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Ahead of the next episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we invite you to hear David Bashevkin's appearance on 18 Questions, 40 Mystics.What does it mean to live a Judaism that fits into our lives? David Bashevkin explores the meeting point of mysticism and modernity. The founder of 18Forty, Rabbi Dr. David Bashevkin is the director of education at NCSY as well as an instructor at Yeshiva University. He is the author of four books, and has been rejected from many prestigious fellowships and awards.Now, he joins us to answer eighteen questions with Rabbi Dr. Benji Levy on Jewish mysticism including how to embrace holiness, the purpose of prayer, and the search for meaning in an age of distraction. Here are our questions: What is Jewish mysticism?How were you introduced to Jewish mysticism?In an ideal world, would all Jews be mystics?What do you think of when you think of God?What is the purpose of the Jewish people?How does prayer work?What is the goal of Torah study?Does Jewish mysticism view men and women the same?Should Judaism be hard or easy?Why did God create the world? Can humans do something that is against God's will?What do you think of when you think about Moshiach?Is the State of Israel part of the final redemption?What is the greatest challenge facing the world today?How has modernity changed Jewish mysticism?What differentiates Jewish mysticism from the mysticism of other religions? Does one need to be religious to study Jewish mysticism?Can mysticism be dangerous?How has Jewish mysticism affected your relationships with yourself and with others?What is a Jewish teaching that you always take with you?Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.
Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe of TORCH in Houston explores Day 137 from the "Gate of Slander" in The Treasure for Life (Orchos Tzaddikim), detailing six dimensions of those who speak Lashon Hara. He begins with the severe spiritual danger of slander, noting that the Talmud lists speakers of falsehood, Lashon Hara, and flattery among groups from which Hashem distances Himself. The first dimension involves speaking negatively about others — sometimes fabricating stories or slandering innocent people — and the Torah's prohibition against both speaking and accepting such reports. Rabbi Wolbe emphasizes that accepting Lashon Hara makes the listener complicit, as silence signals agreement and gives the speaker credibility to spread it further. He shares a powerful story about a man who received charity for his daughter's wedding, only for the community to later discover the lavish event was funded by the caterer's personal gratitude for a life-saving favor from the bride's grandfather — a reminder not to rush to judgment without the full story.The episode continues with additional dimensions: speaking truthful but damaging information that causes pain (especially about someone's family or ancestors), publicly shaming others (which can cost one their share in the World to Come), and mentioning a person's family flaws behind their back to humiliate them in the eyes of others. Rabbi Wolbe stresses that every human being has immense value as God's creation, and lowering someone's “human value credits” through slander deeply displeases Hashem. The focus is on protecting others' dignity, avoiding pain caused by words, and elevating people instead of tearing them down._____________This Podcast Series is Generously Underwritten by Peter & Becky BotvinRecorded at TORCH Centre in the Levin Family Studios (B) to a live audience on January 26, 2026, in Houston, Texas.Released as Podcast on May 26, 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, #lashonhara, #guardyourtongue, #chofetzchaim, #Slander, #Gossip, #ShmirasHaLashon ★ Support this podcast ★
Acts 6In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenistic Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.”This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism. They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.SummaryIn this episode of "Right Side Up," Danielle Strickland and James Sholl explore themes of inclusion, power dynamics, and community within the early church, as depicted in Acts 6. They discuss how the early church addressed issues of neglect and racism by empowering marginalized groups, specifically the Hellenists, to lead and distribute resources. This approach is highlighted as a model for modern communities to correct systemic imbalances and foster inclusivity. The conversation emphasizes the importance of listening to underrepresented voices and sharing power to reflect the spirit of the gospel.This series was originally preached at James' church Wellspring Worship Centre - a diverse and Jesus loving community found in Toronto. Get full access to Right Side Up: Danielle Strickland at daniellestrickland.substack.com/subscribe
In day 136 of the Jewish Inspiration Podcast, Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe continues his study of the Gate of Slander from Orchos Tzaddikim (Ways of the Righteous). He explains why the Sages consider Lashon Hara worse than the three cardinal sins: unlike those sins, which stem from momentary temptation and allow for Teshuvah, habitual slander becomes normalized, minimized in the speaker's eyes (“It's just words”), and extremely difficult to fully repent because of the hidden, far-reaching damage it causes.Rabbi Wolbe highlights the practical devastation caused by negative speech — lost jobs, ruined marriages, damaged family relationships, and even generational harm — and the challenge of seeking forgiveness when one cannot remember everyone affected. He strongly criticizes modern media and comedy that casually destroy reputations under the guise of “journalism” or “just joking.” The class ends on an inspiring note about the tremendous positive power of speech: the same tongue that can destroy can also build, encourage, teach Torah, and bring people closer to God, as “life and death are in the hands of the tongue.”_____________This Podcast Series is Generously Underwritten by Peter & Becky BotvinRecorded at TORCH Centre in the Levin Family Studios (B) to a live audience on January 26, 2026, in Houston, Texas.Released as Podcast on May 25, 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, #lashonhara, #guardyourtongue, #chafetzchaim, #reputationsmatter, #spiritualgrowth ★ Support this podcast ★
Jewish supremacy / Israel - special privileges, outlaw bible Chrsitisan supremacy - special protection, outlaw other religions (zioists bile angle) Muslims supremacy - special protection (liberal democrat - jewish) Atheists supremacy - Epic Fury - US Public Sentiment Analysis J SOC MINISTRY DIASPORA AFFAIRS *The is the FREE archive, which includes advertisements. If you want an ad-free experience, you can subscribe below underneath the show description.
In this episode of the Jewish Inspiration Podcast, Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe begins a new chapter from Orchos Tzaddikim (Ways of the Righteous) on the Gate of Slander (Lashon Hara). He explains that Lashon Hara refers to true but negative speech about another person, distinguishing it from Motzi Shem Ra (spreading false rumors). The rabbi emphasizes how destructive such speech is — it harms the subject's reputation, damages relationships and business opportunities, and offers the speaker no real benefit, only a fleeting sense of superiority.Rabbi Wolbe highlights the extreme severity of this sin according to our Sages: speaking Lashon Hara is compared to denying God and is equated with the three cardinal sins (idolatry, illicit relations, and murder). He stresses that one must never bring up a person's past once they have done Teshuvah. A personal anecdote illustrates how easily Lashon Hara becomes the default topic in social gatherings, underscoring the need for conscious effort to avoid it. The class concludes with a powerful reminder from the Chafetz Chaim on guarding one's tongue to truly desire life and see good in others._____________This Podcast Series is Generously Underwritten by Peter & Becky BotvinRecorded at TORCH Centre in the Levin Family Studios (B) to a live audience on January 26, 2026, in Houston, Texas.Released as Podcast on May 24, 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, #lashonhara, #guardyourtongue, #chafetzchaim, #reputationsmatter, #spiritualgrowth ★ Support this podcast ★
Buckle up and hold onto your suspenders cuz Josh is ready to finally break down the most significant topics of the day, such as eggplant communication, stalling on the airwaves, Disney perverts, documentary cringe moments, gentle parenting, military strength, white privilege, ghetto towns, the Hulkster, concealing Judaism, and Lee Greenwood. Yep, proud to be an American, folks! Wishing you all a great Memorial Day ahead. Leave a nice rating and stay healthy. Logo art by Brandon Lai Music by Micah Julius Back spasms by simple aging
In this special pre-Shavuot episode of the Everyday Judaism Podcast, Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe explores the laws of rejoicing on Yom Tov (festivals) from Kitzur Shulchan Aruch, Siman 103. He details the mitzvot to honor and delight in the festivals through special foods, clothing, haircuts, bathing, and festive meals, while emphasizing the higher obligation of simcha (rejoicing) that includes gladdening one's family, giving gifts, and sharing with others. The episode highlights practical preparations for Shavuot, customs like eating dairy foods (with multiple reasons), reading Megillat Ruth, staying awake all night learning Torah, and important reminders about balancing physical enjoyment with spiritual elevation and avoiding levity or excess.Topics Discussed:Mitzvah to honor and delight in Yom Tov (similar to Shabbos)Preparations on Erev Yom Tov: haircut, bathing, nails, baking challah, and eating lightlyRequirements for festive meals, Kiddush, Lechem Mishneh, meat, and wineShehecheyanu blessing on candles and Kiddush (exceptions on Pesach)Obligation of simcha: gladdening wife, children, and dependents with clothes, jewelry, treats, meat, and wineSpecial laws and customs for Shavuot: dairy foods (9 reasons), eating meat separately, reading Megillat Ruth (6 reasons)Balance between physical enjoyment and Torah study; feeding the poor and inviting guestsAvoiding drunkenness and levity; the pious way to use joy for spiritual growthIsru Chag, Havdalah at the end of Yom Tov, and meal extensions across daysUnique Shavuot practices: delaying Ma'ariv, staying up all night learning Torah_____________The Everyday Judaism Podcast is dedicated to learning, understanding and appreciating the greatness of Jewish heritage and the Torah through the simplified, concise study of Halacha, Jewish Law, thereby enhancing our understanding of how Hashem wants us to live our daily lives in a Jewish way._____________This Podcast Series is Generously Underwritten by Marshall & Doreen LernerDownload & Print the Everyday Judaism Halacha Notes:https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1RL-PideM42B_LFn6pbrk8MMU5-zqlLG5This episode of the Everyday Judaism Podcast by Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe of TORCH is dedicated to my dearest friends, Marshall & Doreen Lerner! May Hashem bless you and always lovingly accept your prayer for good health, success and true happiness!!!Recorded in the TORCH Centre - Levin Family Studio (B) to a live audience on May 17, 2026, in Houston, Texas.Released as Podcast on May 21, 2026_____________DONATE to TORCH: Please consider supporting the podcasts by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!_____________SUBSCRIBE and LISTEN to other podcasts by Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe: NEW!! Prayer 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 https://www.TORCHpodcasts.com_____________EMAIL your questions, comments, and feedback: awolbe@torchweb.org_____________Please visit www.torchweb.org to see a full listing of our outreach and educational resources available in the Greater Houston area!_____________#Halacha, #Jewishlaw, #Kitzur, #Shavuot, #Laws, #Simcha, #YomTov, #DairyOnShavuot, #MegilatRuth, #Festival ★ Support this podcast ★
The Why Series on Judaism explores the meaning, purpose, and depth behind Jewish practice, belief, and tradition. Each shiur takes a familiar idea, mitzvah, or minhag and asks not only what we do, but why it matters, uncovering the Torah values and deeper messages that bring Judaism to life.
B"H The personal growth world is missing one key ingredient — God. In Judaism, it's not called personal growth. It's called serving God. Am Yisrael left Egypt and is still going through a process of refining character — through Sefirat HaOmer, counting toward the Torah we receive on Shavuot. Yes, we work on ourselves. We put in hishtadlut. But here's the secret: personal growth gets amplified infinite fold when you ask Hashem for help. When you have the humility to know you cannot do it alone. Hashem is the charging station. Connect to the infinite God — and watch what happens to your growth. Chag Shavuot Sameach. #Judaism #Torah #Shavuot #SefiraHaOmer #PersonalGrowth To watch Torah Thoughts in video format, click HERE Subscribe to the Torah Thoughts BLOG for exclusive written content! Please like, share and subscribe wherever you find this!
On today's page, Chullin 20, the rabbis enter a deeply technical discussion about birds and ritual slaughter that quickly opens into a much larger conversation. Beneath the legal details lies a profound question about what Judaism actually asks of us when it permits us to consume animals. The daf suggests that holiness is not achieved by rejecting the material world but by engaging it with care, intention, and responsibility. What if being kosher means more than simply following the rules? Listen and find out.
In this inspiring episode for Shavuot, Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe presents a complete overview and deep dive into the Book of Ruth (Megillat Ruth). Written by the Prophet Samuel, it tells the story of Ruth the Moabite princess who converts to Judaism out of genuine love for Naomi and the Jewish people, ultimately becoming the great-grandmother of King David and an ancestor of Moshiach. The book emphasizes themes of kindness (Chesed), loyalty, modesty, second chances, and personal commitment to Torah.Rabbi Wolbe highlights why Ruth is read on Shavuot: it shows the Torah is acquired through difficulty and dedication (not luxury), Ruth's conversion mirrors our acceptance of the Torah at Sinai (“Na'aseh v'nishma”), the story occurs during the harvest season (Chag HaKatzir), and it underscores the centrality of Chesed — the very foundation of the Torah. He also explains key halachic concepts from the book (Leket, Pe'ah, Shikcha, Yibum, Chalitzah) and powerful lessons about not running from challenges, embracing one's unique journey, and understanding that apparent setbacks often pave the way for redemption and greatness.To Download the Book of Ruth Outline: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Z6J6Zcvl8EJ0R8s_nSGhzGxLV5uM81eb_____________This Podcast Series is Generously Underwritten by Peter & Becky BotvinRecorded at TORCH Centre in the Levin Family Studios (B) to a live audience on May 19, 2026, in Houston, Texas.Released as Podcast on May 20, 2026_____________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.org_____________Keywords:#JewishInspiration, #BookOfRuth, #Ruth, #Shavuot, #Chesed, #Conversion, #KingDavid, #Mashiach, #NaasehVNishma, #KindnessMatters, #Omer, #JewishHistory ★ Support this podcast ★
Why do we read the story of Ruth on Shavuot? Beneath the surface of this beautiful Megillah lies one of the most dramatic stories in all of Tanach, famine, exile, conversion, controversy, loss, courage, and the hidden birth of redemption.In this class, Rabbi Yisroel Bernath explores the deeper story behind Ruth, Naomi, and Boaz through Midrash, Talmud, Zohar, and Kabbalah. Together we'll uncover the shocking halachic debate surrounding Ruth's conversion, the spiritual meaning behind her loyalty, and the extraordinary chain of Divine Providence that ultimately gave birth to King David and Moshiach. This is a story about what happens when life appears to fall apart… only to reveal a deeper plan unfolding underneath it all.Key Points: • Why Elimelech abandoned the Jewish people during the famine and the consequences that followed • Ruth's radical choice to embrace Judaism despite uncertainty and rejection • The deeper meaning of “Where you go, I will go” according to the Talmud • Boaz, Ruth, and the hidden hand of Divine Providence • The controversial halachic debate: Could Ruth even marry into the Jewish people? • Why King David's lineage was questioned generations later • The spiritual lesson of apparent failure, loss, and hidden redemption • How the story of Ruth became the blueprint for MoshiachA Brand-New Four Part Kabbalah Series - Turning Walls into DoorwaysHow to Transform Life's Obstacles into the Path to Your Greatest GrowthWhy do we keep hitting the same emotional walls? Why do certain fears, insecurities, patterns, and painful circumstances keep showing up in our lives, despite our best efforts to change? Access HERE https://www.jewishndg.com/civicrm/event/info?reset=1&id=102 Available now:Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Forgiveness-Experiment-What-Would-Your/dp/1069217638Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FR2QNJL6Audiobook: https://bit.ly/4tPFZhVSupport the showGot your own question for Rabbi Bernath? He can be reached at rabbi@jewishndg.com or http://www.theloverabbi.comSingle? You can make a profile on www.JMontreal.com and Rabbi Bernath will help you find that special someone.Donate and support Rabbi Bernath's work http://www.jewishndg.com/donateFollow Rabbi Bernath's YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/user/ybernathAccess Rabbi Bernath's Articles on Relationships https://medium.com/@loverabbi
My apologies. I get emotional I get fired up and I get very raw. This is Shavuot like you have never heard, because we are living with anti semitism like we have never heard. Its time we fight fire with Torah fire! Also Reb Aron Kutler makes a deal with Joe Bananas the Mobster, Enjoy and Chag Sameach.
Being a man is not about how tall you are or how much money you make, despite what some voices in the manosphere may claim. It's about overcoming impulses, taking responsibility, and learning how to show up for others with dignity and care. But in a culture where many boys encounter masculinity first through algorithms, educators and parents are left asking a difficult question: How do we teach young men what healthy manhood actually looks like? In this episode, Samantha Vinokor-Meinrath speaks with Adam Teitelbaum about the growing crises facing boys and men, from loneliness and lack of belonging to the absence of visible male role models in Jewish communal life. Together, they explore how Jewish ritual, obligation, and community can offer an alternative framework for raising confident, emotionally healthy Jewish young men without diminishing anyone else's humanity in the process. Learn more about The Jewish Education Project at jewishedproject.orgThis episode was produced by Miranda Lapides and Dina Nusnbaum. The show's executive producers are David Bryfman, Karen Cummins, and Nessa Liben. This episode was engineered and edited by Nathan J. Vaughan of NJV Media. If you enjoyed the show, please leave us a 5-star rating and review, or even better, share it with a friend. Be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts and be the first to know when new episodes are released. To learn more about The Jewish Education Project visit jewishedproject.org where you can find links to our Jewish Educator Portal and learn more about our mission, history, and staff. We are a proud partner of UJA-Federation of New York. Send us Fan Mail
In this inspiring episode for Shavuot, Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe presents a complete overview and deep dive into the Book of Ruth (Megillat Ruth). Written by the Prophet Samuel, it tells the story of Ruth the Moabite princess who converts to Judaism out of genuine love for Naomi and the Jewish people, ultimately becoming the great-grandmother of King David and an ancestor of Moshiach. The book emphasizes themes of kindness (Chesed), loyalty, modesty, second chances, and personal commitment to Torah.Rabbi Wolbe highlights why Ruth is read on Shavuot: it shows the Torah is acquired through difficulty and dedication (not luxury), Ruth's conversion mirrors our acceptance of the Torah at Sinai (“Na'aseh v'nishma”), the story occurs during the harvest season (Chag HaKatzir), and it underscores the centrality of Chesed — the very foundation of the Torah. He also explains key halachic concepts from the book (Leket, Pe'ah, Shikcha, Yibum, Chalitzah) and powerful lessons about not running from challenges, embracing one's unique journey, and understanding that apparent setbacks often pave the way for redemption and greatness.To Download the Book of Ruth Outline: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Z6J6Zcvl8EJ0R8s_nSGhzGxLV5uM81eb_____________This Podcast Series is Generously Underwritten by Peter & Becky BotvinRecorded at TORCH Centre in the Levin Family Studios (B) to a live audience on May 19, 2026, in Houston, Texas.Released as Podcast on May 20, 2026_____________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.org_____________Keywords:#JewishInspiration, #BookOfRuth, #Ruth, #Shavuot, #Chesed, #Conversion, #KingDavid, #Mashiach, #NaasehVNishma, #KindnessMatters, #Omer, #JewishHistory ★ Support this podcast ★
In this inspiring episode for Shavuot, Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe presents a complete overview and deep dive into the Book of Ruth (Megillat Ruth). Written by the Prophet Samuel, it tells the story of Ruth the Moabite princess who converts to Judaism out of genuine love for Naomi and the Jewish people, ultimately becoming the great-grandmother of King David and an ancestor of Moshiach. The book emphasizes themes of kindness (Chesed), loyalty, modesty, second chances, and personal commitment to Torah.Rabbi Wolbe highlights why Ruth is read on Shavuot: it shows the Torah is acquired through difficulty and dedication (not luxury), Ruth's conversion mirrors our acceptance of the Torah at Sinai (“Na'aseh v'nishma”), the story occurs during the harvest season (Chag HaKatzir), and it underscores the centrality of Chesed — the very foundation of the Torah. He also explains key halachic concepts from the book (Leket, Pe'ah, Shikcha, Yibum, Chalitzah) and powerful lessons about not running from challenges, embracing one's unique journey, and understanding that apparent setbacks often pave the way for redemption and greatness.To Download the Book of Ruth Outline: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Z6J6Zcvl8EJ0R8s_nSGhzGxLV5uM81eb_____________This Podcast Series is Generously Underwritten by Peter & Becky BotvinRecorded at TORCH Centre in the Levin Family Studios (B) to a live audience on May 19, 2026, in Houston, Texas.Released as Podcast on May 20, 2026_____________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.org_____________Keywords:#JewishInspiration, #BookOfRuth, #Ruth, #Shavuot, #Chesed, #Conversion, #KingDavid, #Mashiach, #NaasehVNishma, #KindnessMatters, #Omer, #JewishHistory ★ Support this podcast ★
Rashi Class, a weekly exploration of Torah featuring a deep dive on the text and lively conversation focused on an 11th-century French commentary, conducted by Rabbi Rebecca Schatz at Temple Beth Am, Los Angeles, on Wednesday, May 20, 2026. (Zoom)
or Jews, Shavuot commemorates the revelation at Mount Sinai and the giving of the Torah. For Christians, Pentecost marks the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in Acts chapter 2 and the birth of the Church's public mission. These are not the same holiday, and this conversation does not blur the profound theological differences between Judaism and Christianity. Yet the parallels are impossible to ignore. In this episode of Shoulder to Shoulder, Rabbi Pesach Wolicki and Pastor Doug Reed explore the deep biblical and symbolic connections between Sinai and Pentecost: fire, covenant, divine revelation, responsibility, language, and the call to bring knowledge of God into the world. Along the way, they examine how Acts chapter 2 emerges from a thoroughly Jewish context, why Shavuot has no explicit biblical explanation, and what both faith communities can learn from the idea that ordinary believers are meant to become God's representatives in the world. This is a thoughtful and text-based exploration of how two distinct traditions can share resonant themes without surrendering their unique identities. Join Doug and his family as they prepare to move to Israel by watching The Reeds Are Here on YouTube. Watch Shoulder to Shoulder along with Pesach's other fantastic content on his YouTube channel.
STUDY: https://www.academia.edu/167308699/The_Lost_Sheep_of_Israel_Found_8_Criteria_for_Identifying_Ethnic_Israel“They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory,the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises.To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh,is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen.”Romans 9:4-5ABSTRACT: This study presents a two-part argument of considerable prophetic consequence. Part I, The Edomite Hypothesis, argues from first-century historiography, modern genetics, and prophetic Scripture that the ruling class of modern Jerusalem—like the Herodian dynasty of antiquity—are largely Edomite (Idumean) converts to Judaism and not the biological descendants of the Tribe of Judah. Part II, The Lost Sheep Found, then addresses the natural follow-on question raised by Part I: if the modern Ashkenazi are not ethnic Israel, where are the true genetic descendants of Jacob today? To answer this poignant question, I present eight data-driven criteria anchored to the biblical timeline of the 1446 BC Exodus and the 1399 BC Conquest of Canaan. In this portion of the study, I have presented and tested my hypothesis against peer-reviewed genetic research, ancient DNA studies, historical primary sources, and comparative linguistics. Both parts are governed by two foundational principles: first, salvation is by faith in Jesus Christ alone, not by blood or ancestry (Gal 3:28; Rom 10:13); second, God declared that ethnic Israel would never cease to exist as a distinct people (Jer 31:35-37). Consequently, they can be found. The convergence of evidence across both studies points toward a single conclusion: the modern occupiers of Jerusalem are Edomite impostors, while the genetic descendants of Jacob—Haplogroup R populations of Europe and their diaspora—remain in prophetic amnesia (Jeremiah 50:6), awaiting their awakening and gathering at the return of the Messiah (Ezekiel 37).“My people have become Lost Sheep;Their shepherds have led them astray.They have made them turn aside on the mountains;They have gone along from mountain to hillAnd have forgotten their resting place.”Jeremiah 50:6SUPPORT OUR MINISTRY:Text the word "Give" to 386-753-7337 or hit the "Thanks" button here on YouTube. Thank you so much for your generosity and for partnering in the Gospel of Jesus Christ with us!ORMOND CHURCHCome worship Jesus with us: https://ormondchurch.netMY INFO:Website: https://richtidwell.comLinktree: https://linktr.ee/richtidwellTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@richtidwellInstagram: http://bit.ly/GLoR5KTwitter: http://bit.ly/19bNH50
Send us Fan MailWhy do we read the story of Ruth on Shavuot? Beneath the surface of this beautiful Megillah lies one of the most dramatic stories in all of Tanach, famine, exile, conversion, controversy, loss, courage, and the hidden birth of redemption.In this class, Rabbi Yisroel Bernath explores the deeper story behind Ruth, Naomi, and Boaz through Midrash, Talmud, Zohar, and Kabbalah. Together we'll uncover the shocking halachic debate surrounding Ruth's conversion, the spiritual meaning behind her loyalty, and the extraordinary chain of Divine Providence that ultimately gave birth to King David and Moshiach. This is a story about what happens when life appears to fall apart… only to reveal a deeper plan unfolding underneath it all.Key Points: • Why Elimelech abandoned the Jewish people during the famine and the consequences that followed • Ruth's radical choice to embrace Judaism despite uncertainty and rejection • The deeper meaning of “Where you go, I will go” according to the Talmud • Boaz, Ruth, and the hidden hand of Divine Providence • The controversial halachic debate: Could Ruth even marry into the Jewish people? • Why King David's lineage was questioned generations later • The spiritual lesson of apparent failure, loss, and hidden redemption • How the story of Ruth became the blueprint for MoshiachAvailable now:Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Forgiveness-Experiment-What-Would-Your/dp/1069217638Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FR2QNJL6Audiobook: https://bit.ly/4tPFZhVSupport the showGot your own question for Rabbi Bernath? He can be reached at rabbi@jewishndg.com or http://www.theloverabbi.comSingle? You can make a profile on www.JMontreal.com and Rabbi Bernath will help you find that special someone.Donate and support Rabbi Bernath's work http://www.jewishndg.com/donateFollow Rabbi Bernath's YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/user/ybernathAccess Rabbi Bernath's Articles on Relationships https://medium.com/@loverabbi
In this teaching, I unpack why Torah serves as the constitution and culture of Yah's people, while also showing what Torah cannot do for us apart from true, trusting faith in Yeshua. We'll examine Judaism's oral tradition, the Church's man-made culture, and the urgent need to return to Yeshua-focused Torah living.
Here is a highly optimized, engaging description for your SoundCloud upload, structured to hook listeners, boost searchability, and highlight your authority. Murder at the Altar: The High Priest Whodunnit & The Power of the Temple It was a quiet night in Jerusalem. A new shift of priests arrives at the perpetually burning fire of the altar, only to find the High Priest Yehoshua murdered in cold blood. The prime suspect? His own brother. Welcome back to the History of Judaism. In this episode, we investigate a true ancient crime that shook the foundation of the post-exilic Jewish world. But to understand why this murder happened, we must first understand the immense power of the Temple, the ancient concept of sacrifice, and the political weight of the Priesthood. In this episode, we explore: The Anatomy of the Temple: Stripping away modern misconceptions to understand the Temple in Jerusalem not as a metaphor, but as the absolute, physical epicenter of ancient Jewish spiritual life. The Zadokite Dynasty: A deep dive into the origins of the High Priests, the CEO-like power they wielded, and the original, political meaning behind the title of "Messiah" (the anointed one). The Elephantine Connection: Cross-referencing the writings of Josephus with a fascinating mirror narrative from a Jewish military outpost on an island in the Nile River. Palace Intrigue: How the stewardship of the Temple descended into the political maneuverings of the Persian Empire, setting the stage for a visionary new leader. "A History of Medieval England is a History of Kings... A History of Judaism after 500 BCE is a History of Priests, and very often warring priests." About the Host Hosted by Yossi Silverman, a professional Jewish educator and tour guide. Bringing over a decade of experience in producing, editing, and presenting educational audio content, Yossi breathes life into the ancient stones, texts, and stories of Jewish history. Community Input Needed I have been going through a difficult time recently, and this podcast thrives on your involvement. Listen to the end of the episode to find out how you can share your input and help shape the future of the show! To show additional support: ko-fi.com/scoutisrael patreon.com/scoutisrael Coming Up Next: Make sure to follow and subscribe for our next episode: Yaddua the High Priest and the Dream of Alexander. Additional Music on a Creatove Commons License: Zadok the Priest, Coronation Anthem, HWV 258, performed by St Matthew's Concert Choir and Orchestra, dir. Damien Giromella Suite Hebraique Rapsodie by E. Bloch performed by Elizabeth Frankel, Senior Strings (Viola), Rochester Music Guild
Recorded live at Consensus Miami 2026, I sat down with Karen Knox, digital assets insurance specialist at Howden, for one of the most unexpected origin stories I've heard on this show. From Andy Griffith's hometown in North Carolina, to converting to Judaism, raising her daughter in Tel Aviv, and becoming one of the go-to names in crypto insurance — Karen's path is anything but straight.This episode is sponsored by FirstRead — the AI-powered legal assistant that reads, marks up, and chats through contracts right inside your Word document. If you're a founder, builder, or anyone dealing with legal agreements, FirstRead is a game-changer.
Every community eventually faces moments of confusion and controversy. Recently, in Montreal, Kashrut has become one of those moments. And beneath the details, a deeper question emerges: who should we rely on when it comes to Kosher? Social media creates the illusion that everyone is an expert, and that every issue must be debated publicly. It may give us information - but not necessarily judgment, responsibility, or accountability. Frequently, it leads not to clarity, but to confusion and division. Jewish communities rely on recognized systems of Kashrut supervision - agencies built on expertise and normative Halachic standards. In Montreal that includes MK, KSR, Belz, and others such as COR, OU, OK, and Star-K. We may not understand every decision, and we may not agree with every policy, but without expert oversight, keeping Kosher becomes impossible. And what is at stake is not only what we eat. Keeping Kosher is one of the ways we live as Jews, and maintain a daily connection to something larger than ourselves. So especially in moments like this, the question is not: what did I read online? The question is: who do we rely on, and what kind of community do we want to be? Enjoy your Kosher cheesecake this Shavuot. Michael Whitman is the senior rabbi of ADATH Congregation in Hampstead, Quebec, and an adjunct professor at McGill University Faculty of Law. ADATH is a modern orthodox synagogue community in suburban Montreal, providing Judaism for the next generation. We take great pleasure in welcoming everyone with a warm smile, while sharing inspiration through prayer, study, and friendship. Rabbi Whitman shares his thoughts and inspirations through online lectures and shiurim, which are available on: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5FLcsC6xz5TmkirT1qObkA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adathmichael/ Podcast - Mining the Riches of the Parsha: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/mining-the-riches-of-the-parsha/id1479615142?fbclid=IwAR1c6YygRR6pvAKFvEmMGCcs0Y6hpmK8tXzPinbum8drqw2zLIo7c9SR-jc Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3hWYhCG5GR8zygw4ZNsSmO Please contact Rabbi Whitman (michael@adath.ca) with any questions or feedback, or to receive a daily email, "Study with Rabbi Whitman Today," with current and past insights for that day, video, and audio, all in one short email sent directly to your inbox.
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones taught extensively on church history, specifically on the relationship between church and state. In this sermon on Romans 13:1–7 titled “Church and the State (4),” Dr. Lloyd-Jones turns his attention to the underlying foundation of the view proposing an alliance between church and state. How do they biblically defend their position? What biblical evidence do they portray to say this alliance is biblically sound and wise? He enters this controversial topic by looking at two specific confessions of faith, the Belgic Confession and the Westminster Confession. The bulk of these confessions' defense is taken from the Old Testament, with only one direct passage from the New Testament. Pointing to the position of Israel as a nation and Judaism as a religion, proponents of the alliance position maintain no distinction between Israel and the church in this way. Deviating from this position, Dr. Lloyd-Jones advocates for the separation of the church and state, based on the New Testament's teaching on the kingdom of God. As he handles this delicate discussion, he reminds his listeners of the importance of this new identity of believers: the reality that Christians are now citizens of the kingdom through rebirth and this kingdom consists of citizens from every nation and tongue. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/603/29?v=20251111
This week I have four stories for you. The first is about a young chassid who abandons his wagon in a forest to spend Shavuos with the Alter Rebbe. The second is about a woman who walks into Rabbi Moshe Feller's Chabad house wanting to convert — and takes Judaism more seriously than the Jewish man she came with. The third is about Miri Gabay, who visited Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach after ten years of marriage with no children. And lastly, Reb Baruch of Mezhibuzh, the Baal Shem Tov's grandson, who made two trips to his grandfather's grave — and what he asked for each time. If you're enjoying these Chassidic stories, please take a quick moment to buy me a coffee. https://ko-fi.com/barakhullman Thank you! I deeply appreciate your support! Also available at https://soundcloud.com/barak-hullman/why-arent-we-screaming To become a part of this project or sponsor an episode please go to https://hasidicstory.com/be-a-supporter. Hear all of the stories at https://hasidicstory.com. Go here to hear my other podcast https://jewishpeopleideas.com or https://soundcloud.com/jewishpeopleideas. Find my books, Figure It Out When You Get There: A Memoir of Stories About Living Life First and Watching How Everything Falls Into Place and A Shtikel Sholom: A Student, His Mentor and Their Unconventional Conversations on Amazon by going to https://bit.ly/barakhullman. My classes in Breslov Chassidus, Likutey Moharan, can be found here https://www.youtube.com/@barakhullman/videos I also have a YouTube channel of ceramics which can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/@thejerusalempotter
What's the different between Torah and Tanach? Why does the Talmud have the Mishnah inside? And what can I read to catch up on the basics of Judaism? Join Rabbi Wildes as we demystify the sometimes-overwhelming world of Jewish sforim. Website: jewishexperience.org Facebook: facebook.com/ManhattanJewishExperience/ Instagram: instagram.com/M_J_experience/
Checking in With God
In this episode I address the popular misconception that the apostle Paul, formerly Saul, was personally responsible for the killing of Christians before his Damascus Road experience. In popular Christian imagination, Paul was the ‘persecutor and killer' of Christians before his dramatic encounter with the risen Jesus. While Paul did indeed viciously persecute the church, there is no New Testament evidence that any believer actually died by Paul's hand. I look at all the New Testament texts which address Paul's pre-Damascus attitude towards believers. In Acts, he endorses the killing of Stephen, binds and imprisons Christians, and even breathes threats of murder against them, but is never portrayed as doing the deed himself. The Roman provincial system left capital punishment, known as the ‘imperium', in the hands of Roman rulers, and extrajudicial lynchings such as happened to Stephen were dangerous for local political leaders because they could draw the ire of Rome. Paul was too smart to play into that trap. Paul refers to himself as a zealous defender of Judaism in Galatians 1 and Philippians 3, and I explore the traditions of ‘zeal' and “Judaism' as a willingness to commit violence to defend Israel's ancestral traditions, demonstrating that while Paul fit into that framework it did not result in the direct murder of believers by his hand before Damascus. I hope this episode helps dispel a popular myth about Paul and sets the record straight. Media Referenced:Biography of Paul with Frank Thielman interview: https://libertarianchristians.com/episode/ep-202-paul-apostle-of-grace-with-frank-thielman/ The Protestant Libertarian Podcast is a project of the Libertarian Christian Institute and a part of the Christians For Liberty Network. The Libertarian Christian Institute can be found at www.libertarianchristians.com. Questions, comments, suggestions? Please reach out to me at theprotestantlibertarian@gmail.com. You can also follow the podcast on Twitter: @prolibertypod, and YouTube, @ProLibertyPod, where you will get shorts and other exclusive video content. For more about the show, you can go to theprotestantlibertarianpodcast.com. If you like the show and want to support it, you can! Go to libertarianchristians.com, where you can donate to LCI and buy The Protestant Libertarian Podcast Merch! Also, please consider giving me a star rating and leaving me a review, it really helps expand the show's profile! Thanks!
Sunday school class on Religions of the World (Part 10): Judaism, taught by Elder Pat Devine. May 17, 2026.
What would it look like to give your very best to Jesus — not what's left over, not what's convenient, but your actual best? That's the question sitting at the center of Mark chapter 14, and it comes to life through one of the most striking contrasts in all of the Gospels. In the same passage, on what feels like the same night, we have a woman who breaks open an entire year's worth of perfume and pours it over Jesus's head — and a disciple who slips away from the table to sell Him out for money. Devotion and betrayal, side by side. Mark puts them there on purpose, and I think we're meant to feel the discomfort of that. Here's what gets me about the woman: nobody defends her. The people at the table — including the disciples — moralize about what a waste it is, what the money could have done for the poor. And Jesus steps in and says, leave her alone. She did what she could. I want us to just sit with that for a second. She did what she could. Not what was expected. Not what made sense to everyone else. What she could. And Jesus says that every time the gospel is preached, people will remember what she did — which is remarkable when you consider that women in that culture had no vote, no voice, and no property rights. And then there's Judas — the one holding the money bag, the one moralizing about how the perfume should have been given to the poor — who is at that very moment plotting to hand Jesus over for cash. The irony is impossible to miss. You can be religious and still be completely missing it. You can be physically close to Jesus and have a heart that's miles away. We also spend time in the upper room, where Jesus takes the Passover meal — one of the most sacred remembrances in all of Judaism — and completely redefines it. The bread is His body. The wine is His blood. He is the Passover lamb. The freedom from bondage that God's people had been celebrating for centuries? Jesus is saying that's me. That's what I'm about to do. And this table, He says, is for everyone — the devoted and the broken and even the betrayer. So here's the question I'm leaving with all of us today: what would costly devotion actually look like in your life right now? Not in theory — in practice. Is it your time? Your forgiveness? A relationship you've been holding at arm's length from God? What would it look like to bring your whole heart? Want More?
In this episode of Here I Am with Shai Davidai, Shai sits down with actor, writer, and filmmaker Ari Frenkel for a wide-ranging conversation about Jewish identity, comedy, creativity, and grief.Ari shares what it means to be an “October 8th Jew,” how his Israeli upbringing in America shaped his relationship to Judaism, and why humor and satire can reveal (and trigger) so much in people. They dive into Ari's long-running digital series “Sorry, Ari,” including the viral episode “The Jews,” and talk about navigating mob mentality, online extremism, and making art that stays human in a volatile time.The conversation then turns to Ari's feature film “See You on the Other Side,” a romantic comedy inspired by his father's death and the year of grief that followed, including a search for his father's former love. Ari reflects on loss, meaning-making, and why creating art can be a way to honor the people we've lost.Guest: Filmmaker Ari FrenkelConsider DONATING to help us continue and expand our media efforts. If you cannot at this time, please share this video with someone who might benefit from it. We thank you for your support!https://gofund.me/30c00151c BUY MERCH!https://hereiam.threadless.com/SUPPORT SHAI ON PATREON!https://www.patreon.com/shaidavidai/about?utm_source=campaign-search-results
What if almost everything you were taught about Old Testament purity laws was wrong?Most Christians hear "impurity" and immediately think sin. We've been taught that the purity system was about moral failure, that sacrifice was primitive and empty, and that Jesus came to sweep the whole oppressive thing away. Dr. Jonathan Klawans, Professor of Religion and Jewish Studies at Boston University, says we've collapsed two completely different categories into one confused mess, and it's been distorting how we read the Bible for centuries.In this conversation, Dr. Klawans walks us through the critical distinction between ritual impurity and moral impurity, two systems the Hebrew Bible treats as entirely separate. Ritual impurity comes from things like childbirth, menstruation, and touching a corpse. These aren't sins. They're natural, unavoidable, sometimes even commanded. Moral impurity is something else entirely: idolatry, sexual transgression, bloodshed. These defile the land, pollute the Temple, and if left unaddressed, drive out God's presence.We dig into why the prophets weren't rejecting sacrifice but calling out theft and injustice. We explore how sacrifice functioned as imitatio Dei, the imitation of God, from the careful shepherding of unblemished animals to the priest examining the kidneys and heart. We discuss how both Christian and Jewish traditions have imposed later theological frameworks onto ancient texts, and what it costs us when we do. And we ask the hard question: What was Jesus actually doing when he interacted with purity and the Temple?Dr. Klawans is the author of four books with Oxford University Press, including the award-winning Impurity and Sin in Ancient Judaism and Purity, Sacrifice, and the Temple. In this episode, you will learn:- The difference between ritual impurity and moral impurity and why conflating them causes so much confusion- Why becoming ritually impure was sometimes unavoidable and even commanded- How moral impurity defiles the land and the Temple, and what happens when it goes unaddressed- What the prophets were actually criticizing when they seemed to reject sacrifice- How sacrifice functioned as imitatio Dei, imitating God through the entire process- The role of sacrifice in attracting and maintaining God's presence- How supersessionist frameworks (both Christian and Jewish) distort our reading of ancient sources- What really happened to Judaism after the Temple's destruction in 70 AD- How to understand Jesus's interactions with purity and the TempleBOOKS:Purity, Sacrifice, and the Temple: https://a.co/d/0bXkmvkjImpurity and Sin in Ancient Judaism: https://www.amazon.com/Impurity-Ancient-Judaism-Jonathan-Klawans/dp/0195177657Boston University Faculty Page: https://www.bu.edu/religion/faculty/jonathan-klawans/STAY CONNECTED:Website: johnnyova.comSubscribe on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@thejohnnyovaThe Revelation Reset: https://www.amazon.com/Revelation-Reset-Reclaiming-Optimistic-Eschatology-ebook/dp/B0D2TXFX3J
Photobiomodulation Stroke Recovery: How Laser Therapy Is Restarting Damaged Brains After Stroke For seven years, a woman lived unable to remember faces. She had developed prosopagnosia, a condition that turned every person she met into a stranger, no matter how many times they had been introduced. She kept notes. She took photographs. She built systems to compensate for what her brain could no longer do on its own. Then she sat down for a single laser therapy session with Dr. Robert Hedaya. One session later, the problem was gone. “I can remember the face of the person I worked with this morning and his wife and the dimple on his face,” she told him, describing something she hadn’t been able to do in nearly a decade. What Dr. Hedaya witnessed that day and what he now works to replicate for stroke survivors, people living with aphasia, early dementia, and Parkinson’s, is the result of a therapy called photobiomodulation. And the principle behind it may fundamentally change how you understand your own recovery ceiling. Your Neurons May Not Be Dead. They May Just Be Stuck When a stroke occurs, conventional medicine draws a clear line. Tissue that is destroyed is gone. Deficits that persist beyond the early recovery window are considered permanent. Survivors are told, sometimes gently, sometimes bluntly, that they have plateaued. Dr. Hedaya challenges that directly. In his clinical experience, there is often a population of neurons that survived the stroke intact but are no longer functioning. They are alive. Their cellular architecture is preserved. But they have lost their energy supply, specifically, the ability to produce ATP, the molecule that powers every cellular process in the body. Without energy, these neurons go quiet. They stop firing. From the outside, this looks like permanent damage. But it isn’t. It is dormancy. This mirrors the concept of the chronic penumbra explored in hyperbaric oxygen therapy research, where viable tissue sits in a suspended state, waiting for conditions to change. Dr. Hedaya’s approach is different in method but identical in premise: the brain has not finished recovering. It is waiting for the right signal. Photobiomodulation provides that signal. What Photobiomodulation Actually Does “After the first laser treatment, the problem was gone. Gone. She told me — I can remember the face of the person I worked with this morning.” — Dr. Robert Hedaya Photobiomodulation, also called transcranial laser therapy, delivers precise wavelengths of near-infrared light to targeted areas of the scalp. The photons penetrate through the skull, meninges, and tissue to reach dormant neurons, where they act on the fourth complex of the mitochondrial electron transport chain, the site where nitric oxide accumulates and blocks ATP production. The photons dislodge that nitric oxide. The mitochondria resume normal energy output. The neuron now has what it needs to resume its function. The downstream effects are significant: new synapses form through a process called synaptogenesis, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is produced, inflammation decreases, and misfolded proteins associated with cognitive decline begin to clear. Given energy, the brain begins repairing itself, not because the laser forces it to, but because the cells already know what to do. They were just waiting for the fuel. How QEEG Makes It Precise Not every stroke survivor responds to the same laser parameters or needs treatment in the same regions. This is where Dr. Hedaya’s approach clearly separates from consumer LED helmets or generic light therapy devices. Before any laser is applied, he conducts a quantitative EEG, a brain mapping process that measures electrical activity at 19 points across the scalp. Unlike a standard EEG, which relies on a clinician reading scrolling waveforms visually, QEEG uses AI to analyse thousands of data points and reverse-engineer the source. The result is a functional map: which networks are underperforming, which are overactive, and where pathways between regions have broken down. This is paired with a neuroquant MRI that measures 30 to 40 distinct brain structures volumetrically. Together, they function as a GPS triangulating exactly where the laser should be directed, at what wavelength, power, pulse frequency, and joule delivery for each individual patient. These parameters are adjusted as the patient responds, session by session. This level of precision is what distinguishes clinical photobiomodulation from anything available over the counter. A half-watt LED helmet delivering diffuse light through hair and scalp is not the same intervention. Depression After Stroke – And the Whole-Body Connection Roughly 30% of stroke survivors experience depression in the aftermath. This is not simply an emotional response to a difficult event – it is a physiological outcome with identifiable drivers that conventional psychiatry often does not investigate. Dr. Hedaya’s model, which he calls whole psychiatry, treats post-stroke depression as a downstream expression of broader disruption: hypothyroidism, hormonal imbalance, B12 deficiency, elevated mercury from dietary sources, gut dysbiosis, chronic inflammation, and unresolved neurological stress all play measurable roles. In one of his current stroke cases, treating low thyroid function triggered seizure sensitivity because post-stroke tissue is more vulnerable to excitatory input. That kind of complexity is precisely why a comprehensive functional evaluation must precede treatment. For survivors too depleted to engage with lifestyle changes, Dr. Hedaya will now often begin with laser therapy directly. Once cellular energy is restored, the motivation and capacity to make further changes typically follow. The jump-start, he has found, enables everything else. Is Recovery Still Possible After a Plateau? If you have been told you have reached your ceiling, the core message of this episode is worth sitting with: the plateau is often not a biological fact. It is frequently the consequence of underlying conditions that haven’t been identified, and dormant tissue that hasn’t been activated. “The brain is incredibly plastic,” Dr. Hedaya says. “When you challenge it and give it everything it needs, nutrients, light, hormones, and remove the toxins, great things can happen. There is hope. There is so much hope.” His practice, the Whole Psychiatry and Brain Recovery Center, offers initial consultations via Zoom for those who cannot travel to New Jersey. For survivors with a local physician willing to collaborate, educational consultation is also available. Reach Dr. Hedaya at wholepsychiatry.com. If this episode opened something up for you, Bill’s book – The Unexpected Way That A Stroke Became The Best Thing That Happened follows the full arc of what recovery can become when you stop accepting the ceiling and start questioning it. Find it at recoveryafterstroke.com/book. If the Recovery After Stroke podcast has supported your journey, you can support the show at patreon.com/recoveryafterstroke. This blog is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Please consult your doctor before making any changes to your health or recovery plan. The Laser That Restarts Brains – Dr. Robert Hedaya on Photobiomodulation, QEEG, and Whole Psychiatry After Stroke A laser pointed at the right spot in your brain can restart neurons that stopped working. Dr. Robert Hedaya explains how and who it can help. Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy – Dr. Amir Hadanny Highlights: 00:00 Introduction – Photobiomodulation Stroke Recovery 01:09 Dr. Hedaya’s Medical Journey 07:55 Transition to Functional Medicine 10:31 Photobiomodulation Stroke Recovery Applications 19:21 Understanding Laser Mechanisms 24:36 Jumpstarting Healing with Laser Therapy 29:48 Understanding EEG vs. QEEG 34:10 Addressing Depression Post-Stroke 39:38 Holistic Approaches to Recovery 46:20 Patient-Centered Care and Follow-Up 51:38 The Role of Spirituality in Healing Transcript: Introduction – Photobiomodulation Stroke Recovery Dr Bob Hedaya (00:00) After the first laser treatment, the problem was gone. Gone. She told me, she said, my God, I can remember the face of the person I worked with this morning and his wife and the dimple on the face. And I said, what are you talking about? She says, have prosopagnosia. I said, says, can’t remember faces. I have to write down everything that I do and take pictures of everything and every person. I said, my God, it’s gone, gone. that’s when I went home that night and I was like, this doesn’t make any sense. How could this be? There’s nothing about a neurological condition being turned around in one minute. It makes no sense. Dr. Hedaya’s Medical Journey Bill Gasiamis (00:41) Welcome everyone to the Recovery After Stroke podcast. I’m Bill Gasiamis and my guest today is Dr. Robert Hedaya, a board-certified psychiatrist, functional medicine practitioner, and the founder of the Hull Psychiatry and Brain Recovery Center in New Jersey. Dr. Hedaya trained at Georgetown and the National Institute of Mental Health. And over the course of his career, he moved from conventional psychopharmacology into functional medicine after discovering of what was driving his patient’s symptoms had nothing to do with their medications and everything to do with their biology. In more recent years, Dr. Hedaya has added a tool that very few practitioners anywhere in the world are using, QEEG, guided transcranial photobiomodulation. That’s laser therapy, precisely using a functional brain map to reactivate neurons that survived the stroke but stopped working. In this conversation, we get into the science behind photobiomodulation and what it actually does inside the cell. How QEEG brain mapping removes the guesswork from treatment, why post-stroke depression is so often mismanaged, the role of nutrition, hormones, and toxin load in recovery. and why Dr. Hedaya believes the plateau most survivors are told about is not the biological sealing they’ve been led to believe it is. Now, before we get into this episode, if you found this podcast helpful in your recovery, my book, The Unexpected Way That a Stroke Became the Best Thing That Happened goes deeper into the tools and mindset shifts that support long-term recovery and personal transformation. You can find it at recoveryafterstroke.com/book. And if this show has supported you, you can support it at patreon.com/recoveryafterstroke. Now let’s get into it. Bill Gasiamis (02:38) Dr. Hedaya. Welcome to the podcast. Dr Bob Hedaya (02:41) Thank you. Pleasure to be here. Bill Gasiamis (02:43) It is a very good pleasure to have you here as well. The reason being is because I, what we’re going to discuss, but B the way that you came to be on my podcast was through somebody who listens to my podcast, reaching out and saying, need to have this gentleman on your podcast. And I get that a lot. And sometimes it’s like, thank you for the referral, but maybe that’s not for me, but this is definitely for me. Can you give me a little bit of. Dr Bob Hedaya (03:01) Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Bill Gasiamis (03:13) background for people who are listening to understand how it is that you and I came to be on the podcast today, but more importantly, like your medical journey to today. Dr Bob Hedaya (03:26) Well, so first of all, I ⁓ was treating a woman who was, let’s say, about 50 years old. She had several strokes. And her husband looked me up, and they came here for treatment. in New Jersey. And ⁓ she had significant improvement in her ability to speak over a short period of time. That’s a little. kind of summary of the situation, but it was ⁓ profound. She still has work to do, a lot of work to do, but she’s doing it and she’s progressing nicely. So that’s, he basically, I guess, decided this needs to get out. And so he contacted you, et cetera, et cetera. In terms of my journey, ⁓ that could take a few hours. So let me try and summarize it. I will say I basically went to medical school, took off six months to study medicine on my own after two years because I really, lot of reasons, but one of them was I just was memorizing things and I didn’t really understand what I was doing. And so I took off six months and I really learned about the human body. I studied, I had a schedule, a very fixed schedule, about 10 hours a day of studying and exercise and eat. was very, you know, I was young and regimented. And I had six books, six subjects that I wanted to get through and I did. And I learned all about the body and different parts of the body, how they interact with each other. And also I was able to understand and predict even certain kinds of processes and problems in the body. So that was an integrative experience, which ⁓ later really served as the foundation for what I do. Fast forward, I was going to be a surgeon, decided to be a psychiatrist instead, because I was fascinated by by the human mind. And what happened was I was trained at Georgetown National Institute of Mental Health in Washington, DC. And then I was in practice for about a year. And I was treating a woman who had panic attacks. And they weren’t getting better after a year. And panic attacks are pretty easy to treat. And so I was like, what’s going on here? She paged me one night after a year, Saturday night. And I remember I had a little beeper, you know, and I went to find a phone booth and, hey, Joanne, what’s going on? It’s midnight, right? She’s talking to me, I’m having a panic attack. And I mean, I still remember the anguish in her voice. You know, it was really, really, really rough to listen to. So Monday morning, I went into the office very early and I’m like, I’m missing something. What am I missing? So I found I had one piece of blood work. had a blood count and the size of her red blood cells was large. and I had seen that and didn’t know what it meant and ignored it. Very little. It wasn’t very large. It was just a little bit out of the norm. And I was trained in hospitals. know, in hospitals, you don’t worry about the little things. You worry about the train wrecks, right? So you never really learn what the little things mean. So here was a so-called little thing and it was ruining her life. Meanwhile, I did some research. It was a B12 deficiency. I gave her B12 injection. And with the first injection, her panic was gone. Transition to Functional Medicine I mean, gone, gone, gone. And I was like, whoa, what else am I missing? Because psychiatry, neuropsychiatry, it’s a revolving door. You go to this doctor, you take these meds, you do this therapy. That works for a while, then you go somewhere else. I figured I’m missing a lot of stuff. And basically, ended up learning. I didn’t know it was called functional medicine, but I ended up learning functional medicine on my own. Wrote a book, got introduced. to Jeff Bland at IFM. contacted me and took formal training and then, you know, that was what I was doing. And I did that, ⁓ put out a second book ⁓ and that was a best seller. And ⁓ the book was called the Anti-Depressant Survival Program. But really it was functional medicine psychiatry or whole psychiatry, which I like to call it. But it’s functional medicine psychiatry, but the publisher wanted… you know, a nice fancy title that would, know, so they decided to call it the Anti-Depressant Program, you know, survival program. Anyway, the best seller and we had thousands of phone calls, we had a lot of publicity and I couldn’t obviously see everybody. So I picked people who had treatment resistant depression and people who had the resources and the motivation or the support to be able to do what they needed to do. And I just treated them with functional medicine. And at this time, you’ve got to realize I was a psychopharmacologist. I was also trained as a psychopharmacologist. So I was doing a lot of psychopharmacology. I mean, a lot. And now I’m doing functional medicine on everybody. And after about three years, I’m noticing that I’m not actually doing that much psychopharmacology anymore. And everybody’s getting better. And the diabetes is going away. and osteoporosis is going away and one woman’s MS lesion in her brain went away and I’m like, what’s going on here? You know what? I might be lying to myself. So maybe I’m paying attention to the positive cases and I’m ignoring the negative. So I hired a statistician to go over all my cases over the course of this period of time, it two or three years. Ended up in 23 cases of treatment resistant depression. ⁓ I wasn’t lying to myself. Every single person went into recovery, not partial remission, not 50 % better, fully recovered by 10 months, every single one. And I was just blown away that, you know, I mean, I was blown away before, but then it was like, well, you’re not really lying to yourself. So that’s what I was doing until 2014 when I retired. I had actually an inaccurate diagnosis. I retired and… turned out it was incorrect. So it was actually really good to be retired, although I missed it terribly, really missed medicine terribly. But it gave me some time. And this is where this kind of starts to relate more to your audience. ⁓ I’m sitting on a hammock for six hours reading a book. Well, you can’t do that when you’re in practice. Bill Gasiamis (10:07) Good thing to do. Yeah. Photobiomodulation Stroke Recovery Applications Dr Bob Hedaya (10:13) That doesn’t happen. So but I was you know in retirement, so I’m reading this book and put two and two together over the course of time and I learned about laser which which they were using in Russia in 1980s and learned how the laser worked and And I was like whoa this could really help the brain and Then I was thinking now. I’m not in practice right, but I’m then I’m thinking but how would I know where to? point the laser in the brain for a patient. And then I keep reading in the book, and then they start talking about in the next chapter about quantitative EEG. And I’m like, oh, that’s how I would know. So I spent the next three years or so actually studying these methodologies. And then in 2017, I want to say, or 2018, I treated my first patient who had early dementia. published this case actually. I was treating her for early dementia. And I had treated her for six months with functional medicine, know, hormones and treating infections, et cetera, et cetera. And she really was much better. And then I was ready to do my first quantitative EEG. And she’s doing much better. She still has some symptoms. And I do the QEG. And actually, if I could share my I don’t know if I can, Okay, so basically what I just sent you is ⁓ how her brain looked after six months of functional medicine, right? So I was shocked because I thought her brain would look much better. And then I said, okay, let’s do the laser. So I knew where to point it because the QEG and this was the shocker. With the first laser, she had a problem. before the laser treatment of facial blindness. I don’t know if you know what that is. It’s people who can’t remember faces. They just met someone, they can’t remember the face. It’s called prosopagnosia. She had acquired it seven years earlier. Bill Gasiamis (12:11) I do. Yeah. Dr Bob Hedaya (12:21) After the first laser treatment, the problem was gone. Gone. She told me, she said, my God, I can remember the face of the person I worked with this morning and his wife and the dimple on the face. And I said, what are you talking about? She says, have prosopagnosia. I said, what? What is proto-diagnosia? I don’t know what that is. She says, can’t remember faces. I have to write down everything that I do and take pictures of everything and every person. I said, my God, it’s gone, gone. that’s when I went home that night and I was like, this doesn’t make any sense. How could this be? There’s nothing about a neurological condition being turned around in one minute. It makes no sense. But then I realized, I reasoned it out, realized, well, she had a population of neurons that were kind of alive, but they were not really functioning. And then I kind of jump started them with the laser and they went about their business and did their job. Bill Gasiamis (13:19) I love it. So, that’s a contrast on what you’re doing as in psychiatry, because psychiatry from, you know, my understanding is, you know, if you, if you speak to somebody who’s been through psychiatry and you ask them, how’s your condition or how is your situation or what has improved, very few people can say, ⁓ well, I’m, I’m better. I’ve overcome it. We’ve moved beyond the resolve that Dr Bob Hedaya (13:27) Yeah. Bill Gasiamis (13:47) Nobody really does that. They kind of just continue to go through the motions of another appointment, another medication, another adjustment in the amount of medication, et cetera. And what you said also seems a little bit ridiculous and kind of too quick. How do you get that kind of a solution that’s meant to take ages? You’re supposed to go through the typical times and it’s supposed to be costly and Dr Bob Hedaya (14:06) Too quick. Bill Gasiamis (14:16) unattainable and all these things. And it makes people feel sometimes I know stroke survivors who come across promises like that from other ⁓ people who talk about ⁓ perhaps ⁓ non-studied, ⁓ no scientific background kind of solutions to stroke and then kind of give everyone a blanket. If we do this, we’ll fix your stroke deficits, which is not true. ⁓ And then And then it leaves people feeling like they got ripped off. If they paid money, it leaves people lost for hope that there is no hope, cetera. And we kind of find ourselves in a, okay, desperate, what do we do now situation, right? And that’s kind of why I got excited when your patient’s husband reached out and said that we should chat. And I had a bit of a look into the kind of work that you do. ⁓ Functional medicine, I’ve heard about heaps. Dr Bob Hedaya (15:00) Hmm. Bill Gasiamis (15:14) And I love that it’s merged with psychiatry because when I started my journey in 2012, overcoming the first brain bladed and the second brain blade six weeks later, I went into functional medicine study to find out not formally, but I started doing what I didn’t know at the time was studying functional medicine and understanding like how I can decrease the inflammation in my brain. and provide the right environment for healing. And the first thing I came across was a book by somebody that you’re gonna know, Mark Hyman. And the book was, ⁓ the book was, ⁓ Eight Fat Get Thin. I read it, not wanting to get thin, I read it ⁓ because it ticked the boxes for the diet that I was gonna use to reduce inflammation in my brain. Dr Bob Hedaya (15:54) Okay. Bill Gasiamis (16:12) And the side effect was I thin. I wasn’t going for that because I was taking medication. was taking ⁓ dexamethasone, which made me put on weight and made these like all these types of ⁓ terrible side effects, but it was helping reduce the inflammation in my brain. So I, I was happy to have it, but I needed to achieve the same outcome as dexamethasone. Dr Bob Hedaya (16:13) I’m kidding. Bill Gasiamis (16:41) or a similar outcome as dexamethasone on a permanent basis without taking dexamethasone to improve the situation in my brain. And then I started to realize that I had a lot of power and I was ⁓ only not guided properly because my physicians, my doctors weren’t able to offer advice in that space. And had I not been the curious kind of guy that I was, I never would have come across Dr. Hyman and some other amazing guys who wrote books at around about that time that were similar in nature. so you’re, and then, and then a little while later, I found there was a Tasmanian, ⁓ psychiatrist, forget her name, but I have her book on my shelf upstairs who wrote a book about, ⁓ psychiatry and food and, the link between food and a good psychiatric outcome. Dr Bob Hedaya (17:15) huh. Bill Gasiamis (17:39) in the brain. And I just thought, okay, there’s much, much more that needs to happen here. Now, this the connections, there’s a lot of connections here. So recently on my YouTube channel, somebody left a comment I wanted to know about red light therapy, and will it help their brain? And I’m like, I have no idea. But let me do some research. I went on to PubMed, I found some articles and wouldn’t you believe it, there is a whole bunch of ⁓ proper data that Dr Bob Hedaya (17:40) You know what? Come on. Bill Gasiamis (18:08) suggests that there is a benefit. The only challenge that I always have with all of these potentially beneficial interventions is there’s no diagnosis done in the first place to determine whether somebody actually is eligible for a particular intervention. And what it sounds like you’re able to do is the diagnostics part and determine their eligibility. Tell me a little bit about why that is important. Dr Bob Hedaya (18:35) Right. Okay, so let me back, I wanna back up, because you said something very important, then I wanna reiterate it. I just gave you before a case of a woman who in five minutes, her problem was gone, right? Not, people should not think that’s the norm, okay? Not the norm. Occasionally it happens, I have a guy who had a head injury and had light sensitivity and confusion in certain situations with light, and one treatment, boom, gone. Understanding Laser Mechanisms People, you know, I have cases like that, but most of the time this is a gradual process. So people should not think it’s a cure-all for everybody. We do have to know who it’s good for. So what we do diagnostically before we do this is I will look at their brain, you know, obviously take some history and all of that business, but we do a quantitative neuroquant MRI. So we look at the different structures inside the brain. You know, we look at… Bill Gasiamis (19:32) Lovely. Dr Bob Hedaya (19:32) 30, 40 different structures. And then we also do a quantitative EEG, which is an electroencephalogram. We measure the electricity in the brain in 19 different places. And then there’s this really AI that takes all this data and it reverse engineers it. It’s called the inverse solution. And you can actually see the pathways, all of the pathways in the brain and the surface areas of the brain. And you can look at that, correlate that with the person’s symptoms. with the neuroquant MRI, it’s like a GPS, right? A triangulation of information and then assuming there’s not a mass or an aneurysm or some reason not to do the laser like an overactive brain or something like that, then we could consider using the laser. And then we also know where we want to do it based on the symptoms, based on the QEG, based on the neuroquant. We will decide what we’re going to target. And then we combine that, sometimes, not always. Bill Gasiamis (20:05) Hmm. Dr Bob Hedaya (20:31) with neurofeedback so we can exercise the areas that we want to exercise or calm down the areas that we want to calm down. And sometimes with hyperbaric oxygen, things like that. And hormones, using hormones or things like that. Bill Gasiamis (20:42) Yep. Hyperbaric oxygen has been a topic that I’ve discussed as well on the podcast and the people that I spoke to about hyperbaric oxygen and guys, I can’t remember right now, but I’ll put a link in the show notes for anyone listening so that you can go and find that episode and have a listen to it. Basically, what I loved about their approach was that they did a massive amount of diagnosis beforehand to determine where the penumbras were and then target those penumbras while the person was in the chamber. by getting them to do certain exercises that would activate those areas and therefore be targeted. So it sounds like the laser therapy is similar. Tell me about the laser. What kind of a laser is it? How does it get targeted to a specific spot? And what does it do when it goes there? I mean, I imagine it just doesn’t point there and go, I’ll illuminate that and it’ll be better. How does it actually work? Dr Bob Hedaya (21:18) Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Okay, so the laser, there are a bunch of different parameters that we have to adjust for each person. So it’s the frequency, how fast is the wavelength? What’s the wavelength? How many times per second is it pulsed? 10 times per second, 40 times per second, 50 times per second. Is it a 8, 10 nanometer wavelength or is it a 1064 wavelength? How many joules are we delivering? you know, where are we delivering it? So there are lots and lots of parameters to adjust, right? ⁓ What does it do? So simple, the first thing that it does, it does many, many things, right? But the very, very first thing it does is it actually releases ATP, the energy molecule, from your mitochondria. So it basically, the photon goes to the fourth channel, the fourth complex in the mitochondria, bumps off the nitric oxide, and that opens the flow of ATP. Well, if your brain, if your neurons have energy, they say, ⁓ energy, ⁓ well, we know what to do with energy. Let’s fix the puddles. Let’s build the roads. Let’s make the connections. Let’s do whatever we got to do. So now you’re getting energy flow. You also get synaptogenesis. You build new synapses. You get production of brain-derived neurotrophic factor. Bill Gasiamis (23:01) Wow. Dr Bob Hedaya (23:05) You get reduction of inflammation, get reduction of tau proteins and misfolded proteins. ⁓ You get, subjectively, get cognitive enhancement. aphasia, you know, people can start to speak. I mean, I can tell you one story. We used to shave people before doing the laser because I wanted to… Remember, you got a skull, you got the skin, you got all this stuff, right? How are you going to get the light into the brain, right? So we know that only about Bill Gasiamis (23:31) Mmm. Dr Bob Hedaya (23:35) 2.6 % of the light goes through the skull and the meninges and all the layers, right? So we used to shave people because I want to get the hair out of the way, right? At least get rid of some of it. So I had this woman who came to me, this is probably seven years ago, I guess. And at that time, I would not use the laser until I had done functional medicine on the patient. Because I figured, you know, let’s get the terrain straight. the nutrients, the hormones, get rid of the infections, get rid of the toxins, then we’ll apply the sunlight to the brain, to the plant, right? That was my logic. I thought that made perfect sense. So this woman came to me. She was 70 years old, obese. The husband wanted me to give her the laser. She wouldn’t change her diet, not an iota. High blood pressure, obesity. She could not speak. She would not take a medicine. She would not… Bill Gasiamis (24:04) Mm-hmm. Mm. Jumpstarting Healing with Laser Therapy Dr Bob Hedaya (24:33) Like, you name it, non-compliant all the way. Maybe you could say a word or two, that was it. Her husband begged me. I said, listen, it’s a waste, okay? It’s just a waste. I can’t ask her to shave her head. It’s not gonna work. I’m not doing it. He did not stop. So finally, I said, okay, fine, I’ll do it. So I was in my office and I’m making the laser plan. And I’m just writing, and something pops out of my mouth, God, I need a miracle. So I go into the laser room, and I start doing the laser. She starts talking. I have tears. He has tears. She starts talking. So by the end of like 20 sessions, I’m sitting with her having a 45-minute therapy session, because it turns out she was really severely abused when she was young. ⁓ She’s having a whole conversation with me. Turns out she’s psychotic also now. She’s also a psychotic and we didn’t know. So she needs to take some medicine for the psychosis because in the middle of the night, she’s going around with a baseball bat and she wants to like do, and she wouldn’t take medicines, I had to stop the laser. But that was an amazing thing because that was one, but with aphasia, typically it’s more gradual, much more gradual. But I have had a couple of patients where, and a woman came from Chicago and she just started talking also. So everyone’s different. You can’t necessarily come into this expecting that kind of thing is wonderful when it happens, but you Bill Gasiamis (26:14) Yeah. I love the fact that you can intervene with a laser, but also people can intervene with all the things that you said that that patient wasn’t doing beforehand. And that you that’s the top of the hierarchy of how you approach healing the brain is you do all those things. And then you supplement with ⁓ with a therapy like laser or whatever. And you kind of combine that and you make Dr Bob Hedaya (26:25) Yeah, yeah, you got it. Bill Gasiamis (26:42) like the, you make a soup of amazing things that all come together at the same time to support you together. And laser is just one of those things, but all the hierarchy like is so important because Dr Bob Hedaya (26:48) Yeah. It’s all important, all important. But I will tell you this. I have come to the point now where I believe that like people come to me and they don’t want to do anything and I’m like, okay, because I can jumpstart you, assuming you’re a good candidate. I can jumpstart you with the laser. I could just jumpstart you and then once I’ve jumpstarted you, say, ⁓ yeah, okay, I’ll do this. ⁓ okay, I’ll do a little of this. I’ll do a little. Because I’m bypassing everything and I’m giving you energy. Right? And so if you have energy, then, you know, there’s a lot that you can do that you couldn’t do before. So I kind of switched my model, really, only because of the accident of this guy who insisted I give his wife the laser, you know. Bill Gasiamis (27:30) Yeah. That’s not a way to go. mean, ⁓ there isn’t one way to solve a problem. there’s probably many iterations of, know, like how you can put that particular, like intervention together for a person that could specify for that individual, we’re going to go down this approach for you. You were going to go down this approach to get you going. Since you have all these, ⁓ challenges and energy is difficult. Maybe we’ll go directly with the laser and then Dr Bob Hedaya (27:46) Bye. Mm-hmm. Bill Gasiamis (28:09) We give you the skills, the energy, Dr Bob Hedaya (28:09) That’s right. That’s right. Bill Gasiamis (28:12) the training, the coaching, the support to implement the rest of the stuff that you need to implement to continue providing the right ⁓ space for your brain to heal in ongoing so you’re not just relying on laser. Dr Bob Hedaya (28:14) Yeah. ⁓ Yeah, yeah Yeah, if someone comes to me post stroke for example and the laser is appropriate I’m not gonna say well, we’ll get around to laser in six months. I’m not gonna do that They need relief they need help if it can help them Let’s do that. Let’s jump on that and you know, and then is the other stuff we need to do will do it And there’s usually stuff to do ⁓ But I want to get the healing remember the laser is healing It’s clearing out proteins, reducing inflammation, increasing blood flow, synaptogenesis, doing all these good things over the course of time. So you really want to get that process going, I feel, as soon as you can. then, okay, now you can work on the diet that’s going to take some time, check the hormones, make sure there’s no infections, toxic element, you know, all that functional medicine stuff. Maybe you need some medication for depression, you know, it’s having a… a phaser or a stroke or a head injury or some of things like this, they turn your life upside down better than I know. It’s ⁓ incomprehensible, really. Bill Gasiamis (29:26) Yeah, really. Yeah, really challenging. With a laser, how much laser for how long, how often? Understanding EEG vs. QEEG Dr Bob Hedaya (29:37) Great question. So let me say a couple of things. First of all, we have laser and then we have the LED helmets, right? You’ve read about and read the helmets, right? So there are a lot of studies on the helmets. There’s a question of whether they’re really having a direct effect because for a few reasons. Number one, it’s LED, it’s not a laser. Number two, the voltage is so low, if you’re only getting 2.6 % through and it’s so low to begin with, what do you think you’re actually delivering into the tissue? know, it’s hard to imagine that you’re delivering much. there, know, Henderson, I think, wrote an article where he showed there’s no penetration into the brain. But the studies do show cognitive benefit. So it could be an indirect effect or, you know, all the studies are done by the companies that make the… the helmet, there could be some bias. I don’t know the answer there. The laser ⁓ itself is more potent, so we’re doing, say, 30 watts. So the equivalent of a 30-watt light bulb, right? They might be doing half a watt, a very, very, very dim light bulb. We’re doing 30 watts. Now, we’re targeting the area or areas that we want to hit. Now, it goes through 2.6. Bill Gasiamis (30:34) devices. Dr Bob Hedaya (31:03) 5 % of it goes through. And then of course it’s going to be diffused, right? And it’s going to hit the surface tissues more. 1064 will penetrate deeper into the brain, but you don’t really have to go that deep because there’s downstream effects that happen, right? So we really, and then we adjust the parameters depending on how someone does. for example, you know, I had a woman who I was treating And actually it was the patient who her husband contacted you. I was treating her with a certain amount of energy and then after about five sessions I went up, I doubled the energy and boom, she had a response. But we have no way of knowing that’s what she needed. It’s all a calculation. But she, you know… Bill Gasiamis (31:39) Yes. Dr Bob Hedaya (32:00) Whatever it is, the thickness of the skull or the membranes or whatever it is, that’s what you needed and that’s what worked. Bill Gasiamis (32:06) Yeah. Tell me about ⁓ QEEG. So let’s dive deeper into it a little bit because we kind of glossed over it. I think it’s important to discuss how it’s different from EEG, ⁓ what EEG is and then what the Q adds to EEG. Dr Bob Hedaya (32:24) OK, so the EEG, imagine somebody, you put a cap on, and it has all these electrical wires that are measuring the electricity that comes, that’s on your scalp. It’s coming from your brain, but it’s measured at the scalp. And each one is measuring the energy from that spot, comparing it to other spots. And then you might, your viewers might remember. all those squiggly lines, you’ll see like 19 or 20 squiggly lines and you’re like, what is this spaghetti? I don’t know what this is. And I mean, even in medical school, we looked at it and our eyes would glaze over because who knows what it is. So the neurologists look at it and they’ll scroll through it and look for certain patterns to see is there a seizure or is there area of damage where there’s a lot of slowing like the frequency of the electricity slows down if there’s tissue damage, right? And they look visually to see what they can find. But we know with AI, you can get the patterns that you can determine. There’s no way the human mind, the human eye, a trained eye, I don’t care how long you’ve been looking at EEGs, there’s no way you can extract this data that we now extract. So the quantitative is actually looking at the quantity of this, what’s going on here versus the quantity of electricity that’s here versus what’s here versus what’s here. And then all of that is calculated and they say, ⁓ well, if this is high and this is here and this is low here and this is this, well, that means they’re coming from this deeper place here and that’s under functioning. And, you know, that’s done over thousands, thousands of points in a very short order, very short order. It’s amazing. I can’t imagine practicing without this. So now I can look at the thalamus. I can look at the putamen. Addressing Depression Post-Stroke Bill Gasiamis (34:07) Mm-hmm. Dr Bob Hedaya (34:17) In my office, I can do these tests in my office. If a patient is my patient, I can send the QEG to their home and do it in their home. And I get this imagery that’s immensely better than a spec scan. It’s not an MRI, an MRI structure. This is function. Okay, this is function. It tells us how different parts are functioning. Bill Gasiamis (34:40) What’s lighting up? What’s not lighting up? What could be lighting up better? What’s not going to light up anymore? Dr Bob Hedaya (34:45) What’s the information flow? How is the flow going from here to here? How about this network? Is this network working? Is this network overworking? Is it underworking? How about the neuron populations that are firing when I’m relaxed? How are they doing? How about the ones when I’m thinking? How about the ones when I’m thinking fast? How about the populations when I’m emotional? We can look at all those populations and see what’s going on with those populations. And then we can actually target them. train them, et cetera. And then we have that data that we treat, and then we measure and see is it getting better? Do we need to change the protocol? It’s not helping, it is helping, et cetera. Bill Gasiamis (35:29) Yeah. with stroke, so many things come from stroke that people are not equipped to handle. You know, firstly, all of the, ⁓ the parts relating to, ⁓ simply the person discovering them, they’re, they’re immortal after all, you know, you become a mere mortal immediately and you kind of work out the most terrible thing that could have happened to me happened. My brain is injured and all these things go away. Right. And then. Unfortunately, like I think it’s 30 % the studies of people who experienced stroke will then also experience depression. Like as if recovering from stroke isn’t enough and all the deficits that you also have to recover from depression. What’s it like? How can that be supported with this particular method, this approach that we’re discussing here today? Dr Bob Hedaya (36:28) So ⁓ kind of separate from stroke, ⁓ treat treatment resistant depression with laser all the time. With stroke, we use the laser, but you have to watch the QEG to make sure you’re not getting overstimulation, number one. Number two, I learned this with the patient that referred me to you, ⁓ that after, put us in touch, there was actually a central Bill Gasiamis (36:44) huh. for us in touch. Dr Bob Hedaya (36:58) hypothyroidism, meaning the low thyroid function, right? And we had to treat that, but the problem was as we treated that, there was a supersensitivity and because the tissues after stroke are more vulnerable to seizures, the patient actually had a seizure. She was actually having seizures we didn’t know, mild seizures. And then when we treated the thyroid, then we actually ended up having seizures. now we have to support, you need thyroid function to be good in order to not be depressed, right? If you have low thyroid, you’re much more likely to be depressed in the face of a stroke or other stresses. So we were kind of a little bit of a bind there because we went and treated, but it’s too sensitive. So anyway, we’re actually threading that needle nicely and we’re moving slowly and carefully and keeping, there’s no seizure activity now. But you have to treat the depression because of the depression itself. Bill Gasiamis (37:29) Yep. Dr Bob Hedaya (37:55) is a big problem because you know to recover from stroke, man, you gotta work hard. You gotta keep a good attitude. gotta have your eye on the ball. There’s no room for like… I’m going to give up. There’s no room for that. I mean, of course you feel it and I mean, it’s all natural feelings, but you have to really be determined and that’s essential. so with depression that is ⁓ really can get in the way. So we treat it. The laser can treat it. Sometimes pharmacology, sometimes therapy, sometimes yoga, know, hyperbaric, all these things that we do with the nutrition, making sure the hormones are right. All these things work together, you know. Bill Gasiamis (38:14) Yeah. I love all of those things that you mentioned. And then all of a sudden you just throw in yoga. mean, it just, it’s so counterintuitive, isn’t it? When you have a conversation about all these acronyms and all these tests and lasers and all that kind of stuff, and then you just throw in yoga casually like that. It’s, and we underplay it, but it’s such a massive thing in the picture of what creates the environment for a good recovery, but also I love that you mentioned the thyroid in that conversation as well about depression and what can also be a trigger to depression and people may have depression, never check their thyroid and not know that it’s a thing. Now I’ve had thyroid surgery, have ⁓ half of my thyroid removed because I had a massive ⁓ goiter on one side and that was such a difficult thing to discover and have to go through 16 months after brain surgery. but they only discovered it after my brain surgery when they did a chest x-ray, because I wasn’t recovering properly and they found that I had this goitre which would have been there for a long, long time impacting my health and all sorts of things. And I make that point because often people who have had a stroke and can’t speak, for example, have aphasia, ⁓ or their arm doesn’t work or the leg doesn’t work properly, will say, I just wanna fix this thing. If I could speak, Dr Bob Hedaya (39:40) No. Holistic Approaches to Recovery Bill Gasiamis (40:09) everything’s better, but they’ve never looked at the other things that may be contributing to keeping the speech at a level which is not good enough for them, for example, to be comfortable with. And it’s like this one track mind, I’ll just get my speech back, I’ll get my speech back, you what do I need to do? Or make it go, get back for me. There’s often no looking into the other things that might be causing depression, for example. Dr Bob Hedaya (40:31) Thank you. Bill Gasiamis (40:38) After stroke, know for a fact that the gut gets impacted ⁓ very dramatically from a stroke and the gut is highly linked to ⁓ mood and how you feel. And nutrition is what supports the gut to feel better and taking out things from the diet that are ⁓ making the gut sluggish and not work appropriately will ⁓ improve your mood and how you feel. It’ll make a difference and Dr Bob Hedaya (40:59) Okay. Yeah. Bill Gasiamis (41:08) and it’ll add to one of those little tools that supports depression and makes depression less impactful and you have less swings, et cetera. And that’s kind of the point that you’re making is that you don’t just turn up and do psychiatry. We’re gonna do psychiatry, treat you pharmacologically and then send you on your way and then see you in six, 12, eight months again or whatever and then just repeat the process again. It’s a whole, know, holistic is the word that you hear, but it is a broader conversation that people need to be having. And that sounds like what you guys do. It sounds like the conversation doesn’t encompass, it encompasses everything. It doesn’t just focus on one intervention. Dr Bob Hedaya (41:56) That’s why I call it whole psychiatry. But it really should be whole neuropsychiatry or whole brain or, you know, but it’s whole body, whatever you want to call it. It’s really more than the body because obviously the social connections play a big role as well, you know. So yeah, everything you’re saying is 100 % true and it’s all real. Everything you’re saying is real. Everything you do. mean, simple things going back to the B12. You you need B12 to… Bill Gasiamis (41:58) Yeah. Dr Bob Hedaya (42:26) remyelinate your neurons. need to keep the mercury, by the way, got to keep the mercury levels low. know, the mercury, if you’re eating tuna fish or swordfish and you have high mercury levels, know, the mercury will actually prevent you from making new branches. The mercury actually will bind on tubulin, which is like a brick that you need to build new roads. And it will prevent the tubulin from building new roads in your brain. So here you are working hard trying to… Bill Gasiamis (42:28) Mmm. Dr Bob Hedaya (42:54) do things and you’re a can of ⁓ whatever tuna fish with loads of mercury two, three, four times a week. Well, that’s not working, you know. So that’s why you really want to look at the whole thing. It’s a lot. It’s really a lot. You know, it’s a big program, but you you take, take steps. Everybody has different needs or not everybody has to do everything. Bill Gasiamis (43:04) Yeah. Yeah. Not everybody needs to do everything to achieve significant results, but it’d be amazing to be able to find the things and target those, the ones that you’re to get the most bang for buck on. So you’re to putting time and effort into things that are not getting results. For example, an led hat from, uh, Amazon for $9 that you put on your head. And it’s basically just a red light hat. It’s not really doing the thing, right? Dr Bob Hedaya (43:32) Hmm. Ha ha ha. Bill Gasiamis (43:49) And that’s kind of why I started to have that conversation and do a little bit of research in what they, know, what’s medically known as or scientifically known as photo bio modulation, you know, the idea is great, but then it came to me from somebody who I imagine was looking at a seven or eight or $9, $10 cap with red lights that put on the head and they Dr Bob Hedaya (44:00) Right. Bill Gasiamis (44:15) paid money for a cap and hoping for an outcome and they didn’t get an outcome and then they’re wondering why. I suggest when people are looking into those topics, is gonna go and have a look at the science, what it says about the nanometers of the type of light that you need to be experiencing, how, where, who, and always do these things with medical supervision. It really challenges me when I find out people do things like, know, methylene blue was a thing. Dr Bob Hedaya (44:44) Right. Bill Gasiamis (44:45) uh, very recently and people will just go get a bottle of Methylene blue from somewhere and just start taking it and have no idea what they’re doing and, and, and, know, what they could hope for. They could be making things worse than for themselves and actually making themselves, um, like make things a lot harder for themselves. So, uh, my point is this all needs to be done under medical supervision. Typically when you, somebody reaches out to you, how do you begin the conversation and then how does that person engage with you? And then what happens after they’re treated? Because often I know from my experience with all my neurologists, et cetera, very rarely do I see anybody a second time, six months, 12 months, 18 months, five years down the track. You usually go in, they patch you up, they send you home, you get back to your life and then maybe you do one MRI. Dr Bob Hedaya (45:36) Really? Bill Gasiamis (45:44) ⁓ for a few years after brain surgery just to make sure that everything’s stable. But that’s about it. Nobody follows up with you. Dr Bob Hedaya (45:52) No, it’s a whole different ball game with us. No. So what we do first is ⁓ if someone will contact us through the website, which is wholepsychiatry.com, they will actually fill out a form. And if we feel that it looks like we might be able to be helpful to them, then we will send them a welcome letter. And then they will have the opportunity to meet with our new patient coordinator at no charge. Patient-Centered Care and Follow-Up and she’ll talk with them for 15 to 30 minutes and kind of tell them what’s going on and see if they, you know, the fit is good, et cetera. And then they have an opportunity if they want to meet with me on Zoom for 15 to 30 minutes and ⁓ I’ll figure out, can I help them? Can I not help them? Is it a good fit, et cetera? And then if it looks like, you know, green light and they decide they want to move forward and it makes sense, then we’ll schedule an evaluation. The time duration of the evaluation depends on what kind of patient. It could be a couple of hours, could be four and a half hours. But usually for neurological patients, straightforward, it’s a shorter evaluation. And before the evaluation, we’ll collect the neuro-quant and the QEG and the old records, et cetera. And then I will go through all of that data plus lab data that we collect. And I will then have an idea. Okay, what’s going on here? Now there’s all these things. There’s digestion, there’s nutrition, there’s immune function, inflammation, toxins, hormones, all the hormones, structural issues, chiropractic issues, traumatic brain injury, cardiovascular issues, et cetera. We look at all of that and then to see what are the players here and spiritual, social resources, connectivity. We look at all of this. And then we have a whole picture of what’s going on. And then we can figure out, okay, how do we want to approach this? And sometimes we approach it very lightly. Say we just start with the laser, that’s it. Or sometimes somebody says, no, I want to really get in there and fix everything that’s wrong. Okay, well, we identified these five or six things that need correction. So let’s stage this in order. And that’s what we’ll do. And everyone’s different. And then we have follow-up depending on what we need in two weeks, in a month, six weeks, not usually six weeks. Once things are stable, it could be every two, three months or four months. But in the meantime, I’m in the boat rowing, paddling with them. That’s the way I do it. I treat people, really, I try to treat people just like I would want to be treated myself, like I would want my family to be treated. I do the very best. I love what I do, you know what I mean? I just love what I do and I try to do the best, highest quality. And it’s not that I’m perfect, not that I don’t make mistakes, ⁓ not that I know everything because that’s for sure that I don’t, but that’s my approach. So I try to be in the boat with the patient. As long as the patient’s paddling, I’m paddling just as hard, if not. Bill Gasiamis (49:02) Yeah, it sounds like at least if things, if you don’t make the right approach initially, there’s a whole bunch of tools and resources and things that you can kind of focus on. And one of the things you mentioned, again, you glossed over it, but I love that you do this is spiritual. Like it might be a spiritual journey that the person needs to take. And it’s so overlooked because people, you know, do have… Dr Bob Hedaya (49:22) yeah. yeah, yeah. Bill Gasiamis (49:30) existential crisis after a stroke. it’s like a spirituality helps somehow for a lot of people ease, heal that, ⁓ help people move through, you know, the weeds and come out into the opening and then kind of see the opportunities and where they need to go next. And people don’t need to engage with somebody like you to go on a spiritual journey. That might just be something they’ve ever looked and they can just go, you know what, I’m going to pick up the Bible or ⁓ I’m going to learn about this particular ⁓ spiritual journey or whatever and go through it and do whatever it is that they need to do to kind of start beginning the healing journey in their own special unique way. It’s really important that spirituality gets addressed and it’s not glossed over. And I’m not saying that you did or I did or we do, but in the back of the minds, stroke survivors may not consider that being important. The Role of Spirituality in Healing Dr Bob Hedaya (50:31) Yeah, first of all, I’m passionate about spirituality. I mean, passionate because the truth, in my opinion, is that consciousness, your level of awareness is really consciousness is the foundation, the substrate of everything that exists. The material is an outflow from consciousness. So I could talk about this forever. Not everyone is oriented this way. So, you know, I just saw a businessman, very successful businessman ⁓ last week. He doesn’t want to just, you know, get me back online. OK, I don’t want to hear this mumbo jumbo and I just can’t. I don’t want to delve into it. Just get me better. know. But other people are like, I want to find the meaning, you know, and it’s very important. to find the when I think generally for most people finding the meaning in it is critical. And I’ll say one thing, my mother, may she rest in peace, was in the emergency room, probably 25, 30 years ago, I don’t know, something was wrong, she was in the emergency room for seven, eight hours or whatever, and some guy comes by and says, ma’am, can I get you a sandwich? And she says, oh yeah, please, please get me a sandwich. He gets her a tuna fish sandwich, whatever it is, right? He leaves. She’s so grateful. She’s so grateful that she volunteers in the hospital for 20 years. Okay? This guy has no idea what he did and all the people that he helped through her, right? So you’re, you you and you’re not just you, but we, each of us in our small minds, we have no idea. the impact we have on other people. So if it’s important to a person to have a meaningful life, understand that you don’t have to be running a company. You can smile at a stranger, change their day. There are things that you can do and you have an impact. Now, that’s a small consolation when you’re dealing with a stroke, obviously, but that’s when you kind of want to work to a meaningful ⁓ attitude and a good attitude. So yes, the spirituality is… many people very important. Bill Gasiamis (52:54) David who brought us together ⁓ wanted me to meet you so I could interview you. that part of the role that he played in what happened to his wife ended becoming something that helped other people. Isn’t it interesting? The whole journey started on. Dr Bob Hedaya (53:15) Exactly. Bill Gasiamis (53:20) He contacted me because he wanted to make something good come of what happened to his wife, which I’m sure his wife was also interested in. And he said, you need to get Dr. Hedaya on because we need to share more information, make this stuff aware. so, and I’m like, well, that’s perfect. Of course I do. Whoever comes to me with that kind of information because they want to help other stroke survivors because he’s hoping that other caregivers that are in his shoes have a better outcome. They have more support. They have more information. They have more tools. Dr Bob Hedaya (53:27) Mm-hmm. Bill Gasiamis (53:50) That’s the spiritual journey. You don’t have to call it ⁓ Christianity, Judaism. You don’t have to call it something. You don’t have to label it, but that is what spirituality looks like in practice. Dr Bob Hedaya (53:56) Right. Right. That’s exactly it. That’s exactly it. And it gives me chills because, you know, I know his wife is suffering, you know, and ⁓ but she’s making really great headway, but it’s hard, you know. But look at look that he’s reaching out and he cares enough about other people and to and make her journey and what she’s gone through and what she’s learned be useful to other people. That’s it. That’s just beautiful. I mean, that that speaks volumes about him and her. Bill Gasiamis (54:32) It does absolutely and her and your work because your work is not unique. You’re not the only one doing this kind of work. I think there’s only kind of a small percentage of ⁓ medical professionals in the field that are practicing in this way. And hopefully that continues to grow. ⁓ If somebody wanted to, well, somebody lots of people are listening to this today. If anyone wanted to reach out ⁓ who thinks, you know, that they might be able to ⁓ benefit from or go down this kind of approach. How should they go about that? What questions should they be asking of you, et cetera? Like how do they begin? Because this is a different conversation than I have ⁓ neurological injury, have aphasia. It needs to be positioned differently, this conversation. Dr Bob Hedaya (55:29) Tell me what you mean. I’m not really clear what you’re saying. Bill Gasiamis (55:33) If somebody wants to find a clinician who practices the way that you practice, you guys, for example, you know, you know, who thinks about the brain in a different way. What, what should they be looking for and what. Dr Bob Hedaya (55:38) Aha, I see, I see. I would say that they should go to the website for the Institute for Functional Medicine. And there’s a tab. This is find the practitioner. And make sure you look for a practitioner that is certified, fully certified. And then investigate the practitioners who are in your area and see if they experience. in this area. there are not I’m not aware of, there’s a guy somewhere in the Midwest here who’s using a laser, I believe. And then maybe other people that I don’t know about using lasers, but I’m not aware of anybody that I could say, go see this person for this quantitative EEG guided transcranial photobiomodulation. I’m not saying that that is readily available. It’s not. But the whole functional medicine thing, there are a lot of practitioners. And I think that’s the way to go there. Just do your homework. Bill Gasiamis (56:48) Yeah. Yeah. Cool. Your organization is whole psychiatry and the brain recovery center. Is that right? Okay. So the psychiatry part of it, ⁓ people might be listening and going, well, that doesn’t apply to me, the specific word specifically doesn’t need to apply to an individual to engage with you because, we’re not just dealing with the psychiatry part of somebody’s recovery. Dr Bob Hedaya (56:56) Yeah. Right. Thank you. No, no, we’re dealing, we treat psychiatric, but we treat neurological. You know, I started as a psychiatrist. was, you know, certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, but I was doing psychiatry. then, you know, just following, you know, learning and whatever, I ended up, you know, doing some neurology here. And so, but we didn’t change the name to the whole neuropsychiatry and brain recovery. Maybe we should, or maybe the whole brain recovery center or something like that. So, you we do both, no, and if, and if, I can’t be helpful, of course, I’m going to tell people this, we really don’t want to waste people’s time, energy, money, et cetera. ⁓ But it’s, it’s been, you know, I have to say an amazing journey. And I would say when you follow for me, this is me, my life, following my passion of learning about the brain and understanding the brain and Bill Gasiamis (57:45) Yeah. Dr Bob Hedaya (58:14) looking for the fundamentals of how do things work and just there’s a common sense in medicine. I looked at the laser when I was reading that book and I was like, wow, ATP in the brain, that could really help the brain. How would I
As debates over Zionism grow increasingly fraught within American Jewry, Rabbi Cosgrove explores how the meaning of Zionism itself has shifted across generations. Drawing on the wilderness narratives of the Book of Numbers, he argues for a Judaism rooted in memory, responsibility, and engaged Jewish self-determination.
Shavuot can feel like a sprint: new clothes, a polished plan, a late-night learning schedule, and the unspoken pressure to prove you're “doing it right.” We start with that vivid, relatable scene the full prep, the big intentions, the fatigue at 2 a.m., and the guy in the corner who somehow runs on pure energy drinks. Then we name the risk nobody likes to admit: the second day can get heavy, and the most powerful parts of Shavuot can slip by if our mindset is off.So we offer a simple reset rooted in Torah thinking and real human psychology. Shavuot is meant to be ecstatic joy: God chose us for Torah, for kedushah, for a life with purpose. That's why staying up for Tikkun Leil Shavuot isn't just about “more learning hours” it's about love. And love makes you do things that don't look efficient on a spreadsheet, because the relationship matters. We also talk about why Shavuot specifically calls for celebration you don't only stay in shul, you celebrate with real, physical simchah, yes, including cheesecake.The episode ends with a surprising airport encounter: someone sees visible Judaism and asks what it's like to wake up with something to live for. That question sharpens everything. If you could trade lives with a celebrity for an hour, would you? We argue you shouldn't want it, because a Torah life is already a mission worth singing about. If this helped you reframe Shavuot, subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find it.Support the showJoin The Motivation Congregation WhatsApp community for daily motivational Torah content!----------------SUBSCRIBE to The Weekly Parsha for an insightful weekly talk on the week's Parsha.Listen on Spotify or 24six!Access all Torah talks and listen to featured episodes on our website, themotivationcongregation.org----------------Questions or Comments? Please email me @ michaelbrooke97@gmail.com
Andrew Klavan converted from Judaism to Christianity years ago. He joins Mike Slater to discuss his conversion, as well as the war on Christianity taking place in America today.
Was this a reaction to the concentrated Christian theological attack on Judaism and its nomianism that reached its peak in the 13th century?
Andrew Klavan converted from Judaism to Christianity years ago. He joins Mike Slater to discuss his conversion, as well as the war on Christianity taking place in America today.
Rabbi Chaim Singer-Frankes' Shabbat Teaching at Temple Beth Am, Los Angeles, May 16, 2026. (Youtube)Special Guest: Rabbi Chaim Singer-Frankes.
Standing on the steps leading up to Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron, Avi Abelow delivers a powerful and inspiring message to a group of seminary girls about Jewish history, identity, faith, and destiny. Maarat HaMachpela, the burial place of Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebecca, Jacob and Leah, is the second holiest site in Judaism and one of the most important places in the entire Jewish story. This is where the Jewish connection to the Land of Israel began nearly 4,000 years ago, when Abraham purchased this land as an eternal inheritance for the Jewish people.In this moving talk, Avi explains the deeper truth about Hebron, the original Jewish city, and why the modern world works so hard to disconnect Jews from our ancestral homeland and Biblical roots. He speaks about the miraculous return of the Jewish people to Hebron after the Six-Day War in 1967, nearly 40 years after the brutal 1929 Arab massacre forced the ancient Jewish community out of the city.This is more than a history lesson. It is a message to the next generation of young Jewish women about pride, courage, truth, and responsibility. What does it mean to be part of the Jewish people in this generation? Why does Hebron matter today? And how should our connection to our forefathers and foremothers shape the way we think about Israel, Jewish identity, and our future?If you want to understand the heart of the Jewish story and the truth about Hebron, this is a talk you do not want to miss.Join Our Whatsapp Channel: https://chat.whatsapp.com/GkavRznXy731nxxRyptCMvFollow us on Twitter: https://x.com/AviAbelowJoin our Telegram Channel: https://t.me/aviabelowpulseFollow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pulse_of_israel/?hl=enPulse of Israel on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IsraelVideoNetworkVisit Our Website - https://pulseofisrael.com/Donate to Pulse of Israel: https://pulseofisrael.com/boost-this-video/
Chanan Gans was a Jewish teen touring America in a rock band, immersed in the world of music, freedom, and self-discovery. At the very same time, Aharona was traveling through Thailand and India, living among monks and searching for spirituality, truth, and deeper meaning. Thousands of miles apart, both were on their own journey to find purpose and God. Then came a mysterious dream, an unexpected coincidence in Israel, and a meeting that changed everything. Today, Chanan and Aharona are Chassidish, raising a family in Baltimore and sharing the incredible story of how two wandering Jewish souls found faith, Judaism, and each other. This is their wild, emotional, and unforgettable journey of destiny, spirituality, and divine providence.✬ SPONSORS OF THE EPISODE ✬► BitBean: Smart Custom Software Built for YouYaakov here. Just make the call. They can help you.Reach Out Here→ https://bitbean.link/MeEBlY ► Ohr Chadash ProgramA life changing program in Ohr Somayach that can be right for you.Reach Rabbi Eli Jaffa here...WEBSITE: Ohr.edu/ohrchadashPHONE: 058-535-8060EMAIL: r.jaffa@ohr.eduWHATSAPP: https://bit.ly/4dnV3vx► Wheels To Lease: #1 Car CompanyFor over 35 years, Wheels To Lease has offered stress-free car buying with upfront pricing, no hidden fees, and door-to-door delivery.→ CALL/TEXT: 718-871-8715→ EMAIL: inspire@wheelstolease.com→ WEB: https://bit.ly/41lnzYU► NEW BOOK: To Live or To CryStruggling with stress, anxiety, overthinking, or addiction? To Live or To Cry reveals where stress actually comes from, helping people quiet their minds, break unhealthy mental patterns, and find genuine peace through surprisingly simple but life.GET HERE→ https://a.co/d/016ovVOX✬ IN MEMORY OF ✬This episode is in memory of:• Miriam Sarah bas Yaakov Moshe• Shimon Dovid ben Yaakov Shloima#iftnLchaim.
Author, journalist, and co-founder of DoubleBlind, Madison Margolin, joins Raghu to explore her latest project: creating a roadmap to tripping, microdosing, and beyond.Grab your copy of The DoubleBlind Guide to PsychedelicsIn this episode, Madison and Raghu step into the world of: Emerging theories of Ibogaine use in Parkinson's treatment Defining ‘psychedelics' and Dr. Ben Malcom's (aka The Spirit Pharmacist) view on psychedelic & somatic awarenessWhat the clinical world can take away from indigenous plant medicine ritualsRam Dass's journey from psychedelic research to spirituality Spiritual seekers: from India to South America How regular practice helps us connect to deeper layers of realityFeeling beyond time and space Punctuating psychedelic experiences with spiritual practiceAltered states in the history of Judaism Psychedelics for war zones, trauma, and religious leadersAccessing your set, setting, and mental health dispositions “Doing psychedelics under the stewardship of an indigenous culture is equally legitimate to doing it in a clinical context, and it's also legitimate to do it at a Grateful Dead show. What I really want to get at is that the way the tribes or indigenous cultures regard these medicines is through community, song, prayer, connection to nature, reciprocity, those are all values that even the clinical world can borrow and emulate as they design their trials." –Madison MargolinAbout Madison Margolin:Madison is an author and journalist who straddles California, New York, and the Israel-Palestine region, with a focus on psychedelics, cannabis, and Judaism — jokingly referring to it as “Jews & Drugs.” Her reporting also spans culture, policy, and science. At the center of her work is a sustained curiosity about how people transcend the mind to access something larger than themselves, whether through psychedelics, spirituality, meditation, art, or somatic practice. Much of her writing explores the different ways people nourish the soul. Madison is the co-founder of DoubleBlind, the print and digital magazine that covers psychedelics and their intersections with mental health, spirituality, environmental justice, and social equity. She also co-founded the Jewish Psychedelic Summit and hosts the podcast Set & Setting on the Be Here Now Network. She has worked in journalism since 2014, with bylines in outlets including Rolling Stone, Vice Media, Playboy, High Times, Tablet Magazine, and Nylon.She began her journalism career with a cannabis column at The Village Voice shortly after graduating from Columbia Journalism School. Before that, she lived in Tel Aviv, where she worked with Israel's African refugee community. Earlier in her life, she lived at the Cloyne co-op while studying rhetoric and linguistics at the University of California, Berkeley.She is a language enthusiast who speaks or dabbles in French, Russian, Yiddish, and Hebrew. Outside of work and writing, she is usually dancing, spinning a hula hoop, or practicing yoga.Madison Margolin is also the author of Exile and Ecstacy, a book on Growing Up with Ram Dass and Coming of Age in the Jewish Psychedelic Underground. Learn more about Madison's work at madisonmargolin.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world. Arts and culture editor Jessica Steinberg joins host Gabriella Jacobs for today's episode. We begin by discussing a series of vociferous protests against Israel’s inclusion in the 61st Venice Biennale contemporary art exhibition, including the jury’s resignation. Steinberg explains that these protests are only the most recent in a much wider cultural boycott of Israel. We move on to talk about “The Eichmann Trial,” a new play written by Motti Lerner and directed by Ilan Ronen and performed exactly where the senior Nazi party member was prosecuted 65 years ago. Through survivors' eye-witness emotional stories, the play reenacts their chilling accounts about what happened in the war, in concentration camps, in ghettos, and in the forests. Steinberg notes that the content of the play has extra resonance now, in a post-October 7, 2023, landscape. We close by exploring the creations of Yaacov Agam, one of the prominent and influential figures in the international and Israeli world of art. Agam's work "clearly reflects the spirit of Israeli creativity, innovation, breaking barriers, the connection between tradition and modernity, and a broad universal vision,” according to the first paragraph of the Hebrew text on the Israel Prize he recently received. Steinberg delves into how his artwork is inspired by his spiritual view of Judaism and his upbringing as the son of a rabbi. Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Ari Schlacht.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Activating Hashem's Kindness
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