Episodes

  • THE JEW'S SECRET WEAPON

    THE JEW'S SECRET WEAPON
    Jan 15 2025

    The names of the books of the Torah all encapsulate all that's contained within them. The odd one out is Sefer Shemos. Names? How does that encapsulate all that transpired within it? The answer might surprise you.

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    8 mins
  • A Fish Out of Water

    A Fish Out of Water
    Jan 8 2025

    Every Friday night for thousands of years we have been blessing our sons to be like Ephraim and Menashe. Why do we choose them as the two figures we hope our children emulate? Why don't we tell our children to become like Yehuda and Levi or Yissachar and Zevulun or Reuvain and Shimon? What's so special about Ephraim and Menashe? The answer might surprise you.

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    7 mins
  • The Leading Leaders

    The Leading Leaders
    Jan 1 2025

    Ever wonder why Yosef didn't relieve his father of the pain he was in by telling him he was alive? Why did he wait so long? The answer might surprise you.
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    9 mins
  • Chanukah: The Secret of Us

    Chanukah: The Secret of Us
    Dec 29 2024

    Mark Twain famously wrote in 1897 "All things are mortal but the Jew; all other forces pass, but he remains. What is the secret to his immortality?" What is the answer to his question?

    I believe the answer is embedded in Chanukah.

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    40 mins
  • Wake Up and Smell the Coffee

    Wake Up and Smell the Coffee
    Dec 23 2024
    No story in the entire Torah is given more real estate than the story of Yosef. Why is that? The answer might surprise you.
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    6 mins
  • Holy Haughtiness

    Holy Haughtiness
    Dec 17 2024
    Our entire existence in Egypt, the slavery, the miracles, and the exodus can all be traced to one action; Yakov giving Yosef a special coat. This coat caused the brothers to be jealous of Yosef which in turn made them sell him as a slave, which led to Yosef landing in Egypt etc. The obvious question is what was Yakov thinking by giving one son a special coat and not the others. Isn't this violating the most basic rule of child-rearing; Don't show favoritism. Why did Yakov do this? The answer may surprise you.
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    5 mins
  • The Blessing of War

    The Blessing of War
    Dec 10 2024
    In the most famous boxing match in the history of the world, Yakov battles the Angel of Eisav. Ever wonder why the Angel started up with Yakov precisely as he was about to make peace with Eisav? Why specifically then? And even stranger, after Yakov finishes the fight and gets severely wounded by the Angel he asks the Angel to bless him. Why would you ask your enemy, who just made you permanently crippled to bless you? The answer might surprise you.
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    6 mins
  • The Proud Olive

    The Proud Olive
    Dec 3 2024
    After Yakov's famous dream, he erects a monument memorializing his spiritual experience and he takes out a bottle of olive oil and pours it on top of the monument. Ever wonder why he did that? Why is the Torah filled with stories of us anointing monuments and kings by pouring some extra virgin olive oil on their heads? What are we trying to accomplish? The answer might surprise you.
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    3 mins