivan and why the Torah specifically had to be given during this time. This conversation provides a completely different lens through which to understand Torah — not as something detached from life, but as the blueprint for bringing unity into fragmentation, integration into separation, and deeper meaning into every dimension of existence. If you’ve ever struggled with how to integrate spirituality with work, body with soul, individuality with community, or Torah learning with daily life, this episode will help you see how the Torah was designed to harmonize seemingly opposing realities into a higher oneness. Join the Conversation! Be part of our growing community—join the Shema Podcast for the Perplexed WhatsApp group to share feedback, discuss episodes, and suggest future topics. Click here to sign up. Get the Companion Guide: The Power of the Months This free resource outlines the spiritual focus of each Hebrew month — including its mazal (zodiac sign), tribe, Hebrew letter, body part, and unique avodah. It also includes suggested actions you can take to align yourself with the energy of the time. Click here to download and keep this month-by-month guide as a tool for your own growth and reflection.
S7 · E245
May 10 · 31 min
Episode 12: Seeing Clearly Through an External Lens
In this episode of Strive for Truth, Rabbi Michael Cohen and I explore one of the most unsettling ideas we’ve discussed so far in Rav Dessler’s writings: that the greatest obstacle to truth is not simply bias or flawed reasoning, but the possibility that we are not even perceiving reality correctly to begin with. Through Rav Dessler’s essay The Ego, the Inclinations, the Spirit, and the Soul, we unpack how the Yetzer Hara shapes the very “inputs” we use to interpret situations before our intellect ever begins to reason. Using examples from Avimelech, Avraham Avinu sending Eliezer to find a wife for Yitzchak, and the role of the neshama in accessing truth beyond the ego, we discuss why intelligence alone cannot guarantee clarity, why outside guidance is essential in major life decisions, and how Torah and yiras Shamayim help us step outside our own distortions in the lifelong pursuit of truth. Join the Conversation! Be part of our growing community—join the Shema Podcast for the Perplexed WhatsApp group to share feedback, discuss episodes, and suggest future topics. Click here to sign up. Connect with Rabbi Michael Cohen Reach out to Rabbi Michael Cohen to learn more about his one-on-one coaching work, where he applies the teachings of Strive for Truth to help individuals untangle inner confusion, clarify priorities, and live more grounded, self-expressed lives. To inquire or connect, email him at mailto:rabbicohen@msn.com.

Showing 1–20 of 20 episodes