SoulCasts - Prayer/Siddur

In this lesson we explore why we rememer the sin of the golden calf, Miriam's gossip, and the centrality of Shabbos. The message behind these three events prepair us for the future era of Mashiach.

In this lesson we explore the notion of recting the 6 rememberances after prayer and the connection they have to getting ready for a more sacred and Divine world. In this lesson we explored the first 3 of them.

This lesson explores the 3 verses of 'Al Tirah'. Each verse represence a different level of faith in the face of fear and there is a unique releveance to why it's recited at the end of prayers.

Immediately following Aleinu which praises G-d for the privilage of being Jewish, we express the great responcibility this comes with. We also share what our hope is for the global future.

In this lesson, we disucuss the history and reasons for reciting Aleinu and explore how it's message of what Jewish identity is, is how we culminate prayer.

The biblical incense teach us much about intimacy and deep connections. There's a good reason why we read about it at the end of prayer and how this can frame the rest of our day.

This discussion explores the historical authorship and context of Ein Kelokeinu and its message on Jewish questioning and spiritual clarity.

We discussed the origin of this short prayer about strength through hope and shared several biblical examples, stories, and insights on the power of hope.

In this class we discuss the history of the Kaddish's authorship, it's meaning and relevance, as well as the reason why mourners recite it.

In this psalm, we discuss the peace and tranquility of the Messianic era and how it's within man's power to bring the world to this state. We can conquer our fears in the face of opposition toward our mission.

This chapter of Psalms talks about the sounding of the shofar on Rosh Hashanah and the exodus from Egypt. There's a direct correlation between the two which reveals deep insight into what inner freedom is.

In Wednesday's song of the day we express our trust in the true judge of the world, G-d. We address important questions of why the wicked seem to prosper and why the righteous seem to suffer. We explore what life really is about and how we'll, one day, experience the truth.

The song of the day for the 3rd day of the week explores righteous judgment vs corrupt judgment. When does a judge have G-d on his side? On a personal level, how do we know if our judgments are sacred or corrupt? What is the proper balance between discretion and compassion?

In praising G-d for day 2 of creation, we appreciate boundaries embedded within creation and explore the need for boundaries in our own lives.

The Song of the Day for the first day of the week conveys what the message is on Day 1 of created existence; inspiring a spiritually desolate world with faith and unity. Similarly, we can inspire our selves with faith and unity even when we're feeling spiritually desolate.

Shabbos isn't just a break from mundane life, it's a connection to the center of our life. Every day can be inherently meaningful as it serves as a means of channeling the energy of Shabbos and Divine closeness. This is alluded to when we reference Shabbos daily in the Song of the Day prayer.

In this prayer, King David realized that there was more to his life than just running from negativity. He had a mission even in the darkest of times. We recite this toward the end of the service with the hopes of gaining the sensitivity to shift from being fear-driven to purpose-driven.

The prayer of Uva Lzion is a compilation of our prophets describing what and Whom we value. There are several reasons why this prayer is recited. Along with these explanations come powerful messages about the meaning of prayer and Jewish life at large being ever so relevant.

We discuss chapter 20 of Psalms where King David sings and prays for salvation. Why is this recited at this point in the prayer book? What can this teach us about thwarting off negative people and haters?

There's a delicate balance between communication and prayer being relationship-driven vs outcome-driven. How do you know prayer is successful? The 2nd time we recite "Ashrei" in the Siddur actually provides a paradigm shift and how we view prayer and what its goals are!

When taking out the Torah we recite a short prayer that reminds us of where our true strength comes from. Raising up the Torah for everyone to see also comes with a timeless reminder.

Opening the ark is an opportune time to pour our hearts out to G-d and gain inner strength. In this discussion, we explore the ancient prayer of taking out the Torah and its timeless message of faith and resilience.

We explore why we read the Torah routinely. We also learn a powerful message contained in the prayer when taking out the Torah; prioritizing your life's purpose.

A special prayer about Jewish survival and the story of Avinu Malkeinu reveals much insight into how to pray, especially in trying times.

In this discussion, we explore the significance of additional prayers on Mondays and Thursdays as well as the history behind it. We and explore the deep meaning behind these prayers that guide us in becoming the best version of ourselves.

We explore how our deepest connection is expressed through Teshuva, a desire to genuinely return to our truest selves. We also explore reasons for the ancient tradition of covering our faces when confessing and how it models the sacredness of intimacy.

We learn how the video confession teaches us to cut out negative behavior, but not negative passion. That has to be rechanneled. We also explored the 13 attributes of mercy and how to be a forgiver.

In this episode we explore various reasons for confession in Judaism, why it's recited at this point in prayer, and how it deepens our sense of connection.

In this discussion, we finally conclude the Amida. We explore the meaning of the last few passages as well as the inner significance of the ritual of taking 3 steps back post-amida.

This lesson explores the last paragraph of the Amida which is about the virtue of humility. Humility empowers us to become out best selves!

This discussion explores how the entire prayer service leads us to become more peaceful in our relationships with people as well as internally.

Don't get distracted by perfection, be occupied with productivity. This episode discusses the beauty and dangers of authenticity and how to revive our inner passion and love of a meaningful Jewish experience.

In this episode we explore > How to pray with a deep passion > How to blend altruism with personal meaning and interest > Becoming expositors for something larger than our selves

In the final requesting section of the Amida we explore why G-d listens to our prayers. We learn to appreciate our inherent value and in turn, the value of our prayers.

In this discussion, we explore how to align ourselves with our purpose and manifest G-d as a relevant part of life. This results in resilience and positivity.

In this discussion, we explored why we pray for Tzaddikim - righteous people, and how we can close the gap between what we believe vs how we feel, and what we as Jews all have in common.

We explore the historical events that lead to Jews praying that G-d abolishes heretics. What does heresy mean to the individual psyche and can we empower our inherent faith?

In exploring blessings about sustenance, redemption, and justice, we meditate about G-d's vision for humanity and how we can get there.

A fresh perspective on personal redemtiom and healing.

In this discussion, we explored the next 3 blessings of the Amida where we pray for knowledge and forgiveness.

Here we discuss the strength of our ancestry and the quest for unadulterated truth. We explore the first 3 blessings of the Amida, their respective connections to our patriarchs, and the meditations they represent.

Deep connections require preparation. In this discussion, we explored 3 meditations represented by the request that "G-d opens up my lips" prior to the Amida. Each of the meditations serves as a tool to help us experience the full meaning of the Amida.

This introduction to the Amida includes its history, authors, and the events and circumstances that compelled them to institute it. We also explore a deeper understanding of how the Amida facilitates meaningful connection.

This prayer teaches us how to run toward solutions, not just run away from problems; the freedom to vs. just freedom from.

This episode explores the history behind this post-Shema prayer and how it empowers us to reinforce our faith and values.

This episode discusses 6 core Jewish values and how they empower us to achieve true freedom.

The messages of the 2nd part of the Shema; Why your Mitzvahs matter, Judaism's belief in equality, reward & punishment, and the value of community vs individuality.

The Shema teaches us the key to love and intimacy, by being a good listener.

If only we realized how loved we are and how loving we can become. This prayer provides a framework to envision how loved we are, why we're loved, and how capable of love we are. The result - CONFIDENCE!

While our soul finds the Shema to be meaningful, the first pre-Shema blessing sets us up so we too can find meaning in it. We talk about how our serf-centered drive was once holy and has the ability to be rechanneled. The same drive that pushes us to achieve self-gratification can also complement our soul's quest for truth.

This discussion explores how a mature relationship with G-d is unjaded by our feelings and perspective yet experienced by our feelings and perception. We meditate about this annually during the week between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur by reciting psalm 130 of Tehillim. We then explore the significance of reciting the half-Kaddish and how it orients us toward focusing on what we are praying for and what we hope to experience.