The Thinking Jew Podcast

With the fast of the 10th of Teves approaching this week, I'm rebroadcasting episode 55 which contains such a powerful idea behind the spiritual power of this meaningful day.

There are 6 public fast days on the Jewish calendar: Yom Kippur, Tisha B'Av (the 9th of Av), Tzom Gedalia (the 3rd of Tishrei), Asarah Biteves (the 10th of Teves), Taanis Esther (the 13th of Adar) and Shiva Asar Bi'Tammuz (the 17th of Tammuz).   And while Yom Kippur and the fast of Esther each have their own independent reason for fasting, the remaining four are much more interconnected.

In this episode, you'll discover the historical connection between the fateful days of 10 Teves, 17 Tammus, 9 Av and 3 Tishrei, and how they're all part of one story of exile and destruction.  We'll see how the tenth of Teves (which is coming up next on December 14th, 2021) kickstarted this process and we'll then discover a deeper Kabbalistic understanding from the Chasam Sofer that sheds a whole new light on why the 10th of Teves plays such a uniquely important role in this process.

Happy Listening!

Rabbi Moshe

If you ask most people what the miracle of Chanuka was, they'll most likely respond with the story of a small jug of pure oil burning in the Temple for 8 nights.  After all, we light our menorahs for 8 nights to commemorate that miracle!

But, was that really the greatest miracle?  Did a tiny small untrained Jewish army led by rabbis not defeat the mighty Greek Empire?

So what is the REAL miracle of Chanuka?  What is our primary focus? 

Join me as we look through Jewish sources to discover the answer to this question and walk away with a powerful lesson to carry with us into Chanuka!

Happy Listening!

Rabbi Moshe

The Torah is broken up into many different sections and parts. The primary two being the written law (Torah She'bichsav) and the oral law (Torah She'ba'al Peh).  

In today's episode I lay out the general structure of the Torah and show how all the sections are interconnected.  

I also cover topics such as:

1) How could the oral law have been written down?

2) Was every prophecy received included in Prophets?

3) What's the difference between Torah, Prophets and Writings?

4) Why did God give both a written and oral Torah?

Happy Listening!

Rabbi Moshe

This past week I asked close to 50 people to think of something that they want to improve at over this coming year.

A whopping 100% (!!!) thought of something that they're really bad at and is extremely difficult for them.  This is often how we think.  We know what we're bad at and want to change it, but when we approach it head on, we often fail and remain in the exact same place.

So, how do we create real change?  How do we become the best version of ourselves possible?

Join me  as we look at the novel approach of Rav Kook to teshuva.  He presents a comfortable and practical method to real self-actualization!

As always, feel free to reach out with any questions or topic requests.

Happy Listening!

Rabbi Moshe

Do you find yourself approaching the High Holidays the same way every year?  Thinking about the same things you want to improve on that you said last year?  With so much busyness in life, how can we make a real change? 

Join me as we look to our forefather Abraham, and his journey of finding God in a pagan culture, to help guide ourselves in 2022 and beyond!

Happy Listening!

Rabbi Moshe

After being diagnosed with terminal cancer, Brittany Maynard moved to Oregon, then (2014) one of only four states with legalized physician assisted suicide.  She was a big activist for legalizing suicide for terminal patients, allowing them to "die on their own terms".

In this class, we take a deep dive into the traditional sources on suicide and physician assisted suicide across many texts in the written and oral law, discussing such questions as:

Is there any allowance for suicide in the Torah?  What is the Torah's perspective on pain and pain management?  Are we obligated to treat every disease or can we let it run its course?  What is the Torah's perspective on "quality of life" vs. life itself?

Happy Listening!

Rabbi Moshe

Wouldn't life be simpler if we could just walk into a building and experience God? Would it not answer so many questions and doubts?  Would it not provide such clarity of purpose and mission?

A long time ago, when the Temple stood in Jerusalem it provided just that.  Entering the temple was a transcendent experience - as if you were now experiencing life on a higher dimension.  So the question I explore in this episode is why did God remove that from us?  Why would God not want us to have a whole-body spiritually immersive experience to help us reconnect and refocus?

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this as well, so feel free to reach out (thethinkingjewpodcast@gmail.com)

Happy Listening!

Rabbi Moshe

The first words a Jew says when he or she wakes up is 𝘔𝘰𝘥𝘦𝘩 𝘈𝘯𝘪, a prayer expressing thanks to God for another day.  Jewish law desires one to say this prayer so immediately upon waking that the prayer doesn't contain the name of God in it, so one can say it even before they wash their hands (𝘯𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘢𝘴 𝘺𝘢𝘥𝘢𝘺𝘪𝘮).

What is so special about this prayer that our sages instituted it as the first words, and really the first thoughts, of the day?  What is the deeper meaning behind it?

Join me as I go through the text, the history and the meaning behind this beautiful 12 word opening prayer.

Happy Listening!

Rabbi Moshe

This coming weekend begins the saddest part of the Jewish calendar.  Occurring across a three week period, between the 17th of Tammuz and the 9th of Av, this time period has held the most terrible tragedies for the Jewish nation.

What were those tragedies?  What's the history behind these ominous days?  What's the message for us nowadays?  What are the practical laws (halachahs) that apply during this time?

In this episode, I provide a broad overview of this time period: beginning with the history, then the deeper meaning and concluding with the relevant laws.

Happy Listening!

Rabbi Moshe

In this episode we look into the concept of genetics in Torah law.  When are we developing the world and using the resources God gave us and when are we playing God?  

Is it ethical to pick the gender of a child?  What about their height/eye color?  What if it impacts their health? Does that make it better?

In addition to these general questions, we discuss the Rabbis approach to genetic diseases in the Jewish community (specifically Tay Sachs), the concept of determining Jewish/Kohein status based on genetic testing and many other thoughts connected to genetics as well.

Happy listening!

Rabbi Moshe

As I move over the next few weeks, I will be posting episodes on fascinating topics in Jewish Bioethics from classes I gave to a group of Medical Doctors.  Once I'm settled, I intend on restarting the shorter 10-15 minute style I've used until now.

In this episode we take a look at the fascinating case of Cassandra C.  In September 2014, Cassandra C., then 17 years old, was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma. After lying to the courts and running away from chemo, she was placed under the custody of the Connecticut Dept. of Children and Families. She was then forced to complete treatments against her and her family’s wishes, ultimately resulting in her complete recovery.

In this episode we discuss the Torah's perspective on the following ethical questions:

Are there any limits to personal autonomy in Jewish law?

Is one allowed to deny treatment of a curable disease?

If one is making a bad medical decision, can we coerce them into taking the necessary treatment?

As I move over the next few weeks, I will be posting episodes on fascinating topics in Jewish Bioethics from classes I gave to a group of Medical Doctors.  Once I'm settled, I intend on restarting the shorter 10-15 minute style I've used until now.  I'd love your feedback on which you like!

Happy listening!

Rabbi Moshe

Have you ever felt trapped in a certain behavior pattern and struggled to break out?  Often when we approach our behaviors head on, we lose badly.  How can the Torah guide us in this aspect?

In Numbers chapter 6 the Torah discusses the Nazirite, one who accepts upon himself to separate from certain physical pleasures and focus on their spiritual growth.  And, the commentaries all struggle with understanding this section.  In one place, the Torah describes him as holy and even compares him to the high priest, but at the same time the Torah requires him to bring a sin offering, implying he's doing something wrong?

Join me as we take a deeper look at the Nazir and try to understand exactly what he is attempting to accomplish.  Once we understand that, we can apply it to improving our own lives as well!

While traveling in the desert, God commands Moses to set up the Jews in very specific formation; three tribes in each direction and the tabernacle in the center.  The Torah also teaches that each encampment had its own flag, as well as each tribe had its own flag.

What was the role of these flags and encampments?  Why not keep the people united as one whole group?  To strengthen the question, one of the great merits the Jews had when they received the Torah was their unity, so why would God seemingly want to alter that by dividing them?

Join me as we take a deeper look into what flags represent as well as the Kabbalistic parallels between the tribes encampment around the Tabernacle and the angels' encampment around God's throne of glory. 

Happy Listening!

Rabbi Moshe

I heard earlier today that one of my greatest Rabbis passed away.  His name was Rabbi Eliyahu Margulies zt'l, and he was the first teacher I had that really opened my eyes to the deeper side of Torah.  Many of the ideas that I share on this podcast and throughout all of my teaching are sourced in what I learned from this great man.

In his honor and in his memory, I decided to share a beautiful and deep idea that I heard from him 10 years ago (to the week), when I was studying in the great Mir Yeshiva in Jerusalem.

One of the most famous Jewish dictums is (Leviticus 19:18), "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."  But this verse seems quite difficult!  Is it really possible?  What does that mean?  Do I really have to do everything that I would do for myself for all my Jewish brethren as well?  Buy them their groceries?  Lease them a car?  Take out a mortgage for them?  It seems impossible!

Join me as we analyze a fascinating debate between the Rambam (Maimonides) and the Ramban (Nachmanides) regarding the obligation of this famous verse.  We'll also discuss another fascinating verse from Leviticus (25:36) which seems to prioritize your life to the life of your brother and try to figure out how to resolve these apparently contradictory verses.

Happy Listening!

Rabbi Moshe

There is a biblical obligation to count 50 days from the Omer offering (Leviticus chapter 23), and then on the 50th day to bring an offering of two breads and celebrate a holiday (Shavuos).  Even in modern times, in which we no longer have a temple and can no longer perform these offerings, we still count the 50 day period from when the Omer should've been brought until Shavuos.

What exactly is the purpose of the counting?  Why is the Omer offering brought in the middle of Passover?  What is the connection between Passover and Shavuos (the two bookends of this counting)?  Why does the Torah require the Omer offering to be from barley while the two bread offering must be from leavened wheat?  Why is Shavuos celebrated as the 50th day from the Omer and not based on a calendar date?

Join me as we look into the deeper connection between Passover and Shavuos, and how the respective offerings brought on each holiday connects to the essence of what that holiday represents.  With that knowledge in place, we can unlock the deeper meaning of the counting of the Omer!

Happy Listening!

Rabbi Moshe

The Yahrtzeit is the Hebrew date of passing of a close family member.  There are many customs observed on the yahrtzeit as a merit for the departed soul, such as, lighting a 24 hour candle, learning Torah and saying the mourner's kaddish.

In this episode, I take a deeper look at the significance of the yahrtzeit and its customs.  What exactly happens to the soul on the yahrtzeit?  Why is the Hebrew date of passing still significant in future years?  What can we practically do to carry on the legacy of our relative's that are no longer in this world?

Big thank you to Sasha and Alyssa Sicular for sponsoring this episode with a gold level sponsorship in memory of Sasha's father, Roy Sicular ob'm, Yerachmiel ben Chaim Ha'Levy z'l. May the Torah learned here serve as a great merit for his soul.

Happy Listening!

Rabbi Moshe

What is the real definition of "freedom"? Is it doing whatever we want, however we want, whenever we want or is it something more internal?  How does the Torah define freedom?  

Join me as we analyze a few unique stories of "freedom" to uncover this essential principle.  Additionally, we'll discuss many other fundamental ideas, such as free choice, the receiving of the Torah, and our general decision making process.

This is an edited recording of a class I gave in 2018 on the topic of freedom and Passover. I hope you enjoy!

Happy Listening!

Rabbi Moshe

As always, I'd love to hear from you! You can reach me at thethinkingjewpodcast@gmail.com

This episode is the last one discussing the laws of Passover.  In episode 68, I discussed the laws (and philosophy) of removing chametz from your house in general.  In episode 69, I discussed how to kasher your year-round kitchen to allow you to use it for cooking Passover food.  In this episode, I discuss the laws of the Passover Seder.

We'll go through each step of the seder and mention the relevant laws to that section. 

Also, a final reminder to sell your chametz (as discussed in episode 68).  If you would like me to be your agent for that, please reach out.

Happy Listening!

Rabbi Moshe

In this episode, I discuss the laws of using your year-round kitchen for Passover foods.  Obviously, we want to avoid any chametz from getting into our Passover food, but in addition to actual physical chametz, the Torah prohibits chametz "flavor" from being cooked into our Passover food as well.

The episode begins with the general rules of taste transfers in Jewish law and then goes through the classic sections and appliances in your kitchen, teaching you how to prepare each one for use on Passover.

If you have any specific questions, you can always reach me at thethinkingjewpodcast@gmail.com

Happy Listening!

Rabbi Moshe

This episode begins with the laws of chametz, leavened bread, on the holiday of Passover.  Interestingly, in addition to the famous prohibition against eating chametz on Passover, there is actually a less-known law prohibiting even owning chametz on Pesach!

After defining what exactly chametz is, we'll learn how to avoid all the prohibitions regarding chametz, which will enable us to transform our homes into our "Pesach zone".

At the end of the episode, we'll dive into the deeper sources of what chametz signifies, and we'll uncover a powerful new understanding of our what removing chametz from our possession really represents.

Happy Listening!

Rabbi Moshe

The concept of Kosher is probably one of the most well-known Torah laws in the world. Why is that?  Is there a deeper theme behind it that reflects the broader lessons of Torah?  

In this episode, we'll discuss that which the great Kabbalists before us, Rabbi Moshe Chaim Lozzatto, Rabbi Shneur Zalmen of Liadi and the holy Ariz'al, revealed to us about the importance of eating kosher.  

We begin with looking at the role of Torah and Mitzvahs in general, we then continue to understand why there are so many mitzvahs regarding food, and conclude with explaining the Kabbalistic spiritual side of eating and of making blessings over food.

The Kaddish is one of the most powerful prayers that we have.  The Talmud goes so far as to say that the Kaddish is one of two merits that allow the world to continue to exist.  Additionally,  the Kaddish is one of the most observed rituals in Judaism.  Even Jews who don't frequently attend services, will make sure to come to synagogue when they need to say Kaddish.

In today's episode I want to explore this powerful prayer.  We'll discuss why it's such a unique prayer, why mourners are the ones charged with leading it,  how does this prayer impact the departed soul and much more!

Thank you to Dr. Sarah and Dr. Akiva Lorenz for sponsoring this episode in memory of Sarah's father, Rabbi Dr. Shlomo Sawilowsky ob'm, Shlomo Noach ben Alter Avraham Yakov z'l. May the Torah learned here serve as a great merit for his soul.

Happy Listening!

Rabbi Moshe

The verse states that G-d loves peace and makes peace, and yet when it comes to the nation of Amalek, G-d very strongly condemns them and demands the Jewish nation to completely destroy any trace memory of them. 

Why is that?  Why would a peaceful G-d desire that?  There must be more to the Amalekite concept than initially meets the eye.

Join me as we discover the Kabbalistic depth behind the essence of Amalek, what they really stand for and how they oppose G-d and the Jewish nation.  We'll look at the expression of Amalek in the desert after the exodus, the expression of Amalek as Haman, a descendant of Amalekite royalty as well as Amalek as the serpent in the Garden of Eden.

Happy Listening!

Rabbi Moshe

One of the great themes of the holiday of Purim is the concept of "Vinahafoch Hu," and it is completely reversed.  This concept appears throughout the Purim story and alludes to the fact that all of the parts of the story that appeared initially as gloomy, difficult and mournful in the end were reversed and not only were we saved from them, but those very same things were the source of our joy and happiness.

Join me as we explore a few examples of this from the Purim story and end with a meaningful idea which will add depth and meaning to your Purim holiday!

Happy Listening!

Rabbi Moshe

Every Friday night, we begin the Shabbos meal with sanctifying the Shabbos over a cup of wine (making Kiddush).  It seems like such a simple action, but the Talmud teaches that through saying this Kiddush, we are actually becoming partners with God in the creation of the world!

What does that mean?  How does saying a few verses and blessings turn us into God's partners? 

Join me as we begin with the source of Kiddush in the Torah, then understand the basic text and finally uncover the deeper meaning and power of the Friday night Kiddush!

Happy Listening!

Rabbi Moshe

In many places throughout the Torah and Rabbinic writing we find an emphasis on clothing. There are mitzvahs surrounding the clothing we wear, and there's even an entire Torah portion on the materials and style of the priests' clothing while serving in the tabernacle and temple. The question is, why does God care about our clothing? Doesn't God care more about who we internally than our external appearance?

Another example of the significance of clothing can be found in the Midrash, which states that one of the merits that saved the Jews from Egyptian bondage was that they kept their Jewish style of clothing. Again, isn't there something more internal that warranted their salvation? Didn't they cry out to God? Didn't they sacrifice a paschal lamb?

Join me as we look back to the beginning of time to uncover a deep Kabbalistic perspective on what the role of clothing really is in Jewish thought and how it's still relevant to this day.

Happy Listening!

Rabbi Moshe

The Jewish calendar is a lunisolar calendar, meaning it aligns with the cycles of both the sun and the moon.  Since the solar year is 11 days longer than the lunar year, every few years (occurring 7 times in every 19 years) we add an extra month to the year, to align these two calendars.  This year is a leap year, and we recently began the Jewish month of Adar Aleph, the first Adar.

Join me in this fascinating episode as we explore a deeper perspective on the Jewish leap year.  What does the Sun represent in Jewish thought? What is the moon?  Is there a significance to aligning the sun and the moon? Why does the month of Adar get repeated? Can we choose a different month?

Uncover the deeper side of the Jewish leap year and gain a more meaningful understanding of this beautiful time period that we're going through.

Happy Listening!

Rabbi Moshe

One of the most recognizable Jewish dishes is the gefilte fish.  Often served with a cooked carrot and a side of beets and horseradish sauce, known as chrein, it's probably the most classic appetizer at any Ashkenazi shabbos table.

In this episode, we begin with the history of the gefilte and actually discover it wasn't originally a Jewish creation!  We then continue to learn why it nonetheless became an essential part of the Shabbos meals.  In the process, we uncover the deep Kabbalistic reasons behind eating fish on shabbos in general, as well as the halachik (Jewish Law) reasons for specifically eating gefilte fish.

Happy Listening!

Rabbi Moshe

Anyone who has read the Bible knows that G-d famously decimated the Egyptian nation with 10 plagues, enabling the Jews to leave and gain their freedom.  But why did G-d need 10 plagues?  G-d is all-powerful!  He could've just marched the Jews right out!  What was the purpose of these ten plagues?

Join me as we discover a fascinating connection between three groups of ten; the ten utterances through which G-d created the physical world, the 10 plagues in which G-d destroyed Egypt and freed the Jews and the ten commandments, when G-d gave the Jews the Torah on Mount Sinai.  Through understanding all these parallels, we'll gain a whole new appreciation of what the ten plagues really accomplished!

Happy Listening!

Rabbi Moshe

Many have the custom to give their children a blessing before they sit down to the Friday night Shabbos meal.  We place our hands on our children's head and wish our daughters to be like Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel and Leah and our sons to be like Ephraim and Menashe and conclude with the Priestly blessings.

Why do we give this blessing on Friday night?  Why do we compare compare our daughters to the Mothers of the Jewish nation but our sons to Ephraim and Menashe (Joseph's sons) and not to the forefathers?  Why do we add the priestly blessing?  How can a non-priest say the priestly blessings?

For an answer to all these questions and a deeper understanding of birchas habonim, the blessing of our children, check out episode 57.

Happy Listening!

Rabbi Moshe

When people think of their relationship with God, they sometimes feel unworthy.  God is so great, is it possible that he really cares about me individually?  Does he really want to hear my prayer?  Does he really care if I get stuck in traffic?  

Or perhaps, God did a personal miracle for them and they wonder why did God spare me from a potential tragedy?  What did I do to deserve this?  I'm not really so great!

What's the Jewish perspective on this?  Don't we believe that God IS the greatest most perfect being?  Why would he care about little me?!

Join me as we take a deeper look into God and into the Jewish soul to uncover just how much God really does care about you! YOU ARE WORTHY!

Happy Listening!

Rabbi Moshe

There are 6 public fast days on the Jewish calendar: Yom Kippur, Tisha B'Av (the 9th of Av), Tzom Gedalia (the 3rd of Tishrei), Asarah Biteves (the 10th of Teves), Taanis Esther (the 13th of Adar) and Shiva Asar Bi'Tammuz (the 17th of Tammuz).   And while Yom Kippur and the fast of Esther each have their own independent reason for fasting, the remaining four are much more interconnected.  

In this episode, you'll discover the historical connection between the fateful days of 10 Teves, 17 Tammus, 9 Av and 3 Tishrei, and how they're all part of one story of exile and destruction.  We'll see how the tenth of Teves (which is coming up next on December 14th, 2021) kickstarted this process and we'll then discover a deeper Kabbalistic understanding from the Chasam Sofer that sheds a whole new light on why the 10th of Teves plays such a uniquely important role in this process.

Happy Listening!

Rabbi Moshe

Chanukah is often viewed as the holiday of lights in which we light the Menorah, eat oily foods and get presents, but is that all there is to Chanukah?

In this episode, we uncover the ideological underpinning of the Maccabean revolt against the great Greek army.  What did Ancient Greece stand for? What was the Jewish response?  How did the Maccabees win the spiritual war? 

Join me as we take a Kabbalistic perspective to discover the deeper meaning behind Chanukah!

Thank you to David and Erica Bashover for sponsoring this episode in honor of the birth of their son, Benjamin Eric Bashover!  May the Torah learning be a merit for him to grow up to be a holy Jew, full of kindness and Torah.  May he bring you and the world much joy and nachas!

Happy Listening!

Rabbi Moshe

In this episode, we go through the basic laws and customs of Chanukah.  We discuss the menorah, the fuel, time of lighting, placement of the menorah, the game of dreidel, Chanukah gifts and much more.

If you want a quick 15 minute primer to either learn for the first time or remind yourself from last year of all the various laws and customs, you won't want to miss this episode.

Happy Listening!

Rabbi Moshe

The name we generally identify with as a religion and a nation is the "Jew".  We consider ourselves Jewish and practice Judaism, but have you ever wondered where this name comes from?  In the Torah, God refers to the nation as the "sons of Israel" or the "Israelites" but no mention of Jews or Judaism, so where did that come from?

Join me as we take both a historical and philosophical deep dive into the history of our national name uncovering a deeper meaning of what it really means to be "Jewish".

Thank you to my parents, Rabbi David and Marcy Segal, for sponsoring this episode in memory of my grandfather, Zoltan Weiss z'l, Gedalia ben Shraga Feivel z’l, whose 6th yahrtzeit was this week on the 11th of Kislev.  May all the Torah learning that comes from this episode serve as a great merit for his soul.

Happy Listening!

Rabbi Moshe

The Torah is a legal guide to help us maximize our time in this world.  The word Torah itself means instruction or teachings.  Why would a book of laws begin with stories?  Imagine if the constitution began with stories of George Washington, Paul Revere and Samuel Adams, it'd be ridiculous!  The place for stories is in the history books, not the law books.  So why did God include the stories of Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and the 12 tribes in a legal script? 

Join me as we discover through the lens of the Midrash what the role of Genesis is, and how in reality our entire connection to Torah even nowadays only exists BECAUSE we study the stories of Genesis.

Happy Listening!

Rabbi Moshe

Often when one thinks of a deep spiritual experience, they think of a transcendent meditation, or maybe about accessing deeper levels of consciousness or the like.  They don't generally think of hanging a parchment outside their front door (mezuzah) or sitting in a wooden hut (Sukka), separating a piece of bread for the priest (Challah), yet when we look at the Torah, we find that almost all the mitzvahs (biblical commandments) are physical actions.  How can that be?  How can a physical action connect us to an extremely non-physical God?

Additionally, the Torah commands us to cling to God.  What does that even mean?  How can we become "close" to God?  What does being close even mean when discussing God who exists outside of time and space.  What is spiritual closeness?

Join me as we discover a deeper perspectives behind mitzvahs and how specifically because they're physical actions, they uniquely bridge the gap between our human experience and the spiritual worlds.

Happy Listening!

Rabbi Moshe

The Mikvah is one of the most powerful tools in Judaism.  The Mikvah has the ability to transform a ritually impure (tamei) person into a pure one (tahor), as well as to transform a gentile into Jew.  How does entering a pool of water accomplish such a magnificent transformation?  Where does the Mikvah draw this amazing power from?

This episode begins with the basics of what a mikvah is and how its used, and then continues to develop that to uncover the deeper Kabbalistic meaning behind the Mikvah.  We'll learn the earliest source in the Torah of the power of Mikvah and how it reconnects us to a realm untainted by sin and impervious to ritual impurity.

Happy Listening!

Rabbi Moshe

Marriage is one of the most important values in Judaism, and as such the marriage process is filled with meaningful rituals and processes, reflecting the magnitude of the moment.  Often many people aren't aware of the meaning behind much of what's being done, so in this episode, we go through the entire wedding process from the time one enters the wedding hall until they leave.  In addition to explaining the legal process, we add in the psychological and spiritual meanings behind many of these actions as well.

This episode is dedicated in honor of the upcoming marriage of Scott Friedman and Michelle Golan.  May the Torah learning that results from this podcast be a merit for them to build a beautiful Jewish home!

Happy Listening!

Rabbi Moshe

The Havdala ritual is comprised of making a blessing on a cup of wine, a candle and nice smelling spices.  When we make the blessing over the havdala candle, the code of Jewish Law teaches us that we should fold our fingers down over our palms and look at our fingernails and palms.  What is the meaning of this custom?  Why do we look at them?

Join me as we begin with an explanation from the Mishna and continue going deeper uncovering the source of fire in the Torah, the kabbalistic meaning of fingernails and its relevant message to us today.

Happy Listening!

Rabbi Moshe

The incredible holiday season, beginning with Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year, continuing to Yom Kippur, the day of atonement, and then Sukkos, finally comes to a climax with the holiday of Shemini Atzeres. And while all the other holidays have unique commandments associated with them (shofar, fasting, lulav and esrog, sitting in a sukkah etc.) there are no special commandments for this final day.  Why is that?  Why doesn't Shemini Atzeres have any unique mitzvahs?

In this episode, we take a whole new look at the entire holiday season, uncovering a deep storyline running through all the holidays and coming to a climax on Shemini Atzeres!  The story of the holiday season is in a certain sense a story of the world: beginning with the creation of Adam, his sin and judgement and continuing with the search for Adam in the world until he is found and his mission reaccepted.

Happy Listening!

Rabbi Moshe

Yom Kippur is the holiest day on the Jewish calendar and carries along with that many unique laws and customs.  What are all the laws of Yom Kippur?  When do they apply?  What's the deeper meaning of them?  Is there a common theme that goes across all these laws?

Join me as we uncover the unique element of Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, and we'll discover the elevated status we are able to attain on this holiest day.

Happy Listening!

Rabbi Moshe

What if we feel like we haven't accomplished as much repentance as we would've liked over the past month?  What if we are embarrassed to show our faces in synagogue on the High Holidays after another year of failed accomplishments?  What's the advice?

Join me as I relay a few parables revealing the key to gaining God's assistance in the repentance process.  Activate God's help in making us repentant!

May we all be written in the book of life for a year of health, success and amazing growth!

Happy Listening!

Rabbi Moshe

The only mitzvah unique to Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year, is the obligation to hear the Shofar blasts.  These Shofar blasts are so powerful that they actually get God to move from his throne of judgement to his throne of mercy.

What is so special about the Shofar?  How does it produce this heavenly transformation of Godly perspective? And, why is it the only mitzvah of Rosh Hashana?

Join me as we go very deep into different Kabbalistic understandings of what judgement really is, what mercy really is and what God's throne really represents.   Through all of this we'll build a clear understanding of the amazing power of the Shofar.

Happy Listening!

Rabbi Moshe

Many view the day of Rosh Hashana as the Day of Judgement; when God looks at our past year's actions and determines what the next year will look like. But if that's all Rosh Hashana is, why don't the Rabbis primarily refer to it as Yom Hadin, the Day of Judgement.  Why call it Rosh Hashana, the beginning of the year?  And why does the service on Rosh Hashana completely ignore the judgement?  It doesn't seem to focus on repentance or repairing ourselves on a personal level at all!

Join me as we uncover the true essence of Rosh Hashana, and you'll discover that the judgement on Rosh Hashana is actually only a secondary function of the day and the true nature of the day is G-d's yearly projection.

Happy Listening!

Rabbi Moshe

Our Rabbis teach us that during the month of Elul, God makes Himself more accessible than at any other time of the year.  During this period of introspection and self improvement, God is standing there with us in the fields, helping us along.

Join me as we discover why this is?  What is special about this time period that God makes Himself more available?  In the course of the discussion, we'll also discover a Talmudic debate as to when the world was created, why the day of judgement is on Rosh HaShana and an amazing parable from the first Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi.

Happy Listening!

Rabbi Moshe

When you take care of G-d's children, you're partnering with G-d and you can be confident that he'll assist you in your efforts.  If you want to see the hand of G-d in your life, get involved in communal efforts and you're sure to see how things come together in ways that are oozing with providence.  

In this episode, I veer off my classic style of working through a concept from its biblical roots and through its kabbalistic meaning and instead share a bunch of stories of providence that I recently experienced while building the eruv in Richardson.  The hand of G-d was so clear that if we needed to ask someone for access to their property to check on something, we almost knew that they'll probably be sitting on their front lawn with their dog or mowing "waiting" for us. 

I found these stories to be inspirational examples of how when you partner with G-d's mission in the world, you'll see how you have the greatest partner possible.

Happy Listening!

Rabbi Moshe

In the last episode, we discussed the practical elements of constructing a community eruv.  In this episode, we take a deeper look.  What does an eruv represent in Kabbalah?  Why does the tractate of Shabbos begin with the laws of carrying outside on Shabbos?  Why does the Torah exemplify Sabbath observance with the laws of eruv?

Join me as we uncover the hidden kabbalistic mystery of the eruv and learn why the essence of Shabbos is truly encapsulated in the mitzvah of eruv.

Happy Listening!

Rabbi Moshe 

Have you heard people say, "Do you live in the eruv?" or "Which eruv is that in?"  What exactly is an eruv?  How does a community go about creating a eruv and what does it accomplish?

Join me as we discover the history of where eruvs come from and then continue on to the practical process of building one in the modern world.

I'm excited to share with you that my community in Richardson, TX is at the brink of completing our community eruv, so this is a very exciting topic for me to share with you!!

Happy Listening!

Rabbi Moshe

The destruction of the holy Temples in Jerusalem took places between 2000-2500 years ago.  It's an event so distant in our national history, yet we relive it again every year.  Why?

Don't cry over spilled milk!  What's done is done!  Why are we still crying over an event that ended over two millennia ago?

Join me as we take a Kabbalistic look at the role of the Temple from a creation perspective.  We'll understand what the Temple added to our world and what we're still missing today without it. 

May HaShem send Mashiach soon in our days, rebuild the third temple and restore that connection speedily in our days!

Happy Listening!

Rabbi Moshe

Psalms teaches us that God created our world out of endless kindness.  We also know that God loves every single one of us a deeper love than we can ever imagine.  Based on this, how can there be so much evil in the world?  

Why does evil exist at all?  Why couldn't God have just created a happy paradise-like existence?

Join me as we explore many deep Kabbalistic ideas to get to the root of understanding the necessity of evil and its true purpose!  At the end of the episode, I quote a parable from the Zohar that really expresses the concept perfectly!

Happy Listening!

Rabbi Moshe 

We have recently began the saddest part of the Jewish calendar.  It's a three week period, between the 17th of Tammuz and the 9th of Av, and historically this time period has held the most terrible tragedies for the Jewish nation.  

What were those tragedies?  What's the history behind these ominous days?  What's the message for us nowadays?  What are the practical laws (halachahs) that apply during this time?

Come join me as I provide a broad overview of this time period: beginning with the history, then the meaning and concluding with the relevant laws (beginning at 7:57).

Happy Listening!

Rabbi Moshe

We talk about God all the time.  We say God is compassionate, loving, just etc. We love God's Torah and try our best to follow His commandments, the Mitzvohs.  But, what exactly is God?  What are we referring to when we say God?

Join me as we discuss the complexity in properly understanding God's essence, and how despite that we can still understand different elements of God.

In the course of the discussion, we'll also discover the difference between God's various name and how some of science's most modern thinking also hints to a Creator God.

Happy Listening!

Rabbi Moshe

The Mezuzah hanging on the doorpost of a house is one of the most identifiably Jewish symbols that exists.  For centuries, across the many countries we've been exiled in, the Jews have faithfully hung their Mezuzah scroll on the entrance to their homes.  But Why?

Why do we hang a mezuzah?  What's the hidden meaning behind the Mezuzah?

Join me as we explore the basic laws of Mezuzah as well as the deeper kabbalistic essence of it, and you'll gain a more meaningful understanding of this beautiful mitzvah.

Happy Listening!

Rabbi Moshe

Why does Jewish law always prioritize the right side to the left?  

When you get dressed in the morning, the Code of Jewish Law writes that you should put your right hand in first.  It also writes that you should bathe your right side of your body first.  We cover our eyes for Shema with our right hand, place mezuzahs on the right side of the doorpost and many other examples.

So what is the concept of 'right' and 'left' in Jewish thought?  

Join me as we look at the Kabbalistic concept of right and left, corresponding to chessed (kindness) and gevurah (restraint), and we'll discover how that's really the backdrop of all of these laws.  The fundamental principle drawn from here is a basic building block of all relationships as discussed in the episode.

Happy Listening!

Rabbi Moshe

We live in a world where it's so difficult to know what is true and what is not.  Kabbalah calls our world an alma dishikra, a world of falsehood.  We see this in the media every day.  Two reporters will witness the exact same event and document it oppositely, both believing they're reporting the truth.  So what is true?

How does the Torah define Truth?

Join me as we discover the answer to this question through the story of the 12 spies (Numbers chapters 13-14) who spoke falsehood and scared the Jewish nation from going in to the promised land.

Happy Listening!

Rabbi Moshe

There are two ceremonies described in the Code of Jewish Law regarding transitioning from Shabbos back to the work week: Havdala and Melava Malka.  Havdala consists of making blessings over wine, spices and a torch, and Melava Malka is a customary meal that we eat to escort the Shabbos queen out.

What is the source of these two ceremonies?  In what way do they function as a transition from the holiness and sanctity of Shabbos to the mundane of the regular week?

Join me as we look back at the first Shabbos and the initial transition to the work week in the times of Adam, and Eve and we'll uncover some of the hidden depths behind these holy ceremonies.

Happy Listening!

Rabbi Moshe

One of the first laws discussed in the Code of Jewish Law is the obligation to wash your hands when you wake up in the morning.

What's the reason behind this mitzvah?  Why do we have to wash our hands?  What is the proper procedure of washing?

Join me as we dive deep into the mitzvah of Netilas Yadayim, washing your hands in the morning, also discussing the general concept of ritual impurity as it applies across Judaism. 

Happy Listening!

Rabbi Moshe

The Zohar, the great Kabbalistic work of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, makes a fascinating comment.  It states that two great Jewish women, Tamar and Ruth, merited having the Messiah, Mashiach, come through their lineage because they both did kindness with those that had deceased.

What did Tamar and Ruth both do that merited them to be the Matriarchs of the lineage of Mashiach?

Join me as we explore the inner meaning of this Zohar, as well as other fundamental concepts, such as the role of man in this world and why did G-d create an imperfect world?

Happy Listening!

Rabbi Moshe

Did you ever wonder why there are 7 colors in a rainbow?  Why didn't G-d create it with 8? or 6?

Ever wonder why G-d created the world in 6 days and then rested on the 7th?  Why not in 5 and rest on the 6th?

In Judaism, numbers are more than a quantification.  Each number has an inner meaning and that expresses itself everywhere we find that number.

Join me as we uncover the deeper meaning of the numbers 6, 7 and 8, and we realize how connected all these seemingly disparate "sevens" really are.

Happy Listening!

Rabbi Moshe

Questions? Comments? Topic Requests? Email me at thethinkingjewpodcast@gmail.com

To sponsor a podcast or make a tax-deductible donation to support this podcast and DATA of Richardson: https://tinyurl.com/thethinkingjewpodcast

Sources:

The Talmud (Menachos 43b) teaches us that we're supposed to make 100 blessings each day!  If you assume the average person is awake 14-16 hours a day, that's averages out to about once every ten minutes!

Clearly blessings are a fundamental part of a Jew's life.

But, what's so special about blessings?  Why do we have to make so many of them?  Why do we have to bless before we eat or drink anything?

Join me as we discuss a fundamental principle of Jewish philosophy regarding how we interact with the physical world, and stay tuned until the end to hear a mind-blowing novelty from the great Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, the Ba'al Ha'Tanya, about the words muttar (permitted) and assur (forbidden).

Happy Listening!

Rabbi Moshe

If you look at any mitzvah as it's described in the Torah, it's impossible to understand all the nuance and details necessary to fulfil it properly from the text alone.  The Oral law (Torah She'ba'al Peh), also given from G-d to Moses at Mount Sinai, fills in all the missing details. 

The power of interpretation and application of this Oral Law was given to the great sages of each generation.  So, what do you do when you're unsure of how to do a mitzvah?  You ask the Rabbi!  And the Torah says (Deut. 17:10-11) that you're obligated to listen to the Rabbis' interpretation. (The verse is discussing Sanhedrin, the Supreme Jewish Court located in the Temple).  So if the Rabbi's are empowered to interpret and apply the Torah law, can they change it based on personal preference or perceived communal needs? What are the limits to the Rabbis' ability to interpret and apply Torah law?  

Join me as we discuss the basics of the Oral Law and some common misconceptions regarding Rabbinic leniencies in Judaism. 

Happy Listening!

Rabbi Moshe

In this episode I go through the process of preparing your kitchen for Passover, as well as some other relevant Jewish laws regarding preparing for the upcoming holiday.

Although in general the discussion is more philosophical and kabbalistic, due to the complexity of the laws of Pesach, I wanted to provide a clear overview of the general laws to help everyone prepare their homes and themselves for the upcoming celebration of freedom!

As always, if you have any specific questions, comments or feedback, you can reach me at thethinkingjewpodcast@gmail.com

Happy Listening!

Rabbi Moshe

Why do we do so many unique actions on Purim? Why do we distribute money to poor?  Food gifts to friends? Dress up in costumes? Hear the story of Esther twice? Drunken feast?

What is Purim really all about?

Join me as we uncover, through the verses in the Megila, the underlying theme of Jewish unity in the Purim story and how that plays out in the mitzvahs of Purim.

As always, if you have any questions, comments or topic requests, reach out to me at: thethinkingjewpodcast@gmail.com

Happy listening!

Rabbi Moshe

Sources: 

Did you ever wonder why almost half of the book of Exodus, which is described as the book of redemption, discusses the building of the Tabernacle?  What's the Tabernacle's role in the Jewish people.  Was it just a grand synagogue?  A place to pray and serve G-d?  Or did it have a higher function? 

Join me as we discover the deeper role that the tabernacle played in the Jewish people, keeping them connected to Sinai, even after they travelled away. And, how even today we too can connect to that!

This podcast is dedicated in honor of my good friend and old chevrusa, Yosef Segal (not related :-) ).  May the Torah study that results from it be a great merit for him and his beautiful family!

If you have any questions, comments or topic requests, reach out to me at: thethinkingjewpodcast@gmail.com

Happy listening!

Rabbi Moshe

Sources: 

Purim is rapidly approaching, and there are so many amazing lessons to glean from the Purim story.  

Today, I focus on one of the less spoken about lessons; Haman's great flaw that brought about his demise, which paralleled the mistake that Adam made in the Garden of Eden.  If we can learn from their mistake, we'll learn to appreciate all the good we have in our relationships, not hyper-focus on the small negative aspects and we'll build the most beautiful relationships we can possibly have.

As always, if you have any questions, comments or topic requests, reach out to me at: thethinkingjewpodcast@gmail.com

Happy Listening!

Rabbi Moshe

Sources: 

Do you ever feel restricted by all of the commandments that exist in Judaism?

Is the primary focus of Judaism supposed to be purely observance of the commandments or is that just a piece that fits into a higher calling?

Join me as we dive deep and reframe what the role of Mitzvahs is in Judaism.

If you have any questions, comments or topic requests, reach out to me at: thethinkingjewpodcast@gmail.com

Happy listening!

Rabbi Moshe

Sources: 

Did you know that there are 6 events that Jews are supposed to remember daily?  Number 2 on the list, is remembering our ancestors standing at the foot of Mount Sinai.  Why isn't the focus to remember receiving the Torah?  Why is it to remember the standing at the Mountain?

What was actually the most crucial element of the Sinai experience?

Join me as we discover the deeper understanding of the Mount Sinai experience!

If you have any questions, comments or topic requests, reach out to me at: thethinkingjewpodcast@gmail.com

Rabbi Moshe

Does the Torah allow us to restrict individual rights for the betterment of society?  Where do we draw the line between freedom and safety?

With three kids home in quarantine, having classmates who tested positive for Covid-19, I figured it's a good time to discuss the Torah's perspective on quarantine.  

The Torah study that results from this podcast should be a merit for their classmates, as well as everyone who is ill and in need of a recovery.

Join me as we take a more analytical approach to find Torah sources on the topic of quarantine.

Happy listening!

Rabbi Moshe

Sources: 

Tu Bi'Shevat is the Jewish holiday celebrating the New Years for the trees.

Why do we celebrate trees by eating fruit?  Why don't we take branches or flowers into our homes? 

Why does the Torah call children "fruit of the womb"?  Why does Kabbalah call our world the "fruit of the spiritual world"?

What does a fruit represent on a deeper level in Jewish thought?  

Join Rabbi Moshe on one of his favorite discussions, as we dive deep into the mystical concepts of fruit and our world.

If you have any questions, comments or topic requests, reach out to me at: thethinkingjewpodcast@gmail.com

Happy Listening!

Rabbi Moshe

Did you ever wonder why of all the prayer services, we only cover our eyes during the Shema? And only for the first sentence of the Shema?  Why is that?

Join Rabbi Moshe on this deep dive into the meaning of the Shema, why it's so important and why we cover our eyes for it!

If you have any questions, comments or topic requests, I can be reached at thethinkingjewpodcast@gmail.com

Happy Listening!

Rabbi Moshe

Sources: 

If you were giving the Jewish nation the Torah, what would be the first national mitzvah (commandment) you would give?

In the Torah portion of Bo, G-d gives the Jewish nation the commandment of sanctifying the new moon each month!  Seems like a strange choice.

Join us as we dive deeper into the understanding of Kiddush Hachodesh, sanctifying the new month.

Thank you to Kevin and Sabrina Burck for sponsoring this episode in memory of Kevin's father, Jeffrey Ira Burck z'l, Yitzchak Yodel ben Selig z'l, whose yahrtzeit was this week. The Torah that's learned through here should serve as a great merit for his soul.

If you have any questions, comments or future topic requests, email me at thethinkingjewpodcast@gmail.com

Happy Listening!

Rabbi Moshe

Did you ever notice in the Torah that there are so many different names of G-d? In the first two verses of this week's Torah portion, the Torah uses THREE different names of G-d.  What's going on here?  Why does G-d have so many names and why are each of them used specifically here?

Join Rabbi Moshe on this episode and you'll also gain a deeper understanding of G-d's rebuke to Moses, the concept of Ma'aseh avos siman libonim (what occurred to our forefathers foreshadows what will happen to their descendants) and the forefather's role in the Jewish nation.

Feel free to reach out with any questions, comments, sponsorship opportunities or future topic requests, and I'll try my best to respond to everyone's emails: thethinkingjewpodcast@gmail.com

Sources: 

To see the source sheet for this episode: https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/360381?lang=bi

There are three basic functions that the Mikvah (Jewish ritual bath) has in the modern world: 1) for purifies the ritually impure male or female 2) for Jewish conversion and 3) for immersing metal vessels used in contact with food prior to using them?

The first two seem along the same lines but what's the deal with the last one?  Why do we have to give our pots, pans, forks and knives a ritual bath before using them?

Join me on this fascinating dive into immersing vessels and discover an unbelievable depth to this holy mitzvah!

Happy Listening!

Rabbi Moshe

As always, feel free to reach out with any questions, comments or future topic requests, and I'll try my best to respond to everyone's emails: thethinkingjewpodcast@gmail.com

Sources: 

We discuss in this episode the source of prayer in the Torah and the evolution into and meaning of the three daily prayers: shachris (morning prayer), mincha (afternoon prayer) and maariv (evening prayer).

Thank you to Rabbi Shaya Fox for sponsoring this episode in honor of the launch of the thinking Jew podcast and in honor of innovating new ways of spreading Torah and Judaism across the world! Thank you!

As always, feel free to reach out to me with any questions, comments or future topic requests at thethinkingjewpodcast@gmail.com

Happy Listening!

Rabbi Moshe

Did you ever wonder why so much of our national history has been spent in exile?  We've been in exile for more years than we've lived on our land!  Why did the Jews need to go into the Egyptian exile before receiving the Torah?  

What about our individual lives?  Do we have personal exiles?

Join Rabbi Moshe on this fascinating in depth look on what the role of exile really is in the Torah's perspective.

For those listening all the way until the end, here are the two words written out:  exile = גלה     redemption = גאל

As always, feel free to reach out with any questions, comments or future topic requests, and I'll try my best to respond to everyone's emails: thethinkingjewpodcast@gmail.com

Happy Listening!

Rabbi Moshe

To sponsor a podcast or make a tax-deductible donation to support this podcast and DATA of Richardson: https://tinyurl.com/thethinkingjewpodcast

Welcome to episode 2 of the thinking Jew podcast.  In this episode, we discuss a very fundamental question in Judaism regarding love of G-d.  We say in the Shema "and you shall love Hashem your G-d with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your means" (Deuteronomy 6:5).

How can the Torah command an emotion?  What if we're not feeling it?  Listen as Rabbi Moshe suggests an answer that will not only improve your love of G-d but is a tool to increase and boost every single relationship in your life!

If you enjoy these podcasts, hit the subscribe button, to ensure you don't miss out on future episodes.

As always, feel free to reach out with any questions, comments or future topic requests, and I'll try my best to respond to everyone's emails: thethinkingjewpodcast@gmail.com

Happy Listening!

Rabbi Moshe

To sponsor a podcast or make a tax-deductible donation to support this podcast and DATA of Richardson: https://tinyurl.com/thethinkingjewpodcast