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By David Sacks
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Podcast Description
Born and raised in New York City, David Sacks attended Harvard College, graduating with a degree in Government in 1984. While there he began his comedy writing career as an editor of the school's humor magazine, The Harvard Lampoon. Upon graduating, David moved to Los Angeles and began writing for television. Among the shows he has worked for are The Simpsons, where he won an Emmy Award, and Third Rock from the Sun for which he won a Golden Globe Award and Malcolm in the Middle. David is the co-founder and Senior Lecturer of The Happy Minyan of Los Angeles. David is married and raises his family in Beverly Hills, CA.
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What Exactly is the Torah, Anyway? | Dear Friends, Is the Torah a book? A scroll? A set of instructions? All of the above, none of the above? Deeper still what does it mean when the Talmud teaches us that the Torah existed 974 generations before the world was created?! Further still, what does it mean when it says that G-d looked into the Torah and created the world? What did He look into exactly?? We can’t really begin to understand our own lives or what the grandness of history is all about until we arrive at a deeper understanding of these questions. In this talk we address what the true giantness of the Torah is all about. Share via | 5/23/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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2 |
I Love My Mom | The God/Parent Connection | 5/20/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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3 |
Alone? You Are Never Alone | Ultimate Connection | 5/13/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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4 |
Second Chances | Pesach Sheni | 5/6/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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5 |
Forgiveness – The World Inside You | The World Inside You | 4/29/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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6 |
Free Gifts From God! | More Keys to Happiness | 4/22/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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7 |
Open Hearts, Mice, And Cleaning for Passover | Passover 2012 | 4/1/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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8 |
The Blessing Over Flowers And What It Teaches Us About Life | The Unfolding Truth | 3/25/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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9 |
The Seder As Mediatation | Dear Friends, Freedom!!! Here is an overview of the Hagadah and Pesach! Share via | 3/21/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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10 |
The Final Test | The Golden Calf | 3/11/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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11 |
Purim 2012 – Holiday of Oneness | Listen to This One | 3/4/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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12 |
Zapped Out Purim Torahs (16 minutes) | Revealing the Concealed | 2/28/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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God is The Singer We are The Song | People are Music | 2/26/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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14 |
Terumah – Achieving Perfection Through Unity | The Big Big Picture | 2/19/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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15 |
Why is Life So Confusing? – The Roots of Doubt | Deep Thoughts | 2/12/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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16 |
How To Be Free – A Practical Guide to Spiritual Liberation | Practical Steps | 2/5/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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17 |
Uplifting Time – The First Mitzvah | Freedom | 1/29/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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18 |
Assimilation and The Jews | How to Survive | 1/23/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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19 |
Too Rich, Too Smart, Too Pretty | Harnessing Extremes | 1/22/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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20 |
Creating Worlds Through Speech – Language and Redemption | Defining Terms | 1/15/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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21 |
How Cool Is It That We’re Immortal? | You Live Forever | 1/8/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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22 |
Coincidences and You – What is God Telling Us? | Dear Friends, Four amazing “coincidences” happened to me this week. I’ve been trying to wrap my brain around this subject for quite a while now and bring you fresh info from the never ending search to decode life. PS – Here is the link I promise in the talk. It’s another incredible story. A real miracle or the doing of extraordinary people? Share via | 1/2/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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23 |
What Does it Mean to Be a Letter in the Torah? | Dear Friends, Every person is so needed by G-d. One expression of this is the fact that every Jewish person corresponds to a particular letter in the Torah. Just like a Torah scroll is unkosher if it is missing one letter, so too if one of our brothers or sisters is missing we can’t be complete, either. But what does this connection mean on an even deeper level? In this talk we dive into the deep end. Share via | 1/1/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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24 |
Do I Matter? | Does G-d Care? | 1/1/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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25 |
A Guide to Happiness – Secrets for a Life Well Lived | A Practical Guide | 12/31/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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26 |
Who’s World Are You Living In? | A Revolution in Consciousness | 12/29/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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27 |
“Can You Please Explain Shabbos?” | The Depths of Shabbos | 12/28/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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28 |
The DNA of Seduction – The Snake and Eve | Dear Friends, What went wrong in the Garden of Eden? In this talk, we explore how the snake seduced Eve, and how to evaluate our own desires. Share via | 12/26/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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29 |
You, Me, God and Everything | What is Monotheism? | 12/25/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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30 |
Creating the World You Live In | Dear Friends, The world is being created over and over and over again — every single nano-second. The implications of this are vast! G-d is His abundant mercy is giving us tremendous opportunities. How does this work and how can we benefit from it? In this talk, we take a look. Share via | 12/24/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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31 |
A Guide to Success – Based on the Life of Avraham | The Life of Abraham | 12/21/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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32 |
Do You Value Yourself? | Keys to Improving Self Esteem | 12/19/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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33 |
Jewish Beauty vs. Greek Beauty | Yoseph HaTzadik | 12/18/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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34 |
Understanding God’s Goodness | God is Good | 12/18/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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35 |
Managing the Difficult Transitions in Life | Hard times are the most difficult part of life. How do you make it through them while still holding on to the goodness of G-d? In this talk we dig deeply into the treasury of hope. Share via | 12/17/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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36 |
“What Am I Doing Here?” – An Overview of Life | An Overview of Life | 12/15/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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37 |
Living With Doubt | I want to talk about a subject that I don’t hear discussed that often which is doubt. A lot of us experience doubt even at the same time we experience faith. We think “you know there must be something wrong with me, if I have questions in my mind. It must mean I don’t really believe, because if I did how could I have questions?” So what I’m trying to do in this talk today is to talk on a cosmic level, about how Gd made doubt, and that one can experience doubt even in the presence of belief, and that doesn’t wipe out the good of the belief. You know sometimes you’ve got the wrong shoes and you get a callous on your toe. You don’t change your life upside down because you’ve got a callous on your toe. It’s part of the normal order of things. Share via | 12/14/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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38 |
Taking “Yes” for an Answer | Yakov and Esev | 12/11/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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39 |
Rachel and Leah: Mothers of Mashiach | The Switch | 12/5/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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40 |
The Holiness of Latkes – Deep Stuff (For Real) 18 min. | The Hanukah - Manna from Heaven connection | 12/4/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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41 |
Light Within Darkness – Chanukah 2011 | Utter Closeness | 11/28/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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42 |
Revealing Oneness Below – Chanukah Part One | Finding Truth | 11/27/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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43 |
Turning Potential into Reality | Who is the Boss? | 11/20/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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44 |
Flashes of Recognition | Key Moments | 11/13/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Open Hearts Open Worlds | Open Hearts Open Worlds | 11/8/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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46 |
The First Jew | Abraham | 11/6/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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47 |
The Gematria of Large Letters in the Torah | Shema Yisrael | 10/30/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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48 |
The Evolution of Righteousness | Evolution of Righteousness | 10/27/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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49 |
Spiritual Identity Theft | Spiritual Identity Theft | 10/23/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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50 |
Integration and Harmony – Succos 2011 | Happiness | 10/12/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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51 |
Black Fire on White Fire | The Invisible Becomes Revealed | 10/6/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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52 |
These Ten Days | From Rosh Hashana to Yom Kippur | 9/27/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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53 |
The Beginning of All Beginnings – Rosh Hashanah | Rosh Hashana | 9/25/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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54 |
Purifying Your Thoughts | Refine Yourself | 9/18/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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55 |
Relationship Advice | Be a Better Partner | 9/11/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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56 |
Project Elul – Newness and Forgiveness | Secrets for a Good Year | 9/4/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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57 |
Taking Control of Your Thoughts | A Good Eye | 8/28/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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58 |
Becoming More Sensitive | The Little Things | 8/21/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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59 |
Never Give Up! | The Gates Are Open | 8/14/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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60 |
Why Was I Born Now? | Clarifying Our Life Mission | 8/7/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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61 |
The Soul’s Infinite Travels | The Never Ending Journey | 7/31/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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62 |
Turning Life into Art | Love During Exile | 7/24/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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63 |
Mastering Spiritual Highs and Lows | The Life of Angels | 7/17/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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64 |
Who Decides What’s Real? | What is Real? | 7/10/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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65 |
The Limits of Human Understanding | What Can We Know? | 7/3/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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66 |
Holiness and Rebellion | The Reality of Structure | 6/26/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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67 |
The Power of Love | Love Conquers All | 6/12/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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68 |
Asteroids, Near Misses, And Life after Life | Life's Near Misses | 5/29/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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69 |
Truth Without Arrogance | Honoring Oneness | 5/22/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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70 |
Utopian Economics | The Divine Business Plan | 5/15/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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71 |
The Face of Creation | With Beginnings | 5/8/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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72 |
The Fabric of Existence | Worlds within Worlds | 5/1/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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73 |
The King of All Character Traits | What is Humility? | 4/10/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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74 |
The Mysterious Four Pronged Shin | A Key to the Future | 4/3/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Making Hashem Your Best Friend | Dear Friends, Best Friend? So many of us think of Hashem as either our Father, or King or Master — but Best Friend? Is that even a possibility? In this talk, we look at a few simple steps on how to make this happen. http://Torahonitunes.com/audio/MakingHashemYourBestFriend.mp3 Share via | 3/30/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Humankind: Future Tense | Evolving Toward Perfection | 3/27/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Parallel Universes in the Torah | Do They Exist? | 3/13/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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78 |
PURIM – Script / Anti-Script | Spiritual Heroism Today | 3/1/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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79 |
“I’m Glad You’re Here” – Mix Tape | Funny Mix of Talk Openings | 2/28/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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80 |
The Mystery of Life | Precision Amidst Havoc | 2/27/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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81 |
The Design of Coincidences | Dealing with Surprises | 2/13/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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82 |
How Oneness Works | The Physics of Oneness | 1/30/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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83 |
Time Space Soul | What Happened at Mt. Sinai? | 1/23/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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84 |
Facebook, CNN, and G-d: Trends in the Zeitgeist | Trends in Society Today | 1/16/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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85 |
A Brief History of Light | A Brief History of Light | 1/2/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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86 |
The Importance of Being Yourself | Your Are Unique | 12/26/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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87 |
You Are Not Alone | The Book Of Exodus | 12/23/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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88 |
“So That’s What Tefillin is All About!” | Way-Out Tefillin Torahs | 12/20/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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89 |
Unlocking The Closed Portion | The "Death" of Yaakov | 12/13/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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90 |
Hanukah – Light of Heaven | Illuminating the miraculous before us | 12/5/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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91 |
Hanukah – Rivers of Light | The Unfolding of Truth | 11/28/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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92 |
Hanukah – The Fixing of Randomness | Dear Friends, Getting ready for Hanukah! Let’s light up the darkness together! Share via | 11/23/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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93 |
The Tribe of Benjamin | The Greatness of Benjamin | 11/21/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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94 |
One Plus One Equals One | Harmonizing Yourself with the universe | 11/14/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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95 |
Seeking Truth | A Path to Truth | 11/7/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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96 |
Shield of Avraham | The Relationship between Avraham and Adam | 10/17/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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97 |
The Succah – Microcosm of Time and Space | Dear Friends, The Succah is the most unbelievable structure. Not only is it a miniature of heaven and earth — it’s a also a guide to what a perfected world looks like! In addition, it also contains a time line of the history of the world — from before the world was created until the complete redemption. Not bad, for a few sheets and some palm fronds! The question is — how??? In this week’s talk we explore these ideas, and also explain how the Tree of Knowledge was heroic, and the Torah’s concept of beauty. Share via | 10/11/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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In or Out? Yes or No? | The Power of the Individual | 10/10/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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From Yom Kippur to Succot – 2011 | Succos | 10/9/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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100 |
The Secret History of the Moon – And What it Can Teach Us | Understanding Free Choice | 10/3/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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101 |
Starting Again – Yom Kippur and The Year Ahead | Inspiration | 10/2/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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102 |
The Big Secret No One is Telling You | How to Have a Relationship with Hashem | 9/19/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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103 |
Rosh Hashana, The Zohar, Rashi and You | Overcoming Guilt | 9/5/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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104 |
G-d is Not Waiting to Zap You | G-d is NOT waiting to Zap you! | 8/29/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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105 |
Judaism is Not an Organized Religion | Making a Personal Connection with G-d | 8/22/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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106 |
Expecting the Unexpected | How to React in the Moment | 8/15/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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107 |
How You Feel is What You See | How You Feel is What You See | 8/8/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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108 |
A How To Guide for Rebuilding the Temple | Healing the Contradictions in our Lives | 7/18/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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109 |
The End of Death – Pinchas, Eliahu and The Fixing of Eve | The Kabalah of Circumcision | 7/4/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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110 |
The Confusing Nature of Tisha B’Av | Dear Friends, Tisha B’Av has a duel nature. On the one hand, it is the saddest day of the year. On the other hand, our Sages teach that there is light contained within it that is of the Messianic level. How are we to react? And what does it tell us about living as Jews in general? G-d willing this year we will all celebrate together in the Holy City of Yerushalyim! Share via | 7/1/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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111 |
Tammuz – The Silver Lining | A Deeper Understanding of Exile | 6/27/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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112 |
“Yippee, I’m Going to Heaven!” | Dear Friends, Our Sages teach that all the righteous people of the world, and every Jew has a place in heaven. But what is heaven? It is a place? A state of mind, a physical reality? Do you remain you there? Or is it is some ethereal realm where we cease to be us and [...] | 6/20/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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113 |
Believing in Happy Endings – Overcoming Worry | Stop Worrying Now | 6/13/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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114 |
Spiritual Anatomy – Understanding Ourselves from the Inside Out | Dear Friends, The question is, are you fighting a battle you’ve already won? So many of us find ourselves addicted to struggle. We can’t take “yes” for an answer! Sometimes we have to work hard to achieve, other times we have to recognize that we can’t have it all, no matter what the guy holding the beer bottle with the nice tan in the commercial is saying. The key is knowing when to strive, and when to be samay’ach b’chelco, happy with our lot. We look at Korach, the spies, and ourselves, to try to map out some of the keys to human nature and figure out what is normal. Share via | 6/6/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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115 |
Overcoming Self-Doubt | Dear Friends, We explore the inevitability of questioning yourself in life and how to stay connected to your roots even as you become your own person. Also, more teachings this week from Reb Shlomo Carlebach on what it means to light a fire in your heart, and the Ishbitzer Rebbe on what we were really asking for when we wanted meat in the desert. Share via | 5/30/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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116 |
Life At the Top | Dear Friends, After we got the Torah at Mount Sinai, the Rabbis teach that we reached the level of Adam and Eve before they ate from the Tree of Knowledge. The question is, why didn’t the final fixing happen then and there? To answer, we revisit what went on in the Garden of Eden before the snake showed up, and what that has to do with our lives today. Share via | 5/25/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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117 |
The Ishbitzer Rebbe on “How To Shine” | Dear Friends, The world needs more deep Torah. I feel privileged to present Reb Shlomo Carlebach giving over the Ishbitzer Rebbe on the first three words of Parshas Bechukosai. The standard translation is “If you walk in My ways..” Hashem promises all sorts of blessings. But it’s so much deeper than that. What the Ishbitzer reveals here is the secret to how to shine. This means not just how to emanate a holy glow, but how to ensure that after you complete an action that it continues to reverberate through the world with positive consequences. Share via | 5/9/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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118 |
A Good Heart | Dear Friends, A good heart is a great thing! In this week’s talk we look at a bunch of different topics, including an analysis of the heart based on the sefirah count, stories about Log B’Omer, my last conversation with Reb Shlomo Carlebach, and demystifying “brilliant” speakers. Share via | 5/2/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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119 |
Why Did Moshe Get the Torah? | Dear Friends, Why was Moshe selected to get the Torah on the top of Mount Sinai and not you or me? The question itself is kind of mind blowing, it isn’t mine, it’s Reb Shlomo Carlebach’s. The answer takes us to the depths of what it means every time we immerse ourselves in deep learning. Share via | 4/28/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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120 |
Singing the World into Existance | Dear Friends, Speech creates reality. Our Sages teach that Hashem spoke the world into being. Reb Shlomo Carlebach said it’s even deeper than that. Hashem actually sang the world into existence. In this week’s talk we look into the power of speech, how to tie your shoes according to the Torah, what the first Divine directive was, and further adventures of the letter Beis inside the letter Pay (see chart). Share via | 4/18/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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121 |
Freedom and Forgiveness | For most of us, waiting is the hardest part. And yet when we look at our lives, so much of it is filled with waiting. Or is it? Sometimes, maybe even often, we confuse waiting with living. During this time of the year, between Passover and receiving the Torah, we have a special mitzvah not just to count the days until we get to our destination, but to actually bless the waiting! How do we do that? We discuss it in this week’s talk. Share via | 4/13/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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122 |
Mixing Fire – Pesach 2010 | Dear Friends, There is so much going on!! We are in the awesome holy month of Nissan, which marks the beginning of the universe and the dedication of the Holy Tabernacle which was a microcosm of the universe. It is also the month that the Jews leave Egypt. In this talk we explore a number of ideas — including the interrelationship of freedom and forgiveness, the souls of Noach and Moshe, and the nature of miracles and human effort. By the way, Sir Isaac Newton was fascinated by the Holy Temple and felt that understanding the dimensions of it were the key to grasping the shape of the universe. Share via | 3/21/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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New Purim Talk – 2011 | The Maze | 3/18/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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124 |
Unifying the Name of Hashem | Dear Friends, What does it mean to unify the Name Yud kay with Vav kay? What does it mean that every Parsha in the book of Shemos/Exodus starts with the letter vav except the final one which starts with the letter aleph? How is the first word of the Torah — Breisheet — a microcosm of human history? How do we go about revealing the hidden? Lots and lots of ideas in this week’s talk! Share via | 3/14/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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125 |
Basic Faith – Wheaties for the Soul | Dear Friends, Somewhere between the hidden and the revealed, between the great salvations of Purim and Pesach, between yesterday and tomorrow, lie our lives. This talk covers the blessing over clouds, how Hashem manifests His might through silence, and basic faith. Share via | 3/8/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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126 |
Purim in At Bash – Through the Looking Glass | Dear Friends, Can we stay in Purim for just a little while longer? Since Purim is all about things flipping over for the good, I thought it would be cool to look at the word Purim in At Bash to see what new levels we can uncover. Lots of interesting concepts, including an explanation of the philosophy of the At Bash system itself. Share via | 3/7/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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127 |
Does Free Choice Exist? – Purim 2010 | A Fork In The Road Dear Friends, One of the most remarkable passages in the Torah is when Mordecai turns to Queen Esther and says, rest assured that Hashem is going to save the Jewish people — the only question is are you going to be part of it? (4:13) Using this passage as a springboard we look into the parameters of free choice and how Mordecai’s words still echo in our lives today. Share via | 2/21/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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128 |
Purim – Holiday of Secrets | Dear Friends, Tons of ideas in the this one relating to Purim, happiness, purity, hiddeness, acceptance of Torah, gematria, pregnancy, bris mila, butterflies, and hope. Nothing compares to Purim!!!! Share via | 2/14/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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129 |
Achieving Harmony | Dear Friends, “Who is G-d? What is G-d?” This week’s talk begins with that question and evolves from there! Join us for a free wheeling tour through ideas ranging from basic beliefs to the giving of the Torah to achieving harmony in a world where all of us are given certain desires in our hearts and then told not to act upon them! What sense does that make? A lot actually, as we explore the role human beings play in restoring balance to the universe. Share via | 2/7/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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130 |
Who Will Guarantee Our Hearts Will Remain Pure? | Dear Friends, When we received the Torah at Mount Sinai, Hashem looked at the pureness of our hearts and asked, who will guarantee that our hearts will remain like this always? We said that “we” would guarantee it. But the Gemara teaches (Avodah Zarah 5a) that that was the wrong answer! We should have said “Hashem, You guarantee that we stay this way!” Contained here is a fundamental lesson about gratitude and how to avoid the trap of relating to ourselves when we are really trying to connect with G-d. Share via | 2/2/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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131 |
Portals To Other Dimensions | Dear Friends, Our Holy tradition teaches that Hashem created the world with the letters of the aleph-bais. With this in mind, our Sages teach in the Talmud (Shabbos 104) that there is a system called A”t B”ash where we reimagine words by exchanging the last letter of the alphabet for the first letter, the second to last letter of the alphabet for the second letter and so on. More than just “playing games” to derive new spellings, the Sages are offering us a new portal into accessing the infinity of the Torah. In this talk we deeply explore the geometry of this world and the next, and the opportunities available to us only in the here and now. Share via | 1/15/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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132 |
Understanding The Miracle of Purim | Dear Friends, Purim is the center of the most amazing miracle. This is challenging since there were no split seas, or frogs appearing everywhere. To understand the nature of the Purim miracle is to understand life itself. In this week’s talk we look into it, while first beginning with an appreciation of what it means that historically the events of Purim transpired during the holiday of Passover. Share via | 1/12/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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133 |
How Many Wings Does an Angel Have? | Dear Friends, How many wings does an angel have? This may sound like the most esoteric of questions, but the Torah actually tells us the answer — and even better how many they have today (hint – two fewer). We also discuss the story of Yoseph and how he prepared for his fateful encounter with his brother before he was sold. Share via | 12/20/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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134 |
Pronouncing the Unpronounceable | Dear Friends, When Hashem gave us the Torah at Mount Sinai the Kabbalists say that He pronounced the letter Aleph. Now all that is well and good — except the letter Aleph is silent! We explore the meaning of this paradox while also looking into the nature of beauty, Yoseph and Chanukah. Share via | 12/13/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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135 |
Hanukah – An Overview | Dear Friends, In this week’s talk, we explore a wide array of ideas associated with Hanukah, from it being historically the last holiday to be added to the Jewish calendar, to the fact that it must be celebrated in a person’s home, to it’s yearly connection to the story of Joseph, the amazing story of a little known Jewish hero, and beyond. Share via | 12/10/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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136 |
No Time For Anything! | Dear Friends, This week’s Torah portion is unique in the Torah in that there are no “breaks” — no white spaces within it. It is no coincidence that this portion also contains the account of Yakov, Jacob our forefather, running for his life, finding his soulmate, entering into the business world and raising a family. If you think you don’t have any time in your schedule to do anything — then this week’s talk is for you! Share via | 11/30/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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137 |
The Grand Pattern | Dear Friends, We are living through a time often called the “age of information”. Ironically, the barrage coming at us can often obscure that which is most essential to keep in the forefront of our consciousness. In other words, sometimes the more we know the less we end up knowing! In this week’s talk we pull the lens way back to observe the overall pattern that informs not only our personal lives, but all of creation. Share via | 11/23/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Being in the Moment | Dear Friends, Think good and it will be good! Most of our lives are spent either thinking about what’s already happened or worrying about what hasn’t happened yet. Meanwhile, the only thing that’s actually is going on — the right now of it all — gets buried turning us into bystanders in our lives. How can we strip away the distractions and zero in on the now? In this week’s talk we discuss some strategies. Share via | 11/9/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Avraham vs. Noah – The Evolution of Prayer | Dear Friends, What did Avraham know that Noach didn’t? Also, we compare the first two great couples Adam and Eve and Avraham and Sarah to see what the numerical differences in their names teaches us about their similiarities and differences. We also explore something that has puzzled me for a long time — namely, how we make sense of the Kabbalistic tradition that the generation of the flood is reincarnated as the generation of the desert. Share via | 11/1/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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The Real Beginning | Dear Friends, The question is, if we know that whatever is going on in the Torah portion of the week is going on in the world — why aren’t we reading the portion of Bereisheet which deals with creation of the world on Rosh Hashana? Share via | 10/21/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Yom Kippur 2009 | Dear Friends, What can be said about the holiest day of the year? Here are some thoughts to get us ready for the day. Wishing all of you the sweetest sweetest year! http://www.torahonitunes.com/audio/YomKippur.mp3 Share via | 9/27/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Liberating the Fortress – Rosh Hashanah 2009 | Did you know that according to the Beis Yaakov (The second Ishbitzer Rebbe), deep down, every person believes they created themselves? If Rosh Hashanah is all about making Hashem King, how can I succeed if I’ve carved out a realm separate from G-d? Happy New Year! Liberating the Fortress – Rosh Hashanah 2009 Share via | 9/13/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Sea Monsters and Gemstones | Dear Friends, Imagine an epic battle between Sea Monsters and a diver out to recover a precious gem. In a piece of Aggadata – the deeply encrypted transmissions of the Talmud – such a tale is related. What does it mean and how does it teach us to wage life’s battles better? Using the understanding of the Malbim we take a look in. Share via | 9/8/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Lottery Tickets and Elul | Dear Friends, Imagine you buy a lottery ticket, never check to see if it won, and then never think about that lottery ticket again. Now imagine that ticket was a winner and was worth thirty million dollars. The question is, did you lose thirty million dollars or not? On the one hand, you most certainly did. But on the other hand, if you never knew you ever had it to begin with, you never had it to lose! In this week’s talk we discuss the spiritual dimensions to this question and explore the bottom line of life. Share via | 9/1/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Questions and Answers | Dear Friends, I just published a new piece that I hope you like. It’s called “A Place for the Light.” www.aish.com/sp/so/53785442.html Today I took questions. We had time for three. The first was, is it our tradition that Moshe ascended Mount Sinai for a second time this month (Elul) and came down with the second tablets on Yom Kippur? Is G-d really leading me throughout all the hardships I have experienced? And, how are we to understand what “righteousness” is, in light of the verse “The righteous person falls down seven times and gets back up”? Share via | 8/24/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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You Can’t Fire G-d – Tests and Miracles in Torah | Dear Friends, What does it mean to test G-d? And what about miracles? We look deeply into the sources and arrive at a more sophisticated understanding of what it means to be in this world. Share via | 8/16/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Ground Rules of Reality | Dear Friends, Can you imagine eating a hotdog and thinking the whole time this is the worst sushi you ever had? We need to know what something is first before we can begin to evaluate it. The same thing goes with this world. Until we understand how it works we will constantly be met with frustration and disappointment. In this week’s talk, we set out some of the basic ground rules for understanding how Hashem runs the world. http://www.torahonitunes.com/audio/LittlebyLittle-Ekev2009.mp3 Share via | 8/9/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Be Comforted Be Comforted – A Kabalistic Overview of Av | Dear Friends, Tisha B’Av is now over and a dramatic upswing in positiveness now kicks in. In this week’s talk we look at the spiritual DNA of the month of Av and where we are now. Share via | 8/4/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Fixing The World – Devarim and Tisha B’Av | Dear Friends, Every year before Tisha B’Av we are always beginning the book of Devarim. What is this new book teaching us about fixing the world? http://www.torahonitunes.com/audio/FixingTheWorld.mp3 Share via | 7/27/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Shabbos Candles and Harvard – A Personal Story | Dear Friends, So often it seems like we’re wondering around in the darkness. Sometimes we’re blessed with moments when a light turns on and then in retrospect we see that we were never alone, even though it felt that way at the time. Here is a personal story about how sometimes everything comes together in a wonderful way, even though it took years to see it. Share via | 7/20/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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How You Impact the Future | Dear Friends, Did you know there is a Torah way to cut an onion? Ideally, one shouldn’t begin by cutting off it’s roots. While this doesn’t necessarily apply in our generation, back then there were even negative health implications for one who did this. Which got me thinking… If I am that connected to an onion — imagine how connected I am to another human being! In this week’s talk we discuss previous generations impact on us, and our impact on future generations. Share via | 7/13/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Life is a Surprise Party | Dear Friends, Purification comes when we transcend our limitations. In the language of the Sages such a thing happens with the ashes of the red heiffer. Not only does it remove the ritual impurity of death, but on a deeper level it is fixing the sin of the golden calf. In this week’s talk we explore the interplay between the finite and the infinite, the rational and the super rational, and the nature of faith. How necessary is faith anyway, and what is it’s relationship to reality? Share via | 7/5/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Body vs. Soul – The Delicate Balance | Dear Friends, According to the Jewish view of the world, the body and the soul are meant to be best friends. Without the soul the body is just a lump of earth, and without body the soul has no way to perform mitzvahs in this world. How are we to proceed when (as is so often the case) the body and the soul are at odds with each other? In this week’s talk we lay out a program on how to assess and needs of each and how to balance them. Share via | 6/21/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Why is Life So Confusing? – Garden of Eden Part 6 | Dear Friends, Why is life so confusing? To answer (one part) of this giant question we take a look at another question — is the Torah written in chronological order, or not? Factor in that we ourselves are compared to Torah scrolls, and that Judaism (unknown to many people) actually believes in reincarnation, and now we have very interesting ingredients for a talk that begins in the Garden of Eden and goes straight back to our daily lives. Share via | 6/15/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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The Myth of Separateness – Garden of Eden Part Five | Dear Friends, Who is the real you? Or, put a different way, when you use the word “I” what is it that you have in mind exactly? In this talk we trace the history of consciousness from the Garden of Eden to Mount Sinai to waking up in the morning. Share via | 6/10/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Waking Up in the Morning – A How To Guide | Dear Friends, Getting out of bed in the morning for many of us is the most challenging part of the day. The Torah teaches us that we have to arise in the morning like a lion! In this weeks, talk we look into what that means and how to do it. Share via | 6/2/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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The Birth of Free Choice – Garden of Eden Part Four | Dear Friends, Many people are surprised to learn that before Adam and Chava ate from the Tree of Knowledge — the Torah records two earlier rebellions made before human beings were even created! The first is the incident between the sun and the moon and the second was by fruit bearing trees. Given that these creations don’t have free choice, what are the Rabbis teaching us with these accounts, and how did they set the stage for mankind’s first test? Share via | 5/26/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Garden of Eden – X Ray of the Soul (Part Three) | Dear Friends, In this, the third talk in the Garden of Eden series, we discussed what the nature of the test really was. We also explore what the true nature of the special garments Hashem made for Adam and Chava were. Finally, we take another look at the snake and how in our own lives he tries to defeat us. Share via | 5/19/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Our First Mistake – More on the Garden of Eden | Dear Friends, Someone asked me this past week what interests me so much about the Garden of Eden. I think it’s because for me it’s the perfect setting to most fully understand the human condition and what this world is all about. Even more, it also allows us to see in the clearest way how Hashem interacts with us — especially berfore, during and after we’ve done something off. In this week’s talk we look at an amazing question — if the snake wanted to kill Adam and marry Eve, and the snake knew that eating from the tree would bring death into the world — then why did it tempt Eve to eat first? Share via | 5/12/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Purifying Speech and Fish Tefilin | Dear Friends, So often in talking we present opinions as facts. For example, when we say, “That movie is no good!” we really mean “I didn’t care for that movie”. Being conscious of distinctions like can actually have a transformative effect on us, instilling humility and refining ourselves spiritually. Speech in general is a hugely powerful gift, and the Torah gives us really helpful direction on how to use it sensitively. In this week’s talk we discuss some highlights from this giant topic. We also explore a discussion in the Talmud about of all things… whether the parchment of Tefilin can be written on the skin of a fish! A discussion that will take us all the way back to the Garden of Eden. Share via | 4/27/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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How To Regain Hope | Dear Friends, Hope is such a precious comodity and often so fleeting. In this week’s talk we analyze how taking a forward looking perspective on the unfolding of time can not only increase positiveness but put us in harmony with destiny. Share via | 4/21/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Second Chances – Pesach Shani – 2007 | Share via | 4/19/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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The Blessing Over the Sun – A Quick Overview | Dear Friends, We make a blessing over the sun once every twenty-eight years! Can you think of where you were (and who you were!) twenty-eight years ago? In this overview we explore the amazing spiritual depths behind this mitzvah. Have a Great Week, David Share via | 3/30/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Intellect vs. Wisdom | Dear Friends, Intellect is good but wisdom is better. Why? Because wisdom is intellect plus life experience. The Torah is the repository of all of the wisdom in the world. The more we learn — the smarter it gets! We are living now in the exalted month of Nissan. Every day is like the holiday of Rosh Chodesh in this month. Even more amazingly, the Shelah HaKodesh teaches that every hour of this month is like an entire day. Part of the energy of this month comes from the fact that the Mishkan the holy tabernacle in the desert was dedicated. The order in which the Mishkan was “activated” is fascinating. First came the preparatory offerings of Moshe, then the actual official offerings by Aaron the Kohen Gadol, and then the offerings of the famous Nachshon, the one who jumped into the Red Sea causing it to split, on behalf the Tribe of Yehudah. What does this teach us on a deeper level? Ultimately, it all comes down to building the Mishkan in our hearts, and understanding what it means when the Kotzker Rebbe teaches that there is no heart as full as a broken heart. Have a Great Week, David Share via | 3/29/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Perfection is on the Way | Dear Friends, Perfectionism is that force that comes to us — not to try to improve what we are doing — but to tell us that nothing we do is good enough. The good news is that all Hashem wants is for us to try our hardest and do our best. When we fall short, we have to try our best to fix it. But to be perfect? Hashem is the only One that is perfect — and the good news is that in His goodness He implanted perfection into the world from the very beginning. Our job is to reveal it! The Mishkan — the Tabernacle in the desert — was a microcosm of the perfected world and thus the fitting culmination to the Book of Shemos/Exodus which we just completed. Opening the final accounting of the building of the Mishkan (i.e. the perfection of the world) are the words “HaMishkan Mishkan”. What does the doubling of this word hint at? And how do we see all of these concepts in the name of Betzalel, the one who built it? All this and more in this weeks talk. Have a Great Week, David Share via | 3/22/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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On Brokenness | What do we do after we make a mistake? After we made the golden calf, Moshe does the stunning act of breaking the Luchos, the holy tablets the Torah says were written by Hashem Himself! Not only that but the final verse of the entire Torah alludes again to Moshe’s smashing them — and it says that Hashem loved what he did! What was Moshe thinking? Why was it beloved? In this week’s talk we explore the pathways that open when we reach our end, and the connection with G-d that never goes away. Have a Great Week, David Share via | 3/15/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Completing the World – The Mishkan and You | With this week’s Torah portion, the Torah switches from the account of our freedom from Egyptian slavery to receiving the Torah at Mount Sinai, to now building the Mishkan – the Tabernacle into the desert. On a deep level, building the Holy Temple is another way of speaking about finishing the world and turning all of creation into a revealed dwelling place for G-d. In this week’s talk, we look at the importance each individual plays in this process, and how no job can be performed by anyone else but you — literally! We also look at the finishing of creation on the macro level, and how the process of ultimate salvation arrives in stages. Share via | 3/1/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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From Hiddeness to Revelation | Dear Friends, We are about to enter into the Jewish month of Adar, the month of Purim and joy. On another level, it is also the month of hiddenness — the Megilla that we read on Purim doesn’t have the name of Hashem written in it once! How does this connect with Nissan the month of open miracles that follows right after — and yet simultaneously (on a linear level) is the furthest month away? We also discuss the first mitzvah we got after the Torah was given at Mount Sinai — the laws of the eved evri, the Hebrew Slave. Why this mitzvah among all the mitzvahs to learn first? Finally, we take a look into free choice and being created in the image of G-d. Have a Great Week, David Share via | 2/23/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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The Bumpy Road to Salvation | Dear Friends, We discuss what salvation feels like in this week’s talk. This week’s Torah portion begins with the words “And Yisro heard”. What did Yisro, the father-in-law of Moshe, hear that caused him to travel to Jewish people? Rashi, quoting the Gemara, says he heard about the splitting of the sea, and the war with Amalek. Amazingly, a few verses later (Ex. 18:8) Moshe tells Yisro about “all the troubles” that had befallen the Jewish people since they left Egypt and how Hashem rescued them. What troubles is Moshe referring to? Rashi says, the splitting of the sea, and the war with Amalek! The very same events! How can that be? This is the subject for today’s talk — the difference between hearing about a great salvation and experiencing one, and how that relates to our lives today. Have a Great Week, David Share via | 2/16/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Making Sense of the Hard Times After the Good Times | Dear Friends, Most people when asked will tell you that the greatest single miracle that Hashem performed was the splitting of the Sea. So overwhelming is that event that relatively little attention is paid to the event that immediately follows. Moshe leads the Jewish people to the wilderness of Sur where there is nothing to drink for THREE DAYS! Putting aside the irony of walking through water and then not having any, what is Hashem trying to teach us by juxtaposing these two extreme events in our life? Moreover, I wonder, what is the more difficult experience — the hard time that follows another hard time? Or the hard time that follows the really good time? And what does all of this have to do with the ultimate paradox in Torah — the par adumah — the ashes of the red heifer? Finally, we take a look at the difference between waiting and humility with a detour into alchemy. Have a Great Week, David Share via | 2/9/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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The Amazing Re-Appearing Mitzvah | Dear Friends, In this week’s Torah Portion, we have a verse (Ex 12:10) with two separate mitzvahs in it. The first mitzvah is to finish eating the whole korbon Pesach, the Passover lamb offering, and not leave over any of it till the morning. The second mitzvah contained in this same verse, instructs us to burn whatever is left over of the Passover offering the next morning. The question is, how can we burn what is left over of it — if we’ve already been commanded not to leave anything over of it?! The answer gives us a deep insight into the Torah and life and opens our eyes to realizing how we are never alone. Have a Great Week, David Share via | 2/1/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Quantity vs. Quality | Dear Friends, We begin this talk with a further discussion of the “garments” Hashem gave Adam and Chava in the Garden of Eden. It ushered in the transformation of humanity, our going from creatures of light to creatures (of light) encased in skin. Learning from the Hassidic Master the Bnei Yissacher we see very cool secrets about the process and the future of humanity in the final letters of the words themselves. We also discuss the teaching from Pirkei Avos 4:11 about one who keeps the Torah in poverty will come to keep it in wealth, and levels in how to understand that. Somehow (!) this leads to a discussion of psychics and Jewish law. Have a Great Week, David Share via | 1/25/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Back To The Garden of Eden | Dear Friends, We just began a new book in the Torah. The book of Shemos or Exodus is both the account of the Jewish people’s enslavement in Egypt and also our redemption. On a deeper level, it’s not just that Hashem and Moshe are taking us to Israel — remember we were in Israel already with Avraham, Yitzhak, and Yaakov — it’s that we are leaving Egypt and GOING BACK to Israel. That’s a very big difference! On a cosmic level this correlates with our exile from the Garden of Eden and the return that we are heading toward with arrival of Mashiach and the perfection of the world. And it all begins with Moshe noticing the burning bush — a sight that according to the Kotzker Rebbe — others saw, but none bothered to investigate. In other words, when we endeavor to search for the truth, Hashem brings salvation into the world. Have a Great Week, David Share via | 1/18/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Understanding Our Prayers for Money | What is the Jewish view of money? In today’s talk we take a look at the prayer we say for our livelihood three times a day and discover that it doesn’t mention money once! What are our holy Sages trying to teach us? Share via | 1/16/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Maybe I’m Not In a Crisis | Dear Friends, Lots to talk about today. First, having just finished the book of Breisheis, we say “Chazak, Chazak, V’Nitchazayk” — Be Strong, Be Strong, and Have Good Courage! But what do we need courage for? We just finished the task! It’s like wishing someone a good trip after they’ve already come home! Next, we speak of Hashem like He is our King and Our Master, and Our Love — which is it? Is Judaism schizophrenic? We cover a way of visualizing our most important relationship in a way that encompasses the varying aspects in one. Finally, we discuss what this means: “the earth will be filled with the knowledge of G-d like waters fill the ocean” Isaiah 11:9. Isn’t the ocean nothing more than water?! So how can the waters fill the ocean — if the ocean is only water?! Share via | 1/11/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Redemption Comes in Stages | Dear Friends, One of the most perplexing things in life is just how slow things take! The Exodus from Egypt is a perfect example. Here is something that Hashem Himself wanted to do — and yet when we see how He brought it about we find that He does it one stage at a time. Since all future redemptions are based on this, studying it will give us hope and patience for personal lives. Share via | 1/11/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Resurrecting the Living | Dear Friends, The Kotzker Rebbe famously said that it’s a big miracle to resurrect the dead, but it’s an even bigger miracle to resurrect the living! In this week’s talk we discuss the one time only phenomenon in the Torah of a “closed” parsha — that is a section of the Torah that begins without the customary separation from the previous week’s section. We explore many deep ideas that this teaches us including discussions concerning the Jewish views of resurrection and the Mashiach. Share via | 1/6/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Rivers, Mikvahs, and Saying Something Nice (Vayigash) | We have a powerful concept in Torah that says that even if something learns Torah not for the sake of Heaven, that person will come to learn for the sake of Heaven. In today’s talk, we develop this notion of Divine flow, and connect it to the purifying dynamics of mikvah, a river, and saying something nice. Share via | 1/4/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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What is Your Success Fantasy? | We’re entering into a new month – Teves – with a personality all it’s own. Since all things are encompassed within Torah, every piece contains a taste of the whole. We will look at this special month from the point of view of (as always) The Human Condition, it’s special letter, tribe, relationship with Chanukah — the works! Share via | 12/27/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Hanukah – The Fixing of Randomness – 2008 | Hanukah – much needed light in the darkest time of year. Historically, this was the last holiday that was incorporated into the Jewish calendar. It is sending a message to us for all of history until the world is redeemed — that Hashem, so to speak, is keeping the porch lights on for us until we all come back home. One the special things about Hanukah is the dreidel. What does it tells us about our lives, and how to live them more purposefully and deeply? Share via | 12/21/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Why is G-d Testing Me? | What happens when we are given a test? So often we view it as a hardship, hope our best we pass it and then if we make it to the other side in one piece, consider ourselves lucky! But on a much deeper level, the process of undergoing a test involves on the deepest level a journey into the creation of self. Seen through the lens of the greatest test ever given an individual — the binding of Yitzhak, we explore how all this relates to our own lives. Share via | 11/16/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
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In Trouble? Keep Moving! – Lech Lecha 2008 | What do you do after your world is destroyed around you? The answer is, you keep moving. Last week’s Parsha was Noach which chronicles the great flood that destroyed the world. This week’s Parsha is Lech Lecha, which spells out Hashem’s divine command to our holy father Avraham to journey forth to the place that Hashem will show Him. Hashem doesn’t even tell Avraham where to go! This was to give Avraham and Sarah even more reward. We don’t always need to know where our mitzvahs are taking us. The key thing is to do them with all our hearts and not to ever ever stop. Share via | 11/10/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
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The Torah is New All Over Again (Breisheis 2008) | We made it through the holidays and are now ready to plunge into the new year! What better gift from Above then being able to start the Torah again. Because the Torah is infinite, Hashem in His goodness, grants us increasing depth into our understanding of it. It may be the same sequence of letters, with the same mitzvahs, but believe me — we are standing before a new Torah! How does this work exactly? This is the subject of today’s talk (there’s also a little discussion of evolution and the age of universe). Share via | 10/27/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
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The Light of Succos | In today’s talk, we analyze the structure of the Succah for lessons it can teach us about the world and how to better live our lives. We even take a look into the modernist theories of the artist Piet Mondrian (an example of his unique style is pictured) and how this connects to what the Succah represents. Share via | 10/12/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
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The King is Coming (Yom Kippur – 2008) | Can you imagine being so close to someone that you are actually in physical contact with them, and yet at the same time being so far away? This is what happens when you stand “back to back” with another. You are so near and yet you don’t see them at all. For so many of us this is our relationship with Hashem. He is closer than close, and yet we seldom turn to Him and face Him directly. Yom Kippur is coming! It’s the greatest day of the year! In this talk we talk about the process of turning to Hashem so that we can face Him directly in all His Majesty and Goodness. Share via | 10/5/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
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The Last Day of The Year – Message from David Sacks | The last day of the year presents special opportunities for spiritual elevation that are unique to it. The mitzvah that correlates with this day is prohibition not to cut your Payus. How does that connect with Rosh Hashana and reflexology? For that you’ll have to listen! May this year see the answer to all of all prayers for the good! P.S. Here’s a piece I wrote on Rosh Hashana. I hope you like it. http://www.aish.com/hhRosh/hhRoshDefault/Becoming_You.asp Share via | 9/28/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Bringing Yourself as an Offering to G-d | Who does this world belong to? Who do we belong to? What does it mean to make G-d King? And even if we want to do it, how do we begin? This week’s Torah portion speaks of taking the first fruits, putting them in a basket, and bringing them to Hashem. As Rosh Hashanah approaches, on a deeper level, we too, are asked to gather our lives to present before Hashem. In today’s talk, we discuss how to start the process. Share via | 9/21/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Achieving Simplicity | In explaining what goes on in these talks to someone at work, I surprised myself by saying that it’s a little like “couples therapy” between us and G-d. Toward that end, this week’s talk has lots of ideas relating to relating to G-d, especially in light of the New Year fast approaching. Eventually, we build to the idea of the importance of simplifying our lives so that we can better focus on what really matters. Share via | 9/14/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
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189 |
The Necessity of Defining Success | Ask anyone in the world if they want to be a “success” and the answer will be a resounding “yes!”. What becomes more complicated is when you ask the person what “success” means exactly. As you can imagine being able to define success is crucial — it’s that clear focus which enables us to direct our efforts most efficiently, while avoiding lengthy and often painful detours in life. In today’s talk, I try to define success, looking at the Hebrew word for victory — netzach — as a guide — and to show how the soul, and eternity fit in to all this. Share via | 9/7/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
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190 |
Elul – Keeping the Love Alive | We’ve entered the month of Elul which means that the new year with all it’s decrees and judgements are around the corner! It’s both exciting and a little scary, but Hashem is good so we don’t have to be afraid! Hashem gives us Elul, this last month of the year, to finish on a strong note. How do we do it? Well, that’s a big subject, but we begin the discussion in this week’s talk with a look at the importance of appreciating the present moment and also a look at false prophets. Share via | 8/31/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
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The Battle Against Sadness | What is lower than the heal of your foot? Ekev or “heel” in Torah stands for so many things — from the actual bottom of your body, to spiritual insensitivity, to the end of days. It can also stand for the emotional lows we all reach. In this talk we look at the interplay between the first two words of the Parsha and strategies we can learn for combating sadness when it comes. Share via | 8/24/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Reversal of Fortune – From Tisha B’Av to Tu B’Av | Just days after the saddest day on the Jewish calendar comes one of the happiest! It comes to teach that Hashem’s salvations can arrive in the blink of an eye. We explore this concept and the role that the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai plays in this process as well in this week’s talk. Share via | 8/17/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
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193 |
Women in Torah (Parashat Pinchas) | What is the difference between men and women in Torah? How are we to understand the separation of men and women during prayer? Is it fair that men have more mitzvahs than women? Tzelafchad’s daughters are heroes in the Torah. Starting with a detailed discussion of what they accomplished and how it applies to us today, we turn to a more general discussion of the different genders in light of the equality of the sexes we see in today’s society. Share via | 7/20/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
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194 |
My Passover In The Catskills | I had kind of a crazy adventure finding a mikvah to go to before Pesach in the Catskill mountains. Contained is the story, plus an analysis of one of the most famous verses in the Torah — love your neighbor like yourself! Share via | 4/17/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
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195 |
If I Believed Yesterday Why Don’t I Believe Today | Why is “belief” so fleeting? This talk is another in a series of attempts to outline some of the basic principals of what I’ve come20to call the “Physics of Spirituality”. In this talk I look into some of the reasons why Hashem created the world in a way that belief must be constantly renewed, and some of the ways that we can be successful in staying on the right side of things with Hashem’s help! Share via | 3/23/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
| Total: 195 Episodes |
Customer Reviews
Love This Class
This class is really incredible. For me his lectures include everything I want in a learning session: broad esoteric concepts, anecdotal references, odd tangents, practical advice, personal and liturgical stories and of course solid Talmudic and Biblical references. His personal approach to the concepts he's investigating is totally practical, and applicable to every-day living. Can't wait to hear more!!!
Wonderful Work -- Thank You!
This is a fabulous series. I have probably listened to more than 30 of these talks. They are packed with content and full of delicious detail. Once in a while the logic is a bit more fantastical than I am comfortable with -- but overall, homeruns almost every week. I especially like how he sometimes provides interpretations based on the physical forms of the Hebrew letters.
Although Mr. Sacks is not an ordained rabbi, he is a gaon -- a funny, pleasant, generous, non-pretentious gaon. You will be missing something important if you don't check out these talks.
Congratulations and thank you Mr. Sacks!
Enlightening
I find it very intriguing, enlightening, and interesting. I love the fresh perspectives that he brings out in these broadcasts. I'm very glad that I have stumbled upon this great teacher.
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