A man who witnessed a sota (a woman suspected of adultery) in her public disgrace was expected to swear off wine. The reason is because one who saw such a heavy event brought onto himself a corresponding measure of responsibility - and in not living up to it could result in disaster. From this Rabbi Carmell explains why the Kabbalistic understandings of Torah remain hidden.
Rabbi Avi Geller's series on the entire five books of Judaism is delivered with lively enthusiasm and humor. Each weekly talk is a whirlwind tour of all the events of that week's Torah portion, plus major commentaries and explanations of fundamental concepts of Judaism.
The sages say that the Almighty wears tefillin and prays. What does He pray for, and what is inscribed within His Tefillin? Hear an almost unbelievable symbiotic relationship between God and the Jewish people, and how we are actually able to determine the actions and reactions the Almighty will have.
The response to seeing an unfaithful woman's punishment was to become a Nazir - abstaining from wine, haircutting, and various other things to preempt him from following the same path. But wouldn't we assume the reaction to witnessing such gruesome consequences would in itself be a deterrent? Rabbi Kirzner discusses the far ranging effects what we see has on us, and the Nazir's underlying lack of appreciation of physical and spiritual synthesis.
The Sota is the unfaithful wife. Rabbi Lopiansky shows us scores of symbolic relationships that the Sota comes to explain. Why can a man marry many wives, but a woman only one husband? Why can a Rebbi have many students, but is makpeed when his student takes a different primary Rebbi? Does this also apply to parents and children? And what is it that makes a man and woman into one flesh, basar ehad?
Rabbi Lopiansky's discussions of the weekly parsha go far past the seemingly simple surface they present, showing a depth of esoteric wisdom that is difficult to find. Listen in for a journey that will give an appreciation for the Torah's vastness.
What added powers do the Kohanim possess that endow them to be a conduit for transferring Divine blessings from Hashem to our nation? Rabbi Wagensberg expounds on Aharon's crowning trait of love and the ideal relationship of giving and receiving, and the cement that holds it all together.
Ritual impurity and the Nazirite. Can anything sound less 21st century? Rabbi Wagnesberg explores the deeper underpinnings of these surprisingly relevant concepts. He describes the goal of reaching God in such a powerful a way as to make the performance of any act of evil simply impossible to consider.
Adhering to socially approved behavior is a start for pursuing peace. But the character traits necessary for living in harmony with others carry within them enormous blessings and rewards. Join Rabbi Wagensberg for a wonderful class on reaching out with love, and the capacity to understand the foibles of human failings without getting hung up on them.