Podcasts about teshuvah

As the school year kicks off, Adam Louis-Klein shares his unexpected journey from researching the Desano tribe in the Amazon to confronting rising antisemitism in academic circles after October 7. He discusses his academic work, which explores the parallels between indigenous identity and Jewish peoplehood, and unpacks the politics of historical narrative.  *The views and opinions expressed by guests do not necessarily reflect the views or position of AJC. Listen – AJC Podcasts: The Forgotten Exodus: Untold stories of Jews who left or were driven from Arab nations and Iran People of the Pod:  Latest Episodes:  War and Poetry: Owen Lewis on Being a Jewish Poet in a Time of Crisis An Orange Tie and A Grieving Crowd: Comedian Yohay Sponder on Jewish Resilience From Broadway to Jewish Advocacy: Jonah Platt on Identity, Antisemitism, and Israel Follow People of the Pod on your favorite podcast app, and learn more at AJC.org/PeopleofthePod You can reach us at: peopleofthepod@ajc.org If you've appreciated this episode, please be sure to tell your friends, and rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Transcript of the Interview: Manya Brachear Pashman:   Adam Louis-Klein is a PhD candidate in anthropology at McGill University, where he researches antisemitism, Zionism, Jewish peoplehood, and broader questions of indigeneity and historical narrative. His work bridges academic scholarship and public commentary, drawing on field work with indigenous communities in the Amazon and studies in philosophy at Yale, The New School and the University of Chicago.  He writes on translation and the politics of peoplehood across traditions, and is committed to developing a Jewish intellectual voice grounded in historical depth and moral clarity. He blogs for The Times of Israel, and he's with us today to talk about his experience emerging from the Amazon, where he was doing research after October 7, 2023, and discovering what had happened in Israel. Adam, welcome to People of the Pod. Adam Louis-Klein:   Thank you so much for having me. It's a real pleasure to be here on this podcast with the American Jewish community. Manya Brachear Pashman:   So tell us about the research that you are doing that took you into the depths of the Amazon rainforest. Adam Louis-Klein:   So I work with a group called the Desano people who live in the Vaupés region, which is a tributary of the upper Rio Negro. Part of it's in Brazil, part of it's in Colombia today. I went there because I was really interested in trying to understand how people were often seen at the margins of the world, the periphery of the global economy. See themselves and their own sort of role in the cosmos and in the world in general.  And what I found actually is that these people see themselves at the center of it all, as a unique people, as a chosen people. And that was something that really inspired me, and later led me to rethink my own relationship to Jewish peoplehood and chosenness, and what it means to be a kind of indigenous people struggling for survival and recognition. Manya Brachear Pashman:   So were you raised Jewish? Did you have a Jewish upbringing? Adam Louis-Klein:   Yeah, I was raised as kind of a cultural and reform Jew. I wouldn't say that Israel was super present in our lives, but we did travel there for my younger brother's Bar Mitzvah at the Kotel, and that did have an impression on me. And then later on, I wear a wristband of Brothers for Life, which is a charity for injured Israeli soldiers. But as time went on, I got involved in these radical academic scenes.  And you know, my own field, anthropology, has fundamentally turned against Jewish peoplehood and Israel, unfortunately. But it was really in the Amazon, actually, that my journey of Teshuvah and rediscovering my Jewishness and the importance of Jewish peoplehood was really re-awoken for me. Manya Brachear Pashman:   You were involved in these radical circles. Did you ascribe to some of the beliefs that a lot of your academic colleagues were ascribing to? Did you start to question the legitimacy of Israel or the actions of the Israeli government?  Adam Louis-Klein:   I think I started to ascribe to them in a kind of background and passive way. In the way that I think that many people in these communities do. So I had actually learned about Israel. I did know something. But as I wanted to kind of ascribe to a broader social justice narrative, I sort of immediately assumed when people told me, that Israelis were the ones doing the oppression and the injustice, that that had to be true. And I didn't question it so much.  So it's ironic that those spaces, I think, that are built around critical thought, have become spaces, in my opinion, that are not so critical today. And I think we really need a critical discourse around this kind of criticism, sort of to develop our own critical discourse of what anti-Zionism is today. Manya Brachear Pashman:   So what inspired the research? In other words, so you're involved in these radical circles, and then you go and immerse yourself with these tribes to do the research. What inspired you to do it, and was it your Jewishness? Adam Louis-Klein:   So I think what led me to anthropology was probably a kind of diasporic Jewish sensibility. So I'd studied philosophy before, and I was very entrenched in the Western tradition. But I was kind of seeking to think across worlds and think in translation. I've always kind of moved between countries and cities, and I think that's always been an intuitive part of who I am as a Jew.  And anthropology was founded by Jews, by Franz Boas, Emile Durkheim, Claude Lévi-Strauss, so I think that's kind of part of what brought me there. But I ended up rediscovering also the meaning of, you know, homeland as well, and what it means to be part of a people with a unique destiny and relationship to territory and land. And that made me understand Zionism in a completely new light. Manya Brachear Pashman:   And did you understand it when you were there? Did you come to these realizations when you were there, or did you start to piece all of that together and connect the dots after you emerged? Adam Louis-Klein:   So part of my research looks at how indigenous people engage with Christian missionaries who try and translate the Bible into indigenous languages. So when that encounter happens, it's actually quite common throughout the world, that a lot of indigenous people identify with the Jewish people quite strongly. So this might sound a little counterintuitive, especially if someone's used to certain activist networks in which indigeneity is highly associated with Palestinians, Jews are treated now as settler colonists, which is basically the opposite of indigeneity. And that's become a kind of consensus in academia, even though it seems to fly in the face of both facts and our own self understanding as Jews. So I saw that in the Amazon, in the way people at the margins of the world who might not already be integrated in the academic, activist kind of scene, sort of organically identify with the Jewish people and Israel.  And they admire the Jewish people and Israel, because they see in us, a people that's managed to maintain our cultural identity, our specific and distinct civilization, while also being able to use the tools of modernity and technology to benefit us and to benefit the world. So I think that also kind of disrupts some primitivist notions about indigenous people, that they should remain sort of technologically backwards, so to speak. I think that they have a more nuanced approach. Manya Brachear Pashman:   So I guess, what did you discover when you did emerge from the Amazon? In other words, October 7 had happened. When did you emerge and how did you find out? Adam Louis-Klein:   So I'd been living in a remote Desano village without internet or a phone or any connection to the outside world for months. And then I returned a couple days after October 7 to a local town, so still in the Amazon, but I was signing onto my computer for the first time in months, and I remember signing onto Facebook and I saw the images of people running from the Nova Festival. And that was the first thing that I saw in months from the world. So that was a very traumatic experience that sort of ruptured my sense of reality in many ways, but the most difficult thing was seeing my intellectual milieu immediately transform into a space of denial or justification or even just straightforward aggression and hate to anyone who showed any solidarity with Israelis in that moment, or who saw it as a moment to to say something positive and inspiring and helpful about the Jewish people. That was actually seen as an act of violence.  So I went to Facebook, and I don't remember exactly what I said, I stand with the Jewish people, or with Israelis, or Am Yisrael Chai, or something like that. And many people in my circles, really interpreted that as an aggression. So at that point, it was really strange, because I'd been living in the Amazon, trying to help people with their own cultural survival, you know, their own struggle to reproduce their own civilization in the face of assimilation and surrounding society that refuses to validate their unique identity. And then I came back to the world, and I was seeing the exact same thing happening to my own people.  And even stranger than that, it was happening to my own people, but in the language of critique and solidarity. So the very language I'd learned in anthropology, of how to support indigenous people and sort of to align myself with their struggles was now being weaponized against me in this kind of horrible inversion of reality. Manya Brachear Pashman:   Had you sensed this aggressive tone prior to your time in the Amazon and when you were involved with these circles? Adam Louis-Klein:   No, I'd never witnessed anything like this in my life, and so it took some real searching and going inward, and I was still in the jungle, but encountering all this anti-Zionist hate online from people I thought were my friends. And I had to really ask myself, you know, maybe I'm in the wrong, because I've never seen people act like . . .  people who are scholars, intellectuals who should be thinking critically about antisemitism. Because antisemitism, you know, we talk a lot about in the academy, critical race theory. So we look at ideologies, tropes, and symbols that are used to dehumanize minority groups, and we learn to be skeptical.  So we learn that there are discourses that speak at times, in languages of reason, of justice, even that are actually biased, structurally biased, against minorities. So then I was deeply confused. Why did these same people not know how to apply those same analytics to Jews? And not only did they not know how, they seemed to think it was offensive to even try. So that was really strange, and I had to kind of think, well, you know, maybe I'm wrong, you know, I think there's a process of they've attempted to sort of stabilize this consensus at such a degree. That Israel is committing genocide, that Israel is a settler colonial entity that is fundamentally evil, basically. And Israelis are fundamentally oppressors. They've created a space it's almost impossible to question them.  And it took me a long time to emerge and to come to that realization that I think anti-Zionism is really a discourse of libel, fundamentally. And these accusations, I wouldn't say, are offered in good faith. And it's unfortunately, not much use to try and refute them. And so instead, I started writing, and I started trying to analyze anti-Zionism itself as an object of critique and as an ideology that we can deconstruct. Manya Brachear Pashman:   So did this change the course of your academic research? In other words, you said you started writing, are you writing academic articles, or is it more The Times of Israel blog and your more public writings? Adam Louis-Klein:   So I've been writing publicly. I started writing on Facebook, and then the readership on Facebook started to grow, and then I sent it to the Times of Israel. And I do have some plans lined up to try and get this material out in the academic context as well. Because I think that's really important, that we build parallel academic spaces and our own language of academic legitimacy. Because I think that academic language, and as well, that kind of activist language, critique of oppression is valuable, but it's also culturally hegemonic today. And so I think that as Jews, if we abandon that language, we will have trouble telling our story. So I think there are also projects like this. I'd like to mention the London Center for the Study of contemporary antisemitism. I think that's a great model. So they're doing serious academic work on contemporary antisemitism, not just classical antiSemitism, which we're all familiar with, Neo Nazis, etc. You know, what does it look like today? You know, red triangles, Hamas headbands. This is a new language of hate that I think we need to be on top of. Manya Brachear Pashman:   In fact, you presented a paper recently, there, correct, at the London Center, or at a conference sponsored by the London Center? Adam Louis-Klein:   Yeah, I did. I presented a paper. It was called the Dissolving the Denotational Account of Antisemitism. So denotational means, what words refer to. Because what I found very often is that it's a trope that's become really familiar now. Anti-Zionists, they say, we don't hate Jews, we only hate Zionists. We don't hate Judaism, we hate Zionism. We're not antisemitic, we're critical of Israel.  So these distinctions that are made are all about saying, you can't point to us as attacking Jews, because our language is such that we are denoting we are referring to something else. So in my talk, I was trying to explain that I like look at anti-Zionism more like a symbolic anthropologist. So when an anthropologist goes and works with an indigenous culture, we look at the kinds of symbols that they use to articulate their vision of the world. The Jaguar, for example, becomes a symbol of certain kinds of potency or predation, for example. So I look at anti-Zionism in the same way. It's not important to me whether they think they're referring to Israel or Jews. What's important to me is the use of conspiratorial symbols, or a symbol of child killing, for example. So we see that classical antisemitism accused Jews of killing children. Anti-Zionism today constructs Israelis as bloodthirsty and desiring to kill children. So when we see that, we see that even if they say not Jews, Zionists, they're using similar symbols that have mutated. So I think that's what I'm trying to track, is both the mutation of classical antisemitism into anti-Zionism, and also the continuities between the two. Manya Brachear Pashman:   Did you ever experience antisemitism from your academic circles or really anywhere in life through from childhood on? Adam Louis-Klein:   Not particularly. So I went to a northeastern prep school, and we were, there were very few Jews, so I think we were sort of seen as another to the kind of traditional northeast New England aristocracy. But it wasn't something that overt, I would say. I think that antisemitism is something that occurs more so in cycles. So if you look at the 19th century, emancipation of Jews and integration of Jews into society, that was the up part of the cycle, and then the reaction to that came on the down part of the cycle. So unfortunately, I think we're in the same thing today.  So Jews have very successfully assimilated into American society and became very successful and integrated into American society. But now we're seeing the backlash. And the backlash is taking a new form, which is anti-Zionism, which allows itself to evade what classical antisemitism looks like, and what we're used to identifying as classical antisemitism. Manya Brachear Pashman:   So I do want to talk about the word indigenous or indigeneity. Jews celebrate the creation of Israel as a return to their indigenous homeland, and Palestinians also consider it their indigenous homeland. So how are their definitions of indigeneity, how are those definitions different or distinct? I mean, how are their experiences distinct from each other's and from the people and the tribes with whom you immersed yourself in the Amazon? Adam Louis-Klein:   So I think indigeneity, in its fundamental meaning, captures something very real that's common to tons of different groups across the world. Which is a certain conception of the way that one's genealogical ancestry is connected to a specific territory where one emerged as a people, and through which one's own peoplehood  is defined. So as Jews, our own peoplehood is connected to the land of Israel. It's the Promised Land, it's the place where our civilization first flourished, and it's the place we've always looked to return to. And so that is very similar to indigenous groups around the world.  Now, at the same time, I think there's another concept of indigeneity that gets thrown in and sometimes confuses the issue a little bit, and that's that being indigenous relates to a specific history of dispossession, usually by European colonialism, starting in the 16th century. Now, in fact, there have been many colonialism throughout history. So there have been Islamic civilization practiced widespread colonialism. The Romans practiced colonialism. The Babylonians. But there is a tendency to only look at this form of colonialism.  And now when we look at the Middle East, what we find then is these analytics are becoming confused and applied in strange ways. So we see that Palestinians, for example, their genealogical traditions, they understand themselves as tribally derived from tribes in Arabia that expanded with Muhammad's conquest, and that's very common. And Arabian culture and Arabic language is what they practice.  And so at that level, from a factual perspective, Palestinians are not indigenous in the genealogical sense. However, there's a tendency to believe, since Jews have a state today, then since they appear not as dispossessed, because Jews have actually repossessed our ancestral land, that Jews can't be indigenous. But so I think that's a confusion. The basic understanding of what indigenous means, and largely what the UN definition is based on, is this notion of continuous identification with the territory.  So I really think that this isn't so much a question of who can live where. I think Palestinians' right to live in the land has largely been recognized by the UN Partition Plan in 1947, or the Oslo Accords, and other peace deals, but it's a question of conceptual clarity and fact. And so at this level, I believe that the UN and other institutions should formally recognize Jews as indigenous to the land of Israel. Manya Brachear Pashman:   You have written, and I want to read this line, because it's so rich you have written that the recursive logic of an antiSemitic consensus builds upon itself, feeds on moral certainty, and shields its participants from having to ask whether what they are reproducing is not justice at all, but a new iteration of a very old lie. I. So are there other examples of that phenomenon in academia, either currently or in the past? Adam Louis-Klein:   So what I was trying to grasp with that was my sense of despair in seeing that it was impossible to even point to people, point people to fact within academia, or debate these issues, or explain to non Jews who Jews even are. So I got the sense that people are talking quite a lot about Jews, but don't seem to really care about our voices.  So some of that writing that you're quoting is an attempt to understand anti Zionism, not just not only as libel, but also as a kind of practice of exclusion, where Jews feel silenced in spaces. And where, where for all the talk of Academic Freedom versus antisemitism, which I think can sometimes be a tricky issue, I believe that Jews own academic freedom has fundamentally been violated by this discourse so that recursive logic is the way rumor and repeating slogans and repeating notions, regardless of their factual content, like the Jews or settler colonists, sort of builds on itself, as well as on social media, with this algorithmic escalation until it's almost impossible to talk back to it.  So an example would be in 2024 the American Anthropological Association had its big conference, and the Gaza genocide was the main theme. But it wasn't a theme we were all going to go and debate. It was a theme that we assumed was true, and we were going to talk about it as a thing in the world, and then the Society for cultural anthropology released an issue with the exact same premise.  It was glorifying Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas and Nasrallah of Hezbollah. And then, interestingly enough, just the other day, they released another edition, which was about settler colonialism, and saying, We want to come back to this issue and and reaffirm that settler colonialism applies to Israel and Palestine against people who are attacking the concept, and we're against the exceptionalization of Israel in their terms.  And so I searched through the document, but I couldn't find anywhere where Jews were talked about as indigenous, not even as a fact, but even as a claim. I couldn't find anywhere in this journal where Jew it was even acknowledged that Jews might believe that we are indigenous. So it's almost as if the very notion is just completely erased by consciousness within academia. Which is quite frightening. Manya Brachear Pashman:   And do you feel able to push back on that. In other words, as a fellow anthropologist, are you able to ask, why is this omitted from this paper, from this journal? Adam Louis-Klein:   No, because they will simply ignore you. So that's why I believe these parallel spaces are so important and what I see my work trying to do is to help build a Jewish intellectual discourse. And unfortunately, I think we have to start a little bit internally. So we've been somewhat ghettoized.  But if we build up that space, and construct these spaces where we have, where we can share the same premises and we don't have to argue from the bottom up every time. I think that will give us strength and also more clarity on our own understanding of what's happening. You know, both of the level of what is anti-Zionism, what is this new discourse? And at the level of, how can we speak from Jewish peoplehood as a legitimate place to even theorize from or build academic theories from. Manya Brachear Pashman:   You mentioned earlier that you held on to doubt. You kept open the possibility that Israel is in the wrong here, and you were watching for, looking for signs or evidence that your colleagues were correct. But as you've watched the horrors unfold, and wondered to yourself whether maybe Israel isn't really defending itself, why have you not concluded that that is indeed the case? Why have you reached the opposite conclusion? Adam Louis-Klein:   Yeah, so I talked earlier about using, like a critical race theory analysis, so thinking about ideologies and the kind of tropes they're using and the way they're talking about Israelis, but I think that's only one part of the picture. So what I noticed is, one, they didn't want to do that kind of analysis, but two, they also weren't interested in empirical fact. So when I would sometimes try and do that analysis like this. This sounds like antisemitic, right? They would say, oh, but it's true. Israel is doing this stuff. Israel is intentionally killing Palestinian children. Israel is going completely beyond the laws of war. This is a genocide of unique proportions. Completely irrational and exaggerated statements.  They also didn't want to engage with fact. I spent a lot of time digging up the sources of this material, given disinformation. For example, the Al-Ahli incident, where it was claimed by the Hamas health ministry that Israel had intentionally bombed the Al-Ahli hospital, killing 500 people. Al Jazeera promoted it. Western outlets also promoted it, and I had people all over my wall attacking me, saying that I'm justifying this by standing with Israel. And I saw what happened after, which was that they looked into it. The casualty count was tragic, but it was far lower than reported. It was about 50 people, and it was an Islamic Jihad rocket, so Israel was not even responsible.  So I think that any rational person who sees what happened in that incident becomes skeptical of everything else they're being told and of the information circuits. And so when I also saw that the people who were talking about the Gaza genocide, weren't seemed completely unfazed by that. That made me have to rethink also what they were doing, because if they're unfazed by something like that, that suggests this isn't a truth that they're being forced to acknowledge, it sounds a bit more like a truth that has its own sort of incentive to believe in despite fact, rather than being pushed towards it because of fact. Manya Brachear Pashman:   So I'm curious, if you went back to the people that you had been immersed with and had been studying for the matter of months before October 7, did you go back to them and tell them what had happened, or did they somehow know what had happened? And I'm just curious if there was any kind of response from them? Adam Louis-Klein:   Interesting. Yeah, I speak with them regularly, on a regular basis. They don't know exactly what's happened. I think they see sometimes news, but it's largely their understanding, is that there's a lot of wars in the Western world. And they ask why? Why is there so much war? Why is there so much suffering?  I mean, they were particularly interested in in the Ukraine war, because they couldn't wrap their head around why Putin was doing this, which I think is pretty similar to a lot of people, but they do see, some of them see Israel as kind of, you know, a figure of strength, and compare Israel almost to their own notions of ancestral, sort of potency or power. So they have a very different understanding of the relationship between, let's say, power and victimhood. They don't necessarily fetishize being powerless. Manya Brachear Pashman:   Tell me a little bit about this tribe, these people that you spent time with.  Adam Louis-Klein: So the Desano there, they're one of a number of many ethnicities who inhabit the Northwest Amazonian region in northwest Brazil and southeast Columbia. They live in an extremely complex world in which there are over 25 languages in the region. And they have a very unique form of marriage, where you have to marry someone who speaks a different language than you. And so any community has a kind of nucleus of people who speak the same language, and they're from the same tribe. But the women in the community all speak different languages and come from different tribes.  So I think it's a kind of space where you have to think across difference. You're constantly confronted with people who are other than you, who are from different tribes and different communities, as well as the relationship between the Western world and the indigenous world itself. And I think that's really part of the promise of anthropology, like coming back to what I was saying earlier about a diasporic Jewish sensibility, I think it's also just a Jewish sensibility. Part of being a distinct people is that we need to think with other people, and I think that includes Muslims and Arabs and Christians as well. Manya Brachear Pashman:   That is such an enlightened approach that they have taken to marriage. Isn't that what marriage is all about, crossing those differences and figuring out and they just do it from the very beginning. And I'm also curious, though, are they also mixing with Western cultures. In other words, have they broadened that, or do they keep it within those villages? Adam Louis-Klein:   Yeah, so they've taken on a lot of features of the surrounding, Colombian Spanish language culture, and that is the struggle today. Because there's a lot of economic pressures to move to the towns and the cities in order to get work and employment. And that can pose problems to the reproduction of the traditional village community.  And so that's part of what we've been struggling with and part of the project with them. So we're currently translating an old book about anthropology, about them into their language, so they have the Bible, which was translated into the language by missionaries. And now we also want to translate their own cultural material into their language so that can help them preserve the language and preserve their own cultural knowledge. Manya Brachear Pashman:   So what's next for you, Adam? Adam Louis-Klein:   So I'm hoping to continue writing and to continue getting out this work. I'm hoping to also work with grassroots organizers to try to put some activist meat onto this opposition to anti-Zionism. So I believe that, as I was talking about parallel academic spaces are really important, I also think it's important to be able to speak back to anti-Zionism with activist language. Not only the academic side, but the activist side. So I'm working with the group now, a decentralized group, developing infographics, memes, things that can circulate to educate people about anti-Zionism as the new form of antisemitism today. Manya Brachear Pashman:   Thank you for taking on this work and for sharing your story. Adam Louis-Klein:   Thank you so much. It was a pleasure.  

Rav Samson Raphael Hirsch vision of Teshuvah What if repentance isn't about apologising to God but confronting yourself? In this episode, we explore Rav Samson Raphael Hirsch's vision of Teshuvah as radical self-honesty: confession not as ritual, but as recognition of your own capacity to change. And what if sin itself isn't a flaw in the system, but a feature essential to human freedom, moral struggle, and divine purpose? Join us as we reframe failure, not as shameful, but as the starting point of meaning.

A man told me that his wife had been a little negligent about something he had asked her to do multiple times. Unfortunately, as a result, their children were placed in a potentially dangerous situation. Baruch Hashem, everything worked out in the end, but he was extremely upset. He felt his wife had put their children in danger unnecessarily, and he had every reason to be shaken. Later that same day, while at home, he decided to learn a bit. The only sefer easily available was an ArtScroll volume of Masechet Shabbat. He randomly opened it to daf 32 ( ל״ב ), where the Gemara discusses how serious it is to place oneself in a dangerous situation. Reading it made him feel validated in how upset he was with his wife. But then, just a few lines later, he read something that shook him to the core: the Gemara says that someone who neglects learning Torah causes danger to their children. He read the line again and again. Suddenly, it hit him — he himself had been negligent in learning. He had never truly committed to a regular seder, always coming up with excuses, telling himself it wasn't realistic right now. And then he remembered something else. Just the day before, he had randomly chosen to listen to a shiur from a rabbi he had never heard before — a class recorded over ten years ago, out of thousands he could have selected. It was on the topic of Elul and Teshuvah, even though we're now in the month of Av. And incredibly, that rabbi spoke directly to the exact excuse this man had been telling himself for years. The rabbi explained why that excuse doesn't hold up, and how important it is for every Jew to carve out time to learn — even in a busy life. Now, in the span of 24 hours, Hashem had sent him three clear messages: His wife's mistake led to a danger that got him very worked up. The Gemara he "happened" to open addressed his exact situation showing him he was more guilty than his wife. The shiur he "randomly" chose directly called out his long-held excuse. He said, "I couldn't believe the hashgachah pratit. It was all connected. Hashem was clearly sending me a message, and this time, I didn't want to miss it." He picked up the phone, called his rabbi, and said, "It's time. Please help me start a serious learning schedule." Hashem speaks to us in different ways, at different moments. But it's up to us to open our hearts and pay attention to the message. Another man shared with me that from the time he graduated high school until the age of 35, he didn't put on Tefillin even once. He had drifted far from the path he was capable of being on. He loved his children dearly and would do anything for them. One day, his wife gently said, "Would you mind putting on Tefillin just for a few minutes each day — not for yourself, but so the kids can see their father wearing Tefillin?" That comment hit him like a ton of bricks. He realized how far he had gone — so far that his wife had to ask him to put on Tefillin, not even for Hashem, not even for himself, but just as an example for the kids. The very next day, he put on his Tefillin. He said he felt something special — something he hadn't felt in years. Slowly, one small step at a time, he began to come back. He started attending shul. He began learning Torah. Today, that same man has children learning full time, and he himself is growing stronger and stronger in his Avodat Hashem every single day. He is grateful beyond words for that moment that woke him up — that small comment that sparked something great. Every person is given opportunities for inspiration. Some are subtle, some are loud. Hashem wants all of His children close to Him, and He lovingly sends each one the exact kind of message they need. But it's our decision whether or not we act on it. We are getting closer and closer to the time of Yemei HaMashiach, when Hashem will fully reveal Himself to the world. Then, the tests we face now — the quiet, hidden tests of Emunah and consistency — will no longer exist. There will be no more confusion, no more doubt. But also, no more chance to grow through struggle. Now is the time. Now is the chance to grow in Torah, to grow in mitzvot, to become the people we are meant to become. Let's take the messages from Hashem and let them move us forward. Even one step today can change our entire life. And that one step can affect generations.

Devarim: Teshuvah "Before Hashem" by Rabbi Avi Harari

The Rebbe prays for the writer's recovery and encourages him to strengthen his efforts in spreading Chassidus, even in Jerusalem. He explains that light and love—especially through learning Chassidus—transform darkness and bring redemption closer. https://www.torahrecordings.com/rebbe/004_igros_kodesh/sivan/1037

The Rebbe advises seeking public forgiveness for mourning-related issues and checking tefillin and mezuzos. He explains that prophecy among non-Jews is possible when one is fully nullified, citing Rambam and Torah Or. https://www.torahrecordings.com/rebbe/igroskodesh/015/011/5596

Chag Hageulah - Yud-Gimmel Tammuz (24:19)

The foundation of Teshuvah.Source Sheet: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1051AmiojXJH3pI6z_QFPIkCnQB2syIp-/view?usp=share_link

CHUKASWhy So Harsh?In the Torah Reading of Chukat, Moshe and Aron are punished that they will not enter the land Israel. Their sin, hitting the rock to give water to the Jewish people. Why so harsh, everyone else can do Teshuvah, repentance, why were Moshe and Aharon not afforded the same opportunity?Why was G-d insistent that Moshe not enter the land of Israel?

In this 3-part course, we will explore key ideas about teshuvah, repentance, in Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik's theology. Taking his lectures in On Repentance as our jumping off point, we will weave them together with texts from across his writings to see the full picture of his ideas. Class 1: Be Your Own Messiah: Teshuvah as Self-Creation and Self-Redemption Teshuvah = Freedom. But how? And why? This enigmatic equation sets Rav Soloveitchik off on a journey, from the classic texts of the Rambam to modern conceptions of time and the self. Rejecting forms of teshuvah based on feeling bad about the past, he describes a model of teshuvah that is future-oriented and activist in nature. Teshuvah, Rav Soloveitchik argues, is key to freeing ourselves from a deterministic, deadening sense of time, and opening up revolutionary new possibilities in our lives. Class 2: Waking Up from Modernity: Teshuvah as Self-Awareness and Realism How do we realize that we need to do teshuvah? How do we realize we need to change without yet having changed? For Rav Soloveitchik, this problem lies at the heart of what it means to be a Jew in the modern era. Modernity has brought many blessings on both the Jews and the world as a whole, but it has also brought on numerous catastrophes. In this class, we will see how the problem of “waking up” from our routine ways of thinking about ourselves and the world—being self-critical and realistic—is key to avoiding the sins and idolatries inherent to human potential. Class 3: Spiritual Exile and Political Redemption: Teshuvah Beyond the Individual Teshuvah is often thought of as a spiritual endeavor of the individual Jew. There is another form of teshuvah, however: the teshuvah of the collective. Starting from the laws of communal sacrifices which atone for communal sin, Rav Soloveitchik depicts sin, exile, and redemption as a historical drama culminating in but—not exhausted by—a Jewish state. Imagining the Jewish people as a single being—an organic whole—he says that teshuvah must go beyond the actions of individuals and be realized in the life of the nation. On the national level, sin alienates us from our national self and leads to exile from the land, and redemption will mean returning to ourselves and to our land. This means a return to Jewish sovereignty, but also to a critical distance from it: sovereignty can never become all of what it means to be Jewish.

In this 3-part course, we will explore key ideas about teshuvah, repentance, in Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik's theology. Taking his lectures in On Repentance as our jumping off point, we will weave them together with texts from across his writings to see the full picture of his ideas. Class 1: Be Your Own Messiah: Teshuvah as Self-Creation and Self-Redemption Teshuvah = Freedom. But how? And why? This enigmatic equation sets Rav Soloveitchik off on a journey, from the classic texts of the Rambam to modern conceptions of time and the self. Rejecting forms of teshuvah based on feeling bad about the past, he describes a model of teshuvah that is future-oriented and activist in nature. Teshuvah, Rav Soloveitchik argues, is key to freeing ourselves from a deterministic, deadening sense of time, and opening up revolutionary new possibilities in our lives. Class 2: Waking Up from Modernity: Teshuvah as Self-Awareness and Realism How do we realize that we need to do teshuvah? How do we realize we need to change without yet having changed? For Rav Soloveitchik, this problem lies at the heart of what it means to be a Jew in the modern era. Modernity has brought many blessings on both the Jews and the world as a whole, but it has also brought on numerous catastrophes. In this class, we will see how the problem of “waking up” from our routine ways of thinking about ourselves and the world—being self-critical and realistic—is key to avoiding the sins and idolatries inherent to human potential. Class 3: Spiritual Exile and Political Redemption: Teshuvah Beyond the Individual Teshuvah is often thought of as a spiritual endeavor of the individual Jew. There is another form of teshuvah, however: the teshuvah of the collective. Starting from the laws of communal sacrifices which atone for communal sin, Rav Soloveitchik depicts sin, exile, and redemption as a historical drama culminating in but—not exhausted by—a Jewish state. Imagining the Jewish people as a single being—an organic whole—he says that teshuvah must go beyond the actions of individuals and be realized in the life of the nation. On the national level, sin alienates us from our national self and leads to exile from the land, and redemption will mean returning to ourselves and to our land. This means a return to Jewish sovereignty, but also to a critical distance from it: sovereignty can never become all of what it means to be Jewish.

In this class we will examine the key themes in the published Teshuva lectures, both in English and Hebrew, of the late Rabbi Aharon Lichtenstein, one of the intellectual thought leaders of the Modern-Orthodox world in the last half century. We will look for recurring patterns and concepts, how these themes integrate with R. Lichtenstein's broader world view and some comparisons and contrasts to other thinkers on repentance such as Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik and Rabbi Yitzhak Hutner.

Teshuvah seems to require both that we transform ourselves into someone new and that we return to who we once were and really are. Looking to a range of classical and modern rabbinic texts, we'll explore this tension and the ways in which genuine and effectively transformative teshuva requires embracing who we've been and who we are in the present. We'll consider these questions with respect to individuals, communities, and the human world at large.

Teshuvah seems to require both that we transform ourselves into someone new and that we return to who we once were and really are. Looking to a range of classical and modern rabbinic texts, we'll explore this tension and the ways in which genuine and effectively transformative teshuva requires embracing who we've been and who we are in the present. We'll consider these questions with respect to individuals, communities, and the human world at large.

In this class we will examine the key themes in the published Teshuva lectures, both in English and Hebrew, of the late Rabbi Aharon Lichtenstein, one of the intellectual thought leaders of the Modern-Orthodox world in the last half century. We will look for recurring patterns and concepts, how these themes integrate with R. Lichtenstein's broader world view and some comparisons and contrasts to other thinkers on repentance such as Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik and Rabbi Yitzhak Hutner.

The Rebbe responds to a question about sudden distance in a relationship, explaining that true causes are often spiritual, possibly due to a lapse in modesty. He urges honest self-reflection and sincere teshuvah, which brings healing and success, along with practical steps like giving tzedakah before prayer. https://www.torahrecordings.com/rebbe/igroskodesh/015/009/5430

Where the Sparks Enter — The Tzadik's Mesirus Nefesh in Tefillah Main Ideas from Likutei Moharan 26This Torah begins with a cryptic Gemara: when a chick dies within its shell, through which point does its soul exit? Rav Nachman reframes this as a metaphor for the tzadik's avodah in tefillah. The tzadik must direct his greatest mesirus nefesh precisely to the areas where foreign thoughts (machshavos zaros) enter during prayer.These “foreign” elements are not distractions to escape, but rather sparks of holiness (nitzotzos) awaiting elevation. The avodah, then, is not about bridging distance from Hashem — chas v'shalom — but about recalibrating perspective and reconnecting each experience to its true source. The tzadik, operating from an elevated vantage point aligned with Hashem's ratzon, is uniquely able to reveal Elokus in the very places where it appears most concealed. This is a function of his alignment with the ultimate context: HaMakom. Additional Expansions and Key ThemesTefillah is not primarily about personal requests; its essence is aligning oneself — and the world — with Hashem's ratzon. Individual bakashos only carry meaning within that larger context.Even misdirected emotions (e.g., love, desire) are not disconnected from Hashem. They are divine energies misapplied. Teshuvah is a reorientation, not a reconnection.Perspective defines reality: everything in creation is rooted in Elokus. What changes is how we see it.The tzadik can descend into concealment without spiritual harm, enabling him to elevate the deepest sparks. His inner purity and orientation keep him above contamination.The shell = tefillah = pre-creation/revelation koach: Just as the chick emerges from the shell, creation unfolds from tefillah. The tzadik, deeply aligned with Hashem's will, activates and channels this pre-creation power on behalf of the world.

During the year there is a set way in which we can grow and improve from one "level" to the next. However, over Pesach Hashem allows us to "skip" levels.

Chassidus Morning Class: This class is the fourth and last in a series on the Maamar (Chassidic discourse) Zos Chukas Hatorah, presented by the Lubavitcher Rebbe at the Farbrengen of Shabbos Parshas Vayakhel-Pekudei, Parshas Parah, 23 Adar, 5721, March 11, 19 This text-based class was presented on Monday, 2 Nissan, 5785, March 31, 2025, Parshas Vayikra, at Bais Medrash Ohr Chaim in Monsey, NY.

The Rebbe clarifies that self-harm for profit is forbidden, even if not done in jest, as one's body belongs to Hashem. He explains why neglecting a mitzvah labels one a rasha, adding depth to sources in Tanya and Talmud. He also notes that Mashiach, as king, surpasses Moshe in certain ways, and should head the “Kings” section rather than Moshe. https://www.torahrecordings.com/rebbe/004_igros_kodesh/adar/923

Thursday 20 Adar

Wednesdsay 19 Adar

Wednesday 19 Adar

Tuesday, 18 Adar

Tuesday 18 Adar

Tuesday 18 Adar

Tuesday 18 Adar

Monday 17 Adar 

Monday 17 Adar

Monday 17 Adar

Taanis Esther is one of many fasts we keep, but something feels different about it compared to all other fasts. Rabbi Stark dives into the mystery of, and reason for, Taanis Esther.

Join us as we dive into the fascinating story of Rabbi Eliezer and the legendary Tanur Shelachnai, or snake oven, exploring the profound implications of speech and truth in our lives. This episode highlights the power of Rabbi Eliezer's speech, showcasing how he sought to demonstrate the validity of his opinions through miraculous signs, emphasizing the importance of charity, repentance, wealth, and leadership in our discourse. We reflect on the concept of unity among diverse opinions and how true peace is achieved when individuals come together despite their differences. The discussion also touches on the idea that our actions today can impact future generations, particularly through acts of charity. Ultimately, we explore how the pursuit of truth and the unity of purpose can illuminate our paths, drawing connections between the teachings of Rabbi Nachman and the timeless wisdom of tradition.Morning greetings set the stage for a journey into the profound teachings surrounding the concept of 'holy speech' as explored through the lens of the Tanur Shelachnai, or the 'snake oven.' This episode delves into the three divine names—Kel, Elokim, and Yudkei VAV kei—that are intricately connected to the energies we harness to elevate our speech to a level of truthfulness and sanctity. Listeners are taken through a rich tapestry of Jewish thought, where the power of prayer (Tefillah) represented by Kel, the wisdom of Torah embodied in Elokim, and the divine orchestration of relationships marked by Yudkei VAV kei converge to illuminate the essence of truthful communication. The discussion weaves through the concept that every utterance we make can be categorized into four parts of speech: Tzedakah, Teshuvah, Asheris, and Malchus, each representing a distinct category of expression that reveals the depth of our internal and external realities. Through the lens of Rabbi Eliezer's encounters with the Chachamim, the episode emphasizes the importance of unity in diversity, showcasing how even when voices differ, the ultimate truth can shine through when spoken with sincerity and intent.The episode unfolds with a narrative rich in allegory and metaphor, drawing parallels between the ancient practice of pottery and the purity of speech. The Tanur Shelachnai serves as a symbolic representation of the challenges faced in the pursuit of truth, particularly in the context of the halachic debates that ensued between Rabbi Eliezer and the Sages. The metaphorical 'snake' that encircles Rabbi Eliezer alludes to the complexity of truth-seeking within a diverse community, where differing opinions can spiral around a central point without resolution. Listeners gain insight into the spiritual dynamics at play when the walls of the Beis Medrash trembled at Rabbi Eliezer's insistence that the halacha should follow him, underscoring the tension between divine authority and earthly consensus. The commentary culminates in the understanding that while Rabbi Eliezer's mastery of speech was profound, it was the collective agreement and unity among the Chachamim that ultimately aligned with divine will, revealing a greater truth that transcends individual perspectives.A key takeaway from this exploration is the essence of true leadership and the power of speech as a transformative force in both personal and communal contexts. The episode not only emphasizes the intellectual rigor of halachic discourse but also the emotional and spiritual dimensions that accompany it. By connecting the dots between the four essential categories of speech and their respective implications for social and spiritual well-being, the discussion invites listeners to reflect on their own speech and its impact on relationships and community dynamics. The final thoughts resonate with the idea that true purity in speech arises from a place of humility and a commitment to collective truth, encouraging everyone to strive for a deeper understanding of their roles in...

Stuart and Glenn

Rav Asher Weiss' Teshuvah on Lighting Ner Chanukah on a PlaneSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/ten-minute-halacha/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Teshuvah, tefila, and tzedaka are able to take away any harsh decrees. This time of year is the greatest for tefillah. As well, any kind of teshuvah is accepted at this time. And we have to go out of our way to give extra tzedaka. When someone is approached for money or some other type of request, the person may feel like he is being bothered again and quickly wants to dismiss the request. However, we should know when Hashem sends a person a chesed opportunity, it's for his own good. It may not seem that way because it has to be a test. In the end, the giver always gains more than the receiver. A man told, just as he started eating dinner one Thursday evening, there was a knock at the door. He figured it was a collector and kept eating. But as the knocking persisted, he fought himself and he got up to answer the knock. It was the neighbor's child. He was asking if his family could borrow fifty shekels. They often needed to borrow and he was happy to lend them. He went to the shelf on the bottom of the cabinet to get the money from a certain envelope, but the envelope wasn't there. He apologized to the boy saying he didn't have any money at the moment. Then he realized his problem was much bigger than his neighbor's. That envelope had a very large sum of money in it, as well as important documents. He searched high and low for it, and then came to the conclusion that it must have gotten thrown out. He prayed, pledged tzedaka, and then went outside to the garbage bins. He was embarrassed to go through his garbage with so many people walking by. At that moment, Hashem sent him a neighbor who was leaving the building. He told him of his problem and the neighbor said he would help and they would split the embarrassment. At the end of a long and unpleasant experience, Baruch Hashem, he found the envelope with the money and all of the documents. He especially felt a deep sense of hakarat hatov to Hashem, being that the garbage pickup came just 15 minutes later. Hashem sent him the chesed opportunity just in time. And just by getting up to answer the door, he was able to gain so much. Our attitude in giving should always be that we want to give. And if we don't have the ability to give, we should wish that we were able to give. If someone wants to give badly enough, hopefully Hashem will give him the ability to do so. A woman told me that her son was collecting for needy families in need of yeshiva tuition assistance. He asked his family members to contribute. The woman was only able to give him a small sum, but told him that she wished she could give more. That night she said to Hashem, "If You give me the money, I will give it all to help these needy families." Three days later, she saw a friend of hers at a gathering. The friend told her she had some good news. She just sold the pocket book that she had given her to sell. The woman then recalled, she gave her a pocket book to try and sell three years ago. She had assumed that she was never able to sell it and just gave it away to charity. Her friend said, I never lowered the price and just yesterday someone bought it for about a thousand dollars. The woman couldn't believe it. This was found money. She took the money and gave every single dollar to the needy families that her son was collecting for. She told Hashem, if He gives it to her, she would give it away. And she saw so clearly that Hashem was the One who gave her this money. Something that wasn't selling for three years suddenly got sold. When we give, we get. Especially at this time of year, tzedaka has an enormous power.

Discover the transformative power of Teshuvah, or repentance, as we embark on a profound spiritual journey. Join us as we uncover why repentance is revered as one of the most potent forces in Judaism, even surpassing the Torah and Shabbos. Through the mystical ascent of Moshe and the teachings of Rebbe Levi, learn how Teshuvah reaches the throne of honor in the heavens, emphasizing the importance of spiritual reflection, especially during the poignant 10 days of repentance.Embrace the urgency of repentance and maintain a divine connection with God, as we discuss the foundational concepts set before creation, including the Torah, the Garden of Eden, and Gehinnom. By drawing parallels to the legendary tale of Sodom and Gomorrah, we highlight the timeless necessity of living a life filled with holiness and devotion. The episode also delves into the profound impact of recent tragic events around Gaza, reminding us of the critical need to align our lives with divine values and seek forgiveness before it's too late.Overcoming personal hurdles like laziness can pave the way for spiritual and personal growth, and we explore strategies to combat this pervasive trait. With insights from the Mishnah and illustrative parables, learn how to seize opportunities for repentance and change before the unpredictable nature of life takes hold. We discuss the lessons from Bernie Madoff's infamous fraud to illustrate the escalation of minor dishonest actions and stress the importance of early repentance for true spiritual cleanliness. Concluding with a heartfelt prayer for protection and clarity, we wish our listeners a meaningful Yom Kippur, filled with love, kindness, and a future without the need for repentance._____________Recorded in The Torchwood Center - Levin Family Studios (B) in Houston, Texas on October 8, 2024.Released as Podcast on October 10, 2024._____________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!  ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

We all want to improve but what can we do and where do we even start?

והחזירנו בתשובה שלמה לפניך . The mitzvah at hand is teshuvah . Some people have done things that they wish they could be forgiven for, but they don't even know how to start the process. The damage has been done, and teshuvah seems very far away. But the Torah tells us otherwise, לא בשמים היא...כי קרוב אליך הדבר מאד בפיך ובלבבך לעשותו . Teshuvah is not far away. It can be accomplished with one's heart and mouth. Hashem is on our side, He wants us to have a full teshuvah . If we are sincere and we start the process, doing whatever we can, Hashem will carry us the rest of the way. A woman related that she was walking into her house the other day and saw a piece of paper lying on her front lawn. She picked it up to discard it, but first looked to see what was written on it. It was a short letter from her nine-year-old granddaughter, and it said, "Dear Jews in Africa, I mistakenly made fun of you. I really feel bad. Now I have a massive stomach ache and I want to get better. Please forgive me." And she signed her name. The woman then asked her granddaughter about this letter. The granddaughter said she didn't know how to get in contact with the Jews in Africa, so she threw the letter out of her window and asked Hashem to get it there. The woman told her granddaughter she happened to know someone who lives in South Africa, and she would get the letter there. When she told this person about the letter, he said he had a meeting scheduled with the chief Rabbi of South Africa, and he would give him the letter. The chief Rabbi read the letter and then sent the granddaughter a letter back saying, "I received your letter to us in Africa. You sound like a very special girl. We know that Hashem loves you, and we love you. No matter how far apart we are, Klal Yisrael are always friends. Shanah Tova , a good sweet year. From the Jews in Africa." The lesson here is clear. This girl had a strong desire to get her letter to Africa, but she didn't know how to, so she did whatever she could, and Hashem did the rest. Although sometimes we may feel completely helpless, we must always remember that results are never in our hands. All we have to do is try, and Hashem produces the results. But being that, efforts are in our hands, we must make them. We have to do what we can. I read a story in the Zichron Torat Moshe bulletin, which took place a few years ago. Rabbi Betzalel Hemich from Lev L'Achim called up Rabbi Yehuda Blumenfeld to ask him if he would be able to teach a boy and help bring him closer to Torah and mitzvot. Rabbi Yehuda Blumenfeld agreed, and every week he took a bus a long way to learn with the boy. Several months later, Rav Yehuda received another phone call from Rav Betzalel asking him if he could attend their annual Melava Malka fundraiser. It was going to take place far from where Rav Yehuda lived, and being that Rav Yehuda wasn't going to be able to donate anything anyway, he declined. Rav Betzalel persisted saying, "Please, we need you there, even for just a half hour." Rav Yehuda finally agreed and attended for the half hour that he said he would. While there, he heard Rabbi Eliezer Sorotzkin give mind-blowing stories on the mesirut nefesh that Lev L'Achim's teens experience while returning to Torah and mitzvot. A week later, Rav Betzalel called Rav Yehuda and thanked him for getting them their largest donation of the night, over $100,000. Rabbi Yehuda said in disbelief, "I didn't bring in any money, and I didn't ask anyone for money." Rabbi Betzalel explained, "After your half hour visit, you went to your father-in-law's house and ended up telling him some of the hair-raising stories that you had just heard. That week, one of your father-in-law's congregants told him that he inherited several million dollars and was asking advice on where to donate the money to. Because of what he just heard, he suggested Lev L'Achim as one of the recipients, and that's how we got our largest donation from that Melava Malka." Even a person who can't afford to help with any money could be credited with helping an organization receive tens of thousands of dollars. It is not up to us to produce the results, but it is up to us to try.

Living Emunah 2649 Yom Kippur: It's Not Hopeless The pasuk says, דרשו ה' בהימצאו, קראוהו בהיותו קרוב . We are to take advantage of the times that Hashem is closest to us. And right now, on Erev Yom Kippur, He is extremely close. We need to utilize this time to make teshuva and accept upon ourselves to improve our ways. There are people who want to be better, but the environment that they're in is stopping them. There are people who have relatives that have veered from the path, and they would do anything to get them back. To them it seems hopeless, but they must strengthen themselves and recognize that with Hashem nothing is ever hopeless. The Tanah de'Veliyahu teaches us that Hashem yearns for His beloved children to come back to Him more than a woman yearns for her husband to come back from a long journey. Hashem wants our relatives back more than we do. And we can help with our tefilot. A woman related that after her divorce she had to split the time she has with her daughter with her ex-husband. While she was growing in religion at a rapid pace, her ex-husband was going in the opposite direction. It was very confusing to her daughter to go back and forth to these different environments. The woman was so worried about her daughter every time she left the house to go to her father. This year specifically a change happened in scheduling. The daughter was going to go to her father every single Shabbat, while she would be by her mother during the week. The problem was the man doesn't keep Shabbat, and this was causing the woman so much stress and anxiety. He doesn't attend shul. There are no rabbis in the picture who he's connected to. To the woman this situation seemed hopeless. Every day she has a hotline reading the book A Daily Dose of Pesukei Bitachon . And one morning a few days before Rosh Hashanah they were discussing the pasuk which basically means there is nothing stopping Hashem from bringing salvation no matter what the salvation may be. This pasuk gave her so much strength and amazingly that same night she saw with her own eyes how Hashem could bring a yeshuah in the blink of an eye. The community in which her ex-husband lives decided to bring in a speaker from another city to give chizuk for Rosh Hashanah. Her daughter enjoys listening to that speaker very much, so she asked her father if she could go. He didn't want her to go by herself, so he said he would bring her. He went and became very inspired from the class and Bezrat Hashem will continue to grow going forward. The fact that this speaker ended up in that community on that night was an amazing story in itself. Hashem is ready and waiting to help us but we have to call out to Him first. Another story happened a couple of weeks ago. A woman was walking on Shabbat and lo alenu was struck by a car. As she was lying on the ground, the driver got out to see if she was okay. He then said out loud, "I knew Hashem was going to punish me for driving on Shabbat." The woman on the floor heard this man saying he is a Jew who desecrates Shabbat. In her weakened state she said to him, "If you will accept upon yourself right now to keep Shabbat, I will forgive you for this." The man accepted. We see a couple of lessons from this story. Number one, look at the purity of this woman. While she was suffering in pain, she was concerned that the driver who hit her should keep Shabbat. Number two, it was decreed for whatever reason that this woman had to get hit, but Hashem orchestrated it in a way where it would be this man, to give him a chance to come back to religion. Even somebody who has drifted so far that he was driving on Shabbat right in the heart of a Jewish community, Hashem yearned for him to come back. If someone has no connection to rabbis or Torah, we would think how is he going to get inspired, but Hashem always has a way, ways that we could never dream of. Now is the greatest time for us to ask Hashem for help with our own Teshuvah and to help bring back those people who we know have veered from the path. Gemar Chatima Tovah

Keshira haLev Fife, a kohenet (Jewish priestess), ritual designer, community-weaver, and founder of Kesher Pittsburgh joins Dan and Lex for a conversation about Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. How might we more effectively orient to the notion of teshuva (often translated “repentance” or “return”) over these 10 days? Could floating in kayaks have something to do with how we might re-invent these High Holidays? This episode is the third in a Judaism Unbound mini-series, helping listeners prepare for the High Holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.Head to JudaismUnbound.com/classes to check out our up upcoming 8-week courses in the UnYeshiva! Explore Jewish communities around the world, fierce women in Torah, Maimonides's (Rambam's) theology, and more!Access full shownotes for this episode via this link. If you're enjoying Judaism Unbound, please help us keep things going with a one-time or monthly tax-deductible donation -- support Judaism Unbound by clicking here!

Is Teshuvah a return to an untouched state of purity, or an acceptance of the past mistakes and experiences that have led us to where we are today? A deeply moving teaching from Rav Tzadok of Lublin about the conversation between growth and self-acceptance in the journey of Teshuvah, and on how the darker parts of our journey are the most generative parts, too. This episode is sponsored by Zelda Hair, a wig company that champions the holistic process of hair covering for Jewish women. Shop Zelda Hair at zeldahairshop.com and discover the heart behind the brand on instagram @zeldahair. Sources mentioned in this episode: Zohar, Parshas Vayetze Tzidkas Hatzaddik by Reb Tzadok Hakohen Milublin, Kuf Samach Daled and Mem We love hearing your feedback! Email us at info@humanandholy.com to get in touch. To sponsor an episode, reach out to us via email or visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.humanandholy.com/sponsor⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Become a monthly supporter of the podcast on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.patreon.com/humanandholy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. You can find us on instagram @humanandholy.

Is inner healing truly a Jewish value? How do you know when to stop? What is the relationship between emotional wellness and spiritual growth? How do we dissolve the blockages to our soul's innate voice? Explore these questions and more in this conversation about Teshuvah, personal healing, spiritual growth, and returning to our divine soul's voice. Tzivie Greenberg is a facilitator of emotional healing for soul-led living. She is Internal Family Systems Trained, IFSCA Certified. You can contact her at tziviegreenberg@gmail.com for a one time consultation or weekly sessions. You can also find more of her work on instagram @TzivieG. This episode is sponsored by Zelda Hair, a wig company that champions the holistic process of hair covering for Jewish women. Shop Zelda Hair at zeldahairshop.com and discover the heart behind the brand on instagram @zeldahair. We love hearing your feedback! Email us at info@humanandholy.com to get in touch. To sponsor an episode, reach out to us via email or visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.humanandholy.com/sponsor⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Become a monthly supporter of the podcast on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.patreon.com/humanandholy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. You can find us on instagram @humanandholy.