Épisodes

  • How About Them Apples?!
    Jun 24 2025

    Being in a state of gratitude paves the way to experiencing joy and fostering a deep connection with Hashem. While it is so simple to achieve, it is so easy to forget, as the Yetzer Hara wants us to focus our attention on what we feel we are lacking. In this episode I share an experience that I like to reflect on regularly as it cemented into my mind the importance of being in a constant state of gratitude to our Creator.

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    14 min
  • The Deeper World of Hebrew Names
    Jun 15 2025

    In this illuminating episode, we explore the profound spiritual significance of Hebrew names in Jewish identity and destiny. Prompted by thoughtful questions from our WhatsApp community, we delve into Kabbalistic teachings, the soul's divine origins, and the Torah’s hidden structure to uncover how names are far more than labels—they are spiritual blueprints. Whether you were given a Hebrew name at birth, need to choose one, or are discovering your ancestral roots, this episode offers clarity, inspiration, and practical guidance rooted in Torah wisdom.


    Join the Conversation! Be part of our growing community—join the Shema Podcast for the Perplexed WhatsApp group to share feedback, discuss episodes, and suggest future topics. Click here to sign up.

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    37 min
  • The Spiritual Wisdom of the Recovering Addict
    Jun 9 2025

    In this episode, I sit down once again with my wife Elisheva to share her personal journey from addiction to recovery and ultimately to her Jewish conversion. We reflect on how both recovery and Torah observance require deep humility, surrender, and a constant effort to align our will with Hashem’s. Elisheva opens up about how her experience in the 12-step program helped prepare her for the life of halacha, and how she continues to navigate challenges like alcohol in Jewish life as a recovering addict. We also talk about the importance of community, how recovery has strengthened her Emunah, and the ongoing process of spiritual growth. Whether you're facing addiction or simply seeking to deepen your connection to Hashem, this conversation offers honest insights and encouragement.

    Join the Conversation! Be part of our growing community—join the Shema Podcast for the Perplexed WhatsApp group to share feedback, discuss episodes, and suggest future topics. Click here to sign up.

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    51 min
  • From Physical Exile to Spiritual Exile and Our Role in the Final Redemption
    Jun 6 2025

    In this episode, I share a deep idea I’ve been working on for quite some time — the difference between the initial redemption from Egypt and the final redemption we are waiting for. Drawing from the teachings of the Baal HaSulam, I explain how the exodus freed us physically but left the deeper spiritual work incomplete. Our generation carries the unique task of completing that process by transforming our inner desires — from receiving for ourselves to receiving in order to give. I also share personal experiences, challenges, and insights that have helped me better understand my own role in this work, and how we can all approach our tefillos, struggles, and growth to help bring about the true and lasting redemption.

    Join the Conversation! Be part of our growing community—join the Shema Podcast for the Perplexed WhatsApp group to share feedback, discuss episodes, and suggest future topics. Click here to sign up.

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    31 min
  • Shavuos: The Fusion of Finite and Infinite with Rabbi Pill
    May 26 2025

    In this episode, I’m joined by Rabbi Pill for a deep and wide-ranging conversation on the spiritual essence of Shavuos. We explore what it means to truly “receive the Torah again,” not as a memory of Sinai, but as a living, recurring revelation. We discuss how each Yom Tov expresses a unique divine will, and how Shavuos brings a reactivation of the same infinite light that first descended on Har Sinai.

    We delve into the soul of Torah itself, beyond mitzvos, beyond words—and the interplay between concealment and revelation that underlies all of creation. Along the way, we talk about exile and redemption, the evolving accessibility of Torah’s inner dimensions, and how moments of spiritual clarity can transform even the most mundane parts of our lives. This conversation is about reconnecting to the deeper reality that lies just beneath the surface, on Shavuos, and every day after.

    Join the Conversation! Be part of our growing community—join the Shema Podcast for the Perplexed WhatsApp group to share feedback, discuss episodes, and suggest future topics. Click here to sign up.

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    58 min
  • Kosher Meditation with Rabbi Aryeh Siegel
    May 19 2025

    We all want to grow—to be more present in our learning, more focused in our davening, and more in control of our reactions. But the world is noisy. Our minds race, stress builds, and it’s easy to slip into living by default instead of with intention. In this episode, I sit down with Rabbi Aryeh Siegel, author of Kosher Calm, to explore how a Torah-aligned meditation practice can help us reclaim the space where free will lives and real growth begins.

    We talk about the need for inner quiet, how stress blocks our avodah, and why the Lubavitcher Rebbe urgently called for a kosher method of meditation decades ago. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed with life or longed for deeper presence in your avodas Hashem, this conversation offers clarity, wisdom, and practical tools to help you get there.

    • For next steps to learn about Kosher Meditation go to https://koshercalm.org and order the book Kosher Calm: Meditation & Self-Help Tools For Health & Healing.
    • Join the Conversation! Be part of our growing community—join the Shema Podcast for the Perplexed WhatsApp group to share feedback, discuss episodes, and suggest future topics. Click here to sign up.
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    1 h et 10 min
  • The Jewish Impact on Civilization with Rabbi Ken Spiro
    May 12 2025

    In this episode, I share how my worldview began to shift once I realized I’d grown up believing that all cultures were more or less the same—that we were all just decent people trying to get by. But as I began learning Torah and Jewish history, I started to see that Judaism introduced something radically different to the world. To unpack this further, I invited Rabbi Ken Spiro, historian and author of WorldPerfect: The Jewish Impact on Civilization, to join me.

    We explore how values we take for granted today—like the sanctity of life, equality before the law, and social justice—weren’t universal at all, but were introduced to the world through the Torah. Rabbi Spiro walks us through the brutal norms of the ancient world and shows how the Jewish people, guided by the concept of ethical monotheism, reshaped human history not through conquest, but through values. It’s a conversation that deepens Jewish pride and clarifies our role in the world today.

    • Buy Rabbi Spiro’s Book - WorldPerfect: The Jewish Impact on Civilization
    • Join the Conversation! Be part of our growing community—join the Shema Podcast for the Perplexed WhatsApp group to share feedback, discuss episodes, and suggest future topics. Click here to sign up.
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    1 h et 2 min
  • Unifying The Name Yud-Key with Vav-Key
    May 9 2025

    In this episode, we delve into the powerful declaration recited before counting the Omer: “For the sake of the unification of the Holy One, blessed is He, and His Divine Presence (Shechinah), in fear and love, to unify the name Yud-Key with Vav-Key in perfect unity, in the name of all Israel.” This phrase encapsulates a central spiritual mission—to unify Hashem’s name—and we explore how this idea is not only mystical, but deeply practical.

    From Pesukei D’Zimra to Shema, our daily tefillos are structured around this theme. Drawing on insights from Chassidus, the Baal Shem Tov, Rabbi Nachum Ish Gamzu, and contemporary Torah thinkers, this episode offers a path to internalize that all is from Hashem—and ultimately for the good. By minimizing the delay between challenge and trust, between pain and perspective, we take real steps to unify His name and bring the world closer to the era of Moshiach.


    Join the Conversation! Be part of our growing community—join the Shema Podcast for the Perplexed WhatsApp group to share feedback, discuss episodes, and suggest future topics. Click here to sign up.

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    26 min