The Shmuz

1151

#66 - Mark of the Man

Mar 9, 2019

46:31

A popular notion in the secular world is that people are just like animals. Animals live and breathe; we live and breathe. Animals walk on four legs; we walk on two. Whats the big difference?The Torah tells us that the difference is staggering. Its true that humans have an animalistic side, but we also have nishomas. By nurturing the nishoma, we can reach limitless spiritual heights. Thats something no animal can do.The nishoma requires specific nourishment for its growth: Torah. Learning Torah beats back the animalistic desires and propels the nishoma forward. It takes discipline, but the pay-off is enormous. By reminding you of just how much you stand to gain, this Shmuz will not only motivate you to learn, itll help you enjoy learning. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. This podcast has been graciously sponsored by JewishPodcasts.fm. There is much overhead to maintain this service so please help us continue our goal of helping Jewish lecturers become podcasters and support us with a donation: https://thechesedfund.com/jewishpodcasts/donate

1152

#67 - Understanding and Eliminating Jealousy

Mar 9, 2019

39:28

If theres one thing that makes smart people act dumb, its jealousy. When people are caught in its clutches, they forget every other bracha in their lives. Nothing is as important as what the other guy has, whether it be money, happiness, or kavod.The good news is that jealousy is surprisingly easy to work on. Because its so irrational and illogical, clear thinking is all it takes to neutralize it.This Shmuz will give you the hashkafos you need to quell that green-eyed monster once and for all, put you on the path to conquering jealousy forever, leaving you free to really enjoy your life. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. This podcast has been graciously sponsored by JewishPodcasts.fm. There is much overhead to maintain this service so please help us continue our goal of helping Jewish lecturers become podcasters and support us with a donation: https://thechesedfund.com/jewishpodcasts/donate

1153

#27 - Respecting the Institution, America the Beautiful

Mar 9, 2019

57:44

We live in a world of disrespect. Children dont respect parents. Students dont respect teachers, spouses dont respect each other and I certainly cant respect a President or world leader who gives in to his every passion and whim. In this Shmuz we find that Torah has a very different understanding of respect, and who is worthy of respect. We are introduced to the Torahs concept of respecting the institution even if we dont respect the person. And we are brought to focus on the tremendous sense of appreciation we must have for all the good that we experience living in this land. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. This podcast has been graciously sponsored by JewishPodcasts.fm. There is much overhead to maintain this service so please help us continue our goal of helping Jewish lecturers become podcasters and support us with a donation: https://thechesedfund.com/jewishpodcasts/donate

1154

#28 - People Believe what they want to Believe

Mar 9, 2019

1:01:51

If Hashem would just show me one miracle, then I would really believe. If Hashem would just show me one clear sign -- it would change my life. This premise that seeing a miracle would make a person believe is brought into sharp relief by one central question: Why didnt the ancient Egyptians believe in Hashem? They experienced all of the greatest miracles ever shown. They lived through the greatest manifestation of Hashems hand, and yet they didnt come to believe in Hashem. Through illustrating some of the miracles shown in Mitzraim we come to a new understanding of what causes a person to believe. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. This podcast has been graciously sponsored by JewishPodcasts.fm. There is much overhead to maintain this service so please help us continue our goal of helping Jewish lecturers become podcasters and support us with a donation: https://thechesedfund.com/jewishpodcasts/donate

1155

#29 - The Busy Generation

Mar 9, 2019

44:17

While we boast of more labor saving devices that ever before in history, It seems that we are busier today than we have ever been. In fact, we are so busy that we dont even have the time to ask ourselves what is that we are so busy with.This Shmuz focuses us on attitudes and perspectives that we pick up from the society in which we live attitudes that may be against what the Torah views as ideal, and even against what common sense says is intelligent. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. This podcast has been graciously sponsored by JewishPodcasts.fm. There is much overhead to maintain this service so please help us continue our goal of helping Jewish lecturers become podcasters and support us with a donation: https://thechesedfund.com/jewishpodcasts/donate

1156

#30 - Anger Management

Mar 9, 2019

1:07:25

We all know that anger is bad and if we have ever gotten into a situation where we lost our temper, we certainly wished that we hadnt --but what can I do? This is the way I react. He said something, I saw red and exploded. That is just my nature. I didnt ask to be born this way, and there is nothing that I can do about it. Right? In this Shmuz we are introduced to the motivation and the mechanics of doing that most difficult of tasks -really changing ourselves. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. This podcast has been graciously sponsored by JewishPodcasts.fm. There is much overhead to maintain this service so please help us continue our goal of helping Jewish lecturers become podcasters and support us with a donation: https://thechesedfund.com/jewishpodcasts/donate

1157

#31 - The Voice Inside

Mar 9, 2019

50:13

Have you ever heard of something called a guilty conscience? What about a Jewish guilty conscience? While we all recognize that Voice Inside, that seems to moralize and lecture to us when we have stepped over the line, we assume that this is just one of those things that we have to sort of ignore. In this Shmuz we are brought to understand that Voice that HASHEM put inside every human is actually a highly sophisticated tool --almost a moral compass-- that will allow us to find our path amongst the many choices that life brings our way. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. This podcast has been graciously sponsored by JewishPodcasts.fm. There is much overhead to maintain this service so please help us continue our goal of helping Jewish lecturers become podcasters and support us with a donation: https://thechesedfund.com/jewishpodcasts/donate

1158

#32 - Understanding Nature, Putting the 'WOW' Back Into Nature

Mar 9, 2019

57:19

Who can look at a sunset and not say Wow, look at the beauty of this world.? Yet, it seems that we rarely do that. It is almost as if we are detached from the natural world -- As if the world of lions and tigers and bears is a place reserved for taking our children to when they are little, but has no connection to our lives.The Rishonim tell us that the surest way to come to understand that there is a creator of the world is to look at the creation and say just that. Wow! Look at the wisdom, look at the vastness; look at the sophistication of this world. But looking at the world with an eye to see its creator requires attention and training. This Shmuz helps us focus on the Wow behind nature thereby allowing us to be moved by the awe inspiring miracles with which HASHEM has created the world in which we live. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. This podcast has been graciously sponsored by JewishPodcasts.fm. There is much overhead to maintain this service so please help us continue our goal of helping Jewish lecturers become podcasters and support us with a donation: https://thechesedfund.com/jewishpodcasts/donate

1159

#33 - Where Was G-D During the Holocaust?

Mar 9, 2019

1:05:07

We read about the Holocaust, we study about the holocaust, we memorialize the Holocaust, and yet it seems that this question isnt dealt with. Where was G-d during the Holocaust? Yet, isnt this one of the most basic questions a thinking person must deal with?Tracing the historical rise of Nazism and Adolph Hitler, a strong case is made for seeing the presence of G-d during these horrific times. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. This podcast has been graciously sponsored by JewishPodcasts.fm. There is much overhead to maintain this service so please help us continue our goal of helping Jewish lecturers become podcasters and support us with a donation: https://thechesedfund.com/jewishpodcasts/donate

1160

#34 - Isreal: Exalted Nation / Oppressed People (Why Did G-d Allow the Holocaust to Happen?)

Mar 9, 2019

47:58

Throughout history all things change, the only constant that seems to cross all cultural and time barriers, is that everyone hates the Jew. Is there a Torah perspective that can explain why the Jewish nation is so tortured and oppressed? If we accept that G-D controls what happens on this earth is there a reason why His nation, the Chosen People are so downtrodden? Are there forces involved that control the very destiny of Israel?This Shmuz explores some of the underlying causes of the Jewish Nations state throughout history, including the Why behind the Holocaust. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. This podcast has been graciously sponsored by JewishPodcasts.fm. There is much overhead to maintain this service so please help us continue our goal of helping Jewish lecturers become podcasters and support us with a donation: https://thechesedfund.com/jewishpodcasts/donate

1161

#35 - Hashem and Man: Master and Servant (Understanding Humility)

Mar 9, 2019

1:00:19

We know the Torah gave us a specific mitzvah - to work on our character traits, but how do I change my very basic, underlying emotional makeup? Much like as with any character trait, I didnt wake up in the morning and say, I just want to be a big, fat, arrogant buffoon. I didnt wake up and say, I would like to consider myself the most important human on the planet G-d's gift to humanity. But what can I do? Thats how I feel. Now what? This Shmuz helps us deal with the gaavah, arrogance, as it functions in our lives. How do I recognize if I am affected by this trait? How do I work on this issue?Understanding our relationship with HASHEM is the first line of defense against arrogance, and as it turns out, the sense of humility is central to all of avodas HASHEM. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. This podcast has been graciously sponsored by JewishPodcasts.fm. There is much overhead to maintain this service so please help us continue our goal of helping Jewish lecturers become podcasters and support us with a donation: https://thechesedfund.com/jewishpodcasts/donate

1162

#36 - For the Love of Money

Mar 9, 2019

1:08:38

I heard hes worth 10 million dollars, is not so uncommon an expression for us to hear, even within our own community. The reality is that to many people, their self worth is equal to their net worth. While we assume that our values come exclusively from a Torah Perspective and not from the world around us, the reality is that the world we live in has a real effect on our thoughts and attitudes. In our society money has a prominence and significance that affects even bnai Torah.This Shmuz helps us focus on the Torahs view of money and how to shape our attitudes towards it. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. This podcast has been graciously sponsored by JewishPodcasts.fm. There is much overhead to maintain this service so please help us continue our goal of helping Jewish lecturers become podcasters and support us with a donation: https://thechesedfund.com/jewishpodcasts/donate

1163

#37 - Three Types of Miracles, The Fifth Level of Emunah

Mar 9, 2019

52:54

Hashem created this world. Hashem orchestrates this world but there is another dimension of Hashems relationship with this world -- Hashem is the maintainer of this world. A very deep Shmuz that deals with the way that HASHEM interacts with this world, and directly deals with some fundamental questions: How I can have free will, when HASHEM knows what I am going to do? How can HASHEM be in so many different places at the same time? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. This podcast has been graciously sponsored by JewishPodcasts.fm. There is much overhead to maintain this service so please help us continue our goal of helping Jewish lecturers become podcasters and support us with a donation: https://thechesedfund.com/jewishpodcasts/donate

1164

#38 - Where is Hashem, The Sixth Level of Emunah

Mar 9, 2019

59:25

We are trained from our school years to say boruch Hashem and im yirtzeh Hashem. Yet it seems that something is lacking. While we mouth the words that Hashem is responsible and we thank Hashem, if we are honest with ourselves we will soon recognize that what is lacking from our sentiments is Hashem. The sense of Hashems presence and involvement in our life that we talk about is what is missing from our understanding. Understanding the sixth and highest level of emunah, we are brought to understand some of the deepest thoughts of which man is capable. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. This podcast has been graciously sponsored by JewishPodcasts.fm. There is much overhead to maintain this service so please help us continue our goal of helping Jewish lecturers become podcasters and support us with a donation: https://thechesedfund.com/jewishpodcasts/donate

1165

#39 - I Need, Needs

Mar 9, 2019

55:44

It is clear that Hashem is capable -- very capable. It is also clear that Hashem has great wisdom -- enough wisdom and capacity to create the cosmos and all that it contains, with words alone -- from galaxies that stretch over billons of light years, to tiny amoeba that float in a sea of flotsam, all parts of the whole, all harmoniously integrated, all so seemingly perfect. Yet Hashem created man incomplete, with many needs. It seems that Hashem could have created man to be much less needy - yet Hashem didnt. This Shmuz focuses us on the importance of needs in our life. And we come away with the understandings that not only arent these" needs" frivolous things to be rejected; they are actually an essential part of the growth process of life. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. This podcast has been graciously sponsored by JewishPodcasts.fm. There is much overhead to maintain this service so please help us continue our goal of helping Jewish lecturers become podcasters and support us with a donation: https://thechesedfund.com/jewishpodcasts/donate

1166

#40 - Acher, The Importance of Torah, Founding an Organization

Mar 9, 2019

50:48

Elisha Ben Avuha was one of the greatest Torah scholars who ever lived--He was a tanna, a great Torah teacher, and the rebbe of Rebbe Meir -- until he became Acher, the Heretic. In that state he undid all of the good that he had accomplished, and did things that were purely evil. Yet, when he died, he wasnt allowed into Gehenom, because of the merit of Torah until his student, Rebbe Meir, begged for mercy. Through this gripping story we are introduced to the value of Torah learning, the one act that can never leave a person. A great motivating Shmuz for setting goals and succeeding in learning. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. This podcast has been graciously sponsored by JewishPodcasts.fm. There is much overhead to maintain this service so please help us continue our goal of helping Jewish lecturers become podcasters and support us with a donation: https://thechesedfund.com/jewishpodcasts/donate

1167

#41 - Rebbe Akiva and Rochel, Potential of the Individual

Mar 9, 2019

45:31

At the age of 40, Akiva the shepherd went off to learn and transformed himself into the Torah giant known throughout history. We all know the basic story line, but we may not know that he promptly quit and set back home -- a failure. One event changed his life and gave him the strength and fortitude to turn back and succeed. Detailing the events of Rebbe Akivas struggle, the story of sacrifice, failure and eventual success, we are introduced to some of the most moving events that shaped this great leader of men.An inspiring lesson to all of us who at one time or other felt, Im not cut out for learning. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. This podcast has been graciously sponsored by JewishPodcasts.fm. There is much overhead to maintain this service so please help us continue our goal of helping Jewish lecturers become podcasters and support us with a donation: https://thechesedfund.com/jewishpodcasts/donate

1168

#42 - Tricks of the Soton

Mar 9, 2019

55:17

Chazal tell us that Hashem created a malach whose sole job it is to trip up man -- to get us to sin, to get us to fail, to get us to mess up. Where is he? What voice does he speak with? How can I identify him? For most of us, without direct guidance from chazal it is difficult to quantify and identify the soton. Does he speak in my head? Whose voice does he use? How can I tell? This Shmuz brings us face to face with a powerful force that is foreign to western thought, and requires great understanding to recognize. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. This podcast has been graciously sponsored by JewishPodcasts.fm. There is much overhead to maintain this service so please help us continue our goal of helping Jewish lecturers become podcasters and support us with a donation: https://thechesedfund.com/jewishpodcasts/donate

1169

#43 - Soton out of the Box

Mar 9, 2019

55:34

It seems that it should be easier now to grow than in any previous generation. We have wealth, luxuries, freedom from oppression, and we have time. We enjoy so many time saving devices and conveniences that it would surely seems that we are finally free to sit and learn. And in fact, it seems that we should be able to reach great heights - and yet it is harder than ever to serve Hashem. It seems that somehow in earlier generations it was just easier to sit and learn, but why?This Shmuz focuses on the one area that the Soton was given control over in this generation, that one area he is allowed full control over, the one area he is allowed to go full power... See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. This podcast has been graciously sponsored by JewishPodcasts.fm. There is much overhead to maintain this service so please help us continue our goal of helping Jewish lecturers become podcasters and support us with a donation: https://thechesedfund.com/jewishpodcasts/donate

1170

#44 - Bar Kamtza - Do you really have Free Will?

Mar 9, 2019

54:35

I accept that each persons life span is set before they are born. I also accept that the question is visited on Rosh Hashanah when Hashem decides who will live and who will die. All that is fine and well, until I pick up a gun and say to myself, cant I decide to end that persons life? Isnt it obvious that whether that person will live or die is now in my hands? Using the Tisha BAv Gemarah as a backdrop we are brought into some of philosophys deepest questions: resolving the issue of how much of life is in HASHEMs control, and how much is in mans. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. This podcast has been graciously sponsored by JewishPodcasts.fm. There is much overhead to maintain this service so please help us continue our goal of helping Jewish lecturers become podcasters and support us with a donation: https://thechesedfund.com/jewishpodcasts/donate

1171

#45 - WYSIWYG- Developing Willpower

Mar 9, 2019

59:55

Its true that Im not quite where I hope to be one day. Its even true that there are many thoughts that go through my head that Im not proud of. I am still selfish and self centered, and there are many things that I feel that I would be deeply ashamed of if anyone else knew about them. But its OK, because one day I will change. This Shmuz focuses us on the shocking realization that as I am at the last moment of life, exactly as I am, is how I will be for eternity. The same attitudes, thoughts and desires that course through my mind now will be a part of me forever. When I leave this earth -WYSIWYG- What You See Is What You Get. I will be exactly as I am now, with one difference; you and everyone else will be able to see me, exactly as I am, with all of my positive thoughts and all of my negative ones. This Shmuz also brings us to understand the preciousness of life, -- that as long as there is a breath in my being, I can change -- I can shape myself; mold myself into what I will be for eternity. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. This podcast has been graciously sponsored by JewishPodcasts.fm. There is much overhead to maintain this service so please help us continue our goal of helping Jewish lecturers become podcasters and support us with a donation: https://thechesedfund.com/jewishpodcasts/donate

1172

#46 - Greatness of Man- Beyond our Understanding

Mar 9, 2019

57:43

Chazal teach us that HASHEM would have created the entire world for one man: the sun, the moon and the stars, the planets and constellations, the oceans, the rivers and the birds -- all for one human being. The question is what exactly is so great about man? What is so fantastically meaningful and significant about one man that it was worth creating all of heaven and earth just for him? Using the famous event of Hillels students following him to the bathhouse as a backdrop, we are brought to a new understanding of the significance of Man and what is expected from him a mindset very much missing from Western Thought. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. This podcast has been graciously sponsored by JewishPodcasts.fm. There is much overhead to maintain this service so please help us continue our goal of helping Jewish lecturers become podcasters and support us with a donation: https://thechesedfund.com/jewishpodcasts/donate

1173

#47 - Cognitive Restrucing

Mar 9, 2019

59:21

The last of the Ten Commandments is You shall not covet. Simply stated one should not be desirous of his neighbors property, possessions or any attribute that he may have. On the face of things this seems to be a very difficult mitzvah to observe. If my neighbor has something that is beautiful, he owns a magnificent home, he drives a beautiful car or has a fantastic job, isn't it human nature to feel jealous? How can the Torah ask me to do something that goes against the very nature of man? Granted the Torah can tell me not to take revenge, or not to take out my frustration on my neighbor, but how can the Torah expect me to control that which I feel in my heart-- something, clearly out of my control?In this Shmuz we are introduced to a fundamental concept in personal growth: that our very emotional needs and desires are moldable. Not only can we change what we do, we can change our very attitudes and even the way that we feel about things. The primary system in this process is cognitive restructuring, reshaping the way that we thing about things, what we value, how we feel, and ultimately what we aspire to. This is a fundamental concept for many areas of growth in life. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. This podcast has been graciously sponsored by JewishPodcasts.fm. There is much overhead to maintain this service so please help us continue our goal of helping Jewish lecturers become podcasters and support us with a donation: https://thechesedfund.com/jewishpodcasts/donate

1174

#16 - Olam Habba: The Greatest Motivator

Mar 9, 2019

1:00:05

Alan Dershowitz, in his book The Vanishing Jew, describes that as part of a course he taught in Harvard Law school, one of his co-professors decided to rate G-d. They decided to sit in judgment of Hashem, to determine how good a job He did when He created this world. Their conclusion? They found much good, much wisdom and forethought, but they also found much suffering and pain, needless pain. So on balance they gave G-d a B-. Forgetting about the absurdity of a flesh and blood man judging G-d, the question is valid. If in fact HASHEM is all good, and if in fact HASHEM created this world to give to man, it surely would seem that HASHEM could have done a better job at creating man and this world. This Shmuz brings us to understand some of the most basic issues that a Ben Torah must fully comprehend in terms of why HASHEM created this world and what HASHEM has in mind for man. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. This podcast has been graciously sponsored by JewishPodcasts.fm. There is much overhead to maintain this service so please help us continue our goal of helping Jewish lecturers become podcasters and support us with a donation: https://thechesedfund.com/jewishpodcasts/donate

1175

#17 - Acquiring Olam Habba The Easy Way, (Everyone Needs a Mike)

Mar 9, 2019

1:06:36

We spend our life trying to gain Olam Habbah. All of our learning, all of our chessesd, all of our davening, is directed towards creating what I will be forever. Yet sometimes it seems that we work harder and not smarter towards our goal. In this Shmuz, we are introduced to a simple method to dramatically increase our portion in Olam Habbah- a smarter way. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. This podcast has been graciously sponsored by JewishPodcasts.fm. There is much overhead to maintain this service so please help us continue our goal of helping Jewish lecturers become podcasters and support us with a donation: https://thechesedfund.com/jewishpodcasts/donate

1176

#18 - The Difference Between Emunah and Bitachon - Four Levels To Emunah

Mar 9, 2019

1:05:55

Did you ever notice that no one does anything wrong? It seems that no matter how clear it is to you and me that this person is engaged in self destructive behavior, he doesn't admit that he is doing something wrong or harmful; rather he comes up with an entire rationale why it is good and in fact proper.To allow for Free Will, we humans had to be given this ability to rationalize away our behavior, to view what we do, whatever we do, as right and proper, because otherwise we could never allow ourselves to do something that is "wrong". Using some commonplace examples, we are brought to focus on both our need to explain away what we do as justified, and what we can do to grow beyond this most human failing. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. This podcast has been graciously sponsored by JewishPodcasts.fm. There is much overhead to maintain this service so please help us continue our goal of helping Jewish lecturers become podcasters and support us with a donation: https://thechesedfund.com/jewishpodcasts/donate

1177

#19 - Free will - Part 2: I Never Do Anything Wrong

Mar 9, 2019

55:41

In this introduction to emunah, we are presented with four basic levels of belief: 1. Hashem created the world. 2. Hashem is involved in the really big picture issues - war, famine, life and death. 3. Hashem knows my inner thoughts. 4. Hashem is intimately involved in my day to day life. After outlining and defining the levels, we are given practical techniques to improve our level of belief in all four categories, so that we can not only know in our minds these understandings, but actually feel them. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. This podcast has been graciously sponsored by JewishPodcasts.fm. There is much overhead to maintain this service so please help us continue our goal of helping Jewish lecturers become podcasters and support us with a donation: https://thechesedfund.com/jewishpodcasts/donate

1178

#20 - Davening - Making it Real

Mar 9, 2019

51:25

Of course we daven. Three times a day. Everyday. The question is how real our davening is, and to whom are we davening. It often seems that our davening is more talking to the walls than talking to Hashem. This Shmuz helps us focus on some of the most basic principles in Judaism, things we always knew, yet take for granted, and are so critical for our growth as religious Jews and thinking people. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. This podcast has been graciously sponsored by JewishPodcasts.fm. There is much overhead to maintain this service so please help us continue our goal of helping Jewish lecturers become podcasters and support us with a donation: https://thechesedfund.com/jewishpodcasts/donate

1179

#21 - Choosing a Career

Mar 9, 2019

1:00:26

It is clear that Hashem wants man to work for a living. But is there a particular profession that I should I be doing to make a living? Does the Torah have a formula for me to figure out exactly what line of work I should pursue? Using the system explained by the Chovos Halevovos we are given clear directions towards finding the right way for me to earn my living. (Essential hashkafa for a person just starting out on their professional path, as well as for an individual who is already well established.) See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. This podcast has been graciously sponsored by JewishPodcasts.fm. There is much overhead to maintain this service so please help us continue our goal of helping Jewish lecturers become podcasters and support us with a donation: https://thechesedfund.com/jewishpodcasts/donate

1180

#22 - Evolution - Does it Make Sense?

Mar 9, 2019

1:12:01

To many of us the issue of belief in the Creator boils down to logic against faith. As if from a purely rational, intellectual point of view it would appear that the world evolved, and we who believe have to hold on to our faith against the onslaught of logic and scientific discoveries. In this Shmuz we are asked to look at matters from a very different vantage point, namely: that which passes in the media as popular science, is neither popular nor science. And the reality is that from a dispassionate position of pure logic, the basic premise that the world just occurred on its own, is so implausible as to make it almost untenable. In the end we are brought to the question: Does Evolution make any sense? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. This podcast has been graciously sponsored by JewishPodcasts.fm. There is much overhead to maintain this service so please help us continue our goal of helping Jewish lecturers become podcasters and support us with a donation: https://thechesedfund.com/jewishpodcasts/donate

1181

#24 - Understanding Life Settings

Mar 9, 2019

1:01:21

It almost seems as if some people are born with a silver spoon in their mouth, while others are destined to suffer. Why is it is that some people are born with amazing capacity, and others are created so simple? Why is there autism in the world? Why Down Syndrome? If in fact God is just, why not mete out talents and abilities in an equal manner to all people?Using the backdrop of a famous event brought in the Talmud; this Shmuz focuses us on some of the big picture issues of life, helping us understand life settings, as they apply to each person. Why are some people blessed with success and others not? Is there a reason for suffering in the world? What about pain? What about death? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. This podcast has been graciously sponsored by JewishPodcasts.fm. There is much overhead to maintain this service so please help us continue our goal of helping Jewish lecturers become podcasters and support us with a donation: https://thechesedfund.com/jewishpodcasts/donate

1182

#23 - I willl never die. Not me. No way.

Mar 9, 2019

1:12:52

While this may be philosophys greatest question, isnt it something that any thinking person must answer: What is my purpose in existence? Drawing from The Path of the Just, this Shmuz focuses us on finding the true meaning and purpose of our life.What is my purpose in life?What are my true core values?What does it mean after death I will live on? I will be dead! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. This podcast has been graciously sponsored by JewishPodcasts.fm. There is much overhead to maintain this service so please help us continue our goal of helping Jewish lecturers become podcasters and support us with a donation: https://thechesedfund.com/jewishpodcasts/donate

1183

#25 - They Dont Make Anti Semites Like They Used To

Mar 9, 2019

55:15

Over the course of history, it seems that there has been no shortage of anti-Semites, people who truly hate Jews and would do anything in their power to put an end to the Jewish Problem. Yet it also seems that if you ask the common anti-Semite, why is it that you hate the Jew? Likely, he wouldnt be able to answer. I know that you dream about their demise- but why? What is it about them that bothers you so? Yet there was a time when anti-Semites not only hated Jews, but they could tell you why. And that reason is very important for us as Jews to understand. Using Megillas Esther as the background for the Shmuz, we are introduced to the Torahs understanding of why there is Anti-Semitism in the world. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. This podcast has been graciously sponsored by JewishPodcasts.fm. There is much overhead to maintain this service so please help us continue our goal of helping Jewish lecturers become podcasters and support us with a donation: https://thechesedfund.com/jewishpodcasts/donate

1184

#26 - Loshon Horah, Squandering our Olam Habbah

Mar 9, 2019

1:07:51

Of course loshon horah is forbidden. We know it was the prime cause of the destruction of the Bais HaMikdash, and of course we know that we arent supposed to speak it--yet we do. A big part of the reason is that we dont really see it as wrong, we dont see it as damaging, and we certainly dont see the act of speaking as something that will cost us in the future.This Shmuz is a powerful introduction to the effects that our words have on other peoples lives in this world, and on ours in the World to Come. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. This podcast has been graciously sponsored by JewishPodcasts.fm. There is much overhead to maintain this service so please help us continue our goal of helping Jewish lecturers become podcasters and support us with a donation: https://thechesedfund.com/jewishpodcasts/donate

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06 - It's not Geneivah, It's Shtick

Mar 9, 2019

50:09

It is very difficult for us human beings to accept that we do things that are wrong, and so we rationalize. We create illusions and fanciful stories that we ourselves dont believe. And so, you will find intelligent, otherwise rational people saying things like, Of course I wouldnt steal, stealing is dishonest, but this isnt stealing .Its shtick. We mach shtick. We mach Shtick with the tickets, mach shtick with the regents. But its O.K because its not stealing; its only shtick.This Shmuz helps us identify something that has become blight in our community, the lack of a true sense of integrity in all of our dealings. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. This podcast has been graciously sponsored by JewishPodcasts.fm. There is much overhead to maintain this service so please help us continue our goal of helping Jewish lecturers become podcasters and support us with a donation: https://thechesedfund.com/jewishpodcasts/donate

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07 - Noach - Understanding Belief

Mar 9, 2019

46:29

By all accounts Noach was a Tzadik. Yet he didnt go into the teivah until the water forced him in. Rashi tells us the reason was that Noach Believed and he didnt believe. Whilst he knew that Hashem was going to bring a mabul, he still doubted it. What seems perplexing is that Hashem spoke to Noach telling him there would be a flood. Not only that, but Noach had spent the last 120 years building a teivah for the flood. How was it possible that he didn't believe that Hashem was actually going to bring the flood? Through this Shmuz we are introduced to one of the most fundamental concepts in belief, and why in fact true faith is so difficult for us. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. This podcast has been graciously sponsored by JewishPodcasts.fm. There is much overhead to maintain this service so please help us continue our goal of helping Jewish lecturers become podcasters and support us with a donation: https://thechesedfund.com/jewishpodcasts/donate

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08 - Power of Prayer

Mar 9, 2019

38:03

We all daven, and on some level we know that Davening works. But do we really understand it? Do we really understand that our prayers have an effect on our lives? Do we really understand that my davening can change the circumstances of my life?This Shmuz helps us understand the profound effect that tefilah can have on situations and settings that directly affect our lives. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. This podcast has been graciously sponsored by JewishPodcasts.fm. There is much overhead to maintain this service so please help us continue our goal of helping Jewish lecturers become podcasters and support us with a donation: https://thechesedfund.com/jewishpodcasts/donate

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09 - Akaidas Yitzchak

Mar 9, 2019

53:01

After all is said and done, what was so great about the Akeidah? Throughout history many people have been called upon and have made great sacrifices. Yet this single act echoes through the millennia. What was so unique about what Avrahom did? What was so special about the way he did it? And more pointedly, what relevance does it have for us some 3,700 years later? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. This podcast has been graciously sponsored by JewishPodcasts.fm. There is much overhead to maintain this service so please help us continue our goal of helping Jewish lecturers become podcasters and support us with a donation: https://thechesedfund.com/jewishpodcasts/donate

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10 - Questioning G-d: Finding and Keeping Your Bashert

Mar 9, 2019

55:49

The Shadchan says, "So tell me, what are you looking for?" And, out comes the laundry list."I need someone who is extroverted, funny, and outgoing.""I need a woman who is very frum, good, kind, tolerant, and funny.""I need a guy who is tall, a take-charge type, strong but not headstrong."And unwittingly, many people make the first mistake of the dating game - they aren't looking for their Bashert- they have already formed him in their minds, and now are out to find the one that comes the closest to that image.It is almost like the children's toy Mr. Potato Head. You get to design the doll, choose red lips, big ears, small eyes, short legs Before going out most people go through a sort of personal inventory: "Let's see. Since I am., I need" Unconsciously, they put together a wish list of qualities to take out into the market place. Then amazingly, they find themselves frustrated. "I just can't find Mr. Right."This is a must-listen-to Shmuz offering a practical down to earth way to avoid the two most common mistakes made in finding and keeping your Bashert. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. This podcast has been graciously sponsored by JewishPodcasts.fm. There is much overhead to maintain this service so please help us continue our goal of helping Jewish lecturers become podcasters and support us with a donation: https://thechesedfund.com/jewishpodcasts/donate

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11 - Kibud Av of Eisav - Appreciating Parents

Mar 9, 2019

56:04

Of course we appreciate our parents. Of course we respect them. Isnt that only natural? Doesnt everyone? And yet we dont. We live in a society that doesnt seem to know the meaning of the word respect. There is no respect for authority, no respect for institutions, no respect for elders, and even no respect for ourselves. Unfortunately, we are affected by this, and this lack of respect goes so far as to shape our relationships, and the way we relate even to people that we love. This Shmuz deals with some of the basic concepts of human relations and introduces us to eye opening insights about respect in general. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. This podcast has been graciously sponsored by JewishPodcasts.fm. There is much overhead to maintain this service so please help us continue our goal of helping Jewish lecturers become podcasters and support us with a donation: https://thechesedfund.com/jewishpodcasts/donate

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#12 - People of Principle

Mar 9, 2019

49:01

We know the Avos and Imahos were great individuals -- but what made them so great? Where did they get the moral courage to see what was right, and stick to it against all external pressures?Through the famous story of Rochel giving up her husband to her sister Leah so as not to embarrass her, we are introduced to some of the basic ingredients that shape any great persons success the moral strength to be a person of principle. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. This podcast has been graciously sponsored by JewishPodcasts.fm. There is much overhead to maintain this service so please help us continue our goal of helping Jewish lecturers become podcasters and support us with a donation: https://thechesedfund.com/jewishpodcasts/donate

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#13 - Free Will, Part 1: Nefesh Habahami, Nefesh Hasichli

Mar 9, 2019

50:03

Has there ever been a time when you reacted to something, and you couldnt believe that it was you who was speaking that way? Have you ever said something and had a feeling of, What came over me it was as if I were possessed?In this introduction to the inner workings of the human being, we come face to face with the understanding that I am created from very diverse elements. Within me are different forces pulling in opposite directions. Not only isnt this accidental, it is actually a necessary component of FREE WILL. Free Will means that I could go either way. It is my choice, not something that I was programmed to do that made me choose this way. Yet without this there would be no temptation, and Man would do good - only good, not because he chose to, but because he was programmed for it, hence there would be no Free Will. In this integral introduction to the complexity of the human we are given a glimpse into understanding the forces behind the different behaviors within ourselves. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. This podcast has been graciously sponsored by JewishPodcasts.fm. There is much overhead to maintain this service so please help us continue our goal of helping Jewish lecturers become podcasters and support us with a donation: https://thechesedfund.com/jewishpodcasts/donate

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#14 - Living like a Rock

Mar 9, 2019

52:59

What if I just live my life, as any other occupant of this planet? What is so bad about that? Lets say, I am no worse than Joe the UPS driver, or Bob the mechanic, will Hashem really be upset with me? In this Shmuz we are brought to understand how great the human is, and how much he can accomplish. Within the context of this understanding the question of What am I accomplishing with my life?, becomes much more acute -- if I truly have great potential and I am wasting it- if I am living like a rock, will I be held responsible to answer for this? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. This podcast has been graciously sponsored by JewishPodcasts.fm. There is much overhead to maintain this service so please help us continue our goal of helping Jewish lecturers become podcasters and support us with a donation: https://thechesedfund.com/jewishpodcasts/donate

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#15 - Chanukah G-d fights Our Wars

Mar 9, 2019

1:03:02

What actually happened in the war to recapture the Bais Hamikdash? How many battles were fought? How long did they last? What was it like living in Yerushlayim at the time?Detailing the story of Chanukah as brought in Megillas Chashmonaim, this Shmuz brings us closer to understanding the events of the time, and appreciating the miracle that unfolded. It then takes us forward in time to some modern miracles that seem to overshadow even those of the Chanukah time period. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. This podcast has been graciously sponsored by JewishPodcasts.fm. There is much overhead to maintain this service so please help us continue our goal of helping Jewish lecturers become podcasters and support us with a donation: https://thechesedfund.com/jewishpodcasts/donate

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01 - Eternal People

Mar 9, 2019

45:15

Eternal People See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. This podcast has been graciously sponsored by JewishPodcasts.fm. There is much overhead to maintain this service so please help us continue our goal of helping Jewish lecturers become podcasters and support us with a donation: https://thechesedfund.com/jewishpodcasts/donate

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02 - Rosh Hashanah Issues of the Day

Mar 9, 2019

47:39

Rosh Hashanah Issues of the Day See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. This podcast has been graciously sponsored by JewishPodcasts.fm. There is much overhead to maintain this service so please help us continue our goal of helping Jewish lecturers become podcasters and support us with a donation: https://thechesedfund.com/jewishpodcasts/donate

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04 - Appreciating Olam Hazeh

Mar 9, 2019

54:18

If a person looks at the features of this world they will quickly see that Hashem invested great wisdom and care in making man &apos;s stay on the planet enjoyable. From the different foods, each one with its unique flavor, aroma and textures; to the colors of flowers and magnificent sea scapes , so much of the beauty of this world was not necessary. It is clear that Hashem put much thought into creating a world that man can enjoy. The question is, Do we in fact enjoy it? This Shmuz focuses on the Torah's attitude towards enjoying the pleasures of this world. This may come as a surprise to some people. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. This podcast has been graciously sponsored by JewishPodcasts.fm. There is much overhead to maintain this service so please help us continue our goal of helping Jewish lecturers become podcasters and support us with a donation: https://thechesedfund.com/jewishpodcasts/donate

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03 - Yom Kippur The power of Teshuvah

Mar 9, 2019

49:08

Using the event of Eliezer Bar Dudia gaining the title of Rebbe, we are introduced to one of the greatest acts of teshuvah ever achieved by a human. We witness a human rise from the depths of depravity to the heights of spirituality in the course of a few hours. Through the story of his life, we see what a man accomplished in but a day -- and we are brought to a new appreciation of how great the potential of the human being is. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. This podcast has been graciously sponsored by JewishPodcasts.fm. There is much overhead to maintain this service so please help us continue our goal of helping Jewish lecturers become podcasters and support us with a donation: https://thechesedfund.com/jewishpodcasts/donate

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05 - Appreciating Our Wealth

Mar 9, 2019

49:06

Never in the history of man have so many people enjoyed so much material wealth and possessions. The average tax paying citizen of today enjoys riches and comforts that kings of yesteryear couldnt envision or imagine -- and yet it seems that we dont appreciate what we have. We become so accustomed to the extraordinary wealth we possess that we no longer think of it as riches; we even start asking, How could anyone live without it?This Shmuz focuses on the wealth that we enjoy, and helps us come to a sense of appreciation to our Creator for all that He has given us. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. This podcast has been graciously sponsored by JewishPodcasts.fm. There is much overhead to maintain this service so please help us continue our goal of helping Jewish lecturers become podcasters and support us with a donation: https://thechesedfund.com/jewishpodcasts/donate

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Mesilas Yesharim Series: Introduction - Making it Real (Part 1)

Mar 14, 2019

36:21

Making truth real to us. That is our challenge, knowing how to bridge the gap between the mind and the heart. But why has Hashem set up the world this way? Why is it a constant struggle to internalize what we know to be right? Join Rabbi Shafier as he embarks upon the Mesillas Yesharim and learn how The Ramchal guides us to discovering who we truly are. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. This podcast has been graciously sponsored by JewishPodcasts.fm. There is much overhead to maintain this service so please help us continue our goal of helping Jewish lecturers become podcasters and support us with a donation: https://thechesedfund.com/jewishpodcasts/donate

The Shmuz

More by Rabbi Ben Tzion Shafier