The Thinking Jew Podcast

A Deeper Look at Asarah B'Teves (rebroadcast)

With the fast of the 10th of Teves approaching this week, I'm rebroadcasting episode 55 which contains such a powerful idea behind the spiritual power of this meaningful day. There are 6 public fast days on the Jewish calendar: Yom Kippur, Tisha B'Av (the 9th of Av), Tzom Gedalia (the 3rd of Tishrei), Asarah Biteves (the 10th of Teves), Taanis Esther (the 13th of Adar) and Shiva Asar Bi'Tammuz (the 17th of Tammuz).   And while Yom Kippur and the fast of Esther each have their own independent reason for fasting, the remaining four are much more interconnected. In this episode, you'll discover the historical connection between the fateful days of 10 Teves, 17 Tammus, 9 Av and 3 Tishrei, and how they're all part of one story of exile and destruction.  We'll see how the tenth of Teves (which is coming up next on December 14th, 2021) kickstarted this process and we'll then discover a deeper Kabbalistic understanding from the Chasam Sofer that sheds a whole new light on why the 10th of Teves plays such a uniquely important role in this process. Happy Listening! Rabbi Moshe To sponsor a podcast or make a tax-deductible donation to support this podcast and DATA of Richardson go to: https://thethinkingjew.com/support-us/ [https://thethinkingjew.com/support-us/] To contact me with any questions or feedback, please email thethinkingjewpodcast@gmail.com All the sources quoted in this podcast can be viewed on this source sheet: www.sefaria.org/sheets/367412 [https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/367412]

Ep. 87 The "Real" Miracle Of Chanuka

If you ask most people what the miracle of Chanuka was, they'll most likely respond with the story of a small jug of pure oil burning in the Temple for 8 nights.  After all, we light our menorahs for 8 nights to commemorate that miracle! But, was that really the greatest miracle?  Did a tiny small untrained Jewish army led by rabbis not defeat the mighty Greek Empire? So what is the REAL miracle of Chanuka?  What is our primary focus?  Join me as we look through Jewish sources to discover the answer to this question and walk away with a powerful lesson to carry with us into Chanuka! Happy Listening! Rabbi Moshe thethinkingjew.com [https://thethinkingjew.com/] To sponsor a podcast or make a tax-deductible donation to support this podcast and DATA of Richardson: https://thethinkingjew.com/support-us/ [https://thethinkingjew.com/support-us/] To contact me with questions, topic requests or speaking opportunities: thethinkingjewpodcast@gmail.com Source sheet: https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/453816?lang=bi [https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/453816?lang=bi]

Ep. 86 Understanding The Structure Of Torah: The Written And Oral Law

The Torah is broken up into many different sections and parts. The primary two being the written law (Torah She'bichsav) and the oral law (Torah She'ba'al Peh).   In today's episode I lay out the general structure of the Torah and show how all the sections are interconnected.   I also cover topics such as: 1) How could the oral law have been written down? 2) Was every prophecy received included in Prophets? 3) What's the difference between Torah, Prophets and Writings? 4) Why did God give both a written and oral Torah? Happy Listening! Rabbi Moshe thethinkingjew.com [https://thethinkingjew.com/] To sponsor a podcast or make a tax-deductible donation to support this podcast and DATA of Richardson: https://thethinkingjew.com/support-us/ [https://thethinkingjew.com/support-us/] To contact me with questions, topic requests or speaking opportunities: thethinkingjewpodcast@gmail.com Source sheet: https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/440902?lang=bi [https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/440902?lang=bi]

Ep. 85 Creating Real Change - Positive Teshuva

This past week I asked close to 50 people to think of something that they want to improve at over this coming year. A whopping 100% (!!!) thought of something that they're really bad at and is extremely difficult for them.  This is often how we think.  We know what we're bad at and want to change it, but when we approach it head on, we often fail and remain in the exact same place. So, how do we create real change?  How do we become the best version of ourselves possible? Join me  as we look at the novel approach of Rav Kook to teshuva.  He presents a comfortable and practical method to real self-actualization! As always, feel free to reach out with any questions or topic requests. Happy Listening! Rabbi Moshe thethinkingjew.com [https://thethinkingjew.com/] To sponsor a podcast or make a tax-deductible donation to support this podcast and DATA of Richardson: https://thethinkingjew.com/support-us/ [https://thethinkingjew.com/support-us/] To contact me with questions, topic requests or speaking opportunities: thethinkingjewpodcast@gmail.com Source sheet: https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/431212?lang=bi [https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/431212?lang=bi]

Ep. 84 The High Holidays - A Time To Pause and Think

Do you find yourself approaching the High Holidays the same way every year?  Thinking about the same things you want to improve on that you said last year?  With so much busyness in life, how can we make a real change?  Join me as we look to our forefather Abraham, and his journey of finding God in a pagan culture, to help guide ourselves in 2022 and beyond! Happy Listening! Rabbi Moshe thethinkingjew.com [https://thethinkingjew.com/] To sponsor a podcast or make a tax-deductible donation to support this podcast and DATA of Richardson: https://thethinkingjew.com/support-us/ [https://thethinkingjew.com/support-us/] To contact me with questions, topic requests or speaking opportunities: thethinkingjewpodcast@gmail.com Source sheet: https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/429840?lang=bi [https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/429840?lang=bi]