Podcasts about kohelet

How does Kohelet end?What is his conclusion?Does he concluded with a soliloquy about death, or a series of statements about guidance and life?

Kohelet #12 - the dramatic conclusion of the book and of Kohelet's wisdom on human mortality. Kohelet appears to end where he began - all is hevel? But what does this word actually mean? What if this word has consistently been mistranslated for centuries? Our audio today explores an alternative translation which presents a remarkably different understanding of the work as a whole and is a fitting conclusion to our studies of this misunderstood book. Speaking personally, this idea completely changed my appreciation of Kohelet and I think others will like it too. Text here:https://www.sefaria.org/Ecclesiastes.12?lang=bi

Practice kindness, diversify your investments, invest in life - even if you cannot fully understand it, and enjoy your youth! These are Kohelet's messages - a philosophy of humble pragmatism.

Kohelet #11 - 'Rejoice in your youth... but know that God will bring you to judgement for all this'Rafi Addlestone shares thoughts on the interwoven nature of joy and loss in both Kohelet and Jack Antonoff.https://www.sefaria.org/Ecclesiastes.11?lang=bi

One act of foolishness can sully a sterling reputation.

Rabbi Dr Sam Lebens offers reflections on the many possible reasons why the wise man turns to the right but the fool turns to the left.Text here:https://www.sefaria.org/Ecclesiastes.10?lang=bi

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Kohelet 8 & 9: wisdom, kings, enjoying this life even if you can't take it with you.Tzivia Appleman considers what Kohelet has in common with Ted Danson in The Good Place in their reflections on mortality.Text here: https://www.sefaria.org/Ecclesiastes.9?lang=bi

Death might be the great equalizer, but in the meantime, there are better ways to live and worse ways.

How might we act in the face of temperamental but powerful figures of government?How do we navigate an unpredictable world in which good and bad are seldom evident?Do we just eat and drink and be happy? Or maybe we allow wisdom to make our face shine.

Kohelet 8 & 9: Wisdom, kings, enjoying this life even if you can't take it with you. Aliza considers the links between ch.8 and the festivals of Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur that we are about to enter into. https://www.sefaria.org/Ecclesiastes.8?lang=bi

The word "tov -good" is the keyword of our chapter.Kohelet has been asking what the key to good is. In this chapter he offers a new pragmatic approach.

Kohelet 7 - see the works of God, for who can fix that which has been pervertedWhat does our tradition have to say about human-induced damage to our environment? What can it add to the discussion on climate change? I think a midrash on our chapter contains one of the most powerful answers. The full text of the midrash can be found in this article I wrote a number of years ago: https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/a-tu-bshvat-midrash/Text here:https://www.sefaria.org/Ecclesiastes.7?lang=bi

Kohelet #6 - the paradox of plenty as Kohelet grapples with too much abundance and successRabbi Gamliel Shmalo marshalls insights from Rashi to the Dalai Lama to the head of the Bank of Israel to shed light on the challenges facing a hedonist. Text here:https://www.sefaria.org/Ecclesiastes.6?lang=bi

6:9: "Better what you can see than the wanderings of desire."Today we address the attractions and fantasies that make us not only dissatisfied with our worldly blessings but also sap our ability and focus to appreciate and be present in the good fortune that we experience.

Kohelet #5: The dangers of dreams, vows and of speaking too freely - and the risks that wealth brings 'for one who loves money will never be satisfied with money.` In our audio we focus upon a powerful midrashic commentary to verse 14 about the nature of wealth in this world and what we take with us when we leave it: כַּאֲשֶׁר יָצָא מִבֶּטֶן אִמּוֹ עָרוֹם יָשׁוּב לָלֶכֶת כְּשֶׁבָּא וּמְאוּמָה לֹא־יִשָּׂא בַעֲמָלוֹ שֶׁיֹּלֵךְ בְּיָדוֹ׃"He must depart just as he came. As he came out of his mother's womb, so must he depart at last, naked as he came. He can take nothing of his wealth to carry with him." Text here: https://www.sefaria.org/Ecclesiastes.5?lang=bi

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Is there a value in visiting the Temple?Should an individual make a vow?The opening lines of chapter 5 speak about religious ritual, the power of speech and the manner in which a person approaches God. What is Kohelet's perspective?

This world can be tough. Kohelet suggests that many people might prefer never to have been born at all.And yet, with a little financial modesty and less comparison, with some simple companionship, we will see success and happiness.

Happiest are those never born and there is no end to the tears of the oppressed. Calev Ben Dor shares a midrashic teaching on the tears of the oppressed, mamzerut and a moving story about Rav Ovadia Yosef. https://www.sefaria.org/Ecclesiastes.4?lang=bi

Kohelet #3: there is a time for everything, to love, to hate...Rabbi Dr Sam Lebens shares thoughts on joy and its absence in Kohelet. Text here: https://www.sefaria.org/Ecclesiastes.3?lang=bi

A time to give birth and a time to die; a time to plant and a time to uproot that which is planted... A time to love and a time to hate; a time for war and a time for peace.

Haben Sie sich auch schon einmal gefragt, warum der Mensch überhaupt auf die Frage kommt, ob nach dem Tode noch etwas auf ihn zukomme? So weit würde vermutlich ein Tier niemals denken. Doch wir Menschen tun es, so lange zumindest, bis wir die Stimme in uns, die diese Frage stellt, nicht gewaltsam zum Schweigen bringen. Die Bibel gibt uns in einem eher philosophisch anmutenden Buch, dem Buch des Predigers oder Kohelet genannt, einen wichtigen Hinweis.

Ilana uses ch.2 to think about our responsibility to future generations. Text here: https://www.sefaria.org/Ecclesiastes.2?lang=bi

Kohelet entertains three possibilities of what might make life meaningful: wisdom, pleasure and work. But the ultimate litmus test will be the death of a person; does anything valuable endure after we depart this work. Is everything ephemeral (hevel)?

What is the meaning of life? That is essentially the question that Kohelet seeks to address.Who is Kohelet?What does he mean when he says: "All the rivers flow into the sea but the sea is never full"?

Kohelet chapters 1 and 2: a different darkness to Eicha. Not suffering and persecution but the meaninglessness of abundance. I introduce the book and how the Sages struggled with Kohelet's proposition while Ilana uses ch.2 to think about our responsibility to future generations.In arguing for the contemporary relevance of Kohelet to our modern predicament I quote at length from Rav Soloveitchik. Here is the full piece:Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik, Worship of the Heart, p.38Man is bored. Hundreds of millions of dollars are spent on his entertainment and amusement. He pays enormous sums to anyone who can elicit a smile from him and make him forget his daily worries. What are these worries? Poverty, sickness, persecution, physical pain? None of these. His main worry is existence itself. He is dissatisfied with what he is doing, with his job, trade or profession. He hates the routine of getting up at 7, catching the 7:45 train, and arriving at the office, where one meets the same people and discusses the same affairs. He finds no joy in what he is doing; he wants to free himself from his daily obligations and activities. He resents the repetition, which is basically a natural phenomenon. He is the most miserable of creatures because he is confined to a cyclic existence which keeps on retracing its steps afresh; for he knows what he is going to do next and what is expected of him. He travels to far-off places, because he is tired of his hometown, with its familiar surroundings, and he engages in an incessant quest for new experiences and stimuli… He soon realizes that whatever he was looking for does not exist and he comes home, back to his old surroundings and duties. He chases a mirage that recedes endlessly upon his approach.https://www.sefaria.org/Ecclesiastes.1?lang=bi

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A conversation about the lessons we can learn from Megillas Esther for our current times, walking through the doorways G-d calls us to, navigating responsibilities that we didn't sign up for, the synthesis of modern wisdom with Torah, differentiating between the sacred and unsacred, and how to begin developing a relationship with Torah study. Dr. Erica Brown is the Vice Provost for Values and Leadership at Yeshiva University and the founding director of its Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks-Herenstein Center for Values and Leadership. She previously served as the director of the Mayberg Center for Jewish Education and Leadership and an associate professor of curriculum and pedagogy at The George Washington University. Erica is the author or co-author of 15 books on leadership, the Hebrew Bible and spirituality. Erica has a daily podcast, “Take Your Soul to Work.” Her book Esther: Power, Fate and Fragility in Exile (Maggid) was a finalist for the National Jewish Book Award. Her latest book is Kohelet and the Search for Meaning (Maggid). She and her husband live in Maryland and have four children, another four through marriage, and six exquisite grandchildren. Explore more of her work at ericabrown.com.Video episode is available on Youtube. To inquire about sponsorship & advertising opportunities, please email us at info@humanandholy.comTo support our work, visit humanandholy.com/sponsor.Find us on Instagram @humanandholy & subscribe to our channel to stay up to date on all our upcoming conversations. Human & Holy podcast is available on all podcast streaming platforms. New episodes every Sunday on Youtube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Podcasts.Timestamps:0:00 Introduction2:50 Welcome Dr. Erica Brown 4:43 What We Can Learn from Megillas Esther 10:10 How Can We Show Up Right Now?12:58 A Relationship with G-d is Dynamic15:10 Harnessing the Jewish Shift in the Diaspora 18:00 The Power of Invitation19:00 Developing a Personal Interest in Tanach21:58 Bringing the Totality of Ourselves to the Text23:10 The Story of Jonah: The Wishful Fantasy of Adulthood24:45 When Your Responsibilities Feel Like Too Much 27:58 Getting Guidance From Those Who Have Walked the Path20:55 When You Didn't Sign Up for What Life is Asking of You33:50 Asking for Help: Esther and Mordechai's Partnership 35:05 The Mezuzah: Walking Through the Doorway With G-d37:50 Bringing All Worlds of Wisdom to the Torah 40:50 Filtering Out the Unholy43:20 Will AI Change the Way We Study Torah?47:10 Advice on Developing a Relationship with Torah Study

Worthaus Pop-Up – Wien: 26. März 2024 von Prof. Dr. Annette Schellenberg.

The Megilla tells us that Ester, the heroine of the Purim story, had another name – Hadasa. What might be the significance of this second name? We should perhaps assume that if the Megilla found it necessary to inform us of Ester's other name, this detail must be important. What does the name "Hadasa" represent, and what does it tell us about Ester's role in the Purim story? The historical backdrop to the Purim story is the destruction of the Bet Ha'mikdash and the Jewish People's banishment to exile. It was during this period, after the Jews had spent over half a century in Babylonia – which was taken over by Persia – that the story told in the Megilla unfolded. We can easily imagine what was going through the Jews' minds at this time. They must have assumed that their special relationship with G-d was over. After all, G-d had sent the Babylonian marauders to set His Bet Ha'mikdash ablaze, and to bring the nation into exile. Decades passed, and they remained far from their homeland. They naturally thought that they were no longer Hashem's special nation, and there was thus no longer any reason to learn Torah, to perform Misvot, or to live a religious lifestyle. Indeed, the Gemara teaches that at Ahashverosh's feast, he came dressed in the special garments of the Kohen Gadol, and used the utensils of the Bet Ha'mikdash. He was celebrating the fact that the Jews' exile was permanent, that they would never be returning to the Land of Israel and would never rebuild the Bet Ha'mikdash. The Jews participated in this feast, showing that they shared this belief. Of course, this was a grave mistake. King Shlomo, the wisest of all men, writes in the Book of Kohelet (4:12), "Ve'ha'hut Ha'meshulash Lo Bi'mhera Yinatek" – "The triple thread will not easily be snapped." A single thread can easily be torn, but if three threads are woven together, this becomes a rope, which is far more difficult to cut. The Jewish Nation is a "triple thread," having been built by three patriarchs – Abraham, Yishak and Yaakob. Had our nation been created by just a single founder, or even two founders, this would not have established a strong enough foundation to withstand the many challenges and upheavals that would occur over the course of Jewish history. But our nation was built by three "threads," three outstanding figures, laying for us a foundation that can never be broken. For this reason, the verse in the Book of Debarim (32:9) says, "Yaakob Hebel Nahalato" – Yaakob is the "rope" of G-d's "lot," the Jewish Nation. Yaakob was the third patriarch, and thus he turned the "threads" of his two predecessors into a "Hebel," a rope, that can never be broken. The Jewish Nation is eternal, and its special relationship with Hashem is eternal. A child might anger his parents, and this relationship might at times be strained, even, perhaps, under drastic circumstances, to the point where the parent must send the child out of the home for a period of time, but he will always be their child, and their love for him will always remain. Similarly, even when Hashem punishes Am Yisrael, and even when He drives us into exile, His love for His treasured nation is everlasting. This was Ester's message to the Jewish People when they faced the threat of annihilation. They had despaired, figuring that G-d had abandoned them, but she reminded them that their bond with Hashem is everlasting and unconditional. She therefore decreed a three-day fast – to remind them of the "Hut Ha'meshulash," the "triple thread" that forms the foundation of Am Yisrael, which cannot ever be broken. Ester was therefore called "Hadasa," an allusion to the "Hadas," the myrtle branch, one of the four species we take on Sukkot. The Torah calls the Hadas "Anaf Etz Abot" (Vayikra 23:40) – a branch with a thick covering of leaves – and Rashi explains this to mean "Kelu'im Ke'hebel" – "braided like a rope." The leaves of the Hadas branch grow in groups of three, with every three leaves emerging from the same spot on the stem. The Hadas' thick covering of leaves is thus likened to a rope, three threads woven together, and it symbolizes the concept of "Yaakob Hebel Nahalato," G-d's eternal bond with the Jewish Nation. In fact, the word "Hut" (thread) in Gematria equals 23, such that three threads are represented by the number 69 (23 X 3) – which is the Gematria of "Hadas." Ester was called "Hadasa" because this was precisely the message she conveyed to the Jews in exile – that Hashem's love for them was everlasting, that this bond could never be broken. We all recognize the numerous spiritual problems that plague the Jewish People in our day and age. It is clear to all of us that there is so much to improve, so many difficult problems to address. But we must never feel discouraged or fall into despair. At no point may we ever think, as the Jews in Persia thought, that Hashem no longer loves us or cares about us, that our special relationship with Him has ended. We must remember that our special bond can never be broken, that Hashem loves us under all circumstances, even when we aren't acting as we should. Sometimes this love is more evident, and sometimes less, but we must believe that it is always present. This awareness should give us the encouragement and resolve we need to work toward growth and improvement, to strive to elevate ourselves as well as our fellow Jews, and thereby strengthen the eternal bond between us and our Creator.

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Welcome to our class on humility. When it comes to working on and thinking about a specific Middah , there is always a possible danger that something could ruin the Middah or ruin the effort. In the third gate of the Hovot Halevavot, the Gate of Serving Hashem (fourth chapter), he talks about the ten levels of service of Hashem. The ninth level (which is pretty close to the top) is people who serve Hashem for the right reasons, yet lack an important piece of information. שלא נשמרו ממפסידי העבודות, They aren't careful from guarding themselves from the things that could cause their service Hashem to be lacking. He quotes a pasuk from Kohelet (10:1) זבובי מות יבאיש יביע שמן רוקח /The flies of death can ruin the best of oils and quotes one of the pious men telling the students, " I'm afraid for you, for the greatest of sins ." They asked, What is the greatest of sins? And he said, הגבהות (החונף) והגאוה, כמו שאמר הכתוב Feeling exalted, being a flatterer, and having Ga'ava/ arrogance, as it says תועבת ה' כל גבה לב:‏ ,/ An abomination to God is anybody arrogant. This is scary. A person can do everything right and it can backfire, specifically when a person is working on humility. He might say, " Wow, look who I am. I'm working on humility." He ends up becoming arrogant from that! Rav Wolbe, in his letters, (vol 2, page 129), hints to this Hovot Halevavot and says, When a person works on Middot, every step of the way, he feels that his actions are coming from arrogance that's born from the Flatterer, which are almost the exact words of this Hovot Halevavot. And he says, I have a tradition from my rabbis that we should never think we're doing anything. Whatever we do is only to train ourselves. We're apprenticing, we're interning. When I'm trying to be Mechaven in my prayers, I'm just training myself in how to do it. Whatever I'm working on, it's just a training session. He says, Hitlamdut / an internship or training doesn't drag arrogance . In Aleh Shor (vol two, page 194) he says something similar: When it comes to apprenticing, it's impossible to become arrogant. If I'm doing something good, I can become arrogant. But if I'm just training, I haven't really done anything because I'm only in training. When I'm in training mode, I'm always looking to see what I can fix. My critical eye is going over me every step of the way. A therapist, a doctor, whoever's in training, they know they're in training. Like the nine interns following the big professor through the hospital. They're not arrogant. They know that they're interns. He stresses that we must understand this, and that the only success a person will have in working on themselves is if they have this attitude. Otherwise it's just going to backfire. You might say, " Look at me! Not only am I working on Bitachon, not only do I work on Hessed, I'm even working on Anava! Do you know how great I am?!" He says, If a person does not understand this concept that you're in the internship stage , you're just training, you're in the minor leagues, then you're better off not doing this. You'll be a good Jew without it. It's not for you. It's too dangerous. Furthermore, in Aleh Shor (vol 1, page 65) Rav Wolbe says we are supposed to think, "I just want to get a little bit better, or a little bit more truthful in my approach," One should not think, " I made it ," or " I got it ." Like the example of the poor man who knocks on the door and comes in in the middle of the meal. He is served whatever they're up to. He's not going to say, " Ooh, look who I am!" You're just an intern. You're apprenticing. It shouldn't get to your head. Mesilat Yesharim , in chapter 11, talks about different manifestations of Ga'ava . He says there's a certain type of arrogant person who says in his heart that he's so great and so honorable that honor can never separate from him, and therefore he doesn't even need it. To show that, he'll go to the extreme in humility. But in his heart, he lifts himself up and says, I'm so high up and so respected that I don't even need respect . I'm so great, I don't need someone to tell me how great I am . I have so much of it. I don't need anyone else to pat me on the back. A slightly different type of arrogant person says, "I want to be clearly designated as a person with many great qualities. It's not enough that people say for example, that I'm wise, or I'm kind. He want them to add to the list of his great qualities that I'm very humble. He becomes arrogant in his humility! He wants honor for showing that he's running away from honor! He sits in the back of the shul, and he acts in a very humble way to show that he's the ultimate Anav . Don't call me Rabbi, it's okay, he says. But in his heart he thinks, There's no one wiser and more humble than me . אֵין חָכָם וְעָנָו כָּמוֹנִי בְּכָל הָאָרֶץ" So both the Mesilat Yesharim and Hovot Halevavot are warning us that working on oneself and working on humility can backfire. That's why we go back to Rav Wolbe who tells us an important rule: One must always put on his training cap. He's an intern. He doesn't know anything. He's a humble person in training. The sefer Or Yisrael by Rabbi Yitzhak of Peterberg, in the section Kochvei Or ( (אות י brings down a pasuk from the Gemara in Berachot 61 that says that Yetzer Hara is compared to a fly. And they quote our pasuk זבובי מות יבאיש יביע שמן רוקח / The flies of death can ruin the best of oils. Why is the Yetzer Hara compared to a fly? The Or Yisrael answers, Because as many times as you yell at him, swat at him or blow on him, he doesn't go away. You have to keep sending away. He keeps coming back. That's the Yetzer Hara. He doesn't give up. And that's why even when we're working on something good, and we're trying to send him away, he comes right back. You have to be always aware of him. That's the only way to fight him- to take your fly swatter and keep swatting away. He gives a nice hint- the Gemara in Berachot 10A says that the Isha Shunamit , when describing Elisha, said, I know he's holy. How did she know? One of the reasons is that she never saw a fly on his table. There were never flies around him. He says this is a mashal - There were never flies meant he was able to keep chasing away the Yetzer Hara.

Como cierre de este libro conversamos con Erica Brown quien fue la autora del libro que utilizamos para explorar la obra de Kohelet.

Kohelet 7 - see the works of God, for who can fix that which has been perverted.What does our tradition have to say about human-induced damage to our environment? What can it add to the discussion on climate change? I think a midrash on our chapter contains one of the most powerful answers. The full text of the midrash can be found in this article I wrote a number of years ago: https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/a-tu-bshvat-midrash/Text here: https://www.sefaria.org/Ecclesiastes.7?lang=bi

Kohelet #6 - the paradox of plenty as Kohelet grapples with too much abundance and successRabbi Gamliel Shmalo marshalls insights from Rashi to the Dalai Lama to the head of the Bank of Israel to shed light on the challenges facing a hedonist. Text here: https://www.sefaria.org/Ecclesiastes.6?lang=bi

Welcome to our series on humility. Yesterday we spoke about the concept of Rommemut HaNefesh/ an exalted uplifted soul . Today we'll continue with that topic, starting with a quote from Rabbenu Yonah in Shaare HaAvoda. It's worthwhile to read every word. He says, " The first opening of serving Hashem is that the person who's serving Hashem should know his value and realize his qualities, and the qualities of his forefathers; how great they were, how important they were, how dear they were to Hashem. And they should try and strengthen themselves constantly to keep themselves on that high level and to act on it constantly. And every day, continue to add strength to get even more qualities to connect to their Creator. It'll be slow at the beginning, but he will get even greater as time goes on." And then he says, " This will cause him that when he has a desire to do something negative or he becomes arrogant and wants to do something improper, he'll be embarrassed of himself and of his forefathers and he'll tell himself, 'Somebody great and important like me, with is so many wonderful qualities…I'm the children of the greats of kings of old, how can I do such a thing like this?'" And he quotes a term used by Yosef HaSadik, " איך אעשה הרעה הגדולה הזאת וחטאתי לאלקים /How could I do a sin like this and sin to God?" hinting to that's what saved Yosef. And the word that he uses in Hebrew is, I have qualities that are exalted… And he says the opposite: If heaven forbid, you don't realize your qualities and qualities of forefathers, very easily you're going to go in the ways of the Pritzim/people that breach the proper ways. He says The one that wants to serve Hashem has to constantly try to realize his qualities and the qualities of the Sadikim and Hasidim and how important and endearing they are to Hashem. He has to realize that he too can reach those levels of importance and endearment, as long as he serves Hashem the way they did and uses his time and abilities according to his strengths and talents . As the pasuk says in Devarim 30,14, כִּֽי־קָר֥וֹב אֵלֶ֛יךָ הַדָּבָ֖ר מְאֹ֑ד בְּפִ֥יךָ וּבִֽלְבָבְךָ֖ לַעֲשֹׂתֽוֹ / It's extremely close to you, in your mouth and your heart to do it which means Hashem is not asking you more than you can do. And our great forefathers Avraham Yitzhak and Yaakov served Him according to their abilities." Unbelievable words of hizuk from Rabbenu Yonah, That the first step towards serving Hashem is realizing your hashivut / importance . And again, that's not a contradiction to being humble. On the other hand, Rav Chaim Vital in his sefer Shaare. Kedusha , section 2 gate 4 says almost the same words in contrast, that being down on yourself is the gate of the beginning of the seduction of the Yetzer Harah. Even if you're a sadik, the Yetzer Hara will come to you as a pious man and say, 'How could you even entertain coming close to the Holy King of the world, you piece of dust, worms and maggots?' These attitudes come from the original snake that interacted with Adam and Chava. Last class we spoke about Amalek. Amalek is the evil force that tries to tell us, Rak Rah Kol HaYom/ You're only evil, all day . The pasuk in Yeshaya 14,29 says ךְ כִּֽי־מִשֹּׁ֤רֶשׁ נָחָשׁ֙ יֵ֣צֵא צֶ֔פַע וּפִרְי֖וֹ שָׂרָ֥ף מְעוֹפֵֽף׃ / From the root of the Nachash/snake will emerge a Sefa/viper. These are 2 different types of snakes. And our rabbis tell us that from the root of the snake (referring to the original snake, the sin of Adam HaRishon) will come out a viper- referring to Amalek. The Chida says in Nachal Eshkol , his commentary on Kohelet 10,11, that the numerical value of צפע is 90 + 80 + 70 = 240, the same numerical value as עמלק Amalek. Amalek is that continuation, the embodiment of the snake. And that's why just like in the future it says the snake will be wiped out, so too, Amalek will be wiped out. As we mentioned previously, the epitome of Amalek was Haman . And that's why the sefer Kehilat Yaakov, written by Rav Yaakov Tzvi Yalish (1777- 1825), one of the students of the Chozeh of Lublin tells us that Haman is Rasheh Tevot for ה וא מ שרש נ חש . He comes from the root of the snake. The opposite is Mordechai HaSadik. Haman was there to bring down the exaltedness of the Jewish people and Mordechai brought it up by not bowing. The snake is told, in Bereshit 3:15 וְאֵיבָ֣ה ׀ אָשִׁ֗ית בֵּֽינְךָ֙ וּבֵ֣ין הָֽאִשָּׁ֔ה I will put hatred between you and the woman. The word איבה spells is א יש י הודי ה יה ב שושן. Wonder of wonders, that we have this concept clearly brought out that it goes back to the snake who started all our problems. The snake tried to introduce the false Rommemut/ arrogance into man and he continues his mission with Amalek, and with Haman. Let us again go a little deeper into our story: As the Jewish people are leaving Mitzrayim, they're going out ביד רמה with an uplifted hand, with Rommemut. Amalek can't stand that. Amalek can't swallow the fact that we're coming out with Rommemut . Amelek's numerical value 240 is רם as well. Every concept has a negative and positive. The Jewish people are the Rommemeut of Kedusha/ the holy aspect of exaltedness, whereas Amalek is the opposite. He's the contaminated aspect of exaltedness. He misuses this concept of Rommemeut . He's a fraud. He's Haman who makes it look like he's רם Ram/exalted , important. But it's fake, because he is dependent on the world to give him that importance. It's not inherent. He goes wild when he doesn't get his importance because he's not really internally great. He doesn't have internal qualities of greatness. The Elder of Kelm in Shemot , essay 253 tells us that true honor cannot be taken by anybody else. As it says in Mishleh 3,35 כָּ֭בוֹד חֲכָמִ֣ים יִנְחָ֑לוּ l The wise inherit honor. Because they have wisdom, they have inherent greatness. If a person is always complaining and in pain because they don't get outside recognition and constantly feel chased by others, that is a sign that other people own his honor and they can give it or take it away from him. But not the Chachamim . They have inherent honor and no one can take it away from them. Look what Haman ended up saying. When one person, Mordechai, doesn't bow down to him, he says, " כל זה איננו שוה לי This is all worthless to me ." Of course, he can't show it, as it says, VeYitapek Haman. Haman holds himself back. He controls himself, but he knows, inside of him, how much it hurt. The rabbis tell us, based on Gemara in Masechet Megila that Yaakov Avinu requested from Hashem, " Don't let Esav HaRasha get his will. " And that refers, it says to גרממיא של אדם If Hashem would not have held them back, they would have destroyed the whole world. Rav Yaakov Emden, hundreds of years before the Holocaust, says there's a mistake in the text- It shouldn't say גרממיא , it should say גרמניה , Germany . So the Gemara clearly says that Germany is this force that comes from Esav (as does Amelek) that could wipe out the world. The Germans mimic the fake concept of Rommemut as well. As we know, Hitler professed the Aryan race, his pseudoscientific superior race concept. Now that we have DNA and RNA, there's nothing to support this claim. It's what we called pseudoscience. But they believed that they were some special, superior specimen of humankind. They thought they were a master race and they believed that non-Aryans were racially inferior. The term that Hitler used was Untermentsch/subhuman, and he claimed they were an existential threat that had to be exterminated. That was the state ideology that led to the Holocaust. Blonde hair, blue eyes- a made-up, fake Rommemeut . There's nothing there. It's Pseudoscientific. Rav Wolbe writes in his sefer at the end of Parashat Beshalach where it talks about Amalek's attack, that the Jewish people have quality . That we have what's called Azut D'Kedusha. We have a strength of brazenness, of holiness. We don't give up. Like Mordechai, we aren't impacted by outside world opinion. That's why we're still here today. We're called Azin Sh'bUmot the most brazen of nations , and we wouldn't survive without that. But Amalek has the Azut of Tum'ah. As it says, Every nation is in trembling, they were all impacted by the event of Keriat Yam Suf. And who was the one that said, I'm going to be brazen I don't care… That was Amalek. He's not impacted. He doesn't change from anything around him, from anything outside of him. He continues to do what he wants to do. That's the ultimate evil. As long as Amalek is around, Hashem's throne is not complete. He is the antithesis of a Hashem. Shaul Hamelech was the first king to take on Amalek but he didn't do it. Why not? In Shmuel 1, perek 15:24, Shaul excuses himself and says חָטָ֔אתִי כִּֽי־עָבַ֥רְתִּי אֶת־פִּֽי־יְהֹוָ֖ה וְאֶת־דְּבָרֶ֑יךָ כִּ֤י יָרֵ֙אתִי֙ אֶת־הָעָ֔ם וָאֶשְׁמַ֖ע בְּקוֹלָֽם׃ I sinned. I didn't listen to Hashem and to you. Because I was afraid of the people. You were afraid of the people? That's a lack of Azut D'Kedusha. You can't take on Amalek, the Azut of Tum'ah unless you possess Azut D'Kedusha. Lastly, we said there's difference between Ga'ava , which means you think you're great because you're above somebody, and Rommemut , which is inherent exaltedness. We say Romemtanu Mikol Leshonot/God lift us up/exalted us, above all other tongues. But why do we have to be above all other tongues? It should be inherent, shouldn't it? And the answer is, it is inherent. We are greater than all other tongues doesn't mean that we're just greater than all the nations. It means our language is greater, not by comparison, but it's inherently greater. The building blocks of creation were the 22 letters of the Alef Bet. Just like we have a periodical table elements, we have the 22 letters. They call water H2O, two hydrogen and one oxygen. But if you could look with spiritual glasses, you would see water is מים . Mem Yud Mem. That's the spiritual makeup of water, and that's why it's called the Mayim . When you call it water or agua or any other name, it's just a made up word to refer to it. It's not the inherent essence of the word. So the only language that is inherently exalted, because it's talking about the thing itself, is Lashon Hakodesh . That's why we're not just being arrogant about our language, like, " My language is more poetic than yours ." Or, " My language is richer than yours." No, it's inherently exalted. It's Rommamtanu M'kol Leshonot. This concludes our lesson on the contrast between exaltedness and arrogance.

Leadership isn't just a modern concern—it's embedded in the DNA of the Torah itself. In this episode, Dr. Erica Brown unpacks the centrality of leadership in Jewish thought, drawing on insights from The Torah of Leadership. She explains why leadership has been a defining theme of her work, how the need for strong leadership has intensified—especially since October 7th—and why the Torah's challenge to lead is more relevant than ever. We explore how the Torah doesn't merely contain lessons on leadership but demands leadership at every turn, a truth that often goes unnoticed. Dr. Brown diagnoses why we've lost sight of this and offers a path back to seeing leadership as the Torah intends. From the dangers of stubbornness in am k'sheh oref (a stiff-necked people) to the ethical dilemmas of deception in Rivkah and Yaakov's story, this conversation delves into the profound tensions and moral complexities of leadership. What does it take to lead a people who resist change? When, if ever, do lies serve a higher purpose? Dr. Brown brings clarity, depth, and wisdom to these questions, making the Torah's leadership lessons impossible to ignore.---• Bio: Dr. Erica Brown is the Vice Provost for Values and Leadership at Yeshiva University and the founding director of its Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks-Herenstein Center for Values and Leadership. She previously served as the director of the Mayberg Center for Jewish Education and Leadership and an associate professor of curriculum and pedagogy at The George Washington University. Erica is the author or co-author of 15 books on leadership, the Hebrew Bible and spirituality. Erica has a daily podcast, “Take Your Soul to Work.” Her book Esther: Power, Fate and Fragility in Exile (Maggid) was a finalist for the National Jewish Book Award. Her latest book is Kohelet and the Search for Meaning (Maggid). She and her husband live in Maryland and have four children, another four through marriage, and six exquisite grandchildren.---• Get her book here: https://www.amazon.com/Torah-Leadership-Erica-Brown/dp/1592646816/ref=sr_1_1?crid=MFTHQQ4CLKC2&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.hLYZuZZvn75pCZotr-6RyN4_8UV3NNF4hrqv3YpP34DGjHj071QN20LucGBJIEps.RzHMV8wYe07YNizVGST8QU6M6HijexFDycQ7iBfmKG8&dib_tag=se&keywords=erica+brown+torah+of+leadership&qid=1739133039&sprefix=ericA+BROWN+TORAH+%2Caps%2C132&sr=8-1• Welcome to JUDAISM DEMYSTIFIED: A PODCAST FOR THE PERPLEXED | Co-hosted by Benjy & Benzi | Thank you to...Super Patron: Jordan Karmily, Platinum Patron: Craig Gordon, Gold Patrons: Dovidchai Abramchayev, Lazer Cohen, Travis Krueger, Vasili Volkoff, Rod Ilian, Silver Patrons: Ellen Fleischer, Daniel Maksumov, Rabbi Pinny Rosenthal, Fred & Antonio, Jeffrey Wasserman, and Jacob Winston! Please SUBSCRIBE to this YouTube Channel and hit the BELL so you can get alerted whenever new clips get posted, thank you for your support!

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Eher selten haben wir Predigtbuddies und auch Perikopenprediger:innen es mit einem Text aus dem weihseitlichen Buch Kohelet zu tun. Um so mehr freuen wir uns über die Herausforderung dieses Textes.In der sogenannten „Krise der Weisheit“ scheint uns Weisheit zu sein. Wer versucht nicht allzu gottlos und nicht allzu gerecht zu sein, sucht den Kompromiss und geht achtsam damit um, dass er nicht alles weiß, durchschaut und versteht. Extreme tauchen immer da auf, wenn man glaubt, man hat die alleinige Weisheit gepachtet.

Heute möchte ich dich einladen, gemeinsam mit mir Kohelet 3, 1- zu lesen und gleichzeitig spirituell, kulturell und historisch zu beleuchten. Unterstütze unsere Arbeit für Jesus: https://www.keineinsamerbaum.org/spenden

Heute möchte ich dich einladen, gemeinsam mit mir Kohelet 2, 22-26 zu lesen und gleichzeitig spirituell, kulturell und historisch zu beleuchten. Unterstütze unsere Arbeit für Jesus: https://www.keineinsamerbaum.org/spenden

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Kohelet 3 | To Everything a Season, by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom What is the wisdom hiding behind the famous "Song of the Seasons" in Kohelet 3? The third chapter of Kohelet begins with a famous poem, where the author presents 28 "seasons", some positive and some drastic, noting that there is a time for each of them. The choice of these 28 "times" has long challenged commentators; even more difficult is the sequence and hierarchy of these choices or experiences. Using Kohelet's own weltanschauung and utilizing literary structural analysis, we propose an explanation that not only explains the selection of these "times", but also their unusual sequence. Source sheet >>