Rabbi Moishy's Podcast

What do we do with AI? Is capitalism and wealth pure evil? Is it actually possible to live a sacred life in a physical world? Heavy and important questions. Hopefully this episode provides some light and guidance on the path to the answers. Source sheet to follow the class: https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/503244?lang=bi

Is the person who laughs in the face of pain and darkness wild - or wise?

Judaism's principles for navigating the obstacles and opportunities of the material world.

Exactly what it sounds like 😊

The interplay between nature and miracles; man's efforts and Hashem's influence.

Random thoughts about Judaism that occured in the shower, and Rabbi Moishy's comments.

A class on the laws pertaining to Erev Pesach

More! (please excuse the abrupt cut off at the end).

Details on relinquishing ownership of chametz, searching for chametz in advance, and more

By popular demand: a new series! You know the basic storylines of Jewish holidays. You've heard the stories of the Torah. But what about all the missing pieces? Those gaps in your knowledge that hit you in the shower, and you say "I should ask the rabbi." Now you can!

An overview of the laws of searching for chametz

We wrap up the laws of Purim in this episode. Listen to all 4 and you'll know exactly what and how to do Purim properly!

We continue our exploration of the detailed halachos of Purim. If you're going to do it, might as well do it right! Dive in and enjoy.

A detailed review of the halachos of Purim.

Purim is coming! Follow along for a practical overview of all the halachos of Purim.

Did you know when it's possible to read 5 aliyot during a weekday morning service on chanukah? This and more is what you can learn in this episode.

Did you know at what time of day you must light the menorah? Did you know that we have a legal process for lighting the menorah by those who are blind? These and more are included in this second lesson on the laws of Chanukah.

A brisk text based class on the laws of Chanukah, using the Kitzur Shulchan Aruch (abridged code of Jewish law).

The benefits of humility, and caution against arrogance.

Rob and I get into a quick chat about floods of anxiety

Given how strenuous the Talmud's warnings against arrogance, we question: is there ever a place for arrogance?

Continuing the Talmud's cautionary teachings about the perils of arrogance

It's pretty bad to be arrogant; but there is a redeeming factor.

In the first podcast class back on campus in over 2 years (!), we explore and discuss the important topic of Teshuva and how it impacts our self concept and all of our relationships. Enjoy!

In honour of the 18th day of the month of Elul, I'm proud to share some stories of the lives of the Baal Shem Tov and the Alter Rebbe, both of whom were born today. Listen in to learn more about who they were and how their stories can inspire you.

We would love to describe the episode, but you're better off just listening to it.

Our series on Talmudic ethics and morals resumes!

More than your classic Facebook psychoanalytic quiz, the Torah offers archetypes to help us place ourselves and understand who we are and how we relate to Hashem.

The Jews complained time and again in the desert, and it seems that we have yet to transcend the trope of kvetchy Jews. Is there something redemptive about this, or is there nothing cool about complaining? Let's find out.

In this special episode for the holiday of Shavuot, Rabbi Moishy shares a mistaken notion some Jews have about the objective of the Torah and Mitzvos. There's only one way to avoid this short-sightedness: listen to this episode!

My reflections on the Rebbe's landmark teaching - Beyom Ashtei Asar. Study this teaching in English at https://www.sie.org/templates/sie/article_cdo/aid/3798182/jewish/BeYom-Ashtei-Asar-Yom-5731.htm.

A class highlighting some of the most thought provoking parts of the Passover Haggadah. The text referenced here is the Kehot Passover Haggadah, edited by Rabbi Yosef Marcus.

Must you respond when asked a question?

We explore why G-d sometimes does not answer our prayers, and why G-d created us with evil inclination.

The process of dealing with the corpse of a person stoned to death, and yes - the lesson to be learned.

A lesson on the fragility of existence and the awareness of G-d that prayer brings.

Joshua and an angel have a conversation, with a powerful lesson for personal growth.

Enjoy this new offering; lesson one of a new course on commonly asked questions.

We explore capital punishment procedures, confession and broken heartedness.

An exploration of a little known Jewish custom.

We discuss philosophical implications of the waxing and waning of the moon; how to win a debate, and more.

The aftermath of Achan

On Achan and Jericho

A new topic in the Talmud class.

Should you be happy when bad people go down, or honor their humanity and shed a tear?

Sometimes, you don't dismiss the heretic out of hand.

More heretics annoying the rabbis!

More Talmudic retorts to heretics!

Picking up where we left off yesterday; a great lesson in knowing your audience, and more retorts to heretics.

How to respond - or not - to heretics.

How to deal with a heretic; who is even a heretic in the first place?

The humble origins of mankind; th infinite tolerance of Hashem, and more.

The implications of humanity's origins in Adam. Food for thought!

A new approach to the podcast: I am going to record pretty much any class I teach during the week and upload it here. Please let me know what you think! Enjoy.

A recording of Rabbi Goldman's speech at the 13th annual Chanukah in the Square. Please pardon the subpar audio quality, we did our best!

If your Yom Kippur is about guilt, you're doing it wrong. In this episode we explore the essence of a Jew and its relevance to Yom Kippur.

While all the Sages cried at the sight of destruction, Rabbi Akiva laughed. In this episode, we analyze this classic Talmudic tale and draw lessons for processing our own pain. Featuring special guest, Rabbi Hirshel Gourarie of Chabad at Penn State.

Life is a journey, yet sometimes we find ourselves stuck in the status quo. In this episode, we analyze the journey through the desert and discover the life lesson it teaches us all.

Korach's dispute with Moshe teaches us that the path to truth is paved with appreciating that truth is paradoxical, and never one dimensional. This episode will teach you how to argue like a Jew.

To remain in the bubble or to go out into the world, that is the question. What can the saga of the spies teach us about challenges, antisemitism, and the tension of spirit vs. matter? This episode takes a dive into these ideas and more.

The antisemites of the world have a point...what is it? Listen to this lesson on the tension between individualism vs. collectivism and find out.

In honour of Lag BaOmer, this episode delves into a number of reasons for the necessity of studying Chabad teachings, aka Chassidus, the soul of the Torah. Here's a link to an excerpt of the text mentioned in the episode: https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/2716769/jewish/Chapter-33.htm. Please email info@jewishwaterloo.com for more recommendations of texts and teachers of Chassidus.

Finally back in the saddle with two nuggets to inspire you to a deeper appreciation of the great holiday of Passover. With apologies for the substandard sound quality, we hope you enjoy this episode.

You may feel more spiritual staying internal - studying, praying and meditating, but is that where you're needed? Discover the ultimate spirituality that is found in the outside.

Wholeness is hot; but should it be? Is there a path that avoids mediocrity but isn't overwhelming? In this episode, we explore the eternal message of the half shekel as a paradigm for humble ambition. In the new Ask the Rabbi segment, I address the ideal method of sharing constructive criticism.

Dare a person strive to achieve more than their current reality allows for? Or should we live realistically within the limits of what is feasible? In this episode we explore the very definition of being human, according to the Torah.

Parshat Bo tells of the Jewish people selecting a sheep/goat for the Passover sacrifice. Why was this done 4 days in advance? How does this inform our position of integrating vs. challenging society? Listen to learn what lessons this unusual Mitzvah has to teach us.

Ancient Egypt kept knowledge locked away from the people; Judaism takes the opposite approach. In this episode, we unpack a bit of that revolution.

Having high expectations and great idealism can be a mixed blessing at best; a dastardly curse at worst. In this episode, we unpack Moshe's attempted rejection of the call to leadership and apply its lessons to our complicated lives today.

Special guest and original Parsha podcast co-host Bobby Plax joins me in this week's episode for a brief conversation about the inspiration we sorely need and how Chanukah can provide it

We work hard, we pull ourselves up, and we achieve our goals. Then...we congratulate ourselves on a job well done, and soon enough we find ourselves back where we began. In this episode, we discover the simple but vital insight to help us avoid the repetitive hamster wheel of life.

Being Jewish sometimes can feel like stale groupthink, where we all must fit into the box of generic sameness to qualify. In this episode, we explore how truthfully, there's a paradox to be explored and lived and group membership is only one side of the coin.

Our society seems to be completely lost when it comes to sharing constructive criticism. We engage in futile shouting matches, and the loudest bully seems to win. But there is a better way; listen and discover what it is.

A lesson from the Lulav and Etrog about cancel culture and social cohesion.

Four tips for successful introspection and growth, aka Teshuvah.

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