18Forty Podcast NEW: 18 Questions, 40 Mystics with Joey Rosenfeld
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Dec 2, 2025 Joey Rosenfeld is a practicing psychotherapist and scholar of Jewish philosophy, delving into the profound connections between spirituality and psychology. He shares his journey into mystical thought through Kafka and Camus, emphasizing how mysticism can transform relationships and heal trauma. He discusses the paradoxical nature of God, the essence of prayer as awareness of dependency, and the vital role of community in spiritual connections. Joey also links Jewish mysticism to addiction recovery, highlighting its power to reveal each person's unique purpose.
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Depth Beyond The Surface
- Mysticism notices deeper realities beneath surface appearances and invites us to look beyond the naked eye.
- Joey Rosenfeld credits early existential reading and Maharal study for opening him to inner dimensions.
Kafka And Camus As A Gateway
- Joey recounts his father's gift of Kafka and Camus in Israel as a gateway to existential questioning and mysticism.
- Those works primed him to later enter Maharal and Kabbalistic study.
Reason Leads To Wonder
- Rav Soloveitchik uses rational tools to point to the ungraspable, moving reason to wonder rather than dismissing it.
- Rosenfeld says Kabbalah begins where philosophy ends, using reason to reveal its limits.
