Beneath The Surface

I joined Rabbi Mark Wildes on his podcast for a wide ranging discussion. In his words: There is a deep yearning for spiritual experience and meaning among the young Jewish community. Rabbi Daniel Bortz, better known as The Millennial Rabbi has gained social-media fame through his focus on meditation, Kabbalah, and Torah wisdom for achieving happiness. Rabbi Wildes speaks with Rabbi Bortz about all this and more in this inspirational and informative conversation that will leave you thinking about "God" in a whole new way. Timestamps: 1:30 - Millennials and Torah 12:30 - Nature of God 15:00 - Rationalism vs. Mysticism 20:00 - Happiness 30:00 - Power of Prayer 37:00 - Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

I joined the High Noon Podcast to discuss Jewish views of love, intimacy, and healthy relationships. In their description: Rabbi Daniel shares with us the mystical teachings of Jewish, the significance of marriage, and how sexuality is viewed from the Judaism perspective. He discusses the negative impacts of pornography and how a Rabbi like himself can help someone who is struggling with addiction. He also talks about the importance of having a positive mindset in life and the value of separating work from home and family.

Tracy & I discussed how to cultivate joy, the power of community building, travel, wonder, and female leadership, the highs & lows of entrepreneurship, insights into mushrooms and psychedelics, and the benefit of intention setting for abundance in your life. I hope you enjoy our conversation!

Remi Franklin is the founder and CEO of Light Switch Digital, helping brands create their vision and market themselves most effectively. He's a seasoned jujitsu practitioner and leads security with "Shabbat Angels" - volunteers who patrol the streets of Los Angeles to ensure safety for the Jewish community. I found Remi through his social media posts that displayed his proud Jewish identity and staunch defense of his people and nation of Israel. I hope you enjoy our conversation

I joined my friend Zevi Slavin in discussion on his podcast, Seekers of Unity, where we dove into experiential Judaism, mystical experience in Jewish practice today, and why it matters

Jesse Israel is a social entrepreneur, meditation leader and former record label executive known for founding the mass meditation movement The Big Quiet. Jesse has signed multi-platinum bands like MGMT, has led some of the largest meditations in the world, teaches meditation to next-generation leaders and speaks at Fortune 500s and colleges. At the start of 2020, Jesse was invited to go on tour with Oprah Winfrey and WW to speak at and lead mass meditations at sold-out arenas throughout the US. Jesse’s work has been featured in the New York Times, Vice, Vogue, Fast Company, GQ and the Wall Street Journal.    

There are 7 weeks between the holidays of Passover  & Shavuot. These days were utilized by the jewish nation – and continued on throughout history until today – as a time of self refinement & personal growth, working on each of our 7 sefirot – our emotional soul traits. Kabbalah teaches us that each of these 7 traits are made up of the other 7 aspects - totaling 7 weeks of 49 days. What are these Sefirot and how did they come to be?

This Shabbat we read about the holy brothers Nadav & Avihu, sons of Aharon the Kohen Gadol, who enter the Temple with incense. The Torah calls it “strange fire before God, which He hadn’t commanded them.” As they enter, their souls leave their body. What happened here? This coming week we will focus on the divine soul attribute of Tiferet – beauty, compassion, balance and harmony – the path of truth. Perhaps we can find guidance & meaning in this story through this trait of harmony.

Rudy Rochman is an important young voice in this generation of proud Jewish identity. A passionate advocate for the self determination of Jews on their ancestral homeland in Israel, Rudy works to find mutual understanding between Jews, Arabs, and all peoples in a peaceful way that will benefit all. In this episode we discuss what motivates him to do his work, his documentary "We Were Never Lost" about Jewish tribes in Africa, Jewish spiritual identity, and the always simple subject of how to create a lasting peace in Israel.

I spoke with Holocaust survivor and best-selling author Dr. Edith Eger about her resiliency and perspective during her trauma, and her visualization of a better future. How can we find light in the darkness? Can we see how in spite of our past troubles, we can find strength and live meaningful, impactful lives?

This week, we read about the building of the Mishkan in the desert – a home for God designed by Betzalel, as directed by Moses. But a difference of opinion arises in the order of creation: Moshe asks that the vessels be built first, and then the structure of the building. Betzalel says the structure should come first, and only then the vessels are placed inside it. When Moshe hears this, he agrees and adds that this is truly God’s Will. What’s the deeper idea behind their differing perspectives? The answer may be found in the covering of the Ark - the Kruvim

I discussed with Micaela Ezra her life's journey and how she found meaning in her Jewish learning; how we can become more intentional in our lives, elevating our homes into sacred spaces, and modeling a meaningful  life for our children.

This week we read about the infamous creation and worship of the golden calf, perhaps the greatest human mistake since Adam and Eve ate from the tree of knowledge. Throughout the Torah God implores us not to worship idols. But in today’s world, this seems extremely strange: Where did a deep desire for worshiping inanimate objects come from? 

Mordechai responds to Esther: “Do not think that you will escape the fate of all the Jews by being in the king’s palace. For if you will remain silent at this time, relief and salvation will come to the Jews from another source, and you and the house of your father will be lost. And who knows if it is not for just such a time that you reached this royal position.”

At that moment, God called to the soul of Moshe and said to her: "My daughter, I assigned you 120 years in Moshe's body. Now the time has come for you to depart. Emerge and do not delay." She responded: "Master of the Universe, I know that You are the Master of all spirits and the Master of all souls. You created me and You placed me in Moshe's body for 120 years. And now, is there a body in this world purer than that of Moshe? I love him and I do not wish to depart from him!"

At that moment none of the mysteries of Torah and the secrets above and below were withheld from them, for they saw the radiance of their Master's glory eye to eye [Zohar]

“They did not see each other, and no one rose from his place for three days, but for all the children of Israel there was light in their homes.” [Exodus 10:23] The darkness was tangibly felt, so powerful that those seated couldn’t rise from their place. I wonder if this darkness was internal, a depression – a dark feeling of the mind that there’s no reason to arise. Perhaps the light the people of Israel found amidst the darkness was internal, a feeling of Divine connectivity that illuminated a purpose and meaning to the world around them. ‘One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light but by making the darkness conscious.’ [Carl Jung]

Why was Moses told tasked with the carrying out the first 3 plagues in Egypt? To show his gratitude

1 Moses was pasturing the flocks of Jethro... 2 An angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire from within the thorn bush, and behold, the thorn bush was burning with fire, but the thorn bush was not being consumed. 3 So Moses said, "Let me turn now and see this great spectacle why does the thorn bush not burn up?" 5 And He said, "Do not draw near here. Take your shoes off your feet, because the place upon which you stand is holy soil. 6 And He said, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." And Moses hid his face because he was afraid to look toward God.      

When Jacob wishes to reveal the date of the Redemption to his sons the 12 tribes, his prophetic inspiration leaves him. Sensing his worry that maybe one of his children aren't worthy to hear it, the 12 tribes exclaim the famous prayer we say twice a day to this day: "Shema Yisrael" - "Hear, our Father Israel, God is One." How was this a fitting response by his sons?

Joseph teaches us to focus on the deeper plan, not on the messenger of the outer painful experiences that occur to us.  Judah teaches us that the bottom line of life is not only about the spiritual level you are on, but how your decisions and behavior affect the fate of other people.

The Greek Hellenists believed that if something was beautiful, it was holy. The Jews believed that if something was holy, it was beautiful.

The 19th of Kislev in the Hebrew calendar marks the liberation from Soviet imprisonment of the founder of Chabad Chassidism, Rabbi Shneur Zalman (also known as the Alter Rebbe) in 1798. The Rebbe disliked transcending nature by breaking the physical order. He taught that if we want to uplift & transform this world for the good we have to slowly educate our selfish egos that the path of truth and goodness is sweet, and in turn our surroundings will come to agree with the path of truth.

Rachel: The advocate of the children of Israel 

‘And Isaac said to Jacob, "Please come closer, so that I may feel you, my son, whether you are really my son Esau or not." So Jacob drew near to Isaac his father, and he felt him, and he said, "The voice is the voice of Jacob, but the hands are the hands of Esau."

I hosted a live conversation with Ayelet Polonsky, the Manifestation Mentor, just in time for the new Hebrew month of Kislev - the month of miracles where darkness is turned into light. We discussed how we can co-create with God to bring down a positive new future for ourselves and the world through the lens of Jewish teachings.

Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi said: “Speech is the pen of the heart, melody is the quill of the soul.” Many of us find a voice to the depths of our hearts through the music we listen to. In a society of much division, music unites people of all walks of life. Clem Leek is an artist whose ambient melodies soothe your soul and take you to a deeper place within yourself. I had the pleasure of discussing the deeper symbolism behind his music and his creative process. Intro & outro music is from Clem's single "Terra" coming out this winter

This week's Torah portion focuses on the passing of our Matriarch Sarah, the last years of Abraham, and the marriage of their son Isaac with Rebecca. What are the deeper life lessons embedded in these events that can help us infuse every moment of our lives with greater meaning?

I joined my friend Joshua Church in discussion on his podcast, Find the Others, where we dove into my story and spiritual awakening, explored the origin and true meaning behind some common jewish customs and practices, and discussed spirituality, religion, and happiness in today’s day and age.

Each soul includes 7 divine emotional traits. The first one is “Chesed” – loving kindness, the right side, outward focused, was embodied completely to the max by our forefather Abraham. The next trait is “Gevurah” – discipline or strength, the left side, inward focused, symbolized by our forefather Isaac, son of our Matriarch Sarah. Our mission in life is to balance and harmonize these two traits. Nearly every issue in politics, law, and interpersonal relationships depends on our ability to harmonize kindness and discipline. 

We're moving now from the light & warmth of Summer and the holiness & inspiration of the High Holidays into the shorter days, longer nights and cold winters, with less socializing & movement. Not to mention the effects of Corona and Quarantine. As we transition from the external high of Tishrei into the new Hebrew month of Cheshvan, now is the time to tap into our inner world, our creativity & resourcefulness within. Now is for self generation & giving back, to dig deep & reveal our spiritual muscles. With the right mindset and spirit, we can do anything

"And God Blew into his nostrils a living soul.” [Genesis 2:7] Take a deep breath in and inhale all the love that your Divine Source has for you in giving you that air to fill your lungs to live. And breathe out all of the fear, anxiety, pain, loneliness, and anger inside. God has your back and there is a path of purpose that you’re on - trust the journey. You’re a pure, Divine soul. You’re not a body that houses a soul - you’re a soul that inhabits a body. You are the magic.

The holiday of "Shemini Atzeret" & "Simchat Torah" marks the completion of the yearlong reading of the Torah Cycle & beginning again from Bereishit – Genesis. The 11th-century sage, Rashi, explains the holiday (based on Leviticus 23:36): [God says to Israel,] "I have detained you [to remain] with Me." This is analogous to a king who invited his sons to feast with him for a certain number of days, and when the time came for them to leave, he said: "My sons! Please, stay with me just one more day; it is difficult for me to part with you!"

The 18th Day of the Hebrew month of Elul marks the birth of Rabbi Yisroel Baal Shem Tov and the Alter Rebbe, founders of Hassidism and Chabad Hassidism respectively. Here's my favorite story to illustrate one of the Baal Shem Tov's view of the world

Focus less on who you've been and more on who you can become, and who you want to have a relationship with

To nurture love in any meaningful relationship you have to be fully present and focused in the moment. And it takes time & effort for the connection to develop into something real.

~ I was invited as a guest on Dr. Azi's 'Within Us' podcast ~ We hear the word ‘insight’ in the world of meditation, mindfulness, personal growth, and spirituality. But, what is it, and how can we utilize its power in our lives? There are deep explanations in Kabbalah of what ‘insight’ is, how we access it, and what it can help us with, and that’s what today’s convo is all about. Here’s a rundown of the Episode: In the first eleven minutes, you’ll hear the inspiration for this episode, and a brief overview of what we’re delving in to. You’ll hear about the new addition to Azi’s family (surprise!) AND a bit about her new masterminding program for women. (Female entrepreneurs or up-and-coming entrepreneurs - this is for YOU!) Next, you’ll meet “The Millennial Rabbi,” aka Rabbi Daniel Bortz, who shares a unique perspective on what insight is, and how we can experience a flash of understanding as well as how we can incorporate it into our lives to live inspired. Interestingly, the Torah teaches that women were the last living being created - according to the creation story. As such, women are literally the ‘crown of the creation,’ and it is taught that women have an extra measure of Insight. Millennial Rabbi shares his personal spiritual awakening story, and we delve into several other avenues of how to access insight and spiritual connectedness in all that we do. You can connect with the host, Dr. Azi, Ed,D. at: www.DrAzi.co & Millennial Rabbi at: http://millennialrabbi.com 

When Rabbi Yaakov Mordechai Poltova was on his deathbed, he remarked: “I would give up 40 years of iskafya [spiritual self-refinement] just for the chance to do one more mitzvah.” When word of this reached his close friend the Rebbe Rashab, he said: “Indeed he’s right. But it takes 40 years of refinement to come to such a clear realization.”

"I understood a powerful insight on my journey here. I came to realize that we can be surrounded by warmth, but if we fail to internalize it into our beings, we will remain cold."

Why did God create? “God had a desire to have a home in the lower world.” [Midrash Tanchumah, Naso 16] But if this world is full of so much darkness, and we humans are so flawed, why would the Infinite Divine's deepest desire be to dwell amongst us?

Why are we focusing our time and devotion these days towards petitioning God for the rebuilding of a structure in the old city of Jerusalem? Shouldn't our energy and emotion instead be in asking God for a cure to all the ills of the world?  Our Sages teach: "A human being is a miniature world." Everything that happens within us symbolizes and impacts the greater universe. Last week we described the Temple as the face of the universe. This week we’ll look at the rest of the body to learn more.

Today, the 17th day of the Hebrew month "Tammuz", marks the beginning of what’s known as the “3 weeks” - a period of mourning commemorating the destruction of the first & second holy Temples in Jerusalem. How does this ancient house of God affect my life today in the twenty-first century?

We live in a wondrous universe full of opportunities and lessons to connect to the Infinite. Job says: “From my flesh I see God.” This means we can learn about God and about our lives from every single thing we see. Nature, the human body, galaxies, emotions, dreams—all can help us in understanding and connecting with the Divine. EVERYTHING we see is laden with deeper meaning - this universe is an imprint of the heavens. Today we focus on the fact that everything in nature is alive and Life = Movement

In this week’s Torah portion we read of a Jewish leader named Korach who led a large protest against the leadership of Moses. Once the Torah had been given on Sinai, Korach & others reasoned that everyone was equal, since a Mitzvah-Divine commandment connects each person directly to God, what made Moshe any more special and worthy of Leadership? Today marks the 26th anniversary of the soul passing of the Lubavitcher Rebbe. What can we learn from the Rebbe about Moses and the characteristics of a true leader?

In the Torah portion 'Shelach' 12 spies are sent to scout out the land of Israel, and they return with conflicting reports. Were they looking at the same land? At the same enemy? How could they have perceived the situation in such differing ways? It all stems from how we see ourselves and the level of Divine trust we have.

David Yarus is the founder of JSwipe - the largest Jewish dating app, with more than a million users worldwide. He also leads mllnnl - a creative social agency with clients that include Birthright Israel & Hillel International. Join David and I as we dive into the millennial Jewish experience, dating during a time of social distancing, how to follow our life's dreams while staying aware of our blessings, and how we can seek & find purpose, abundance, and good vibes.

The Torah portion, "The Life of Sarah" explores: What was the unique vision of our Patriarchs & Matriarchs? Abraham & Sarah, Isaac & Rebecca differed in their personal spiritual visions of the world. Is there a Jewish claim to territory like Hebron in Judea & Samaria? What were the gifts Abraham sent with his children to the east? Rabbi Bortz closes this social media live audio with a story of the Baal Shem Tov & Maggid of Mezhritch that explains Abraham & Sarah's laughter at Sarah's miraculous pregnancy.   

This was a lot of fun! I spoke with hilarious British Rabbi Simcha Weinstein - Author of "Up Up & Oy Vey" about the Jewish themes within the stories of Comic Book superheroes & leader of the Chabad house at Pratt University in Brooklyn - about my life's journey. He also put me to the test to see if I was allowed to truly call myself a "Millennial" Rabbi (spoiler alert: I passed with flying colors)

We delve into my personal journey and how that led me into education and relating spirituality with a younger audience community. We then move into discussing this unique time we live in where the Christian community is supporting and helping Israel and the Jewish people today and how important that is