• The Light of Chanukah
    Dec 23 2024
    Everyone loves the festival of Chanukah. There’s something so wonderful and enchanting about this festival and its iconic mitzvah, the lighting of the Menorah. But what is the menorah truly about? We all, of course, know the story of the miraculous oil that lasted for 8 days. But what is at the heart of the […]
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    54 mins
  • The Dina Dilemma
    Dec 16 2024
    Not all twins are identical in every way. Jacob and Esau were as different from each other as two humans can possibly get. When Rebecca got wind of Esau’s plans to murder Jacob, she sent them away. After being apart from his twin for more than 30 years, Jacob and Esau had a fateful reunion. […]
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    55 mins
  • Simple Reasons to Believe
    Dec 9 2024
    What is your elevator pitch for the existence of God? That is a question that was posed to dozens of successful and accomplished people. They were asked to write a short, concise, elevator-trip-length essays on why they believed. These essays were compiled into a wonderful book titled “Elevator pitches for God.” The creators of this […]
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    30 mins
  • Midrash: An Introduction
    Dec 2 2024
    Students of the Almighty’s holy Torah are familiar with the term midrash. It refers to a series of books that serve as commentaries on the Torah and on other holy writings. But where does the Midrash come from? What authority does it have? What about the comments in the Midrash that seem outlandish and totally […]
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    1 hr and 3 mins
  • Thanksgiving in Jewish Philosophy and Ethics
    Nov 24 2024
    Gratitude is one of the most, if not the most, important values in our religion. In fact, our sources tell us that the reason why God created His creation was to enable us to express our gratitude. But what if what we receive is a mixed bag of good and bad? Must we also express […]
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    44 mins
  • Ask the Rabbi: Modest Prayer; Teenage Girl Advice; Youthful Skills; and Religious Difficulties
    Nov 17 2024
    Today’s podcast is a wild card. This past Shabbos I was invited to join a panel of rabbis to answer a series of interesting questions submitted by high school students from the all-girls high school in Houston. In this special episode I share some of the fascinating questions and some of what I said – […]
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    56 mins
  • How To Actualize Potential (Abraham Shows the Way)
    Nov 10 2024
    Abraham’s storyline in the Torah is curiously: There are some parts of his life that are told in detail, while other seemingly important events are omitted entirely. What we discover is that the storyline of Abraham serves as a prototype for how to actualize our potential. In this very special podcast, we dissect Abraham’s story […]
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    55 mins
  • Your Vote Matters
    Nov 3 2024
    It’s election season in America. Your vote matters. Even if you don’t live in the swing state, it is recommended that you vote and exercise your civic right and duty. There is another area where you need to vote. The other area is much more consequential. The effects of how you vote in that area […]
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    43 mins