Popular Shows by Rabbi Aryeh Shulman Rabbi Aryeh Shulman
1466 episodes
#
Name
Release Date
Duration
1401
Insights on the Hagadda: Part 13
Insights on the Hagadda: Part 13
Mar 27, 2026
48:37
1402
Pesach: Embittered Learning
Pesach: Embittered Learning
Mar 27, 2026
12:16
1403
The Haggadah Sheli: Haggadah Sheli 13
The Haggadah Sheli: Haggadah Sheli 13
Mar 27, 2026
48:37
Outline: https://danielggordon.github.io/ateresami/haggadah-sheli-13-20260327-041547-outline-20260327-041704.pdf
1404
Pesach: Pesach - Embittered Learning
Pesach: Pesach - Embittered Learning
Mar 27, 2026
12:16
Outline: https://danielggordon.github.io/ateresami/pesach-embittered-learning-20260327-042005-outline-20260327-042048.pdf
1405
2.29: Derech Hashem B'Iyun Book 1 Chapter 4 Part 1
2.29: Derech Hashem B'Iyun Book 1 Chapter 4 Part 1
Apr 1, 2026
39:36
This dvar Torah frames Perek 4 as an investigation into the human condition in this world through two lenses: the inner structure of the person and the external environment in which he lives. Using the Gemara’s language of **“שאור שבעיסה ושיעבוד מלכויות”**, it connects these two forces to Pesach: the internal “yeast” (yetzer hara) that puffs up the dough from within, and the external oppression of surrounding cultures and empires. The shiur then maps the path of inner revolution—through **חכמה, בינה, דעת** and through **חסד, גבורה, תפארת**—and ends by probing the deeper mechanism: physicality’s inherent “opacity” and “darkness,” the opposite of deveikut to Hashem. Outline: https://danielggordon.github.io/ateresami/dh-biyun-1-4-1-20260401-221913-outline-20260401-221946.pdf
1406
2.29: Derech Hashem B'Iyun Book 1 Chapter 4 Part 1
2.29: Derech Hashem B'Iyun Book 1 Chapter 4 Part 1
Apr 1, 2026
39:36
This dvar Torah frames Perek 4 as an investigation into the human condition in this world through two lenses: the inner structure of the person and the external environment in which he lives. Using the Gemara’s language of **“שאור שבעיסה ושיעבוד מלכויות”**, it connects these two forces to Pesach: the internal “yeast” (yetzer hara) that puffs up the dough from within, and the external oppression of surrounding cultures and empires. The shiur then maps the path of inner revolution—through **חכמה, בינה, דעת** and through **חסד, גבורה, תפארת**—and ends by probing the deeper mechanism: physicality’s inherent “opacity” and “darkness,” the opposite of deveikut to Hashem. Outline: https://danielggordon.github.io/ateresami/dh-biyun-1-4-1-20260401-221913-outline-20260401-221946.pdf
1407
2.30: Derech Hashem B'Iyun Book 1 Chapter 4 Part 2
2.30: Derech Hashem B'Iyun Book 1 Chapter 4 Part 2
Apr 18, 2026
35:55
This dvar Torah (learning session) develops the Ramchal’s description of the נשמה entering the גוף as an inherently asymmetrical struggle: even when the powers are “balanced,” the battlefield is the body’s “home court,” so the soul experiences exile in a foreign environment. Because the soul-body partnership is permanent (death is only temporary until תחיית המתים), the soul must invest in a lifelong process: first weakening the הגוף’s darkness and then elevating the גוף to rise together with the נשמה. The session concludes by previewing the next layer of difficulty: not only is the body physical, but the entire world is physical and “dark,” constantly arguing that physicality is all that is real. Outline: https://danielggordon.github.io/ateresami/dh-biyun-1-4-2-20260418-001456-outline-20260418-001544.pdf
1408
2.30: Derech Hashem B'Iyun Book 1 Chapter 4 Part 2
2.30: Derech Hashem B'Iyun Book 1 Chapter 4 Part 2
Apr 18, 2026
35:55
This dvar Torah (learning session) develops the Ramchal’s description of the נשמה entering the גוף as an inherently asymmetrical struggle: even when the powers are “balanced,” the battlefield is the body’s “home court,” so the soul experiences exile in a foreign environment. Because the soul-body partnership is permanent (death is only temporary until תחיית המתים), the soul must invest in a lifelong process: first weakening the הגוף’s darkness and then elevating the גוף to rise together with the נשמה. The session concludes by previewing the next layer of difficulty: not only is the body physical, but the entire world is physical and “dark,” constantly arguing that physicality is all that is real. Outline: https://danielggordon.github.io/ateresami/dh-biyun-1-4-2-20260418-001456-outline-20260418-001544.pdf
1409
2.32: Derech Hashem B'Iyun Book 1 Chapter 4 Part 4
2.32: Derech Hashem B'Iyun Book 1 Chapter 4 Part 4
Apr 23, 2026
39:01
This dvar Torah develops a central Ramchal idea: Hashem embedded *גבולים* (definitions) and *סדרים* (relational structures) within the physical world so that human engagement with physical objects can become a vehicle for spiritual growth rather than distraction. When a person uses the world according to the object’s spiritual “design,” within the proper frameworks (time, combinations, procedure) and with proper *כוונה*, the physical act itself becomes an act of *שלמות*. The shiur then addresses a key tension: since death was decreed after Adam’s sin, purification cannot fully actualize in this world—but every mitzvah still strengthens the soul and purifies the body “in potential,” to be revealed later. A passage from Rav Chaim Volozhiner clarifies that at the moment of a mitzvah a person becomes “encircled in holiness,” and Olam HaBa is the permanence of that revelation. Outline: https://danielggordon.github.io/ateresami/dh-biyun-1-4-4-20260423-193902-outline-20260423-193955.pdf
1410
2.31: 4
2.31: 4
Apr 23, 2026
38:55
This dvar Torah traces the Ramchal’s argument that a human being is immersed in physicality on three fronts: our bodies, our world, and our daily involvements. That physical immersion creates an “asymmetrical” struggle: the body is compulsory and immediate, while spirituality is not forced upon us. Yet the Ramchal’s key chiddush is that **from the depth of Hashem’s wisdom**, this very lowliness becomes the engine of human greatness—because transforming physical darkness into spiritual light is what generates the highest kavod Shamayim and the deepest dveikus. Outline: https://danielggordon.github.io/ateresami/4-20260423-192629-outline-20260423-192707.pdf
1411
Chapter 64 Episode 9
Chapter 64 Episode 9
Apr 23, 2026
38:42
This dvar Torah unpacks the symbolism of the “cup” in Tehillim as a metaphor for *kabbalah*—the human experience of receiving from Hashem—whether for salvation or (chas v’shalom) punishment. Building on the Maharal, it explains why “lifting the cup” means publicizing Hashem’s salvation and why gratitude must be expressed openly to avoid being a *kefui tovah*. It then addresses the difficult phrase “יָקָר בְּעֵינֵי ה׳ הַמָּוְתָה לַחֲסִידָיו,” reinterpreting “יָקָר” as “costly/heavy” and resolving the tension between Hashem’s desire to sustain tzaddikim and the “truth” of natural order, which tzaddikim themselves accept. The section concludes by defining true *avdut* to Hashem as total indebtedness: when Hashem “opens my bonds,” all of my actions become His service. Outline: https://danielggordon.github.io/ateresami/gvuros-hashem-64i-20260423-193255-outline-20260423-193402.pdf
1412
2.32: Derech Hashem B'Iyun Book 1 Chapter 4 Part 4
2.32: Derech Hashem B'Iyun Book 1 Chapter 4 Part 4
Apr 23, 2026
39:01
This dvar Torah develops a central Ramchal idea: Hashem embedded *גבולים* (definitions) and *סדרים* (relational structures) within the physical world so that human engagement with physical objects can become a vehicle for spiritual growth rather than distraction. When a person uses the world according to the object’s spiritual “design,” within the proper frameworks (time, combinations, procedure) and with proper *כוונה*, the physical act itself becomes an act of *שלמות*. The shiur then addresses a key tension: since death was decreed after Adam’s sin, purification cannot fully actualize in this world—but every mitzvah still strengthens the soul and purifies the body “in potential,” to be revealed later. A passage from Rav Chaim Volozhiner clarifies that at the moment of a mitzvah a person becomes “encircled in holiness,” and Olam HaBa is the permanence of that revelation. Outline: https://danielggordon.github.io/ateresami/dh-biyun-1-4-4-20260423-193902-outline-20260423-193955.pdf
1413
2.31: 4
2.31: 4
Apr 23, 2026
38:55
This dvar Torah traces the Ramchal’s argument that a human being is immersed in physicality on three fronts: our bodies, our world, and our daily involvements. That physical immersion creates an “asymmetrical” struggle: the body is compulsory and immediate, while spirituality is not forced upon us. Yet the Ramchal’s key chiddush is that **from the depth of Hashem’s wisdom**, this very lowliness becomes the engine of human greatness—because transforming physical darkness into spiritual light is what generates the highest kavod Shamayim and the deepest dveikus. Outline: https://danielggordon.github.io/ateresami/4-20260423-192629-outline-20260423-192707.pdf
1414
Parshas Acharei-Mos - Kedoshim: Jewish Hearing
Parshas Acharei-Mos - Kedoshim: Jewish Hearing
Apr 24, 2026
12:54
1415
Chapter 64 Episode 10
Chapter 64 Episode 10
Apr 26, 2026
28:31
This dvar Torah focuses on the “strange” logic of Tehillim 117: why the non-Jewish nations are commanded to praise Hashem specifically because “His kindness overpowered *us*.” Using the Gemara in Pesachim and the Maharal’s framing, the shiur resolves the question by splitting the pasuk’s praises into different categories: the nations praise Hashem for His demonstrations of power in the world (nissim and gevurot), while Israel uniquely praises for chasadim done *to us*. Along the way, it develops a conceptual map connecting nissim to Shem Havayah/rachamim, gevurot to din, and chasadim to chesed, and it critiques an attempted reading that “נבראים” here means specifically Klal Yisrael. Outline: https://danielggordon.github.io/ateresami/gvuros-hashem-64j-20260426-151225-outline-20260426-151309.pdf
1416
2.33: D_H biyun 1-4-5_7
2.33: D_H biyun 1-4-5_7
Apr 28, 2026
36:17
This dvar Torah learns Derech Hashem’s framework that mitzvot are not external rules imposed on man, but the very “boundaries and relationships” (גבולים וסדרים) custom-designed for human perfection and דביקות בה׳. It then defines the root of all avodah as a constant orientation toward the Creator, expressed through conquering the yetzer and guiding all actions to that goal. Finally, it introduces a second category beyond commanded mitzvot: everyday necessities (eating, sleep, livelihood) that can become mitzvot when done within halachic limits, with genuine health-need, and with the intention of enabling the soul’s service of Hashem. Outline: https://danielggordon.github.io/ateresami/dh-biyun-1-4-57-20260428-031328-outline-20260428-031417.pdf
1417
2.33: D_H biyun 1-4-5_7
2.33: D_H biyun 1-4-5_7
Apr 28, 2026
36:17
This dvar Torah learns Derech Hashem’s framework that mitzvot are not external rules imposed on man, but the very “boundaries and relationships” (גבולים וסדרים) custom-designed for human perfection and דביקות בה׳. It then defines the root of all avodah as a constant orientation toward the Creator, expressed through conquering the yetzer and guiding all actions to that goal. Finally, it introduces a second category beyond commanded mitzvot: everyday necessities (eating, sleep, livelihood) that can become mitzvot when done within halachic limits, with genuine health-need, and with the intention of enabling the soul’s service of Hashem. Outline: https://danielggordon.github.io/ateresami/dh-biyun-1-4-57-20260428-031328-outline-20260428-031417.pdf
1418
Omer: Sefiras HaOmer - Sefiras haHod
Omer: Sefiras HaOmer - Sefiras haHod
Apr 30, 2026
45:42
This dvar Torah uses the Maharal (in the third introduction to *Gevurot Hashem*) to frame the seven weeks of Sefirat HaOmer as a progression through seven divine מידות, anchored in a sugya in Berachot that maps them onto the pasuk “לך ה׳ הגדולה...” The focus is on מידת ההוד: its connection to hiddenness (צפון), to הודאה/תודה as “admitting” what could have been denied, and to healing as restoring balance. Through the episode of נַחֲלֵי אַרְנוֹן and the role of אהרן הכהן, the talk develops Hod as the capacity to reveal and acknowledge inner truth—whether in Hashem’s hidden salvations or in the hidden goodness within people. Outline: https://danielggordon.github.io/ateresami/sefiras-haomer-sefiras-hahod-20260430-111533-outline-20260430-111625.pdf
1419
Parshas Emor: Giving From the End
Parshas Emor: Giving From the End
May 1, 2026
9:11
1420
Lag Ba'Omer: The Torah of Rabbi Akiva
Lag Ba'Omer: The Torah of Rabbi Akiva
May 5, 2026
18:08
1421
Lag Ba'Omer: The Torah of Rabbi Shimon
Lag Ba'Omer: The Torah of Rabbi Shimon
May 5, 2026
13:12
1422
Chapter 64 Episode 11
Chapter 64 Episode 11
May 6, 2026
33:28
This dvar Torah (following the Maharal’s flow through Hallel) addresses a theological tension: if Hashem governs with chessed—giving beyond strict deserving—does that compromise emes (truth/consistency)? The answer is that Hashem’s chessed itself is integrated into emes through a larger, exact accounting across time and roles in Creation. The piece then reframes “repayment” to Hashem: we cannot truly pay Him back with offerings or mitzvot as transactions, only through הוֹדָאָה—acknowledgment that returns the gift to its source by giving ourselves over to Him. Finally, it explains why Hallel highlights different circles—Israel, Beit Aharon, and Yir’ei Hashem—each receiving a distinct manifestation of chessed. Outline: https://danielggordon.github.io/ateresami/gvuros-hashem-64k-20260506-194558-outline-20260506-194641.pdf
1423
Omer: Yisod - Unity of Expression
Omer: Yisod - Unity of Expression
May 7, 2026
50:58
This dvar Torah continues a series mapping the sefirot/middot through a Gemara in Berachot, focusing on **יסוד** as the “hidden” middah embedded in the phrase **“כִּי כֹל בַּשָּׁמַיִם וּבָאָרֶץ”**. It develops Yesod as the power of **hashpa’ah and kabbalah** (influence and receptivity), the discipline of **discernment** (channeling energy only where it belongs), and the stance of **faithfulness to one’s source**—modeled by Yosef. The outline ties these themes to **Milchemet Sisera** (where the heavens and earth interact), to the Yamim Nora’im as “shamayim/aretz,” and to **Tu BiShvat** via the **olive/oil** as the seventh-species symbol of Yesod. Outline: https://danielggordon.github.io/ateresami/yisod-unity-of-expression-20260507-211329-outline-20260507-211426.pdf
1424
Parshas Behar-Bechuksai: Counting Up
Parshas Behar-Bechuksai: Counting Up
May 8, 2026
7:21
1425
Lag Ba'Omer: Celebrating the Death of a Tzaddik?
Lag Ba'Omer: Celebrating the Death of a Tzaddik?
May 8, 2026
4:57
1426
Chapter 64 Episode 12
Chapter 64 Episode 12
May 10, 2026
33:34
This dvar Torah (based on the Maharal’s approach) develops the idea that **הודאה** is not merely saying “thank you,” but a form of **תשלומים**—“repayment” through giving oneself back to Hashem, which creates **דבקות**. It explains why Hallel singles out three groups—**ישראל**, **בית אהרן**, and **יראי ה׳**—first as recipients of distinct חסדים, and then more deeply as possessing distinct modes of דבקות. The derash then moves to “מִן הַמֵּצַר קָרָאתִי יָּהּ,” using Midrash to show that the Divine Name invoked shapes the form of the response, and that the Name **י־ה** specifically embodies *merchav*—expansion—because “בְּיָ־הּ ה׳ צוּר עוֹלָמִים.” Outline: https://danielggordon.github.io/ateresami/gvuros-hashem-64l-20260510-151330-outline-20260510-151406.pdf
1427
2.34: Derech Hashem B'Iyun Book 1 Chapter 4 Part 8
2.34: Derech Hashem B'Iyun Book 1 Chapter 4 Part 8
May 12, 2026
36:52
This dvar Torah develops a “hack” for generating “limitless mitzvot”: everyday, non-mitzvah actions can become spiritually elevating when they are necessary for avodat Hashem, permissible, and done with proper kavanah. It then pivots to a core inner avodah in Derech Hashem: strengthening אהבה and יראה through contemplation of Hashem’s greatness and human lowliness. Finally, it frames אהבה and יראה as the two “wings” that elevate a person—אהבה expanding the נשמה’s drive for closeness, and יראה purifying the body’s pull toward חומריות—while noting that different generations may emphasize different sides of this balance. Outline: https://danielggordon.github.io/ateresami/dh-biyun-1-4-8-20260512-041330-outline-20260512-041418.pdf
1428
2.34: Derech Hashem B'Iyun Book 1 Chapter 4 Part 8
2.34: Derech Hashem B'Iyun Book 1 Chapter 4 Part 8
May 12, 2026
36:52
This dvar Torah develops a “hack” for generating “limitless mitzvot”: everyday, non-mitzvah actions can become spiritually elevating when they are necessary for avodat Hashem, permissible, and done with proper kavanah. It then pivots to a core inner avodah in Derech Hashem: strengthening אהבה and יראה through contemplation of Hashem’s greatness and human lowliness. Finally, it frames אהבה and יראה as the two “wings” that elevate a person—אהבה expanding the נשמה’s drive for closeness, and יראה purifying the body’s pull toward חומריות—while noting that different generations may emphasize different sides of this balance. Outline: https://danielggordon.github.io/ateresami/dh-biyun-1-4-8-20260512-041330-outline-20260512-041418.pdf
1429
Omer: Malchus - One Will
Omer: Malchus - One Will
May 14, 2026
47:54
Rabbi Shulman explains that the final week of Sefirat HaOmer corresponds to **מלכות**, the divine attribute of “kingship,” rooted in the pasuk recited when the Torah is taken out: “לך ה׳ … לך ה׳ הממלכה והמתנשא לכל ראש.” He develops מלכות as **רצון**—the unifying will that gives direction and cohesion to all reality—and shows why its historical manifestation is the ultimate defeat of **עמלק** and the confrontation with **גוג ומגוג**. Along the way, Rabbi Shulman uses the Ramchal to address the tension between Hashem’s absolute will and human free choice, and concludes with how מלכות is lived personally through **אמונה**: receiving, recognizing, and unifying life under Hashem’s purpose. Outline: https://danielggordon.github.io/ateresami/malchus-one-will-20260514-031632-outline-20260514-031744.pdf
1430
Omer: Malchus - Short Version
Omer: Malchus - Short Version
May 15, 2026
7:04
Rabbi Shulman frames the final week of ספירת העומר as the culminating עבודה that leads directly into שבועות: the מידה of מלכות. Unlike the earlier weeks’ focus on “doing” (active character refinement), מלכות is about “receiving”—aligning oneself with the singular רצון of הקדוש ברוך הוא and recognizing His unified dominion in all events. He connects this to קבלת עול מלכות שמים through שמע ישראל, explaining that Hashem’s oneness and kingship are mutually defining, and that this awareness is the core of אמונה. Outline: https://danielggordon.github.io/ateresami/malchus-short-version-20260515-031226-outline-20260515-031255.pdf
1431
Shavuos: Torah and Children
Shavuos: Torah and Children
May 21, 2026
42:13
1432
Shavuos: Shavuos - Torah and Children
Shavuos: Shavuos - Torah and Children
May 21, 2026
42:13
Rabbi Shulman presents a teaching from Rav Tzadok (in *Machshavot Charutz*) that the three regalim align with the three life-areas described as dependent on “mazal”: children, life, and sustenance. He develops how Pesach corresponds to מזונות/פרנסה and why the Omer process refines human physicality from “animal food” (barley) toward “human food” (wheat), culminating in Shavuot as the “עצרת”—the internalization of revelation into lasting vessels. The centerpiece is the linkage of Torah and בנים: children represent a person’s eternity, and new souls require new expansions of Torah (especially תורה שבעל פה) as their spiritual “place” in the world. Outline: https://danielggordon.github.io/ateresami/shavuos-torah-and-children-20260521-032651-outline-20260521-032743.pdf
1433
2.36: D_H biyun 1-4-9_10
2.36: D_H biyun 1-4-9_10
May 28, 2026
23:19
Rabbi Shulman explains that the Ramchal describes three distinct modes of engaging Torah—reading Written Torah, understanding the revealed Torah (Gemara and halachah), and understanding *סתרי תורה*—and that each produces spiritual growth in a different way. He highlights the Ramchal’s precise word choices—*ויתעצם*, *יקנה*, and *יקבע ויתעצם בנשמתו*—to show when Torah functions as a *סגולה* “internalized” into a person versus when it becomes a true *קניין* acquired through exertion. Rabbi Shulman then begins the next section (*אות י*), framing all human states of “darkness” and “illumination” as dependent on the degree of Hashem’s “illumination” toward the person—limited only by the recipient, not by the Divine Giver. Outline: https://danielggordon.github.io/ateresami/dh-biyun-1-4-910-20260528-194504-outline-20260528-194552.pdf
1434
2.35: Derech Hashem B'Iyun Book 1 Chapter 4 Part 9
2.35: Derech Hashem B'Iyun Book 1 Chapter 4 Part 9
May 28, 2026
29:36
Rabbi Shulman explains that while love and fear of Hashem are powerful internal “vehicles” for spiritual growth, Hashem gave an even higher external כלי: תלמוד תורה. He outlines two (and then a heightened third) levels within Torah study—simple reading, analytical understanding, and finally grasping hidden depths—showing how each level produces a corresponding increase in personal שלמות. Rabbi Shulman emphasizes that Torah study must be done with קדושה, טהרה, and proper כוונה, and he concludes that Torah elevates not only the individual but the entire creation. Outline: https://danielggordon.github.io/ateresami/dh-biyun-1-4-9-20260528-192631-outline-20260528-192714.pdf
1435
2.36: D_H biyun 1-4-9_10
2.36: D_H biyun 1-4-9_10
May 28, 2026
23:19
Rabbi Shulman explains that the Ramchal describes three distinct modes of engaging Torah—reading Written Torah, understanding the revealed Torah (Gemara and halachah), and understanding *סתרי תורה*—and that each produces spiritual growth in a different way. He highlights the Ramchal’s precise word choices—*ויתעצם*, *יקנה*, and *יקבע ויתעצם בנשמתו*—to show when Torah functions as a *סגולה* “internalized” into a person versus when it becomes a true *קניין* acquired through exertion. Rabbi Shulman then begins the next section (*אות י*), framing all human states of “darkness” and “illumination” as dependent on the degree of Hashem’s “illumination” toward the person—limited only by the recipient, not by the Divine Giver. Outline: https://danielggordon.github.io/ateresami/dh-biyun-1-4-910-20260528-194504-outline-20260528-194552.pdf
1436
2.35: Derech Hashem B'Iyun Book 1 Chapter 4 Part 9
2.35: Derech Hashem B'Iyun Book 1 Chapter 4 Part 9
May 28, 2026
29:36
Rabbi Shulman explains that while love and fear of Hashem are powerful internal “vehicles” for spiritual growth, Hashem gave an even higher external כלי: תלמוד תורה. He outlines two (and then a heightened third) levels within Torah study—simple reading, analytical understanding, and finally grasping hidden depths—showing how each level produces a corresponding increase in personal שלמות. Rabbi Shulman emphasizes that Torah study must be done with קדושה, טהרה, and proper כוונה, and he concludes that Torah elevates not only the individual but the entire creation. Outline: https://danielggordon.github.io/ateresami/dh-biyun-1-4-9-20260528-192631-outline-20260528-192714.pdf
1437
Parshas Naso: See Something Do Something
Parshas Naso: See Something Do Something
May 29, 2026
8:41
Rabbi Shulman explains the well-known Chazal on the juxtaposition of *Sotah* and *Nazir*: seeing a *sotah* “in her disgrace” should motivate a person to abstain from wine. Beyond the simple concern of avoiding moral desensitization, he highlights a deeper link—both *sotah* and *nazir* are defined by hair: her hair is undone as shame, while his hair becomes *נזר אלוקיו* (a holy “crown”). The broader מוסר: when a person “sees” spiritual failure that truly registers, it is not enough to avoid the wrongdoing; one must actively elevate and sanctify that very area as a תיקון. Outline: https://danielggordon.github.io/ateresami/naso-see-something-do-something-20260529-031901-outline-20260529-031933.pdf
1438
2.37: Derech Hashem B'Iyun Book 1 Chapter 4 Part 11
2.37: Derech Hashem B'Iyun Book 1 Chapter 4 Part 11
Jun 2, 2026
39:29
Rabbi Shulman explains the Ramchal’s step-by-step “mechanism” of spiritual growth: a mitzvah brings a person closer to Hashem, that closeness yields greater גילוי (revelation/“הארת פנים”), and that revelation produces human perfection—because Hashem is the source of all שלמות. He contrasts this with philosophical models that locate perfection in abstract thought, drawing on the Maharal’s argument that true human connection to the Infinite comes specifically through Hashem’s revealed will in Torah and mitzvot. Rabbi Shulman then clarifies a potential misunderstanding: the goal in doing mitzvot is not self-serving spiritual gain, but sincerely fulfilling Hashem’s will—while acknowledging that using “reward” calculations can legitimately motivate action. Outline: https://danielggordon.github.io/ateresami/dh-biyun-1-4-11-20260602-155548-outline-20260602-155639.pdf
1439
2.37: Derech Hashem B'Iyun Book 1 Chapter 4 Part 11
2.37: Derech Hashem B'Iyun Book 1 Chapter 4 Part 11
Jun 2, 2026
39:29
Rabbi Shulman explains the Ramchal’s step-by-step “mechanism” of spiritual growth: a mitzvah brings a person closer to Hashem, that closeness yields greater גילוי (revelation/“הארת פנים”), and that revelation produces human perfection—because Hashem is the source of all שלמות. He contrasts this with philosophical models that locate perfection in abstract thought, drawing on the Maharal’s argument that true human connection to the Infinite comes specifically through Hashem’s revealed will in Torah and mitzvot. Rabbi Shulman then clarifies a potential misunderstanding: the goal in doing mitzvot is not self-serving spiritual gain, but sincerely fulfilling Hashem’s will—while acknowledging that using “reward” calculations can legitimately motivate action. Outline: https://danielggordon.github.io/ateresami/dh-biyun-1-4-11-20260602-155548-outline-20260602-155639.pdf
1440
Bamidbar: Behaalosecha - Eliminating The Shulchan
Bamidbar: Behaalosecha - Eliminating The Shulchan
Jun 5, 2026
8:43
Rabbi Shulman focuses on the Torah’s instruction that all seven lamps of the menorah must shine “אל מול פני המנורה,” and he raises two questions: how this applies to the middle lamp, and why this detail appears here rather than earlier in the construction of the Mishkan’s vessels. Drawing on Rav Tzadok, Rabbi Shulman explains that “מול” hints to the north side of the Mishkan—the spiritually vulnerable “opening” associated with the hidden yetzer hara (“הצפוני”). The menorah’s light (Torah) must therefore shine “into the north,” elevating the שולחן (physical eating and enjoyment) into holiness and providing the only real antidote to modern excess and indulgence.
1441
Chapter 64 Episode 13
Chapter 64 Episode 13
Jun 8, 2026
23:27
Rabbi Shulman continues learning the Maharal on Hallel, focusing on the “מן המצר” section and how Midrash reads “סבוני” as referring to Gog U’Magog—the archetypal head of the nations opposing Malchut Shamayim as expressed through Israel. He outlines a Midrash describing three escalating attempts by Gog U’Magog to attack Yerushalayim, then pivots to a Zohar-based reading of “דחה דחיתני לנפל” as spoken directly to the yetzer hara. Finally, Rabbi Shulman begins unpacking the Maharal’s careful reading of “עָזִּי וְזִמְרָת יָהּ וַיְהִי לִי לִישׁוּעָה,” emphasizing that the “yeshuah” is attributed to Hashem Himself, not to “strength and song.” Outline: https://danielggordon.github.io/ateresami/gvuros-hashem-64m-20260608-031337-outline-20260608-031412.pdf
1442
2.38: Derech Hashem B'Iyun Book 1 Chapter 5 Part 1
2.38: Derech Hashem B'Iyun Book 1 Chapter 5 Part 1
Jun 11, 2026
40:33
Rabbi Shulman explains Ramchal’s taxonomy of creation as divided into two overarching realms—גשמי (physical) and רוחני (spiritual)—and then carefully traces the subdivisions within each. He clarifies what “perceivable by the senses” means (including perception aided by tools), and why the spiritual realm contains both נשמות (souls destined to enter bodies) and נבדלים (transcendent beings not destined for bodies), including כוחות and מלאכים. Rabbi Shulman then highlights a surprising “middle category” between physical and spiritual—שדים—using Chazal’s broader principle that Hashem creates intermediary gradations, and he offers modern analogies (microscopic life, quantum phenomena) to help conceptualize what “in-between” might mean. Outline: https://danielggordon.github.io/ateresami/dh-biyun-1-5-1-20260611-030536-outline-20260611-030613.pdf
1443
2.38: Derech Hashem B'Iyun Book 1 Chapter 5 Part 1
2.38: Derech Hashem B'Iyun Book 1 Chapter 5 Part 1
Jun 11, 2026
40:33
Rabbi Shulman explains Ramchal’s taxonomy of creation as divided into two overarching realms—גשמי (physical) and רוחני (spiritual)—and then carefully traces the subdivisions within each. He clarifies what “perceivable by the senses” means (including perception aided by tools), and why the spiritual realm contains both נשמות (souls destined to enter bodies) and נבדלים (transcendent beings not destined for bodies), including כוחות and מלאכים. Rabbi Shulman then highlights a surprising “middle category” between physical and spiritual—שדים—using Chazal’s broader principle that Hashem creates intermediary gradations, and he offers modern analogies (microscopic life, quantum phenomena) to help conceptualize what “in-between” might mean. Outline: https://danielggordon.github.io/ateresami/dh-biyun-1-5-1-20260611-030536-outline-20260611-030613.pdf
1444
2.39: Derech Hashem B'Iyun Book 1 Chapter 5 Part 2
2.39: Derech Hashem B'Iyun Book 1 Chapter 5 Part 2
Jun 16, 2026
36:01
Rabbi Shulman explains the Ramchal’s distinction between human beings and animals: although both possess a physical life-force, only man is a true composite of two utterly different creations—body and a supernal soul. He develops how this makes man the “ladder” connecting spiritual and physical realms, paralleling the role of the Beit HaMikdash as a “neck” between head and body. Rabbi Shulman then begins Ot 2, emphasizing the limits of human imagination regarding spiritual realities and introducing the core principle of spiritual “roots” (כחות נבדלים) that cascade down through a chain-like סדר השתלשלות, enabling both human relatability and genuine free will. Outline: https://danielggordon.github.io/ateresami/dh-biyun-1-5-2-20260616-030435-outline-20260616-030513.pdf
1445
2.39: Derech Hashem B'Iyun Book 1 Chapter 5 Part 2
2.39: Derech Hashem B'Iyun Book 1 Chapter 5 Part 2
Jun 16, 2026
36:01
Rabbi Shulman explains the Ramchal’s distinction between human beings and animals: although both possess a physical life-force, only man is a true composite of two utterly different creations—body and a supernal soul. He develops how this makes man the “ladder” connecting spiritual and physical realms, paralleling the role of the Beit HaMikdash as a “neck” between head and body. Rabbi Shulman then begins Ot 2, emphasizing the limits of human imagination regarding spiritual realities and introducing the core principle of spiritual “roots” (כחות נבדלים) that cascade down through a chain-like סדר השתלשלות, enabling both human relatability and genuine free will. Outline: https://danielggordon.github.io/ateresami/dh-biyun-1-5-2-20260616-030435-outline-20260616-030513.pdf
1446
Korach - the Truth of Equality
Korach - the Truth of Equality
Jun 19, 2026
13:00
Rabbi Shulman raises Rabbi Tzadok’s fundamental question: how can the Torah—*divrei emet*—record the falsehoods Korach spreads, especially when they fuel machloket rather than peace? He explains that Korach’s claims are not “random lies” preserved as history; rather, they express a profound truth that applies in a different spiritual mode: moments of “circular” revelation (like Kriyat Yam Suf and Matan Torah) and the future world, where every Jew relates directly to Hashem without hierarchy. Korach’s error was weaponizing that truth prematurely—using a real ideal of equality in a world that still operates by process, gradation, and necessary distinction. Outline: https://danielggordon.github.io/ateresami/korach-the-truth-of-equality-20260619-141019-outline-20260619-141057.pdf
1447
Chapter 64 Episode 14
Chapter 64 Episode 14
Jun 21, 2026
22:18
Rabbi Shulman continues learning the Maharal’s explanation of Hallel (פרק סד), focusing on the pasuk **“עָזִּי וְזִמְרָת יָהּ וַיְהִי לִי לִישׁוּעָה”** and how its grammar shapes its meaning. He develops a theme that praise and song from צדיקים “add strength,” כביכול, by opening channels for Divine revelation—linking this to the Ramchal’s framing of “עלינו לשבח.” Rabbi Shulman then pivots to several pesukim in the same chapter about יסורים, שערי צדק, and הודאה, presenting hodaa not only as gratitude but as admission/acknowledgment that creates דביקות by returning one’s “ownership” back to Hashem. Outline: https://danielggordon.github.io/ateresami/gvuros-hashem-64n-20260621-160730-outline-20260621-160818.pdf
1448
2.40: Derech Hashem B'Iyun Book 1 Chapter 5 Part 3
2.40: Derech Hashem B'Iyun Book 1 Chapter 5 Part 3
Jun 23, 2026
39:16
Rabbi Shulman continues the Ramchal’s discussion of how Hashem structured reality as a system of “roots and branches,” where higher spiritual powers are the roots and the physical world is their downstream expression. He explains the metaphor of **השתלשלות** as a chain of worlds in which the “lowest” aspect of a higher realm becomes the “highest” entry-point into the realm beneath it, and he clarifies the role of **מלאכים** as intermediaries who ensure the correct execution of divine influence. Rabbi Shulman then emphasizes a key interpretive principle: whatever exists “up there” corresponds to what we see “down here,” but only after stripping away physical form to identify the underlying essence—allowing us to relate to Hashem’s hanhagah through tangible mashalim. Outline: https://danielggordon.github.io/ateresami/dh-biyun-1-5-3-20260623-121135-outline-20260623-121230.pdf
1449
2.40: Derech Hashem B'Iyun Book 1 Chapter 5 Part 3
2.40: Derech Hashem B'Iyun Book 1 Chapter 5 Part 3
Jun 23, 2026
39:16
Rabbi Shulman continues the Ramchal’s discussion of how Hashem structured reality as a system of “roots and branches,” where higher spiritual powers are the roots and the physical world is their downstream expression. He explains the metaphor of **השתלשלות** as a chain of worlds in which the “lowest” aspect of a higher realm becomes the “highest” entry-point into the realm beneath it, and he clarifies the role of **מלאכים** as intermediaries who ensure the correct execution of divine influence. Rabbi Shulman then emphasizes a key interpretive principle: whatever exists “up there” corresponds to what we see “down here,” but only after stripping away physical form to identify the underlying essence—allowing us to relate to Hashem’s hanhagah through tangible mashalim. Outline: https://danielggordon.github.io/ateresami/dh-biyun-1-5-3-20260623-121135-outline-20260623-121230.pdf
1450
Chukas - The Bright side of Death
Chukas - The Bright side of Death
Jun 26, 2026
8:42
Rabbi Shulman explores the famous דרשה of Reish Lakish that Torah only endures in someone who “kills himself” over it, derived from the pasuk “זאת התורה אדם כי ימות באהל.” He addresses the tension between the pasuk’s פשט—death and טומאה in a literal tent—and the דרוש—life-giving devotion in the tent of Torah. Rabbi Shulman then reconciles an apparent contradiction in חז״ל about whether the human body can be purified in this world, arguing that intense immersion in Torah creates a temporary “Har Sinai” state where physical drives fall silent and the זוהמה is functionally suspended. Outline: https://danielggordon.github.io/ateresami/chukas-the-bright-side-of-death-20260626-031631-outline-20260626-031657.pdf
1451
Chapter 64 Episode 15
Chapter 64 Episode 15
Jun 29, 2026
21:32
Rabbi Shulman continues an explanation of Hallel (Tehillim 118), focusing on how Hashem elevates the despised “stone” into a “cornerstone,” revealing salvation as overtly miraculous and pre-planned from Creation. He then turns to the pleas of **“אָנָּא ה׳ הוֹשִׁיעָה נָּא”** and **“אָנָּא ה׳ הַצְלִיחָה נָּא”** as requests for deliverance from opposition and for continued success. Finally, he offers a striking reading of **“אִסְרוּ חַג בַּעֲבֹתִים עַד קַרְנוֹת הַמִּזְבֵּחַ”** as a call to intensify thanksgiving through עבודת הקרבנות, and notes how the chapter’s closing “הוֹדוּ” mirrors its opening. Outline: https://danielggordon.github.io/ateresami/gvuros-hashem-64o-20260629-142239-outline-20260629-142323.pdf
1452
2.41: Derech Hashem B'Iyun Book 1 Chapter 5 Part 4
2.41: Derech Hashem B'Iyun Book 1 Chapter 5 Part 4
Jun 30, 2026
30:06
Rabbi Shulman explains the Ramchal’s model that most events originate “above” in the higher, spiritual powers and descend into the physical world as cause-and-effect. The major exception is human free will: through bechirah a person can initiate change from below to above, impacting the higher realms by acting in the physical world. Rabbi Shulman concludes that this framework is crucial for avodat Hashem because it turns mitzvot and tefillah from generic “good deeds” into targeted spiritual actions that actively reshape reality, not merely trigger reward like a vending machine. Outline: https://danielggordon.github.io/ateresami/dh-biyun-1-5-4-20260630-140629-outline-20260630-140716.pdf
1453
2.41: Derech Hashem B'Iyun Book 1 Chapter 5 Part 4
2.41: Derech Hashem B'Iyun Book 1 Chapter 5 Part 4
Jun 30, 2026
30:06
Rabbi Shulman explains the Ramchal’s model that most events originate “above” in the higher, spiritual powers and descend into the physical world as cause-and-effect. The major exception is human free will: through bechirah a person can initiate change from below to above, impacting the higher realms by acting in the physical world. Rabbi Shulman concludes that this framework is crucial for avodat Hashem because it turns mitzvot and tefillah from generic “good deeds” into targeted spiritual actions that actively reshape reality, not merely trigger reward like a vending machine. Outline: https://danielggordon.github.io/ateresami/dh-biyun-1-5-4-20260630-140629-outline-20260630-140716.pdf
1454
Bein Hametzorim: The 5 Gevuros
Bein Hametzorim: The 5 Gevuros
Jul 3, 2026
43:01
1455
Chapter 64 Episode 16
Chapter 64 Episode 16
Jul 6, 2026
8:15
Rabbi Shulman explains a teaching of the Maharal on why Tehillim both opens and closes with “הוֹדוּ לַה׳,” framing the entire chapter as an exercise in הודאה (gratitude). He then traces a Gemara in Pesachim that assigns successive verses to different figures around David HaMelech (David, Yishai, Shmuel, and David’s brothers), showing that the goodness of Hashem is not “mainly” for one person with incidental spillover to others. Rather, every beneficiary is intentionally included in Hashem’s ordered plan, and therefore each one has a distinct obligation to thank—while all ultimately unite in gratitude to the single Source. Outline: https://danielggordon.github.io/ateresami/gvuros-hashem-64p-20260706-170432-outline-20260706-170503.pdf
1456
Chapter 65 Episode 1
Chapter 65 Episode 1
Jul 6, 2026
9:53
Rabbi Shulman analyzes the Mishnah and Gemara’s debate over what “ברכת השיר” is at the end of the Seder, explaining why many Haggadot incorporate both יהללוך and נשמת כל חי. He then focuses on a precise claim in the Gemara: within יהללוך there are specifically **eight** concentrated expressions of praise, and this “eight” aligns with a broader Torah pattern where songs are introduced by **אז** (whose letters total eight). Rabbi Shulman closes by introducing a Midrash (R. Akiva) about Hashem “wearing” a garment engraved with all the occurrences of אז in the Torah—torn after sin and restored in the future—setting up how the Maharal will interpret this symbolism. Outline: https://danielggordon.github.io/ateresami/gvuros-hashem-65a-20260706-170730-outline-20260706-170800.pdf
1457
Chapter 65 Episode 1
Chapter 65 Episode 1
Jul 6, 2026
9:53
Episode Notes Notes go hereR
1458
2.42: D_H 1-5-5_6_7
2.42: D_H 1-5-5_6_7
Jul 7, 2026
35:00
Rabbi Shulman explains how human free will can “move” higher spiritual powers upward, triggering an inevitable, determined flow back downward into the world. He clarifies that not only actions, but also speech and thought, generate uniquely calibrated effects—varying by intensity (*שיעור*) and by spiritual “location” or level (*מדרגה*). Rabbi Shulman then turns to the theological problem of evil, presenting the Ramchal’s model: good is caused directly by Hashem’s illumination, while evil is rooted not in Hashem as a “cause,” but in the concealment/absence of that light—an engineered condition that makes free will possible.
1459
Fast Days: Bein Hametzorim - the 5 Gevuros
Fast Days: Bein Hametzorim - the 5 Gevuros
Jul 6, 2026
43:01
Rabbi Shulman uses the Mishnah in Ta’anit—“חמישה דברים אירעו… וחמישה”—to argue that the tragedies of י״ז בתמוז and תשעה באב are not merely ten historical events but ten *categories* of national breakdown. He develops a Maharal-based framework in which the “first five” are openings—reversible cracks that make destruction possible—while the “second five” are the irreversible completion. Through imagery of two hands (right/left), weapons, and the halachic notion of רשות היחיד vs. רשות הרבים, Rabbi Shulman explains how spiritual presence, national unity, and Torah itself are progressively compromised—and why the Three Weeks are meant to stop the process before the “ending” lands.
1460
2.42: D_H 1-5-5_6_7
2.42: D_H 1-5-5_6_7
Jul 7, 2026
35:00
Rabbi Shulman explains how human free will can “move” higher spiritual powers upward, triggering an inevitable, determined flow back downward into the world. He clarifies that not only actions, but also speech and thought, generate uniquely calibrated effects—varying by intensity (*שיעור*) and by spiritual “location” or level (*מדרגה*). Rabbi Shulman then turns to the theological problem of evil, presenting the Ramchal’s model: good is caused directly by Hashem’s illumination, while evil is rooted not in Hashem as a “cause,” but in the concealment/absence of that light—an engineered condition that makes free will possible.
1461
Matos - Speaking a Vow
Matos - Speaking a Vow
Jul 10, 2026
10:11
Episode Notes Notes go hereRabbi Shulman addresses the apparent tension in the Torah’s treatment of נדרים and שבועות: Chazal often criticize making vows, yet the Torah opens Parashat Matot with the laws of nedarim and even allows for their annulment. He explains (based on Rav Tzadok and the Zohar) that vows are spiritually valid only when a person’s רצון is profoundly aligned with רצון ה׳—to the point of “זה הדבר,” where speech becomes a vehicle for דבר ה׳. Hatarat nedarim then functions as a corrective mechanism when vows emerge from confused or misguided רצון rather than authentic דבקות. Outline: https://danielggordon.github.io/ateresami/matos-speaking-a-vow-20260710-030333-outline-20260710-030404.pdf
1462
Chapter 65 Episode 2
Chapter 65 Episode 2
Jul 12, 2026
26:59
Rabbi Shulman continues the Maharal’s discussion (פרק סה) of praising Hashem with the word “אָז,” explaining how “אָז” signals transcendence beyond the natural world of “seven” and even beyond time. He develops the Midrashic image that Israel “clothes” Hashem כביכול with a “חלוק של תפארת,” since honor functions like a garment, and the Torah’s expressions of עֹז are engravings on that robe. Rabbi Shulman then connects the “tearing” of this garment not primarily to the חטא העגל but to the חורבן בית המקדש, when Hashem’s splendor in the lower world is diminished. Outline: https://danielggordon.github.io/ateresami/gvuros-hashem-65b-20260712-150529-outline-20260712-150600.pdf
1463
Fast Days: Av - The Light of Darkness
Fast Days: Av - The Light of Darkness
Jul 16, 2026
47:35
Rabbi Shulman contrasts the “lived” experience of the Nine Days—darkness, mourning, and absence—with a deeper Torah view in which this time is paradoxically called a **מועד**. Drawing from Rabbi Tzadok HaKohen (Pri Tzadik), Rabbi Shulman explains how Rosh Chodesh (especially Rosh Chodesh Av) contains hidden קדושה and “light,” even amid טומאה and חורבן, and how the very experience of rock-bottom can become the fuel for transformative תשובה מאהבה that retroactively reveals good בתוך החושך. Outline: https://danielggordon.github.io/ateresami/av-the-light-of-darkness-20260716-130634-outline-20260716-130733.pdf
1464
Devarim - Struck the Two Kings
Devarim - Struck the Two Kings
Jul 17, 2026
12:13
Episode Notes Notes go hereRabbi Shulman explains why the Torah—after already giving the time and place—adds that Moshe spoke to Israel only *after* defeating Sichon and Og. Drawing on Chazal and Rabbi Tzadok, he presents Sichon and Og as spiritual forces of the יצר הרע that block a person’s mind (preventing חשבון הנפש) and heart (hardening it like stone), making תוכחה unable to penetrate. The repeated emphasis on “בעבר הירדן” then becomes a conceptual map: the “east bank” represents מוחין (חכמה, בינה, דעת) that must be “brought down” into action as the nation enters Eretz Canaan. Outline: https://danielggordon.github.io/ateresami/devarim-struck-the-two-kings-20260717-030330-outline-20260717-030407.pdf
1465
Tisha B'Av: Listening to Megillas Eichah
Tisha B'Av: Listening to Megillas Eichah
Jul 23, 2026
18:51
1466
Parshas Eikev: Stubborn People
Parshas Eikev: Stubborn People
Jul 31, 2026
8:26