What makes the Shema so central to our prayers? Join Lisa Aiken, PhD for a look at its history, and the ever elusive reality that God is One, and that all God does, whether for our pleasure or pain stems directly from His loving kindness. Even a small sense of knowing, envisioning and embracing that space is enough to get a taste of Judaism's deepest tenet.
As the only creations in the world that have the power of free choice, we need to be blessed with the power to discern between a sometimes similar seeming good and evil. If we have this behind us, our lives suddenly become so simple. Mrs. Juravel covers the different kinds of mental acuity that exists, and has us laughing at ourselves as she portrays some of the mental gymnastics we pull off to convince ourselves of things that aren’t real or true.
Do we aspire to perfection? Not quite, says Mrs. Juravel. Learn about the great gift of teshuvah and the heights it can bring us to despite our failings and mistakes. This blessing portrays our desire for Hashem to accept us back after we’ve fallen. Learn about how our sense of shame is an excellent marker of how we view
While we can repent on our end, we are still dependent on Hashem to forgive us for what we’ve done. If we value and desire a close relationship with our Creator, the way He views us will become of primary importance. Mrs. Juravel covers the accidental and not-so-accidental negative deeds we do, and the belief we must have that He will exonerate us.
When we speak of redemption, the understanding of the word is Hashem taking back what is His. Do we view ourselves as being part of the Divine? Mrs. Juravel discusses our fear of change and why we hold back from wanting spiritual Geulah. Learn why this blessing must come after a request for forgiveness, and how Hashem’s granting redemption can reveal parts of ourselves that are inaccessible until He does.
Davening is known as the work of the heart. Why is tefillah the first major stop for helping you work out the important issues in life? And if you think heartfelt prayer doesn’t pay off, just listen to incredible stories of regular people who achieved miraculous results by leaning into a sincere prayer. And what about all the times people pray without getting an answer - listen in.
Rachel’s act of self-restraint enabled her sister to walk down the aisle with the husband intended for her. On the other hand what power of prayer did Leah use to veer herself away from Esav? Learn how Rachel grabbed onto these events to merit her children's continued salvation through the long dark nights of gulus.
So powerful are the Shabbos prayers that Chazal compare them to the Aseres Yemei Teshuvah, (10 days of teshuva) when Hashem is eager to hear our cry for reunion. Rav Pincus describes how Shabbos and the Bais Hamikdash link up, and the sense of peace such a prayer brings in its wake.
Tefillah is the most effective way to find your personal connection to Hashem. Can you imagine finding yourself suddenly davening with focused attention, in ways that bring you in touch with the very source of your life? Rav Pincus gives powerful tools for navigating the siddur, and tapping that deeper desire to connect.
Translation of prayers are a life-saver for those who can’t manage through the full Amidah with understanding. Hear Rav Yaakov's down and up sides to forcing the Hebrew text into a English version, and why the original Hebrew Siddur must never be rendered as obsolete.