Podcasts about Elul

Now it came to pass when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and Geshem the Arabian, and the rest of our enemies, heard that I had builded the wall, and that there was no breach left therein; (though at that time I had not set up the doors upon the gates;)2 That Sanballat and Geshem sent unto me, saying, Come, let us meet together in some one of the villages in the plain of Ono. But they thought to do me mischief.3 And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you?4 Yet they sent unto me four times after this sort; and I answered them after the same manner.5 Then sent Sanballat his servant unto me in like manner the fifth time with an open letter in his hand;6 Wherein was written, It is reported among the heathen, and Gashmu saith it, that thou and the Jews think to rebel: for which cause thou buildest the wall, that thou mayest be their king, according to these words.7 And thou hast also appointed prophets to preach of thee at Jerusalem, saying, There is a king in Judah: and now shall it be reported to the king according to these words. Come now therefore, and let us take counsel together.8 Then I sent unto him, saying, There are no such things done as thou sayest, but thou feignest them out of thine own heart.9 For they all made us afraid, saying, Their hands shall be weakened from the work, that it be not done. Now therefore, O God, strengthen my hands.10 Afterward I came unto the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah the son of Mehetabeel, who was shut up; and he said, Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple, and let us shut the doors of the temple: for they will come to slay thee; yea, in the night will they come to slay thee.11 And I said, Should such a man as I flee? and who is there, that, being as I am, would go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in.12 And, lo, I perceived that God had not sent him; but that he pronounced this prophecy against me: for Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.13 Therefore was he hired, that I should be afraid, and do so, and sin, and that they might have matter for an evil report, that they might reproach me.14 My God, think thou upon Tobiah and Sanballat according to these their works, and on the prophetess Noadiah, and the rest of the prophets, that would have put me in fear.15 So the wall was finished in the twenty and fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty and two days.16 And it came to pass, that when all our enemies heard thereof, and all the heathen that were about us saw these things, they were much cast down in their own eyes: for they perceived that this work was wrought of our God.17 Moreover in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters unto Tobiah, and the letters of Tobiah came unto them.18 For there were many in Judah sworn unto him, because he was the son in law of Shechaniah the son of Arah; and his son Johanan had taken the daughter of Meshullam the son of Berechiah.19 Also they reported his good deeds before me, and uttered my words to him. And Tobiah sent letters to put me in fear.

In this opening lesson of the Gate of Repentance (Shaar HaTeshuvah) from Orchot Tzaddikim, Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe explains that repentance is one of the greatest gifts Hashem ever gave humanity. As we approach Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, the message is clear: no matter how far a person has strayed, the moment they sincerely turn back toward Hashem, they are welcomed with open arms. Repentance is not about perfection—it is about reaching out for Divine help and allowing Hashem to lift us from our mistakes and guide us toward a fresh beginning. The episode explores a remarkable Talmudic teaching that Teshuvah reaches all the way to the Heavenly Throne of Glory. Through a vivid description of Moshe ascending the seven firmaments, Rabbi Wolbe explains how each level of Heaven praises a different spiritual ideal, yet at the highest level the angels praise repentance. This demonstrates that teshuvah is among the most elevated forces in creation. In fact, the Talmud teaches that repentance was created before the world itself, alongside the Torah, Gan Eden, Gehenom, the Beis HaMikdash, the Throne of Glory, and the name of Mashiach. Rabbi Wolbe further explains that the Torah is the instruction manual for life. Just as every complex creation requires a blueprint, the world was created with a Divine manual to guide humanity toward success. Since human beings inevitably make mistakes, Hashem created repentance before creation itself, ensuring that failure would never be final. The lesson is one of hope, accountability, and optimism: every person can return, repair, and grow. The episode concludes with a vision of the Messianic era, when the world will be filled with Divine wisdom and clarity, and humanity will fully recognize its purpose—to know Hashem and serve Him. _____________This Podcast Series is Generously Underwritten by Peter & Becky BotvinRecorded at TORCH Centre in the Levin Family Studios (B) to a live audience on September 8, 2025, in Houston, Texas.Released as Podcast on June 7, 2026_____________This series on Orchos Tzadikim/Ways of the Righteous is produced in partnership with Hachzek.Join the revolution of daily Mussar study at hachzek.com.We are using the Treasure of Life edition of the Orchos Tzadikkim (Published by Feldheim)_____________Listen, Subscribe & Share: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/jewish-inspiration-podcast-rabbi-aryeh-wolbe/id1476610783Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4r0KfjMzmCNQbiNaZBCSU7) to stay inspired! Share your questions at aw@torchweb.org or visit torchweb.org for more Torah content.  _____________About the Host:Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe, Director of TORCH in Houston, brings decades of Torah scholarship to guide listeners in applying Jewish wisdom to daily life.  To directly send your questions, comments, and feedback, please email: awolbe@torchweb.org_____________Support Our Mission:Our Mission is Connecting Jews & Judaism. Help us spread Judaism globally by sponsoring an episode at torchweb.org.Your support makes a HUGE difference!_____________Listen MoreOther podcasts by Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe: NEW!! Hey Rabbi! Podcast: https://heyrabbi.transistor.fm/episodesPrayer Podcast: https://prayerpodcast.transistor.fm/episodesJewish Inspiration Podcast: https://inspiration.transistor.fm/episodesParsha Review Podcast: https://parsha.transistor.fm/episodesLiving Jewishly Podcast: https://jewishly.transistor.fm/episodesThinking Talmudist Podcast: https://talmud.transistor.fm/episodesUnboxing Judaism Podcast: https://unboxing.transistor.fm/episodesRabbi Aryeh Wolbe Podcast Collection: https://collection.transistor.fm/episodesFor a full listing of podcasts available by TORCH at http://podcast.torchweb.orgv_____________Keywords:#JewishInspiration, #Mussar, #MasterClass, #Repentance, #Teshuva, #YomKippur, #NewBeginning, #Growth, #Return, #Elul, #MessianicEra, #GrowthMindset ★ Support this podcast ★

The Rebbe writes that it is more important for students to be in yeshivah during the end of Elul and the Ten Days of Repentance than during Av. He adds that vacation should not be given both in Av and also in Elul and the Ten Days of Repentance. https://www.torahrecordings.com/rebbe/igroskodesh/011/009/3521

The Rebbe discusses Elul as a time for introspection, improving one's avodah, and preparing for the High Holidays. He correlates this period to a king in the field, accessible to all and allowing for personal transformation. Through teshuvah, every individual can enhance their relationship with the Divine. https://www.torahrecordings.com/likutei-sichos/002/014_002

The Lithuanian Yeshiva world in interwar Poland was facing financial crisis. The Vaad Hayeshivas was the umbrella organization which sought to alleviate the financial burden from the Yeshivas. With the passing of the Chofetz Chaim, the beloved leader, as well as founder and head of the Vaad Hayeshivas in September 1933, the Jewish People was plunged into mourning. The Vaad Hayeshivas embarked on a campaign to write a Sefer Torah in memory of the Chofetz Chaim. Each letter would be sold, and the proceeds would go toward funding the Yeshivas which were in ever desperate straits. This would be a world wide campaign, in which it was hoped that all would desire to partake in this special endeavor. The Sefer Torah was duly written, with individuals from Jewish communities around the world having bought letters and receiving a special certificate as acknowledgement of their participation. Amid great festivities, the Torah was dedicated in honor of the 2nd yahrtzeit of the Chofetz Chaim in Elul 1935, where it was brought from Vilna to Radin. Subscribe To Our Podcast on:  PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/ Follow us on Twitter or Instagram at @Jsoundbites You can email Yehuda at yehuda@yehudageberer.com

The Gemara in Masechet Berachot (3a) teaches that the night is divided into three periods, and at the points when one period leads to the other, Hashem "roars like a lion," bemoaning the fact that our sins compelled him to destroy the Bet Ha'mikdash. The Bet Yosef brings from earlier sources that it is proper to join Hashem at those moments and lament the destruction of the Bet Ha'mikdash. The Kabbalists, however, determined that this should be done at the point of Hasot, halachic midnight. This is the time best suited to mourn the destruction of the Bet Ha'mikdash, the Jewish People's dispersion, and the death of the righteous Sadikim. The Kabbalists taught that it is especially important not to sleep at the moment of Hasot, as this brings upon the person a certain level of impurity. For many generations, the practice of Tikkun Hasot – reciting a special prayer mourning the destruction of the Bet Ha'mikdash at Hasot – was observed by the Sadikim. There are accounts of how the synagogue in Halab (Aleppo, Syria) would be filled at Hasot by men reciting Tikkun Hasot and then remaining to learn Torah. Tikkun Hasot is normally recited in a manner reflecting mourning – on the floor, without shoes, wearing sackcloth, with ashes on one's head, and crying loudly. Hacham Baruch Ben-Haim shared with us his memories of his father reciting Tikkun Hasot while sitting on the floor. People in our community remember seeing Hacham Shaul Kassin crying on the floor while reciting Tikkun Hasot. I had the opportunity to join the special Thursday night Tikkun Hasot service led by Rav Benayahu Shmueli in Jerusalem, near the Temple Mount, in close proximity to the site of the Kodesh Ha'kodashim (the inner sanctum of the Bet Ha'mikdash). For two hours, the small group of Rabbis sit on the floor, weep, and sing, beseeching Hashem to rebuild the Bet Ha'mikdash. Although Tikkun Hasot is not required as a strict Halachic obligation, Hacham Ovadia Yosef writes that one who is in any event awake shortly before Hasot should certainly remain awake a bit longer in order to recite Tikkun Hasot. It should be noted the during the winter months, Hasot is around 11:30-11:45pm, which is not very late for many people, and so it is certainly worthwhile for those who are awake at that time to recite this special prayer. Halachic Hasot is defined as the midway point between sunset and sunrise. Some claimed that Hacham Ovadia Yosef permitted during Elul reciting Selihot – which may not be recited prior to Hasot – after the time of Hasot in Jerusalem, wherever one is located. This would mean that in New York, for example, it would be permissible to recite Selihot already in the late afternoon hours. However, Rav Yisrael Bitan writes that these reports are unreliable. Nevertheless, with regard to Tikkun Hasot, Rav Bitan cites Hacham David Yosef as ruling in Halacha Berura that there is room to allow reciting Tikkun Hasot shortly before midnight in areas west of Eretz Yisrael. There is a view among the Poskim that permits reciting Tikkun Hasot even before Hasot, and so although we do not follow this opinion, we can combine this lenient ruling with the possibility that the time of Hasot depends on the moment of Hasot in Jerusalem. Since in any event Tikkun Hasot is not required as a strict Halachic obligation, there is room to rely on these two lenient positions to permit reciting Tikkun Hasot even before halachic midnight, if it is after Hasot in Jerusalem.

התוכן לא שייך להשיג שלום אמיתי בא"י, "ונתתי שלום בארץ" [כמ"ש בשני דבפ' בחוקותי], ע"י ענינים של היפך התורה! ח"ו "לדון" האם לקיים פס"ד ברור בשו"ע או"ח הל' שבת סי' שכט: "עכו"ם שצרו על עיירות ישראל . . בעיר הסמוכה לספר אפילו לא באו אלא על עסקי תבן וקש מחללין עליהם את השבת" להגן על בנ"י! ובענין זה לא משנה אם זה א"י או חו"ל."התורה לא תהי' מוחלפת" ואף א' לא יכול לשנות פס"ד בשו"ע! וכאשר "בחוקותי תלכו ואת מצוותי תשמרו ועשיתם אותם" ויקיימו פס"ד זה – זוהי הדרך היחידה והבטוחה ש"ונתתי שלום בארץ" – בא"י (לגבולותי', שלימות הארץ, ביחד עם שלימות התורה ושלימות העם) ובכל מקום שיהודי נמצא, "ואולך אתכם קוממיות" – שלא נבהלים מגויים ומגוי'שקייט. וכאשר יהודי נעמד בתוקף להגן על יהודים ויהדות, יתקיים בו שגם בזמן הגלות כאשר "החושך יכסה ארץ" עדיין, הנה "עליך יזרח ה'"!משיחה לילדי מחנות קיץ "גן ישראל" ו"אמונה" שיחיו – בבית הכנסת, אחרי תפלת מנחה – יום ג' פ' תבוא, י"ד אלול ה'תש"מ ל"הנחה פרטית" או התרגום ללה"ק של השיחה: https://thedailysicha.com/?date=08-05-2026 Synopsis It is impossible to achieve true peace in Eretz Yisroel (as the verse states in sheini of parashas Bechukosai, “I will grant peace in the land”) with any approach that runs contrary to the Torah. Chas v'shalom to “deliberate” whether to fulfill a clear ruling in the Laws of Shabbos (Orach Chaim 329) which states: “If gentiles besiege Jewish cities…in a city near the border, even if they have come only for matters of straw and stubble, Shabbos is desecrated against them” to defend the Jewish people. In this regard, it makes no difference whether it is Eretz Yisroel or the diaspora. And “The Torah will never be changed” – no one can change a ruling in the Shulchan Aruch. The only path, and the guaranteed path, to achieve true peace in Eretz Yisroel (according to its borders – completeness of the land, together with completeness of the Torah and completeness of the people), and true peace wherever a Jew is found, is to “walk in My statutes and keep My commandments and perform them,” including this halacha in the Laws of Shabbos. “And I will lead you upright” – we must not be intimidated by goyim or by goyishkeit, and when a Jew stands firmly to defend Jews and Yiddishkeit, then, even when “darkness covers the earth,” even when we are still in exile, “Hashem will shine upon you.”Excerpt from sichah of Tuesday, parashas Ki Savo, 14 Elul 5740 – to the campers of Camp Gan Yisroel and Camp Emunah For a transcript in English of the Sicha: https://thedailysicha.com/?date=08-05-2026 לע"נ הרב לוי יצחק ע"ה בן – יבלח"ט – הרב חיים צבי שי' וואלאסאוו

G-d created the human body in such a way that it requires rest, and cannot function properly without a significant period of sleep each night. In His infinite wisdom, G-d determined that it is preferable for human beings not to have the ability to continuously work and tend to their affairs without ever resting. One explanation for this decision is that Hashem mercifully granted us the opportunity to "reset" after a difficult, challenging or upsetting day. When a person feels disappointed or pained, a good night's sleep allows him to begin fresh the next morning, to experience a new start, so that the failures or misfortunes of the previous day no longer discourage him and he can approach the new day with vigor and positivity. Another explanation is that the person's Neshama (soul) receives an "upgrade" every night when he sleeps. During sleep, Hashem cleanses the soul and returns it in the morning in better condition than it had been when the person went to sleep. We might say that we have our souls "serviced" every night, and this is the great benefit of sleep. The Ben Ish Hai (Rav Yosef Haim of Baghdad, 1833-1909) writes that it is a mistake to think that sleeping is always beneficial for the body. Sleeping excessively, more than the body needs, is actually detrimental to one's health. This has been confirmed by modern medicine. Therefore, one should sleep only as much as he needs and no more. Of course, one must also ensure not to sleep less than the body needs in order maintain its strength. But after one sleeps a reasonable amount, he should use the rest of his time for Torah study. The Ben Ish Hai also writes that there are certain times when it is recommended to stay up late learning Torah – such as on Thursday nights, the night before Rosh Hodesh, during Elul and the Aseret Yemeh Teshuba, and during the weeks of Shobabim in the winter. Some people sleep only four-and-a-half or five hours a night on these occasions, and the Ben Ish Hai writes that the extra time devoted to the soul compensates for the lost time of sleep. The Rambam taught that one should sleep eight hours a night in order to maintain his physical wellbeing. He should then spend eight hours working for a living, and the other eight hours learning Torah. Some found an allusion to this concept in the verse in Iyob (3:13), "Yashanti Az Yanu'ah Li" ("I have slept, and then I experience rest"). The word "Az" in Gematria equals 8, and thus "Yashanti Az" subtly refers to the eight hours that one should sleep each night. Another allusion is the passage in our Shabbat prayers, "Az Tasliah Et Derachecha" ("Then shall you succeed in your paths"), indicating that sleeping "Az" – eight hours – brings success. There were great Sages who slept less than eight hours. The Vilna Gaon (1720-1797), for example, is said to have slept only two hours a night. And Rav Zalman of Volozhin (1752-1799)– one of the Vilna Gaon's most illustrious disciples – slept just fours a night. It is told that Rav Zalman was once asked about the verse, "Yashanti Az Yanu'ah Li," which alludes to eight hours of sleep, and he replied that the world "Li" at the end of the verse in Gematria equals 40. This verse thus instructs that one should sleep eight hours out of every forty-eight hours, or four hours a night… The Tiferet Yisrael (Rav Yisrael Lifshitz, Germany, 1782-1860) distinguished between different ages, stating that until the age of 50, when people are generally more physically active, one should sleep eight hours each night, whereas after 50, less sleep is needed. In any event, it is generally accepted that most people should sleep between six and eight hours a night. The most important thing is to use one's time constructively the rest of the day. When we look at our daily schedules, we will find that many of us sleep less than the eight hours recommended by the Rambam, and yet most of us fail to learn even close to the eight hours that he urges us to learn. It is true that much of our time is spent working, commuting, and tending to our families. Unfortunately, however, much of the other time is being consumed by vanity and wasteful pursuits, particularly screentime. It is critically important for us to refrain from wasting time, to make sure to get enough sleep and to care for our physical wellbeing, but to use the rest of the time as constructively as possible.

Rabbi Jacobson will discuss the following topics: Yud Alef Nissan Pesach Do we say Gut Yom Tov today? How do we honor the Rebbe's birthday? What is the single most important thing each of us should do on this special day? How did the Rebbe celebrate his birthday? What were the events that led to the things done for Yud Alef Nissan 5742 – eighty years? What is the significance of the number eleven? Is it significant that “peace in Israel” are the last words in Tehillim chapter 125, which we begin reciting today? Do some people receive answers from the Rebbe more than others?  Miracles and Iran Seder What is the relevance of the war in Iran to Pesach? What's the underlying message of Pesach? What does it truly mean to be free?  How is the energy of Nissan and Pesach different than that of ani l'dodi v'dodi li of Elul and Tishrei? Do I have to observe the holiday if I am experiencing financial difficulties, which cause stress and anxiety, antithetical to the theme of Passover? Why is Passover celebrated on the day the exodus happened, unlike Purim and Chanukah which are celebrated the day after the miracles happened?   Why do we celebrate it every year? Why does Passover have three names? What can we learn from the great miracle of Shabbos HaGadol and the other miracles of the time about today's miracles? How do we reconcile Chizkiyahu being criticized for not praising G-d's for His miracles with the ruling that one should not say Hallel every day – how do we find the right balance of acknowledging miracles in our lives? What can each of us do physically and spiritually to help protect all the innocent people and bring victory in the war against Iran? As an American who moved to Israel I am bemused by people questioning the safety of living here. How do we resolve a major conflict between husband and wife of how extreme we should be with our Pesach cleaning? Can you please share some memories of the Rebbe visiting different public Seders in Crown Heights? Why did he do so? Why did the Rebbe ask an artist to illustrate a special edition of the Haggadah for children? 

Nechoma Birnbaum is a Torah educator and Imago Relationship Coach from Atlanta, where she lives with her husband and children. For the past 14 years, she has taught adults and high schoolers in a wide range of Torah subjects, guiding her students to engage deeply with Torah while integrating it with their unique personalities, life experiences, and spiritual voices. She is also the author of a companion and guided journal based on Alei Shur, the teachings of Rabbi Shlomo Wolbe, available on Amazon, as well as guided journals for Elul, Chanukah, and Purim.You can order the Purim journal here:https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdZAbdVnOV1UVzfBqtBguhClnKF3KxhGlp6oypNwbaWRc33dQ/viewform---Please rate and review the Empowered Jewish Living podcast on whatever platform you stream it. Please follow Rabbi Shlomo Buxbaum and the Lev Experience on the following channels:Facebook: @ShlomobuxbaumInstagram: @shlomobuxbaumYouTube: @levexperienceOrder Rabbi Shlomo' books: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Four Elements of an Empowered Life: A Guidebook to Discovering Your Inner World and Unique Purpose⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠---⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Four Elements of Inner Freedom: The Exodus Story as a Model for Overcoming Challenges and Achieving Personal Breakthroughs⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ You can order a copy on⁠ Amazon⁠ or in your local Jewish bookstore.

Breaking Through Everything Fatigue • Sunday Service Website: www.PastorTodd.org To give: www.ToddCoconato.com/give Why This Is the Year of the Spirit: A Nehemiah Sermon We are living in a time of what many feel but struggle to name. Everything fatigue. Not just physical tiredness, but emotional exhaustion, spiritual weariness, and mental overload. It is the fatigue that comes from carrying too much for too long, rebuilding while fighting, believing while being opposed, and standing while feeling stretched thin. The book of Nehemiah speaks directly into this moment. Nehemiah shows us how God revives weary people, restores broken places, and teaches His people how to rebuild by the Spirit, not by the flesh. This is why this is the year of the Spirit. Not more striving. Not more pressure. But divine strength, clarity, and renewal. 1. God Responds to Holy Burden, Not Burnout “So it was, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned for many days; I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven.” Nehemiah 1:4 NKJV 2. God Releases Favor for the Assignment “And the king granted them to me according to the good hand of my God upon me.” Nehemiah 2:8 NKJV 3. Vision Breaks the Power of Fatigue “So I said to them, ‘You see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lies waste, and its gates are burned with fire. Come and let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer be a reproach.'” Nehemiah 2:17 NKJV 4. The Spirit Stirs People to Rise Together “And they said, ‘Let us rise up and build.' Then they set their hands to this good work.” Nehemiah 2:18 NKJV 5. Opposition Always Shows Up When God Is at Work “But it so happened, when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, that he was furious and very indignant, and mocked the Jews.” Nehemiah 4:1 NKJV 6. Prayer Is the Strategy Against Overwhelm “Nevertheless we made our prayer to our God, and because of them we set a watch against them day and night.” Nehemiah 4:9 NKJV 7. Strength Returns When We Remember the Lord “And I looked, and arose and said to the nobles, to the leaders, and to the rest of the people, ‘Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, great and awesome, and fight for your brethren.'” Nehemiah 4:14 NKJV 8. God Reorganizes the Work to Prevent Collapse “So it was, from that time on, that half of my servants worked at construction, while the other half held the spears.” Nehemiah 4:16 NKJV 9. God Restores Joy as a Weapon Against Weariness Scripture: “Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” Nehemiah 8:10 NKJV 10. God Finishes What He Started “So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of the month of Elul, in fifty-two days.” Nehemiah 6:15 NKJV This Is the Year of the Spirit Nehemiah did not rebuild by strength alone. He rebuilt by prayer, vision, unity, strategy, joy, and obedience. This is why this is the year of the Spirit. Not because the work disappears, but because God strengthens His people to finish it. Everything fatigue breaks when we stop striving and start aligning. When we remember the Lord. When we rebuild together. When joy returns. This year, you will not quit. You will rebuild. You will finish. And you will do it by the Spirit of God.  

Study Guide Zevachim 8 If any of the four sacrificial rites of a sin offering - slaughtering, collecting the blood, carrying it, or sprinkling it - are performed with the intent of a different sacrifice or for a different owner, the offering is disqualified. The Gemara investigates the source of this law. Initially, it cites verses that establish the requirement to slaughter, collect, and sprinkle the blood with the correct intent, both for the appropriate sacrifice and for the proper owner, and that failure to do so invalidates the offering. However, these sources do not explicitly prove that intent for a different sacrifice disqualifies the offering, nor that slaughtering and collecting must be done for the correct owner. The Gemara first attempts to derive this from verses concerning the sin offerings of a nazirite and a leper, but both are rejected due to unique stringencies in each case. It then explores combinations - nazirite and leper, nazirite and standard sin offering, or leper and standard sin offering - but each pairing is also dismissed, as each has its own distinctive stringency. Ultimately, Rava derives the requirement to perform all rites with the correct intent, from both the perspective of the sacrifice and the owner, from a verse that juxtaposes the peace offering with the sin offering, as the source for the basic law of proper intent is found in the laws of the peace offering, as explained in Zevachim 4. The verses previously cited in the sugya are then reinterpreted to teach that without proper designation, the offering is invalid—based on the principle that in kodashim (sacrificial laws), repetition in the Torah indicates necessity (l’akev). The proof from the verses above pertains to a standard sin offering. The Gemara then asks: how do we know the same applies to a sin offering brought for idol worship or to a sliding-scale offering (korban oleh veyored)? These cases are derived through comparative analysis with other offerings mentioned previously. The discussion shifts to the case of a Pesach offering. If one designates an animal for the Passover sacrifice but slaughters it on a day that is not Pesach, the offering is not disqualified and is instead brought as a peace offering. The father of Shmuel cites a verse from Vayikra 3:6, which discusses peace offerings, as the source. However, a difficulty arises: the verse may only support the case where the animal was offered as a peace offering. If it were offered with the intent for a different sacrifice, it might be disqualified. To address this, the Gemara explains that the term zevach in the verse encompasses other types of offerings. Yet this resolution is unsatisfactory, as it could still be argued that if the Pesach was offered with intent for any other sacrifice, it should be brought as that sacrifice, not necessarily as a peace offering. To resolve this, the Gemara presents two alternative derivations from the verse and proceeds to analyze their validity.  

Elul and the high holidays are a period of introspection and self accounting. In this conversation with Matti Banon, we discuss the Chassidic perspective on gentle growth, what it looks like to live our lives with agency while remaining humble enough to recognize our recurring flaws, the balance between intellect and emotion, the transformative power of compassion and curiosity, and the parenting truths that can guide us in becoming more whole ourselves. Matti Banon is a campus shlucha in Montreal who enjoys learning and delving into topics like marriage and parenting through the lens of Chassidus. Her children are her biggest helpers when it comes to her shlichus and self growth. She can be reached at Mattibanon@gmail.comReferences:Story of the Baal Shem Tov & the shofar: https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/3080/jewish/The-Master-Key.htmChapter 27 of the Tanya (the sweet & spicy paths): https://www.chabad.org/library/tanya/tanya_cdo/aid/7906/jewish/Chapter-27.htmMore about Reb Levi Yitzchok of Berdichev: https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/1007604/jewish/A-Brief-Biography.htmThe 4 Body System: https://a.co/d/djfpzDuParenting reference: Blimieheller.com* * * * * * *To inquire about sponsorship & advertising opportunities, please email us at info@humanandholy.comTo support our work, visit humanandholy.com/sponsor.Find us on Instagram @humanandholy & subscribe to our channel to stay up to date on all our upcoming conversations ✨Human & Holy podcast is available on all podcast streaming platforms. New episodes every Sunday & Wednesday on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Podcasts.* * * * * * *TIMESTAMPS:00:00 Introduction and Personal Background01:53 The Essence of Parenting and Nurturing05:13 Leading Ourselves: The Journey of Self-Discovery10:03 Awareness and Compassion: The First Steps14:42 The Role of Emotions in Personal Growth19:52 The Chassidic Balance of Intellect and Emotion 24:48 Transforming the Inner Critic29:43 Discipline and Connection in Parenting34:33 Embracing Imperfection and Growth39:27 The Importance of Compassion in Relationships44:34 Curiosity and Self-Exploration49:06 Final Thoughts

www.dailybreadmoms.com Now coming to busy moms all over the world as a daily podcast! Daily Bread follows the weekly Torah Portion, one part each day, together with a healthy balance from the rest of Scripture — all in one year. More than just a one-year Bible reading plan, Daily Bread is designed as a journal, with a comprehensive Hebrew calendar. To support the podcast - www.patreon.com/dailybreadmoms Check out the Daily Bread Torah Class, LIVE from Israel! Join anytime. larsenarson.com/torah The 5785 / 2025 Journals are available here: arielmedia.shop/

In trying to answer whether a burnt offering can atone for positive commandments neglected after the animal was designated (between designation and slaughter) or only for those neglected before designation, the Gemara cites Rabbi Shimon. He explains that the reason two goats are offered on Shavuot is that the second goat atones for impurities in the Temple that occurred after the first goat was offered. If both goats were designated at the same time, this would support the view that an offering can atone for sins committed after designation. A difficulty is raised with that proof because it assumes simultaneous designation; perhaps the second goat needs to be designated only after the first was offered. That possibility is hard to accept because the verse does not indicate a later designation. Rav Papa also rejects the proof, suggesting instead that the court could stipulate from the outset that the second goat will only become sanctified after the blood of the first goat is offered. Two objections are raised to Rav Papa’s reply. First, Rabbi Shimon does not accept the court's stipulations—he therefore would not recognize a court’s postponement of consecration, as shown by his ruling that animals reserved for one year cannot serve as the Tamid in the following year. Second, Rabbi Yirmeya’s question about whether the second goat can cover impurity that occurred between the sprinkling of the first goat’s blood and the second’s implies it was understood that the goat covers from the time of designation. That second difficulty is, however, resolved, and the original question remains unanswered. There is a dispute between Raba and Rav Chisda about a toda (thanksgiving offering) brought on behalf of another who needs to bring a toda. Each presents his reasoning; Raba cites a baraita in support, but his proof is rejected. Rava gives six rulings about issues of incorrect intention during the sacrificial rites and adds a seventh about the nature of the olah (burnt offering). He teaches that the olah does not itself provide atonement; rather, it is a gift to God offered after a person has repented for not fulfilling a positive commandment. If the person has not yet repented, the offering provides no atonement, for the sacrifices of the wicked are despicable. The Mishna states that both a sin offering and a Pesach sacrifice brought for the sake of the wrong sacrifice or for the wrong person are disqualified. The Gemara first adduces the source for this rule for Pesach and then for the sin offering.  

www.dailybreadmoms.com Now coming to busy moms all over the world as a daily podcast! Daily Bread follows the weekly Torah Portion, one part each day, together with a healthy balance from the rest of Scripture — all in one year. More than just a one-year Bible reading plan, Daily Bread is designed as a journal, with a comprehensive Hebrew calendar. To support the podcast - www.patreon.com/dailybreadmoms Check out the Daily Bread Torah Class, LIVE from Israel! Join anytime. larsenarson.com/torah The 5785 / 2025 Journals are available here: arielmedia.shop/

Elul is the 12th and final month of the Jewish calendar year. Elul Unbound is a Judaism Unbound initiative all about making Elul meaningful, through creative digital modalities. In this final Elul episode of 2025 (and 5785), Lex Rofeberg and Wendie Bernstein Lash explore the month (and the upcoming holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur) through the prism of echoes -- the literal sounds they make, the metaphors they are used to illustrate, and more. This Elul podcast is the final in a mini-series of four that were released as part of Elul Unbound 2025 (our 26th-29th Elul episodes overall).To check out all our Elul bonus episodes from previous years, which can still be relevant to your experience of Elul this time around, click here. Join our bi-weekly journey through Elul Unbound 2025 (and future years) by signing up at this link, and sign up for our Elul Unbound Shabbat gatherings here, where we will be forging our kavanot (intentions) for the new year in real time with fellow Unbounders.Access full shownotes for this episode via this link. If you're enjoying Judaism Unbound, please help us keep things going with a one-time or monthly tax-deductible donation -- support Judaism Unbound by clicking here!

www.dailybreadmoms.com Now coming to busy moms all over the world as a daily podcast! Daily Bread follows the weekly Torah Portion, one part each day, together with a healthy balance from the rest of Scripture — all in one year. More than just a one-year Bible reading plan, Daily Bread is designed as a journal, with a comprehensive Hebrew calendar. To support the podcast - www.patreon.com/dailybreadmoms Check out the Daily Bread Torah Class, LIVE from Israel! Join anytime. larsenarson.com/torah The 5785 / 2025 Journals are available here: arielmedia.shop/

Reish Lakish grappled with the legal concept of a sacrifice slaughtered with the intent of fulfilling a different offering (lo lishma). If such a sacrifice is valid and not disqualified, why does it fail to fulfill the owner's obligation? And conversely, if it does not fulfill the obligation, why is it offered at all? Rabbi Elazar responded by citing a precedent: a sacrifice that does not provide atonement but is nevertheless brought. For example, when a woman gives birth, she becomes obligated to bring a pair of birds—one as a sin offering and one as a burnt offering. If she dies before fulfilling this obligation, her children still bring the burnt offering. In this case, the sacrifice is offered despite not providing atonement for the heirs. Reish Lakish accepted that there is precedent for bringing a burnt offering, and similarly for offerings like the peace offering, which may be brought without atonement. However, he continued to question the case of the guilt offering. Rabbi Elazar replied that Reish Lakish’s view aligns with the opinion of Rabbi Eliezer in the Mishna, who holds that a guilt offering is disqualified if slaughtered not for its intended purpose. Yet Reish Lakish resisted being confined to Rabbi Eliezer’s position, expressing a desire to understand the mainstream view as well. Reish Lakish then proposed that the principle might be derived from Devarim 23:24, which discusses a neder (vow) that becomes a nedava (voluntary offering). This verse had previously been interpreted as referring to a sacrifice brought lo lishma. Some questioned this verse being used by Reish Lakish, as the verse only applies to voluntary offerings, such as those brought through a vow, and not to obligatory ones like the guilt offering. In response, Abaye suggested that Reish Lakish intended to derive the principle from both that verse and another: “And he slaughtered it as a sin offering” (Vayikra 4:33). From the word “it,” we learn that only a sin offering is disqualified when not brought lishma. The verse in Devarim then explains that although other sacrifices may be brought, they do not fulfill the owner's obligation. Although the verse in Devarim refers specifically to burnt and peace offerings, Abaye argued that the principle could be extended to guilt offerings through a kal v’chomer argument. However, this reasoning was rejected, as one can distinguish between voluntary and obligatory offerings. Rava then suggested a different derivation from Vayikra 7:37, which juxtaposes various types of sacrifices in a single verse. This allows the laws of lishma to be extended from the peace offering to other offerings as well. This interpretation compares the other offerings to the peace offering, which is valid even when not brought lishma, rather than to the sin offering, which is disqualified, as per the earlier drasha that limited the disqualification to the sin offering alone (“And he slaughtered it as a sin offering”). Later, other rabbis revisited the discussion between Reish Lakish and Rabbi Elazar, raising two questions. First, why didn’t Rabbi Elazar respond that a guilt offering can also be brought after death? Rav Sheshet addressed this question. Second, why didn’t Reish Lakish counter that the heirs who bring their mother’s burnt offering do, in fact, receive atonement—thus undermining the precedent cited by Rabbi Elazar?  

Continuing the discussion surrounding Reish Lakish’s response to Rabbi Elazar, the Gemara examines whether heirs acquire the sacrificial offering of someone who dies. Various sources are presented supporting both sides of the debate. Ultimately, the Gemara concludes that the heirs do not acquire the offering, though they may receive a limited degree of atonement through it. Another question arises regarding a sacrifice brought lo lishma, with intent for a different type of offering. If the original sacrifice is still offered, does it fulfill its intended purpose? If not, why is it brought at all? And if it does, why is a second offering required? Rav Ashi clarifies that the first offering is brought due to the power of its original designation, while the second is needed to achieve full atonement. The Gemara also explores whether a burnt offering can atone for positive commandments that were neglected between the time the animal was designated and the time it was slaughtered, or only for those neglected before its designation. Sources are cited in an attempt to resolve this question.  

www.dailybreadmoms.com Now coming to busy moms all over the world as a daily podcast! Daily Bread follows the weekly Torah Portion, one part each day, together with a healthy balance from the rest of Scripture — all in one year. More than just a one-year Bible reading plan, Daily Bread is designed as a journal, with a comprehensive Hebrew calendar. To support the podcast - www.patreon.com/dailybreadmoms Check out the Daily Bread Torah Class, LIVE from Israel! Join anytime. larsenarson.com/torah The 5785 / 2025 Journals are available here: arielmedia.shop/

What is the source for the Mishna’s ruling that if one intends a different sacrifice than the one designated, the offering is no longer valid to fulfill the obligation of the original owner? The Gemara investigates the derivation of this principle across each of the four sacrificial rites: slaughtering, collecting the blood, carrying the blood to the altar, and sprinkling the blood on the altar. Why is it not sufficient to derive the law from just one of these rites? The Gemara then poses a similar question regarding a change in ownership—specifically, if the sacrifice was offered on behalf of someone other than its designated owner. Again, it seeks a source for each of the four rites. If these requirements are mandated by Torah law, why do they not render the sacrifice invalid?

www.dailybreadmoms.com Now coming to busy moms all over the world as a daily podcast! Daily Bread follows the weekly Torah Portion, one part each day, together with a healthy balance from the rest of Scripture — all in one year. More than just a one-year Bible reading plan, Daily Bread is designed as a journal, with a comprehensive Hebrew calendar. To support the podcast - www.patreon.com/dailybreadmoms Check out the Daily Bread Torah Class, LIVE from Israel! Join anytime. larsenarson.com/torah The 5785 / 2025 Journals are available here: arielmedia.shop/

www.dailybreadmoms.com Now coming to busy moms all over the world as a daily podcast! Daily Bread follows the weekly Torah Portion, one part each day, together with a healthy balance from the rest of Scripture — all in one year. More than just a one-year Bible reading plan, Daily Bread is designed as a journal, with a comprehensive Hebrew calendar. To support the podcast - www.patreon.com/dailybreadmoms Check out the Daily Bread Torah Class, LIVE from Israel! Join anytime. larsenarson.com/torah The 5785 / 2025 Journals are available here: arielmedia.shop/

www.dailybreadmoms.com Now coming to busy moms all over the world as a daily podcast! Daily Bread follows the weekly Torah Portion, one part each day, together with a healthy balance from the rest of Scripture — all in one year. More than just a one-year Bible reading plan, Daily Bread is designed as a journal, with a comprehensive Hebrew calendar. To support the podcast - www.patreon.com/dailybreadmoms Check out the Daily Bread Torah Class, LIVE from Israel! Join anytime. larsenarson.com/torah The 5785 / 2025 Journals are available here: arielmedia.shop/

Sponsored by Shawn & Tsipora KarpL'ilui nishmas The 23rd of Elul's yahrtzeit is for Yissocher Dov ben Mordechai Yosef HaCohen (Barry Hochdorf, Tsipora's great Uncle). The 24th of Elul's yahrtzeit is for Tzvi Meir ben Reb Yehuda (Harold Schechter, Tsipora's grandfather).

www.dailybreadmoms.com Now coming to busy moms all over the world as a daily podcast! Daily Bread follows the weekly Torah Portion, one part each day, together with a healthy balance from the rest of Scripture — all in one year. More than just a one-year Bible reading plan, Daily Bread is designed as a journal, with a comprehensive Hebrew calendar. To support the podcast - www.patreon.com/dailybreadmoms Check out the Daily Bread Torah Class, LIVE from Israel! Join anytime. larsenarson.com/torah The 5785 / 2025 Journals are available here: arielmedia.shop/

www.dailybreadmoms.com Now coming to busy moms all over the world as a daily podcast! Daily Bread follows the weekly Torah Portion, one part each day, together with a healthy balance from the rest of Scripture — all in one year. More than just a one-year Bible reading plan, Daily Bread is designed as a journal, with a comprehensive Hebrew calendar. To support the podcast - www.patreon.com/dailybreadmoms Check out the Daily Bread Torah Class, LIVE from Israel! Join anytime. larsenarson.com/torah The 5785 / 2025 Journals are available here: arielmedia.shop/

www.dailybreadmoms.com Now coming to busy moms all over the world as a daily podcast! Daily Bread follows the weekly Torah Portion, one part each day, together with a healthy balance from the rest of Scripture — all in one year. More than just a one-year Bible reading plan, Daily Bread is designed as a journal, with a comprehensive Hebrew calendar. To support the podcast - www.patreon.com/dailybreadmoms Check out the Daily Bread Torah Class, LIVE from Israel! Join anytime. larsenarson.com/torah The 5785 / 2025 Journals are available here: arielmedia.shop/

www.dailybreadmoms.com Now coming to busy moms all over the world as a daily podcast! Daily Bread follows the weekly Torah Portion, one part each day, together with a healthy balance from the rest of Scripture — all in one year. More than just a one-year Bible reading plan, Daily Bread is designed as a journal, with a comprehensive Hebrew calendar. To support the podcast - www.patreon.com/dailybreadmoms Check out the Daily Bread Torah Class, LIVE from Israel! Join anytime. larsenarson.com/torah The 5785 / 2025 Journals are available here: arielmedia.shop/

www.dailybreadmoms.com Now coming to busy moms all over the world as a daily podcast! Daily Bread follows the weekly Torah Portion, one part each day, together with a healthy balance from the rest of Scripture — all in one year. More than just a one-year Bible reading plan, Daily Bread is designed as a journal, with a comprehensive Hebrew calendar. To support the podcast - www.patreon.com/dailybreadmoms Check out the Daily Bread Torah Class, LIVE from Israel! Join anytime. larsenarson.com/torah The 5785 / 2025 Journals are available here: arielmedia.shop/

Elul is the 12th and final month of the Jewish calendar year. Elul Unbound is a Judaism Unbound initiative all about making Elul meaningful, through creative digital modalities. In this episode, Lex Rofeberg and Wendie Bernstein Lash explore the notion of chiasm (for "what is a 'chiasm' -- which is a great question -- click here), along with what it has to do with the month of Elul and the broader 7-year Shmita cycle. This Elul podcast is the third in a mini-series of four that are being released as part of Elul Unbound 2025 (our 26th-29th Elul episodes overall).--------------------------------------To check out all our Elul bonus episodes from previous years, which can still be relevant to your experience of Elul this time around, click here. Join our bi-weekly journey through Elul Unbound 2025 by signing up at this link, and sign up for our Elul Unbound Shabbat gatherings here, where we will be forging our kavanot (intentions) for the new year in real time with fellow Unbounders.If you're enjoying Judaism Unbound, please help us keep things going with a one-time or monthly tax-deductible donation -- support Judaism Unbound by clicking here!

www.dailybreadmoms.com Now coming to busy moms all over the world as a daily podcast! Daily Bread follows the weekly Torah Portion, one part each day, together with a healthy balance from the rest of Scripture — all in one year. More than just a one-year Bible reading plan, Daily Bread is designed as a journal, with a comprehensive Hebrew calendar. To support the podcast - www.patreon.com/dailybreadmoms Check out the Daily Bread Torah Class, LIVE from Israel! Join anytime. larsenarson.com/torah The 5785 / 2025 Journals are available here: arielmedia.shop/

Sponsored by Mark and Tammy Friedman and family in memory of the 1st yartzeit of their father Marshall Friedman, Mutyah Yechezkel ben Shimon.

www.dailybreadmoms.com Now coming to busy moms all over the world as a daily podcast! Daily Bread follows the weekly Torah Portion, one part each day, together with a healthy balance from the rest of Scripture — all in one year. More than just a one-year Bible reading plan, Daily Bread is designed as a journal, with a comprehensive Hebrew calendar. To support the podcast - www.patreon.com/dailybreadmoms Check out the Daily Bread Torah Class, LIVE from Israel! Join anytime. larsenarson.com/torah The 5785 / 2025 Journals are available here: arielmedia.shop/

Sponsored by Moishe & Devorie DavidIn honor of our new grandson and all our children and grandchildren, may we and Klal Yisroel see much naches

www.dailybreadmoms.com Now coming to busy moms all over the world as a daily podcast! Daily Bread follows the weekly Torah Portion, one part each day, together with a healthy balance from the rest of Scripture — all in one year. More than just a one-year Bible reading plan, Daily Bread is designed as a journal, with a comprehensive Hebrew calendar. To support the podcast - www.patreon.com/dailybreadmoms Check out the Daily Bread Torah Class, LIVE from Israel! Join anytime. larsenarson.com/torah The 5785 / 2025 Journals are available here: arielmedia.shop/

www.dailybreadmoms.com Now coming to busy moms all over the world as a daily podcast! Daily Bread follows the weekly Torah Portion, one part each day, together with a healthy balance from the rest of Scripture — all in one year. More than just a one-year Bible reading plan, Daily Bread is designed as a journal, with a comprehensive Hebrew calendar. To support the podcast - www.patreon.com/dailybreadmoms Check out the Daily Bread Torah Class, LIVE from Israel! Join anytime. larsenarson.com/torah The 5785 / 2025 Journals are available here: arielmedia.shop/

Elul is the 12th and final month of the Jewish calendar year. Elul Unbound is a Judaism Unbound initiative all about making Elul meaningful, through creative digital modalities. In this episode, Lex Rofeberg and Wendie Bernstein Lash explore the 13 attributes of mercy, traditionally associated with Elul and the High Holidays. This Elul podcast is the second in a mini-series of four that will be released as part of Elul Unbound 2025 (our 26th-29th Elul episodes overall).--------------------------------------To check out all our Elul bonus episodes from previous years, which can still be relevant to your experience of Elul this time around, click here. Join our bi-weekly journey through Elul Unbound 2025 by signing up at this link, and sign up for our Elul Unbound Shabbat gatherings here, where we will be forging our kavanot (intentions) for the new year in real time with fellow Unbounders.Access full shownotes for this episode via this link. If you're enjoying Judaism Unbound, please help us keep things going with a one-time or monthly tax-deductible donation -- support Judaism Unbound by clicking here!

www.dailybreadmoms.com Now coming to busy moms all over the world as a daily podcast! Daily Bread follows the weekly Torah Portion, one part each day, together with a healthy balance from the rest of Scripture — all in one year. More than just a one-year Bible reading plan, Daily Bread is designed as a journal, with a comprehensive Hebrew calendar. To support the podcast - www.patreon.com/dailybreadmoms Check out the Daily Bread Torah Class, LIVE from Israel! Join anytime. larsenarson.com/torah The 5785 / 2025 Journals are available here: arielmedia.shop/

Send us a textIn honor of Elul and Rosh Hashanah, we're re-releasing one of the most cherished conversations ever recorded on From the Inside Out Podcast, our 2019 interview with Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks זצ״ל. This was not only one of our very first episodes, it was also Rabbi Sacks' final recorded interview before his passing.[Watch the extended video podcast here: https://youtu.be/QO9LPKJvnYU] What began as a conversation about Jewish identity, morality, and mentorship, became a masterclass in faith, leadership, and the quiet power of humility. From the Rebbe's influence to his love story with Elaine, from confronting self-doubt to transforming the “I” generation into a “we” — this episode is packed with spiritual insight and deeply personal reflections.Whether you're hearing it for the first time or returning for another listen, may Rabbi Sacks' timeless wisdom inspire you in this season of renewal.Topics include:How the Rebbe changed Rabbi Sacks' lifeThe hidden strengths of self-doubtThe surprising power of WhatsApp over the pulpitElaine Sacks' role in shaping Rabbi Sacks' leadershipThe shift from an “I” to “we” societyWhy the question “Why do bad things happen to good people?” has no answerElul as a time of clearing space, not piling on resolutionsHow spiritual gifts increase when shared

www.dailybreadmoms.com Now coming to busy moms all over the world as a daily podcast! Daily Bread follows the weekly Torah Portion, one part each day, together with a healthy balance from the rest of Scripture — all in one year. More than just a one-year Bible reading plan, Daily Bread is designed as a journal, with a comprehensive Hebrew calendar. To support the podcast - www.patreon.com/dailybreadmoms Check out the Daily Bread Torah Class, LIVE from Israel! Join anytime. larsenarson.com/torah The 5785 / 2025 Journals are available here: arielmedia.shop/

www.dailybreadmoms.com Now coming to busy moms all over the world as a daily podcast! Daily Bread follows the weekly Torah Portion, one part each day, together with a healthy balance from the rest of Scripture — all in one year. More than just a one-year Bible reading plan, Daily Bread is designed as a journal, with a comprehensive Hebrew calendar. To support the podcast - www.patreon.com/dailybreadmoms Check out the Daily Bread Torah Class, LIVE from Israel! Join anytime. larsenarson.com/torah The 5785 / 2025 Journals are available here: arielmedia.shop/

www.dailybreadmoms.com Now coming to busy moms all over the world as a daily podcast! Daily Bread follows the weekly Torah Portion, one part each day, together with a healthy balance from the rest of Scripture — all in one year. More than just a one-year Bible reading plan, Daily Bread is designed as a journal, with a comprehensive Hebrew calendar. To support the podcast - www.patreon.com/dailybreadmoms Check out the Daily Bread Torah Class, LIVE from Israel! Join anytime. larsenarson.com/torah The 5785 / 2025 Journals are available here: arielmedia.shop/

This week, as students in North America are returning to campus and settling into the rhythms of the fall semester, some of them are going to open their copies of Homer's epic poems of the Trojan War, the Iliad and Odyssey. They will read of the Trojan commander Hector's poignant farewell to his wife Andromache, of the Greek warrior Achilles' terrible rage, of Odysseus' long journey home, and of his wife in Ithaca, Penelope, who has endured his absence for some twenty years. For many students, these will be powerful stories—windows into an ancient world of honor and virtue and hubris—but for all that, distant stories. When read from the air-conditioned dorm room or plush campus library, the dust and blood and bronze of the Trojan War are abstract. But what happens when these same texts are read by young men and women who do know the weight of putting on armor, who have themselves kissed loved ones goodbye before departing for battle? Who must walk away from their own infant children in order to defend the country? What happens when the students who stand before Homer's text are not just dispassionately analyzing the soul of the warrior but are warriors themselves? Mosaic's editor Jonathan Silver speaks in this episode with Ido Hevroni, a professor of literature at Shalem College in Jerusalem. For over a decade, Hevroni has guided Shalem students through Homer's epics, watching them grapple with these eternal questions of personal pride and public duty, private love and public defense, glory and sacrifice. But now, after October 7, his students find themselves in active combat, and he finds that it is Homer who is helping to explain their own experience back to themselves. And it is their experience in the tanks and tunnels of Gaza that is teaching them to read Homer with new eyes. Hevroni recently wrote about teaching the Odyssey in the pages of Mosaic, and that essay was published in honor of Ido's own teacher, Amy Apfel Kass, z”l, whose yortsayt on the fifth of Elul falls on the day that this conversation was originally broadcast. This discussion, too, is dedicated to her memory.  

Elul is the 12th and final month of the Jewish calendar year. Elul Unbound is a Judaism Unbound initiative all about making Elul meaningful, through creative digital modalities. In this conversation, Lex Rofeberg and Wendie Bernstein Lash kick off this year's Elul Unbound experience. This Elul bonus episode is the first in a series of four that will be released as part of Elul Unbound 2025 (our 26th-29th Elul episodes overall).--------------------------------------Energized about Jewish learning and unlearning? Dive into our upcoming 3-week mini-courses in the UnYeshiva! Classes include Elul: Your On-Ramp into Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, Anti-Fascist Mussar, The Siddur (Prayer-Book) Unbound, and Comix Midrash: Drawing the Orchards (Pardes) of Elul. Head to JudaismUnbound.com/classes to learn more! Financial aid is available for all who need it.To check out all our Elul bonus episodes from previous years, which can still be relevant to your experience of Elul this time around, click here. Join our bi-weekly journey through Elul Unbound 2025 by signing up at this link, and sign up for our Elul Unbound Shabbat gatherings here, where we will be forging our kavanot (intentions) for the new year in real time with fellow Unbounders.

Elul is the 12th and final month of the Jewish calendar year. Elul Unbound is a Judaism Unbound initiative all about making Elul meaningful, through creative digital modalities. In this conversation, Lex Rofeberg and Wendie Bernstein Lash kick off this year's Elul Unbound experience. This Elul bonus episode is the first in a series of four that will be released as part of Elul Unbound 2025 (our 26th-29th Elul episodes overall).--------------------------------------Energized about Jewish learning and unlearning? Dive into our upcoming 3-week mini-courses in the UnYeshiva! Classes include Elul: Your On-Ramp into Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, Anti-Fascist Mussar, The Siddur (Prayer-Book) Unbound, and Comix Midrash: Drawing the Orchards (Pardes) of Elul. Head to JudaismUnbound.com/classes to learn more! Financial aid is available for all who need it.To check out all our Elul bonus episodes from previous years, which can still be relevant to your experience of Elul this time around, click here. Join our bi-weekly journey through Elul Unbound 2025 by signing up at this link, and sign up for our Elul Unbound Shabbat gatherings here, where we will be forging our kavanot (intentions) for the new year in real time with fellow Unbounders.

Linda Gradstein and Noah Efron talk about (1) Benny Gantz's proposal to form a “Government of Hostage Redemption” and why everyone hated it, and (2) The surprising return of an army unit devoted to building and rebuilding Kibbutzim and Moshavim: Is 2025 the new 1955? For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion: What is the special magic of Uman? Hear the Extra-Special, Special Extra Segment on Patreon Plus, a Elul Selihot, go-karting at a fine restaurant, Hatikva in suburban Maryland, and liturgical music you can dance to!

This series is sponsored by Mira and Daniel Stokar.In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we speak with Rachel Tova Ebner, translator of a new volume of the teachings of Rav Kook, about what the spirituality of Rav Kook adds to our Jewish practice and to our understanding of ourselves.As we approach Rav Kook's yahrzeit (3 Elul), we're directing our attention to the spiritual dimension of Yiddishkeit outlined in his works. In this episode we discuss:What does Rav Kook teach us about our yearning for God?What is the role of feelings in our inner work? What does it mean for us to change as the Torah stays the same? Tune in to hear a conversation about the paradox inherent in trying to “change the past” via teshuva. Interview begins at 14:57.Rachel Tova Ebner grew up in Manhattan and made Aliyah to Jerusalem with her family in 1982. She is linguist and lyricist, a teacher and translator, with a Master's degree in Hebrew from the Bernhard Revel Graduate School of Yeshiva University. Her most recent professional endeavor was to participate in the translation of the new Koren Tanach. She has three children and eleven grandchildren.Chapters (Produced by Sofer.AI):Teshuvah 0:14Re‑examining Our Bullseye: The Conceptzia Idea 3:38Lakewood Yeshiva's Future and Community Burnout 6:50Generational Mission Shifts and Klal Yisrael 8:37Introducing Rav Kook's Torah of Tomorrow 11:52Translator Rachel Tova Ebner on Her Father's Influence 15:00Early Memories of Learning with Rabbi Bernstein 16:15Limits on Naming and Speaking About God 21:32The Classic Child's Question: Is God in the Toilet? 22:46Ikveta d'Mishicha: The Era of Messianic Footsteps 25:18Rav Kook's Call for New Spiritual Consciousness 26:18Direct Encounter with God—Beyond Rabbis and Texts 28:01Rav Kook's Historical Context and Practical Inner Work 43:28Compassion and Inner Work with the Soul 45:36Rav Kook on Teshuva and Cosmic Will 47:30Personal Metaforms: Smoking as Spiritual Symbol 50:32Rav Kook's Vision for Secular Israelis 52:32Calling Artists of the Sacred in Modern Times 55:00The Summons to Holy Consciousness Excerpt 57:01Choosing a Rav Kook Translation for Study 62:23Evolution as Cosmic Optimism in Rav Kook 64:13Finding a Spiritual Path Beyond Halacha 67:08Critique of Galut and Return to Eretz Yisrael 68:17Personal Sleep Habits: A Goyish Schedule 70:06Rav Kook's Vision: Renewing the Old, Sanctifying the New 73:27Intuition and Faith in Personal Spiritual Direction 75:09Despair as Catalyst for Renewal in Orot Hateshuva 76:56Closing Remarks and Sponsor Acknowledgments 80:49Traditional Closing Prayer and Song 81:50References:18Forty Podcast: “Rav Judah Mischel: A Change in Progress”The Torah of Tomorrow: OneSong by Rachel Tova EbnerRenewing the Old, Sanctifying the New: The Unique Vision of Rav Kook by Marc B. Shapiro18Forty Podcast: “Marc B. Shapiro: Where Does Orthodox Judaism Come From?”Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

Step into a transformative journey of self-discovery and renewal in this episode, where the energy of the season invites us to reflect, upgrade, and embrace our highest potential. Explore four powerful areas of personal growth—letting go of the need for external approval, cultivating deeper compassion, mastering our desires, and harnessing the true power of our words. Through honest reflection and a commitment to positive change, discover how to break free from old patterns, open your heart, and create space for new blessings in the year ahead. This episode is a heartfelt call to approach ourselves and others with greater mercy, to see beyond judgment, and to step boldly into a more elevated, purposeful life.Join us for the next episode of Weekly Energy Boost with @ElishevaBalas and @EitanYardeni. Watch LIVE Sundays at 10 am PT / 1 pm ET on The Kabbalah Centre YouTube or catch the latest episode wherever you listen to podcasts.Find out more about our work, dig into our archives, and send us a message at: www.weeklyenergyboost.com.You can also help make Weekly Energy Boost possible by making a tax-deductible contribution at www.weeklyenergyboost.com/donate-today.