Spiritual Tools for an Outrageous World

Dear Friends,In this week’s talk, we explore a wide array of ideas associated with Hanukah, from it being historically the last holiday to be added to the Jewish calendar, to the fact that it must be celebrated in a person’s home, to it’s yearly connection to the story of Joseph, the amazing story of a little known Jewish hero, and beyond.The post Hanukah – An Overview first appeared on Spiritual Tools for an Outrageous World.The post Hanukah – An Overview first appeared on Spiritual Tools for an Outrageous World. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dear Friends,This week’s Torah portion is unique in the Torah in that there are no “breaks” — no white spaces within it. It is no coincidence that this portion also contains the account of Yakov, Jacob our forefather, running for his life, finding his soulmate, entering into the business world and raising a family. If you think you don’t have any time in your schedule to do anything — then this week’s talk is for you!The post No Time For Anything! first appeared on Spiritual Tools for an Outrageous World.The post No Time For Anything! first appeared on Spiritual Tools for an Outrageous World. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dear Friends,We are living through a time often called the “age of information”. Ironically, the barrage coming at us can often obscure that which is most essential to keep in the forefront of our consciousness. In other words, sometimes the more we know the less we end up knowing! In this week’s talk we pull the lens way back to observe the overall pattern that informs not only our personal lives, but all of creation.The post The Grand Pattern first appeared on Spiritual Tools for an Outrageous World.The post The Grand Pattern first appeared on Spiritual Tools for an Outrageous World. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dear Friends, In our quest to become closer with Hashem, and attaching ourselves to Him through the mitzvahs, we must be careful not to turn our spirituality into a straight jacket.  In this week's talk, we discuss some strategies on how to avoid this very common trap.The post Making Sure Reverence Doesn’t Become a Straightjacket first appeared on Spiritual Tools for an Outrageous World. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dear Friends,Think good and it will be good! Most of our lives are spent either thinking about what’s already happened or worrying about what hasn’t happened yet. Meanwhile, the only thing that’s actually is going on — the right now of it all — gets buried turning us into bystanders in our lives. How can we strip away the distractions and zero in on the now? In this week’s talk we discuss some strategies.The post Being in the Moment first appeared on Spiritual Tools for an Outrageous World.The post Being in the Moment first appeared on Spiritual Tools for an Outrageous World. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dear Friends,What did Avraham know that Noach didn’t? Also, we compare the first two great couples Adam and Eve and Avraham and Sarah to see what the numerical differences in their names teaches us about their similiarities and differences. We also explore something that has puzzled me for a long time — namely, how we make sense of the Kabbalistic tradition that the generation of the flood is reincarnated as the generation of the desert.The post Avraham vs. Noah – The Evolution of Prayer first appeared on Spiritual Tools for an Outrageous World.The post Avraham vs. Noah – The Evolution of Prayer first appeared on Spiritual Tools for an Outrageous World. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On the one hand, G-d is everywhere.  And yet, on perhaps an even deeper level, G-d charges us with awesome responsibility of revealing His oneness!  The ark Noah built had precise measurements.  The Hebrew word for measurements is “Middos” — a word more commonly understood as character traits.  In this week's talk, we discuss how…The post The Perfect Construct – Noah’s Ark and You first appeared on Spiritual Tools for an Outrageous World. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dear Friends,The question is, if we know that whatever is going on in the Torah portion of the week is going on in the world — why aren’t we reading the portion of Bereisheet which deals with creation of the world on Rosh Hashana?The post The Real Beginning first appeared on Spiritual Tools for an Outrageous World.The post The Real Beginning first appeared on Spiritual Tools for an Outrageous World. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dear Friends,What can be said about the holiest day of the year? Here are some thoughts to get us ready for the day. Wishing all of you the sweetest sweetest year!The post Yom Kippur 2009 first appeared on Spiritual Tools for an Outrageous World.The post Yom Kippur 2009 first appeared on Spiritual Tools for an Outrageous World. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Did you know that according to the Beis Yaakov (The second Ishbitzer Rebbe), deep down, every person believes they created themselves?If Rosh Hashanah is all about making Hashem King, how can I succeed if I’ve carved out a realm separate from G-d?Happy New Year!The post Liberating the Fortress – Rosh Hashanah 2009 first appeared on Spiritual Tools for an Outrageous World.The post Liberating the Fortress – Rosh Hashanah 2009 first appeared on Spiritual Tools for an Outrageous World. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dear Friends,Imagine an epic battle between Sea Monsters and a diver out to recover a precious gem. In a piece of Aggadata — the deeply encrypted transmissions of the Talmud — such a tale is related. What does it mean and how does it teach us to wage life’s battles better? Using the understanding of the Malbim we take a look in.The post Sea Monsters and Gemstones first appeared on Spiritual Tools for an Outrageous World.The post Sea Monsters and Gemstones first appeared on Spiritual Tools for an Outrageous World. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dear Friends,Imagine you buy a lottery ticket, never check to see if it won, and then never think about that lottery ticket again. Now imagine that ticket was a winner and was worth thirty million dollars. The question is, did you lose thirty million dollars or not? On the one hand, you most certainly did. But on the other hand, if you never knew you ever had it to begin with, you never had it to lose! In this week’s talk we discuss the spiritual dimensions to this question and explore the bottom line of life.The post Lottery Tickets and Elul first appeared on Spiritual Tools for an Outrageous World.The post Lottery Tickets and Elul first appeared on Spiritual Tools for an Outrageous World. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dear Friends,I just published a new piece that I hope you like. It’s called “A Place for the Light.”www.aish.com/sp/so/53785442.htmlToday I took questions. We had time for three. The first was, is it our tradition that Moshe ascended Mount Sinai for a second time this month (Elul) and came down with the second tablets on Yom Kippur? Is G-d really leading me throughout all the hardships I have experienced? And, how are we to understand what “righteousness” is, in light of the verse “The righteous person falls down seven times and gets back up”?The post Questions and Answers first appeared on Spiritual Tools for an Outrageous World.The post Questions and Answers first appeared on Spiritual Tools for an Outrageous World. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dear Friends,What does it mean to test G-d? And what about miracles? We look deeply into the sources and arrive at a more sophisticated understanding of what it means to be in this world.The post You Can’t Fire G-d – Tests and Miracles in Torah first appeared on Spiritual Tools for an Outrageous World.The post You Can’t Fire G-d – Tests and Miracles in Torah first appeared on Spiritual Tools for an Outrageous World. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dear Friends,Can you imagine eating a hotdog and thinking the whole time this is the worst sushi you ever had? We need to know what something is first before we can begin to evaluate it. The same thing goes with this world. Until we understand how it works we will constantly be met with frustration and disappointment. In this week’s talk, we set out some of the basic ground rules for understanding how Hashem runs the world.The post Ground Rules of Reality first appeared on Spiritual Tools for an Outrageous World.The post Ground Rules of Reality first appeared on Spiritual Tools for an Outrageous World. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dear Friends,Tisha B’Av is now over and a dramatic upswing in positiveness now kicks in. In this week’s talk we look at the spiritual DNA of the month of Av and where we are now.The post Be Comforted Be Comforted – A Kabalistic Overview of Av first appeared on Spiritual Tools for an Outrageous World.The post Be Comforted Be Comforted – A Kabalistic Overview of Av first appeared on Spiritual Tools for an Outrageous World. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dear Friends,Every year before Tisha B’Av we are always beginning the book of Devarim. What is this new book teaching us about fixing the world?The post Fixing The World – Devarim and Tisha B’Av first appeared on Spiritual Tools for an Outrageous World.The post Fixing The World – Devarim and Tisha B’Av first appeared on Spiritual Tools for an Outrageous World. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dear Friends,So often it seems like we’re wondering around in the darkness. Sometimes we’re blessed with moments when a light turns on and then in retrospect we see that we were never alone, even though it felt that way at the time. Here is a personal story about how sometimes everything comes together in a wonderful way, even though it took years to see it.The post Shabbos Candles and Harvard – A Personal Story first appeared on Spiritual Tools for an Outrageous World.The post Shabbos Candles and Harvard – A Personal Story first appeared on Spiritual Tools for an Outrageous World. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dear Friends,Did you know there is a Torah way to cut an onion? Ideally, one shouldn’t begin by cutting off it’s roots. While this doesn’t necessarily apply in our generation, back then there were even negative health implications for one who did this. Which got me thinking… If I am that connected to an onion — imagine how connected I am to another human being! In this week’s talk we discuss previous generations impact on us, and our impact on future generations.The post How You Impact the Future first appeared on Spiritual Tools for an Outrageous World.The post How You Impact the Future first appeared on Spiritual Tools for an Outrageous World. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dear Friends,Purification comes when we transcend our limitations. In the language of the Sages such a thing happens with the ashes of the red heiffer. Not only does it remove the ritual impurity of death, but on a deeper level it is fixing the sin of the golden calf. In this week’s talk we explore the interplay between the finite and the infinite, the rational and the super rational, and the nature of faith. How necessary is faith anyway, and what is it’s relationship to reality?The post Life is a Surprise Party first appeared on Spiritual Tools for an Outrageous World.The post Life is a Surprise Party first appeared on Spiritual Tools for an Outrageous World. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dear Friends,According to the Jewish view of the world, the body and the soul are meant to be best friends. Without the soul the body is just a lump of earth, and without body the soul has no way to perform mitzvahs in this world. How are we to proceed when (as is so often the case) the body and the soul are at odds with each other? In this week’s talk we lay out a program on how to assess and needs of each and how to balance them.The post Body vs. Soul – The Delicate Balance first appeared on Spiritual Tools for an Outrageous World.The post Body vs. Soul – The Delicate Balance first appeared on Spiritual Tools for an Outrageous World. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dear Friends,Why is life so confusing? To answer (one part) of this giant question we take a look at another question — is the Torah written in chronological order, or not? Factor in that we ourselves are compared to Torah scrolls, and that Judaism (unknown to many people) actually believes in reincarnation, and now we have very interesting ingredients for a talk that begins in the Garden of Eden and goes straight back to our daily lives.The post Why is Life So Confusing? – Garden of Eden Part 6 first appeared on Spiritual Tools for an Outrageous World.The post Why is Life So Confusing? – Garden of Eden Part 6 first appeared on Spiritual Tools for an Outrageous World. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dear Friends,Who is the real you? Or, put a different way, when you use the word “I” what is it that you have in mind exactly? In this talk we trace the history of consciousness from the Garden of Eden to Mount Sinai to waking up in the morning.The post The Myth of Separateness – Garden of Eden Part Five first appeared on Spiritual Tools for an Outrageous World.The post The Myth of Separateness – Garden of Eden Part Five first appeared on Spiritual Tools for an Outrageous World. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dear Friends,Getting out of bed in the morning for many of us is the most challenging part of the day. The Torah teaches us that we have to arise in the morning like a lion! In this weeks, talk we look into what that means and how to do it.The post Waking Up in the Morning – A How To Guide first appeared on Spiritual Tools for an Outrageous World.The post Waking Up in the Morning – A How To Guide first appeared on Spiritual Tools for an Outrageous World. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dear Friends,Many people are surprised to learn that before Adam and Chava ate from the Tree of Knowledge — the Torah records two earlier rebellions made before human beings were even created! The first is the incident between the sun and the moon and the second was by fruit bearing trees. Given that these creations don’t have free choice, what are the Rabbis teaching us with these accounts, and how did they set the stage for mankind’s first test?The post The Birth of Free Choice – Garden of Eden Part Four first appeared on Spiritual Tools for an Outrageous World.The post The Birth of Free Choice – Garden of Eden Part Four first appeared on Spiritual Tools for an Outrageous World. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dear Friends,In this, the third talk in the Garden of Eden series, we discussed what the nature of the test really was. We also explore what the true nature of the special garments Hashem made for Adam and Chava were. Finally, we take another look at the snake and how in our own lives he tries to defeat us.The post Garden of Eden – X Ray of the Soul (Part Three) first appeared on Spiritual Tools for an Outrageous World.The post Garden of Eden – X Ray of the Soul (Part Three) first appeared on Spiritual Tools for an Outrageous World. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dear Friends,Someone asked me this past week what interests me so much about the Garden of Eden. I think it’s because for me it’s the perfect setting to most fully understand the human condition and what this world is all about. Even more, it also allows us to see in the clearest way how Hashem interacts with us — especially berfore, during and after we’ve done something off. In this week’s talk we look at an amazing question — if the snake wanted to kill Adam and marry Eve, and the snake knew that eating from the tree would bring death into the world — then why did it tempt Eve to eat first?The post Our First Mistake – More on the Garden of Eden first appeared on Spiritual Tools for an Outrageous World.The post Our First Mistake – More on the Garden of Eden first appeared on Spiritual Tools for an Outrageous World. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dear Friends,So often in talking we present opinions as facts. For example, when we say, “That movie is no good!” we really mean “I didn’t care for that movie”. Being conscious of distinctions like can actually have a transformative effect on us, instilling humility and refining ourselves spiritually. Speech in general is a hugely powerful gift, and the Torah gives us really helpful direction on how to use it sensitively. In this week’s talk we discuss some highlights from this giant topic. We also explore a discussion in the Talmud about of all things… whether the parchment of Tefilin can be written on the skin of a fish! A discussion that will take us all the way back to the Garden of Eden.The post Purifying Speech and Fish Tefilin first appeared on Spiritual Tools for an Outrageous World.The post Purifying Speech and Fish Tefilin first appeared on Spiritual Tools for an Outrageous World. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dear Friends,Hope is such a precious comodity and often so fleeting. In this week’s talk we analyze how taking a forward looking perspective on the unfolding of time can not only increase positiveness but put us in harmony with destiny.The post How To Regain Hope first appeared on Spiritual Tools for an Outrageous World.The post How To Regain Hope first appeared on Spiritual Tools for an Outrageous World. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Second Chances – Pesach Shani – 2007 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dear Friends,We make a blessing over the sun once every twenty-eight years! Can you think of where you were (and who you were!) twenty-eight years ago? In this overview we explore the amazing spiritual depths behind this mitzvah.Have a Great Week,DavidThe post The Blessing Over the Sun – A Quick Overview first appeared on Spiritual Tools for an Outrageous World.The post The Blessing Over the Sun – A Quick Overview first appeared on Spiritual Tools for an Outrageous World. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dear Friends, Intellect is good but wisdom is better. Why? Because wisdom is intellect plus life experience. The Torah is the repository of all of the wisdom in the world. The more we learn — the smarter it gets! We are living now in the exalted month of Nissan. Every day is like the holiday of Rosh Chodesh in this month. Even more amazingly, the Shelah HaKodesh teaches that every hour of this month is like an entire day. Part of the energy of this month comes from the fact that the Mishkan the holy tabernacle in the desert was dedicated. The order in which the Mishkan was “activated” is fascinating. First came the preparatory offerings of Moshe, then the actual official offerings by Aaron the Kohen Gadol, and then the offerings of the famous Nachshon, the one who jumped into the Red Sea causing it to split, on behalf the Tribe of Yehudah. What does this teach us on a deeper level? Ultimately, it all comes down to building the Mishkan in our hearts, and understanding what it means when the Kotzker Rebbe teaches that there is no heart as full as a broken heart. Have a Great Week, David The post Intellect vs. Wisdom first appeared on Spiritual Tools for an Outrageous World.The post Intellect vs. Wisdom first appeared on Spiritual Tools for an Outrageous World. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dear Friends,Perfectionism is that force that comes to us — not to try to improve what we are doing — but to tell us that nothing we do is good enough. The good news is that all Hashem wants is for us to try our hardest and do our best. When we fall short, we have to try our best to fix it. But to be perfect? Hashem is the only One that is perfect — and the good news is that in His goodness He implanted perfection into the world from the very beginning. Our job is to reveal it! The Mishkan — the Tabernacle in the desert — was a microcosm of the perfected world and thus the fitting culmination to the Book of Shemos/Exodus which we just completed. Opening the final accounting of the building of the Mishkan (i.e. the perfection of the world) are the words “HaMishkan Mishkan”. What does the doubling of this word hint at? And how do we see all of these concepts in the name of Betzalel, the one who built it? All this and more in this weeks talk.Have a Great Week,David[audio:PerfectionisontheWay-2009VayakelPekudei.mp3]The post Perfection is on the Way first appeared on Spiritual Tools for an Outrageous World.The post Perfection is on the Way first appeared on Spiritual Tools for an Outrageous World. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What do we do after we make a mistake? After we made the golden calf, Moshe does the stunning act of breaking the Luchos, the holy tablets the Torah says were written by Hashem Himself! Not only that but the final verse of the entire Torah alludes again to Moshe’s smashing them — and it says that Hashem loved what he did! What was Moshe thinking? Why was it beloved? In this week’s talk we explore the pathways that open when we reach our end, and the connection with G-d that never goes away.Have a Great Week,David[audio:OnBrokeness-KiSisa2009.mp3]The post On Brokenness first appeared on Spiritual Tools for an Outrageous World.The post On Brokenness first appeared on Spiritual Tools for an Outrageous World. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With this week’s Torah portion, the Torah switches from the account of our freedom from Egyptian slavery to receiving the Torah at Mount Sinai, to now building the Mishkan – the Tabernacle into the desert. On a deep level, building the Holy Temple is another way of speaking about finishing the world and turning all of creation into a revealed dwelling place for G-d. In this week’s talk, we look at the importance each individual plays in this process, and how no job can be performed by anyone else but you — literally! We also look at the finishing of creation on the macro level, and how the process of ultimate salvation arrives in stages.[audio:Trumah2009Completing-the-World.mp3]The post Completing the World – The Mishkan and You first appeared on Spiritual Tools for an Outrageous World.The post Completing the World – The Mishkan and You first appeared on Spiritual Tools for an Outrageous World. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dear Friends,We are about to enter into the Jewish month of Adar, the month of Purim and joy. On another level, it is also the month of hiddenness — the Megilla that we read on Purim doesn’t have the name of Hashem written in it once! How does this connect with Nissan the month of open miracles that follows right after — and yet simultaneously (on a linear level) is the furthest month away? We also discuss the first mitzvah we got after the Torah was given at Mount Sinai — the laws of the eved evri, the Hebrew Slave. Why this mitzvah among all the mitzvahs to learn first? Finally, we take a look into free choice and being created in the image of G-d.Have a Great Week,David[audio:ParshasMishpatim2009-AdarandNissan.mp3]The post From Hiddeness to Revelation first appeared on Spiritual Tools for an Outrageous World.The post From Hiddeness to Revelation first appeared on Spiritual Tools for an Outrageous World. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dear Friends,We discuss what salvation feels like in this week’s talk. This week’s Torah portion begins with the words “And Yisro heard”. What did Yisro, the father-in-law of Moshe, hear that caused him to travel to Jewish people? Rashi, quoting the Gemara, says he heard about the splitting of the sea, and the war with Amalek. Amazingly, a few verses later (Ex. 18:8) Moshe tells Yisro about “all the troubles” that had befallen the Jewish people since they left Egypt and how Hashem rescued them. What troubles is Moshe referring to? Rashi says, the splitting of the sea, and the war with Amalek! The very same events! How can that be? This is the subject for today’s talk — the difference between hearing about a great salvation and experiencing one, and how that relates to our lives today.Have a Great Week,DavidThe post The Bumpy Road to Salvation first appeared on Spiritual Tools for an Outrageous World.The post The Bumpy Road to Salvation first appeared on Spiritual Tools for an Outrageous World. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dear Friends,Most people when asked will tell you that the greatest single miracle that Hashem performed was the splitting of the Sea. So overwhelming is that event that relatively little attention is paid to the event that immediately follows. Moshe leads the Jewish people to the wilderness of Sur where there is nothing to drink for THREE DAYS! Putting aside the irony of walking through water and then not having any, what is Hashem trying to teach us by juxtaposing these two extreme events in our life? Moreover, I wonder, what is the more difficult experience — the hard time that follows another hard time? Or the hard time that follows the really good time? And what does all of this have to do with the ultimate paradox in Torah — the par adumah — the ashes of the red heifer? Finally, we take a look at the difference between waiting and humility with a detour into alchemy.Have a Great Week,DavidThe post Making Sense of the Hard Times After the Good Times first appeared on Spiritual Tools for an Outrageous World.The post Making Sense of the Hard Times After the Good Times first appeared on Spiritual Tools for an Outrageous World. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dear Friends,In this week’s Torah Portion, we have a verse (Ex 12:10) with two separate mitzvahs in it. The first mitzvah is to finish eating the whole korbon Pesach, the Passover lamb offering, and not leave over any of it till the morning. The second mitzvah contained in this same verse, instructs us to burn whatever is left over of the Passover offering the next morning. The question is, how can we burn what is left over of it — if we’ve already been commanded not to leave anything over of it?! The answer gives us a deep insight into the Torah and life and opens our eyes to realizing how we are never alone.Have a Great Week,DavidThe post The Amazing Re-Appearing Mitzvah first appeared on Spiritual Tools for an Outrageous World.The post The Amazing Re-Appearing Mitzvah first appeared on Spiritual Tools for an Outrageous World. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dear Friends,We begin this talk with a further discussion of the “garments” Hashem gave Adam and Chava in the Garden of Eden. It ushered in the transformation of humanity, our going from creatures of light to creatures (of light) encased in skin. Learning from the Hassidic Master the Bnei Yissacher we see very cool secrets about the process and the future of humanity in the final letters of the words themselves. We also discuss the teaching from Pirkei Avos 4:11 about one who keeps the Torah in poverty will come to keep it in wealth, and levels in how to understand that. Somehow (!) this leads to a discussion of psychics and Jewish law.Have a Great Week,David[audio:Quantity-vs-Quality-vaeira2009.mp3]The post Quantity vs. Quality first appeared on Spiritual Tools for an Outrageous World.The post Quantity vs. Quality first appeared on Spiritual Tools for an Outrageous World. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dear Friends,We just began a new book in the Torah. The book of Shemos or Exodus is both the account of the Jewish people’s enslavement in Egypt and also our redemption. On a deeper level, it’s not just that Hashem and Moshe are taking us to Israel — remember we were in Israel already with Avraham, Yitzhak, and Yaakov — it’s that we are leaving Egypt and GOING BACK to Israel. That’s a very big difference! On a cosmic level this correlates with our exile from the Garden of Eden and the return that we are heading toward with arrival of Mashiach and the perfection of the world. And it all begins with Moshe noticing the burning bush — a sight that according to the Kotzker Rebbe — others saw, but none bothered to investigate. In other words, when we endeavor to search for the truth, Hashem brings salvation into the world.Have a Great Week,DavidThe post Back To The Garden of Eden first appeared on Spiritual Tools for an Outrageous World.The post Back To The Garden of Eden first appeared on Spiritual Tools for an Outrageous World. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dear Friends,Lots to talk about today. First, having just finished the book of Breisheis, we say “Chazak, Chazak, V’Nitchazayk” — Be Strong, Be Strong, and Have Good Courage! But what do we need courage for? We just finished the task! It’s like wishing someone a good trip after they’ve already come home! Next, we speak of Hashem like He is our King and Our Master, and Our Love — which is it? Is Judaism schizophrenic? We cover a way of visualizing our most important relationship in a way that encompasses the varying aspects in one. Finally, we discuss what this means: “the earth will be filled with the knowledge of G-d like waters fill the ocean” Isaiah 11:9. Isn’t the ocean nothing more than water?! So how can the waters fill the ocean — if the ocean is only water?![audio:Maybe-Im-Not-In-a-Crisis-Vayechi-2008.mp3]The post Maybe I’m Not In a Crisis first appeared on Spiritual Tools for an Outrageous World.The post Maybe I’m Not In a Crisis first appeared on Spiritual Tools for an Outrageous World. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dear Friends,One of the most perplexing things in life is just how slow things take! The Exodus from Egypt is a perfect example. Here is something that Hashem Himself wanted to do — and yet when we see how He brought it about we find that He does it one stage at a time. Since all future redemptions are based on this, studying it will give us hope and patience for personal lives.The post Redemption Comes in Stages first appeared on Spiritual Tools for an Outrageous World.The post Redemption Comes in Stages first appeared on Spiritual Tools for an Outrageous World. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dear Friends,The Kotzker Rebbe famously said that it’s a big miracle to resurrect the dead, but it’s an even bigger miracle to resurrect the living! In this week’s talk we discuss the one time only phenomenon in the Torah of a “closed” parsha — that is a section of the Torah that begins without the customary separation from the previous week’s section. We explore many deep ideas that this teaches us including discussions concerning the Jewish views of resurrection and the Mashiach.The post Resurrecting the Living first appeared on Spiritual Tools for an Outrageous World.The post Resurrecting the Living first appeared on Spiritual Tools for an Outrageous World. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We have a powerful concept in Torah that says that even if something learns Torah not for the sake of Heaven, that person will come to learn for the sake of Heaven. In today’s talk, we develop this notion of Divine flow, and connect it to the purifying dynamics of mikvah, a river, and saying something nice.The post Rivers, Mikvahs, and Saying Something Nice (Vayigash) first appeared on Spiritual Tools for an Outrageous World.The post Rivers, Mikvahs, and Saying Something Nice (Vayigash) first appeared on Spiritual Tools for an Outrageous World. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We’re entering into a new month – Teves – with a personality all it’s own. Since all things are encompassed within Torah, every piece contains a taste of the whole. We will look at this special month from the point of view of (as always) The Human Condition, it’s special letter, tribe, relationship with Chanukah — the works![audio:WhatisYourSuccessFantasy-Teves2008.mp3]The post What is Your Success Fantasy? first appeared on Spiritual Tools for an Outrageous World.The post What is Your Success Fantasy? first appeared on Spiritual Tools for an Outrageous World. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hanukah – much needed light in the darkest time of year. Historically, this was the last holiday that was incorporated into the Jewish calendar. It is sending a message to us for all of history until the world is redeemed — that Hashem, so to speak, is keeping the porch lights on for us until we all come back home. One the special things about Hanukah is the dreidel. What does it tells us about our lives, and how to live them more purposefully and deeply?The post Hanukah – The Fixing of Randomness – 2008 first appeared on Spiritual Tools for an Outrageous World Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Everyone knows there are 613 mitzvahs. These consist of 248 positive actions to be taken and 365 negative actions to refrain from. Since we are here in large part to fix the world — I would have thought that the number of positive actions would greatly outweigh those actions which are to be avoided —…The post Why Shouldn’t I? – Understanding the Thou Shall Nots in the Torah first appeared on Spiritual Tools for an Outrageous World. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What happens when we are given a test? So often we view it as a hardship, hope our best we pass it and then if we make it to the other side in one piece, consider ourselves lucky! But on a much deeper level, the process of undergoing a test involves on the deepest level a journey into the creation of self. Seen through the lens of the greatest test ever given an individual — the binding of Yitzhak, we explore how all this relates to our own lives.The post Why is G-d Testing Me? first appeared on Spiritual Tools for an Outrageous World.The post Why is G-d Testing Me? first appeared on Spiritual Tools for an Outrageous World. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What do you do after your world is destroyed around you? The answer is, you keep moving. Last week’s Parsha was Noach which chronicles the great flood that destroyed the world. This week’s Parsha is Lech Lecha, which spells out Hashem’s divine command to our holy father Avraham to journey forth to the place that Hashem will show Him. Hashem doesn’t even tell Avraham where to go! This was to give Avraham and Sarah even more reward. We don’t always need to know where our mitzvahs are taking us. The key thing is to do them with all our hearts and not to ever ever stop.The post In Trouble? Keep Moving! – Lech Lecha 2008 first appeared on Spiritual Tools for an Outrageous World.The post In Trouble? Keep Moving! – Lech Lecha 2008 first appeared on Spiritual Tools for an Outrageous World. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.