The Shema Podcast for the Perplexed

We are so fortunate to be Jews and have the Torah.  We know how the Almighty structured time in a circular path throughout the year.  We know how each moment contains unique spiritual energies and the methods or mitzvos for tapping into each one.   As a result, our circular path throughout the year is continually ascending higher.  I asked Rabbi Bucsko to join us on this episode to provide a macro view of this cycle of time; how to prepare ourselves for where we are now in the month of Elul and carry us through Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur, Sukkos and Simchas Torah.  We are on a roller coaster that is creeping upwards towards the first thrilling part of the ride but when the ride is over, we will not be getting off where we got on.

We are so fortunate to be Jews and have the Torah.  We know how the Almighty structured time in a circular path throughout the year.  We know how each moment contains unique spiritual energies and the methods or mitzvos for tapping into each one.   As a result, our circular path throughout the year is continually ascending higher.  I asked Rabbi Bucsko to join us on this episode to provide a macro view of this cycle of time; how to prepare ourselves for where we are now in the month of Elul and carry us through Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur, Sukkos and Simchas Torah.  We are on a roller coaster that is creeping upwards towards the first thrilling part of the ride but when the ride is over, we will not be getting off where we got on.

The Almighty created us with a desire to control. Void of Torah wisdom, many attempt to channel that desire to control, to the world around them. The reason this results in tremendous frustration is that the world around us, is Hashem’s world and one he controls. Through Torah we learn that the world He intended for us to channel our desire of control into, is that of our internal world. This is our Kingdom and in order for us to successfully live as a King, by asserting our dominion over it, is predicated on the type of nourishment we consume. It requires a spiritual diet. In this episode we are joined by Rabbi Chaim and Rebbetzin Cohen and they share with us their wisdom on the mitzvah of Kosher.

Everyone who begins the journey towards Torah Observance share a similar experience with one another.   We all begin to encounter new challenges in life that we did not have before.   It seems so counterintuitive that it can lead to frustration.  The reality is that the new challenges in front of us are being orchestrated by G-d as a means to remove what is blocking us from becoming closer to Him.  In this episode I bring on my dear friend and spiritual athlete, Scott Kammerman so he can share his wisdom and advice, acquired through years of training, on how to turn these challenges into what they were intended to be.  A custom learning curriculum developed by the Almighty to aid us both in our mutual desire.

Everyone who begins the journey towards Torah Observance share a similar experience with one another.   We all begin to encounter new challenges in life that we did not have before.   It seems so counterintuitive that it can lead to frustration.  The reality is that the new challenges in front of us are being orchestrated by G-d as a means to remove what is blocking us from becoming closer to Him.  In this episode I bring on my dear friend and spiritual athlete, Scott Kammerman so he can share his wisdom and advice, acquired through years of training, on how to turn these challenges into what they were intended to be.  A custom learning curriculum developed by the Almighty to aid us both in our mutual desire.

Our claim as the Jewish people is that our origin began at Mt. Sinai when we received the Torah.   Many of us, when beginning our pursuit of Torah wisdom, often overlook an important question and that is, what is Torah?   The answer at first seems obvious until we contemplate it further.  Understanding the answer to this fundamental question, is something we need to thoroughly comprehend if we want to unlock the power of Torah to transform us into who we truly are.

Our claim as the Jewish people is that our origin began at Mt. Sinai when we received the Torah.   Many of us, when beginning our pursuit of Torah wisdom, often overlook an important question and that is, what is Torah?   The answer at first seems obvious until we contemplate it further.  Understanding the answer to this fundamental question, is something we need to thoroughly comprehend if we want to unlock the power of Torah to transform us into who we truly are.

Fulfilling the Torah is Simple but not Easy.In summary Torah is telling us the following:Our purpose in this world is to pursue ultimate pleasure.The ultimate pleasure we are pursuing is closeness to Hashem.The way we ascend closer to Hashem is through aligning our thoughts, words, and actions with Him.The way we learn how to align ourselves with Him is through His Torah.His ways are ways of giving.While we all have unique challenges, tailored to our unique curriculum for growth, they all have something in common and that is our Yetzer Hara is continually trying to convince us that the source of pleasure is taking, not giving.In this episode I bring on Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe and his 7-year-old son, Yitzi, to inspire us, by sharing stories of Tzadikim who have excelled in this lofty and simple, but not easy task.

The Almighty has orchestrated throughout history periods when the non-Jewish world opens up to the Jewish people.  His objective is to see whether we are now capable to go out into the world and be a light unto the other nations or whether we choose to take the path of assimilation.   While Chanukah is our example in time of how to succeed at this task, for the majority of history we have sadly failed, causing G-d to orchestrate world events so that the other nations will remind us that we are Jews through the escalation of Anti-Semitism.   And once again, we are seeing this play out.   So how do we equip ourselves to interact with the other nations without assimilating into the other nations?  The answer is our lifelines of Tzitzit, Yarmulke and Tefillin.   They are what harness us to the Almighty wherever we go in the world so that we stay true to our mission.   In this invocative episode Rabbi Abrahams explores the deep meaning of these important mitzvos.

The Almighty has orchestrated throughout history periods when the non-Jewish world opens up to the Jewish people.  His objective is to see whether we are now capable to go out into the world and be a light unto the other nations or whether we choose to take the path of assimilation.   While Chanukah is our example in time of how to succeed at this task, for the majority of history we have sadly failed, causing G-d to orchestrate world events so that the other nations will remind us that we are Jews through the escalation of Anti-Semitism.   And once again, we are seeing this play out.   So how do we equip ourselves to interact with the other nations without assimilating into the other nations?  The answer is our lifelines of Tzitzit, Yarmulke and Tefillin.   They are what harness us to the Almighty wherever we go in the world so that we stay true to our mission.   In this invocative episode Rabbi Abrahams explores the deep meaning of these important mitzvos.