Popular Shows by Hillel Eisenberg הלל אייזנברג
160 episodes
#
Name
Release Date
Duration
1
They studied 10,000 millionaires – the results will shock you
They studied 10,000 millionaires – the results will shock you
Feb 16, 2026
7:22
Curious, what was the common denominator between 10,000 millionaires you might be surprised
2
TYH-Matisyahu-Yum Yum- Judaism Without Apologizing - Rav Eytan Feiner
TYH-Matisyahu-Yum Yum- Judaism Without Apologizing - Rav Eytan Feiner
Feb 8, 2026
1:08:09
Is Matisyahu really the right person to be spreading our light and love?
3
How Jew Are You? - Mishpatim On Fire
How Jew Are You? - Mishpatim On Fire
Feb 12, 2026
24:58
How Jew Are You ?
4
The Non Obvious Obvious - Yisro On Fire
The Non Obvious Obvious - Yisro On Fire
Feb 5, 2026
9:50
How is it expected that we believe in God when some of the smartest philosophers ever, didn't?
5
Do we really expect 12-year-old girls to keep the whole Torah?- Yisro On Fire
Do we really expect 12-year-old girls to keep the whole Torah?- Yisro On Fire
Feb 5, 2026
10:21
Are you telling me the minute someone turns 13 or 12 that they now have to follow the entire Torah how is that even possible?
6
Are You J Mack ?
Are You J Mack ?
Jan 22, 2026
7:45
Get ready for one of the best sports stories you’ll hear.
7
Chutzpah In My Classroom
Chutzpah In My Classroom
Jan 1, 2026
4:00
A college kid asked me what I contribute to the world. Listen my response.
8
I Spoke To A Room Of Police Officers
I Spoke To A Room Of Police Officers
Jan 16, 2026
15:34
At a recent Shomrim/Police Appreciation Dinner I Was Honored With The Opportunity To Address The Crowd
9
Kedoshim The Freest Man on the Face of the Earth
Kedoshim The Freest Man on the Face of the Earth
May 4, 2023
8:17
Every Friday night we sing the song Aishes Chayil, an ode to the women in our homes. Why Precisely then do we sing it? Why not after Havdalah or on Rosh Chodesh or on their birthday? What is it about Shabbos that propells us to sing Aishes Chayil? The answer might inspire you.
10
Bechukosai - Spiritual Rocket Fuel
Bechukosai - Spiritual Rocket Fuel
May 11, 2023
13:07
Our nation has been through a lot. Wars, crusades, pogroms, exile, holocausts, expulsions. You name it, we've gone through it. With what energy did we use to forge ahead? Where did we get the strength to keep on keeping on? The answer might surprise you. To listen ad free and help spread THE PARSHAH ON FIRE subscribe at this link https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/hillel-eisenberg/subscribe
11
Nasso - The Great Gender Mystery
Nasso - The Great Gender Mystery
Jun 1, 2023
9:50
Why is it that certain times in Judaism we go after one's mother while other times we go after one's father. One's tribe, one's name, one's inheritance goes after one's father. One's Jewishness and one's firstborn status goes after the mother. Is there a rhyme and reason or is it merely arbitrary? The answer might surpirse you.
12
I went to a Palestinian protest !
I went to a Palestinian protest !
Jan 26, 2026
4:23
I went to a Palestinian protest and it was pathetic
13
Terumah - The Longevity Trees
Terumah - The Longevity Trees
Feb 23, 2025
10:23
The Jews were instructed to build a largely wooden Mishkan in the middle of a barren, lifeless desert. Where exactly did they get the wood from? The answer might surprise you.
14
The World Cup On Fire
The World Cup On Fire
Oct 30, 2025
4:18
Why is there in the World Cup often times the most victorious countries are the smallest
15
Warning: this video will destroy your excuses.
Warning: this video will destroy your excuses.
Nov 20, 2025
12:58
Think you don’t have what it takes to be great think again
16
This New York Times Story Explains Eveything- Shemos On Fire
This New York Times Story Explains Eveything- Shemos On Fire
Jan 8, 2026
15:03
What’s our secret to surviving exile?
17
They Mocked Him - Until People Stopped Dying
They Mocked Him - Until People Stopped Dying
Jan 15, 2026
4:37
Did you know that the overwhelming majority of people who used to go into hospitals for surgeries came out dead?
18
Inspiration is cheap- Beshalach On Fire
Inspiration is cheap- Beshalach On Fire
Jan 29, 2026
16:35
Would you have been of the 1/5 that left Egypt or the fourth fifth that stayed ? Don’t be so sure
19
Ki Sisa - Purim - Do You Actually Care That You’re Jewish?
Ki Sisa - Purim - Do You Actually Care That You’re Jewish?
Mar 10, 2025
28:40
How could the Jews, who just prior witnessed God split a Sea and then talk to them from atop a mountain, possibly bow down to a golden calf. What in the world were they thinking? And why did they choose a calf of all animals to serve? Why not something a little more powerful? Like a polar bear or a Komodo dragon? Why a calf? The answer might surprise you.
20
Bamidbar Stars, Flags and a Pat of Butter
Bamidbar Stars, Flags and a Pat of Butter
May 18, 2023
11:13
Unity is a tremendously foundational concept in Judaism. So isn't it odd that the Torah seems to divide us into twelve very distinct tribes each with different flags with different colors with different emblems and different logos? Doesn't that fly in the face of unity? The answer might inspire you.
21
Behaalosecha Visas, Cucumbers and the Goodness of Faith
Behaalosecha Visas, Cucumbers and the Goodness of Faith
Jun 7, 2023
17:01
The Torah demands us to thank Hashem for the bad in our lives with the same amount of appreciation and love as we would thank Hashem for the good. How are we possibly able to pull that off? How is a man who just broke his collar bone supposed to thank God with the same degree of love as he would thank Him the night he married off his youngest daughter? This Parshah contains the answer and it might surprise you.
22
Shelach - Holiness and Hollywood
Shelach - Holiness and Hollywood
Jun 14, 2023
11:26
The sin of the Twelve Spies had more negative ramifications than any other sin in the entire Torah. It wiped out the entire generation. It prolonged the building of the Beis Hamikdash for hundreds of years. It gave birth to what is now called Tisha B'av; the saddest day of the Jewish year. The question is what was so bad about what the Twelve Tribes did? How do their actions explain the amount of pain and bloodshed that they brought about? The answer might surprise you.
23
Korach - The Don't Mess Policy
Korach - The Don't Mess Policy
Jun 22, 2023
13:29
There have been many sinners in the Jewish people's time in the desert. All were punished. Some were killed. But none recieved a punishment anyware close to the bizarre phenomenon that swalloed Korach whole. Why is that? What was so different about Korach that propelled God to decree that a normal punishmant would not suffice? The answer might surprise you.
24
Va'eschanan - When Spirituality Gets Physical
Va'eschanan - When Spirituality Gets Physical
Aug 15, 2024
7:48
Jew's fascination with medicine has been true for thousands of years. In the year 1500 half the doctors in the entire continent of Europe were Jewish. Over Ten Popes had Jewish Doctors. Even the notorious and vicious anti-Semites Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain had a Jewish Doctor. Why is this? What led to the Jew's attachment to medicine? The answer might surprise you.
25
Vayeira - The Human Salt Shaker
Vayeira - The Human Salt Shaker
Nov 12, 2024
4:14
In one of the strangest moments in the Torah, Lot's wife turns into a pillar of salt after looking back and watching the destruction of the city of Sodom. What in the world is the big deal with watching this sulfur and fire apocalypse? Why did Hashem care that she looked back? The answer might surprise you.
26
Wake Up and Smell the Coffee
Wake Up and Smell the Coffee
Dec 23, 2024
5:34
No story in the entire Torah is given more real estate than the story of Yosef. Why is that? The answer might surprise you.
27
Nadav and Avihu and the Mona Lisa
Nadav and Avihu and the Mona Lisa
Apr 25, 2025
13:56
How could the children of the Kohen Gadol act so disobediently on the first day of the Mishkan's installment? The answer might surprise you.
28
Handicap Parking At The Bais Hamikdash- The Parshah On Fire - Emor
Handicap Parking At The Bais Hamikdash- The Parshah On Fire - Emor
May 13, 2025
17:23
The Torah brought the world the kindest book ever written. So why weren’t handicapped people allowed to work in the Bais Hamikdash? What happened to our kindness?
29
STOP TRYING TO FIT IN - THE PARSHAH ON FIRE- BAMIDBAR
STOP TRYING TO FIT IN - THE PARSHAH ON FIRE- BAMIDBAR
May 28, 2025
26:35
Why do we seem to divide the Jewish people with 12 tribes? Why can’t we just have one tribe?
30
Nasso: The Great Gender Debate
Nasso: The Great Gender Debate
Jun 5, 2025
9:51
Why do some things go after the woman in Judaism and some things go after the man? Is it all random or is there a method to the madness?
31
JUDAISM WITHOUT APOLOGIZING - Episode 1- Reb Moshe Don Kestenbaum
JUDAISM WITHOUT APOLOGIZING - Episode 1- Reb Moshe Don Kestenbaum
Jun 25, 2025
1:19:42
Are there more kids going off the derech these days? If yes why? Are there more young couples getting divorced today? If yes why? Are people working on themselves to become better people? If not why? Listen to this fascinating podcast to find out why.
32
Judaism Without Apologizing - Episode 2 - Reb Yitzchak Breitowitz
Judaism Without Apologizing - Episode 2 - Reb Yitzchak Breitowitz
Jul 6, 2025
1:04:43
Do enough people do Kiruv?
33
Pinchas - History’s Most Mysterious Man
Pinchas - History’s Most Mysterious Man
Jul 17, 2025
18:15
Who exactly was Pinchas? And why did he turn into Eliyahu Hanavi? And why doesn’t Eliyahu ever die?
34
Do You Actually Have Emunah? - Judaism Without Apologizing - Rabbi Dovid Sapirman
Do You Actually Have Emunah? - Judaism Without Apologizing - Rabbi Dovid Sapirman
Aug 12, 2025
1:08:46
Tune in and listen to a fascinating conversation with the world renowned Rabbi Dovid Sapirman.
35
Are You Chasing Your Tail In Life? - Ki Setzei - The Parshah On Fire
Are You Chasing Your Tail In Life? - Ki Setzei - The Parshah On Fire
Sep 3, 2025
15:46
The Ben Sorer- the Wayward son, is by far one of the most dramatic and puzzling mitzvos in the Torah. We take a thirteen year old who ate a little too much food drag him to court, label him beyond repair and we stone him to death. Why? What did he do wrong? Aren't little thirteen year olds merely immature hungry kids who will one day grow out of their childhood food obsessions? Why are we stoning them to death? The answer might surprise you.
36
Are You The Biggest Version Of You? - Ki Savo - The Parshah On Fire
Are You The Biggest Version Of You? - Ki Savo - The Parshah On Fire
Sep 10, 2025
16:41
The Jewish people ascended two mountains, one to receive blessings and one to receive curses. Har Gerizim and Har Eival. There is a geographical phenomenon about these two mountains. Despite being less than two hundred feet from one another and having access to the same nutrients, sunlight and rain one is lush and alive and one is desolate and dead. Why? How did that come to be? And what does that have to do with us? The answer might surprise you.
37
Pre Selichos Pep Talk With Zusha
Pre Selichos Pep Talk With Zusha
Sep 15, 2025
21:07
I gave a speech before selichos. take a listen
38
My Great Grandfather Was Arrested By The FBI- Nitzavim
My Great Grandfather Was Arrested By The FBI- Nitzavim
Sep 17, 2025
15:49
Thousands of years ago we stood atop a mountain and accepted the Torah. This wasn't an intellectual commitment that we could get out of with expensive lawyers. This was a metaphysical transformation that our very bodies underwent that makes us Jews not just think differently but live an entirely different existence. Hitler couldn't have been more right when he said "Judaism isnt a religoun its a race". True, we are a race. The holiest one on the face of the Earth.
39
Scientists Discover Whats Jews Knew Forever- The Parshah On Fire- Haazinu
Scientists Discover Whats Jews Knew Forever- The Parshah On Fire- Haazinu
Sep 30, 2025
23:30
The Torah is referred to as a song. Why?
40
Do You Have A BackBone? - Lech Lecha On Fire
Do You Have A BackBone? - Lech Lecha On Fire
Oct 30, 2025
5:58
The giant Og gleefully ran to tell Avraham that his Nephew Lot was captured by the mighty kings hoping that Avraham would go attack them, get killed in the process and Og could then marry Avraham's wife Sara. What was Og thinking? How crazy did he think Avraham, an old sage, was to wage war on a group of mighty and brutal kings? The answer might surprise you.
41
Are You A Human Saltshaker ? Vayeira On Fire
Are You A Human Saltshaker ? Vayeira On Fire
Nov 5, 2025
4:15
In one of the strangest moments in the Torah, Lot's wife turns into a pillar of salt after looking back and watching the destruction of the city of Sodom. What in the world is the big deal with watching this sulfur and fire apocalypse? Why did Hashem care that she looked back? The answer might surprise you.
42
They Called Us Cruel. They Were Wrong.
They Called Us Cruel. They Were Wrong.
Nov 9, 2025
7:21
The world has forever mocked us for being cruel. But time after time we prove to be the most merciful ones left standing. Here is a vivid example of that.
43
Penn Station on fire
Penn Station on fire
Nov 27, 2025
19:41
Why do we pour olive oil on top of kings? The answer might surprise you.
44
Don’t Be A Spiritual Pushover 2.0
Don’t Be A Spiritual Pushover 2.0
Dec 11, 2025
14:17
Here’s a lesson we can learn from Yosef that’ll slap us in the face.
45
Czar Nicholas On Fire
Czar Nicholas On Fire
Jan 15, 2026
2:41
Czar Nicholas was walking in his garden once and found a soldier guarding nothing
46
Do You Still Play On Playgrounds ?
Do You Still Play On Playgrounds ?
Jan 22, 2026
3:46
Do You Still Play On Playgrounds ?
47
I Went To A Monastery In Spain - Bo On Fire
I Went To A Monastery In Spain - Bo On Fire
Jan 22, 2026
11:30
Why did the Jews need to leave Egypt with wealth? ? The answer might surprise you
48
Which Team Are You On? - Beshalach On Fire
Which Team Are You On? - Beshalach On Fire
Jan 28, 2026
10:18
Everyone knows that 600,000 Jews left Egypt. What is far less known is that 2.4 million Jews did not. What happened to those people? Why didn't they make it out alive? The answer might surprise you.
49
Tu B’Shvat On Fire - Who Do You Salute?
Tu B’Shvat On Fire - Who Do You Salute?
Feb 3, 2026
21:41
What exactly are we celebrating on Tu B’Shvat? The answer might surprise you.
50
Balak - Prayer and the Quantification of Quality
Balak - Prayer and the Quantification of Quality
Jun 28, 2023
12:26
Balak was one of the worst men the Jews every encountered. He wanted nothing more than the deaths of every one of us, man women and child, and wouldnt rest until he succeeded. So why was he rewarded with having a grandchild named Dovid Hamelech? Why did God reward this evil man with having the greatest king in our history be his decendant? The asnwer might surprise you.
51
Pinchos - The Most Mysterious Man in the History of the World
Pinchos - The Most Mysterious Man in the History of the World
Jul 5, 2023
18:15
Pinchos stuck up for the Jewish people by killing Zimri amidst his adulteries actions. Whats strange is how he was rewarded. Pinchos became Eliyahu Hanavi, a man who has never died and is still alive today helping Jews worldwide in distress. Why did Pinchos merit this reward? Why was he chosen of all the holy people in our history to be our immortal savior? The answer might surprise you.
52
Ekev - Godly Goodness
Ekev - Godly Goodness
Aug 3, 2023
15:58
There is an Amoraic Statement that seems bizzarre. It is "man doesn't sin unless a wave of stupidity overcomes him" (Sotah 3a). Whats strange is that this doesn't seem to be the case. Don't most people sin because they are tempted by it? Gossiping about a competitor isn't stupid. It might be mean and selfish but it's not stupid? So what does the Gemara mean? The answer might surprise you.
53
Re'eh- Holy Binoculars
Re'eh- Holy Binoculars
Aug 7, 2023
14:16
The Torah in its abundant concern for the poor in our society put in place many Mitzvos ensuring we give parts of our crop to the needy. Whats strange is one of those agricultural Mitzvos is Maaser Sheni which commands us to take our crop to the city of Yerushalayim and simply eat it there. We dont give anything to the poor. We didn't sing any song. We didn't chant any spiritual chant. We just showed up, ate and returned. What was the point of this Mitzvah? What are we accomplishing? The answer might surprise you.
54
Ki Sisa- The Righteous by Association Sin
Ki Sisa- The Righteous by Association Sin
Feb 28, 2024
9:25
How could the Jews, who just prior witnessed God split a Sea and then talk to them from atop a mountain, possibly bow down to a golden calf? What in the world were they thinking? And why did they choose a calf of all animals to serve? Why not something a little more powerful? Like a polar bear or a Komodo dragon? Why a calf? The answer might surprise you.
55
VLK - Ahavas Yisrael on Fire - 4
VLK - Ahavas Yisrael on Fire - 4
Feb 28, 2024
4:02
Much like the rest of nature, man is immensely selfish. We spend almost 96% of our brainpower thinking about ourselves. That being the case, how is it possible to love someone the same way you love yourself? The answer might surprise you.
56
Vayakel- The Lion Ability
Vayakel- The Lion Ability
Mar 8, 2024
11:02
How did these simple Jews in the desert learn the skills required to build the Mishkan; an extremely intricate and sophisticated building? Weren't these Jews mere slaves in Egypt for hundreds of years? From where did they get the architectural know how to build this complicated building? The answer might surprise you!
57
Vayikra - The Speed Dial Effect
Vayikra - The Speed Dial Effect
Mar 20, 2024
7:32
Every single time Hashem spoke to Moshe he would first call out to him with a "Vayikra". Yet the Torah only mentions it in three places. Why? The answer might inspire you.
58
VLK - 6 The Mantra of Judaism
VLK - 6 The Mantra of Judaism
Mar 25, 2024
4:23
Virtually every single Tefilla we say ends off with asking Hashem for peace
59
VLK - 7 - Ahavas Yisrael on Fire- Liking People We Don't Like
VLK - 7 - Ahavas Yisrael on Fire- Liking People We Don't Like
Mar 27, 2024
5:34
VLK is not a commandment to like the people we like. Its a commandment to like the people we don't.
60
VLK 8 - Ahavas Yisrael on Fire - Lessons from a Blind Man
VLK 8 - Ahavas Yisrael on Fire - Lessons from a Blind Man
Apr 5, 2024
4:05
I once sat down next to a blind man at a café and I asked him if there is anything he is grateful for due to his blindness. What he told me might surprise you.
61
Tazria - Gossip and Bars of Soap
Tazria - Gossip and Bars of Soap
Apr 10, 2024
15:56
No sin in the entire Torah is given as much attention as the sin of Loshon Hara/gossip. It is the proverbial mother of all sins. The King of Iniquities. The question is why? Why is it so bad? How did it climb the mountain of sin and plant itself on the top? The answer might surprise you.
62
VLK - 9 - Ahavas Yisrael on Fire - The Mother of Sin
VLK - 9 - Ahavas Yisrael on Fire - The Mother of Sin
Apr 14, 2024
4:46
Statistically speaking there might be one sin you do more than any other. It would then behoove all of us to try to trample it before it tramples us.
63
Metzora/Shabbos Hagadol - The Subtle Art of Loving the Sinner and Hating the Sin
Metzora/Shabbos Hagadol - The Subtle Art of Loving the Sinner and Hating the Sin
Apr 18, 2024
7:49
A burst of inspiration for Shabbos Hagadol Parshas Metzora
64
Acharei Mos - The Aharon Effect
Acharei Mos - The Aharon Effect
May 2, 2024
13:45
All 410 years of the first Bais Hamikdash were credited to Aharon. Why? What was it about him specifically? The answer might surprise you.
65
VLK- 10 - Ahavas Yisrael on Fire - Commanded to Hate?
VLK- 10 - Ahavas Yisrael on Fire - Commanded to Hate?
May 6, 2024
6:26
Did you know that you might have a Mitzva to hate certain people?
66
VLK - 11 - Ahavas Yisrael on Fire - Emotional Balancing acts
VLK - 11 - Ahavas Yisrael on Fire - Emotional Balancing acts
May 7, 2024
4:49
VLK is arguably the most emotionally nuanced Mitzva in the Torah.
67
Kedoshim - The Freest Man on the Face of the Earth
Kedoshim - The Freest Man on the Face of the Earth
May 10, 2024
8:17
Every Friday night we sing the song Aishes Chayil, an ode to the women in our homes. Why Precisely then do we sing it? Why not after Havdalah or on Rosh Chodesh or on their birthday? What is it about Shabbos that propells us to sing Aishes Chayil? The answer might inspire you.
68
VLK - Ahavas Yisrael on Fire - Sefira and Jewish History With a Birds Eye View
VLK - Ahavas Yisrael on Fire - Sefira and Jewish History With a Birds Eye View
May 12, 2024
12:27
What was so bad with the behavior of Reb Akiva's Talmidim that warranted the mass death of 24,000 people? The answer might surprise you.
69
VLK 15 - Ahavas Yisrael on Fire - Who Cares About Pairs ?
VLK 15 - Ahavas Yisrael on Fire - Who Cares About Pairs ?
May 14, 2024
6:38
When describing the Talmidim of Reb Akiva who died the Gemara says they were a set of 12,000. Why doesn’t it just say they were 24,000?
70
Emor - Excuse Me Where is the Handicap Spot?
Emor - Excuse Me Where is the Handicap Spot?
May 15, 2024
9:16
The Torah prides itself in its care and concern for the downtrodden and often overlooked members of society. So it’s fairly odd that the Torah categorically denies any handicapped people from working in the Bais Hamikdash. Why is this? The answer might surprise you.
71
Behar- The Other Side of Wall Street
Behar- The Other Side of Wall Street
May 21, 2024
8:15
What is so bad with Ribbis-interest that the Torah forbids it so vehemently?
72
VLK 15 - What’s so special about the Jew down the block?
VLK 15 - What’s so special about the Jew down the block?
May 22, 2024
8:17
Why does proximity play a role in the order of who we love?
73
Lag Ba’Omer on Fire
Lag Ba’Omer on Fire
May 26, 2024
17:38
Everybody knows why we celebrate Lag Ba’Omer. But do we really? You might be surprised.
74
Bechukosai - Spiritual Rocket Fuel
Bechukosai - Spiritual Rocket Fuel
May 30, 2024
13:07
How are we able to survive when virtually every other religion over the course of time eventually pestered out? The answer might surprise you .
75
Bamidbar - Stars, Stripes, and a Pat of Butter
Bamidbar - Stars, Stripes, and a Pat of Butter
Jun 7, 2024
11:13
Judaism places great emphasis on unity. So why do we have twelve separate tribes all with different flags and banners and logos? Isn’t that divisive and tribal? Doesn’t that fly in the face of unity ? The answer might surprise you.
76
Nasso : The Great Gender Mystery
Nasso : The Great Gender Mystery
Jun 14, 2024
9:50
Why do some things in Judaism go after men and some after women? The answer might surprise you .
77
BeHaalosecha - Visas, Cucumbers and the Goodness of Faith
BeHaalosecha - Visas, Cucumbers and the Goodness of Faith
Jun 19, 2024
17:01
Arguably the hardest of all the halachos is the requirement to thank Hashem equally for the bad as one does for the good. The question is how is that even possible? This Parshah has the answer. And it might just surprise you.
78
Shlach - Holiness and Hollywood
Shlach - Holiness and Hollywood
Jun 27, 2024
11:26
What exactly was so bad about what the spies did ? You might be surprised.
79
Korach - The Don’t Mess Policy
Korach - The Don’t Mess Policy
Jul 4, 2024
13:29
Why was Korach’s punishment far more severe than any of the other complainers in the desert?
80
Chukas. Fighter pilots and the springs of life
Chukas. Fighter pilots and the springs of life
Jul 10, 2024
13:32
What meaning can we take out if the Red heifer, the most mystical thing in Judaism?
81
Balak - THE MOST POWERFUL FORCE ON THE FACE OF THE EARTH
Balak - THE MOST POWERFUL FORCE ON THE FACE OF THE EARTH
Jul 18, 2024
12:26
The Gemara tells us that Balak merited having a granddaughter named Rus due to the small prayer he prayed to Hashem to help destroy the Jewish people. The obvious question is how in the world does that make any sense?
82
MATOS-MASEI WAR, STUN GUNS AND THE JEWISH APPROACH TO MERCY
MATOS-MASEI WAR, STUN GUNS AND THE JEWISH APPROACH TO MERCY
Jul 31, 2024
22:46
From the Great Flood to the firey destruction of the city of Sodom to the killing of Shechem to the eradication of Amalek, Canaan and Midyan, the Torah seems to take a very militant approach to dealing with sinners. Arent we the people of the book not the people of the sword? How do we explain the Torahs surprising attachment to violence and the promotion of it? The answer might surprise you.
83
Devarim - The Strange Centrality of Leadership
Devarim - The Strange Centrality of Leadership
Aug 6, 2024
16:35
One would think that the very first topic Moshe discusses in his historic farewell speech would be a foundational one. One that applies to the entire Jewish people. One that galvanizes every individual to remain spiritually robust while in their new land. Yet Moshe talks about Judges and Leaders being fair and patient. Why did he start with that? Why start with something that applies to less than one percent of the Jewish populace? The answer might surprise you.
84
Shoftim - The Royal Beginnig
Shoftim - The Royal Beginnig
Sep 5, 2024
20:19
When the Jews were about to enter the land of Eretz Yisrael through the Jorden River they were instructed to erect huge stones, plant them in the middle of the river, and then write the Torah on them. Whats strange is that these stones were engulfed by the mighty river mere moments after we walked through it. What was the point of them? What good are monuments that sink to the bottom of a river three minutes after we erect them? The answer might surprise you.
85
Ki Seitzei - The Great Glacier Chase
Ki Seitzei - The Great Glacier Chase
Sep 11, 2024
15:46
The Ben Sorer- the Wayward son, is by far one of the most dramatic and puzzling mitzvos in the Torah. We take a thirteen year old who ate a little too much food drag him to court, label him beyond repair and we stone him to death. Why? What did he do wrong? Aren't little thirteen year olds merely immature hungry kids who will one day grow out of their childhood food obsessions? Why are we stoning them to death? The answer might surprise you.
86
Ki Savo - The Perpetual Dreamers
Ki Savo - The Perpetual Dreamers
Sep 18, 2024
16:41
The Jewish people ascended two mountains, one to receive blessings and one to receive curses. Har Gerizim and Har Eival. There is a geographical phenomenon about these two mountains. Despite being less than two hundred feet from one another and having access to the same nutrients, sunlight and rain one is lush and alive and one is desolate and dead. Why? How did that come to be? And what does that have to do with us? The answer might surprise you.
87
Nitzavim- Vayeilech- The Bulletproof Jew
Nitzavim- Vayeilech- The Bulletproof Jew
Sep 27, 2024
15:49
Thousands of years ago we stood atop a mountain and accepted the Torah. This wasn't an intellectual commitment that we could get out of with expensive lawyers. This was a metaphysical transformation that our very bodies underwent that makes us Jews not just think differently but live an entirely different existence. Hitler couldn't have been more right when he said "Judaism isnt a religoun its a race". True, we are a race. The holiest one on the face of the Earth.
88
Haazinu - Mozart, Radio Telescopes and the Song of Life
Haazinu - Mozart, Radio Telescopes and the Song of Life
Sep 30, 2024
17:13
Haazinu is the song we were taught moments before our initial entrance into the Holy Land. The Torah tells us that this little song should be sung at any time that life gets difficult. It's the song that should accompany us wherever our travels take us. Why? What is it about this song that makes it so important? Isnt a song just ........ a song? The answer might surprise you.
89
BEREISHIS - The Power of a Process
BEREISHIS - The Power of a Process
Oct 29, 2024
2:47
Why was the world created in seven days? Why didn't the all-powerful Hashem simply create the world in one second?
90
Noach - The Fountain of Love
Noach - The Fountain of Love
Oct 30, 2024
4:51
We were all taught as children that Avraham was the first to discover monotheism. But was he? Wasn't it Noach? Wasn't Noach the lone believer in a corrupt world? The answer might surprise you.
91
Do What's Right No Matter the Cost
Do What's Right No Matter the Cost
Nov 5, 2024
5:59
The giant Og gleefully ran to tell Avraham that his Nephew Lot was captured by the mighty kings hoping that Avraham would go attack them, get killed in the process and Og could then marry Avraham's wife Sara. What was Og thinking? How crazy did he think Avraham, an old sage, was to wage war on a group of mighty and brutal kings? The answer might surprise you.
92
Who Was Sarah?
Who Was Sarah?
Nov 19, 2024
10:08
We all know that our Matriarch Sarah was a holy, pure, and loving woman. But why doesn't the Torah mention that explicitly? Why only allude to it? The answer might surprise you.
93
Living on Fire
Living on Fire
Nov 27, 2024
4:02
Isn't it bizarre that a lot of the Jewish people's leaders grew up in homes that had horrible influences all around them? Rivka grew up as the sister of one of history's worst con artists Lavan. Yitchok's brother was the adulterous and idolatrous Yishmael. Yakov's brother was the serial murderer Eisav. Yosef spent most of his life alone in Egypt and eventually married an Egyptian woman. Moshe grew up as the adopted son of Pharo and married a local priest's daughter. Why is this? Shouldn't Hashem want the future leaders of the Jewish people to have upbringings within the Jewish community, unexposed to any negative influences? The answer might surprise you.
94
Shabbos On Fire
Shabbos On Fire
Nov 28, 2024
58:28
This will absolutely change the way you look at Shabbos. From suicide stats to Beethoven to pirates to Alaska and Bangkok and Japan we cover it all in this Podcast
95
The Proud Olive
The Proud Olive
Dec 3, 2024
3:18
After Yakov's famous dream, he erects a monument memorializing his spiritual experience and he takes out a bottle of olive oil and pours it on top of the monument. Ever wonder why he did that? Why is the Torah filled with stories of us anointing monuments and kings by pouring some extra virgin olive oil on their heads? What are we trying to accomplish? The answer might surprise you.
96
The Blessing of War
The Blessing of War
Dec 10, 2024
6:26
In the most famous boxing match in the history of the world, Yakov battles the Angel of Eisav. Ever wonder why the Angel started up with Yakov precisely as he was about to make peace with Eisav? Why specifically then? And even stranger, after Yakov finishes the fight and gets severely wounded by the Angel he asks the Angel to bless him. Why would you ask your enemy, who just made you permanently crippled to bless you? The answer might surprise you.
97
Holy Haughtiness
Holy Haughtiness
Dec 17, 2024
4:42
Our entire existence in Egypt, the slavery, the miracles, and the exodus can all be traced to one action; Yakov giving Yosef a special coat. This coat caused the brothers to be jealous of Yosef which in turn made them sell him as a slave, which led to Yosef landing in Egypt etc. The obvious question is what was Yakov thinking by giving one son a special coat and not the others. Isn't this violating the most basic rule of child-rearing; Don't show favoritism. Why did Yakov do this? The answer may surprise you.
98
Chanukah: The Secret of Us
Chanukah: The Secret of Us
Dec 29, 2024
40:19
Mark Twain famously wrote in 1897 "All things are mortal but the Jew; all other forces pass, but he remains. What is the secret to his immortality?" What is the answer to his question? I believe the answer is embedded in Chanukah.
99
The Leading Leaders
The Leading Leaders
Jan 1, 2025
8:44
Ever wonder why Yosef didn't relieve his father of the pain he was in by telling him he was alive? Why did he wait so long? The answer might surprise you.
100
A Fish Out of Water
A Fish Out of Water
Jan 8, 2025
7:02
Every Friday night for thousands of years we have been blessing our sons to be like Ephraim and Menashe. Why do we choose them as the two figures we hope our children emulate? Why don't we tell our children to become like Yehuda and Levi or Yissachar and Zevulun or Reuvain and Shimon? What's so special about Ephraim and Menashe? The answer might surprise you.