Knowledge on the Deeper Side

Good Is Good, Better Is Better, and Best Is Best Why Jews Spend So Much on Their Religion With Rabbi Ari Sollish (Recorded live at the Intown Jewish Academy on June 15, 2022) Jews do Judaism with grandeur. Thousands on an etrog, fine china for Shabbat dinner, and gilded synagogues that match the finest architecture anywhere. But why? Because we understand that when it comes to our relationship wit...

Beyond Right - Lesson 6 Beyond Presumption of Innocence With Rabbi Ari Sollish (Recorded live at the Intown Jewish Academy on June 14, 2022) While a presumption of innocence can protect defendants from liability, it is not quite a declaration of uprightness. Jewish law goes so far as to presume every person's core goodness. In this class we explore the sources of this positive perspective on human...

Overcoming Folly - Part 62 "Creation vs. Evolution" With Rabbi Ari Sollish (Recorded live at the Intown Jewish Academy on June 12, 2022) January 9, 2007. That date may not stand out to you, but it should. Because on that day, everything changed. Our lives today are radically shaped by what happened on that day. See, change can come in two forms. It can be iterative, or it can be revolutionary. Ite...

Daily Power Parsha 6.13.22 (Behaalotecha) A Quick Daily Dose of Torah Inspiration With Rabbi Ari Sollish Recorded live on June 13, 2022

Daily Power Parsha 6.10.22 (Naso) A Quick Daily Dose of Torah Inspiration With Rabbi Ari Sollish Recorded live on June 10, 2022

Daily Power Parsha 6.8.22 (Naso) A Quick Daily Dose of Torah Inspiration With Rabbi Ari Sollish Recorded live on June 8, 2022

Daily Power Parsha 6.7.22 (Naso) A Quick Daily Dose of Torah Inspiration With Rabbi Ari Sollish Recorded live on June 7, 2022

Daily Power Parsha 6.3.22 (Bamidbar) A Quick Daily Dose of Torah Inspiration With Rabbi Ari Sollish Recorded live on June 3, 2022

The Case against Passive Parenting You Can’t Control the Result, but You Can Certainly Control the Process With Rabbi Ari Sollish (Recorded live at the Intown Jewish Academy on June 8, 2022) In one the Bible’s most rousing stories, a weeping childless woman makes a solemn vow to consecrate her son to G-d, should she be so blessed. The woman is Chanah, and the son the prophet Samuel. From what woul...

Beyond Right - Lesson 5 Beyond Lawful Ownership With Rabbi Ari Sollish (Recorded live at the Intown Jewish Academy on June 7, 2022) Is the claim of ownership anything more than a subjective social agreement? A foundation of Chasidic thought is that material possessions contain spiritual energy that is specific to their owners. This perspective has legal and moral ramifications for how we relate to...

The Indomitable Power of Torah Whatever Your Reason, Keep at It. Eventually It’ll Rope You In. With Rabbi Ari Sollish (Recorded live at the Intown Jewish Academy on June 1, 2022) Conventional wisdom would say that if you’re studying something for the wrong reasons, you shouldn’t study it at all. But that’s not what the Torah says. And that’s because there’s a unique dynamic at play: the Torah is G...

Beyond Right - Lesson 4 Beyond Personal Freedom With Rabbi Ari Sollish (Recorded live at the Intown Jewish Academy on May 31, 2022) With 613 commandments in the Torah and myriad rules expounded in the Talmud, can Judaism ever be called "liberating"? In this lesson we delve into the Exodus and the Covenant at Mount Sinai for a new definition of freedom, and then we explore how the value of personal...

Overcoming Folly - Part 61 "The Parable" With Rabbi Ari Sollish (Recorded live at the Intown Jewish Academy on May 29, 2022) What's a parable? It's a clever way of delivering a message through a seemingly unrelated story or example. We use a parable when the original idea is too fine or sensitive to put out there as-is. Instead, we couch the message in something more immediately relatable -- and t...

Daily Power Parsha 6.1.22 (Bamidbar) A Quick Daily Dose of Torah Inspiration With Rabbi Ari Sollish Recorded live on June 1, 2022

Daily Power Parsha 5.31.22 (Bamidbar) A Quick Daily Dose of Torah Inspiration With Rabbi Ari Sollish Recorded live on May 31, 2022

Daily Power Parsha 5.30.22 (Bamidbar) A Quick Daily Dose of Torah Inspiration With Rabbi Ari Sollish Recorded live on May 30, 2022

Daily Power Parsha 5.25.22 (Bechukotai) A Quick Daily Dose of Torah Inspiration With Rabbi Ari Sollish Recorded live on May 25, 2022

Daily Power Parsha 5.23.22 (Bechukotai) A Quick Daily Dose of Torah Inspiration With Rabbi Ari Sollish Recorded live on May 23, 2022

You’re Feeling Uninspired? Great. Now’s Your Chance Discovering the Spiritual Opportunity of a Human Moment With Rabbi Ari Sollish (Recorded live at the Intown Jewish Academy on May 25, 2022) When things are clicking and you’re feeling inspired, well, it’s just great. But here’s the problem: that’s not reality. Life is messy, challenging, and often leaves you exhausted and uninspired. What to do t...

Daily Power Parsha 5.24.22 (Bechukotai) A Quick Daily Dose of Torah Inspiration With Rabbi Ari Sollish Recorded live on May 24, 2022

Beyond Right - Lesson 3 Beyond Taking Offense With Rabbi Ari Sollish (Recorded live at the Intown Jewish Academy on May 24, 2022) You may feel a moral urge to speak up against an offensive action and protect others from harm. What should this translate into a legal responsibility as well? Judaism has a very broad definition of mutual responsibility, and this lesson explored the lengths to which we...

The Divine Is in the Details Discovering the Majesty of the Minutiae in Judaism With Rabbi Ari Sollish (Recorded live at the Intown Jewish Academy on May 18, 2022) Do it this way. Not larger than an ounce, not smaller than the size of your fist. Check for the kosher symbol, and make sure you eat before this time and make Kiddush after that time. Judaism is hyper-detail-oriented, and some find it m...

Daily Power Parsha 5.20.22 (Behar) A Quick Daily Dose of Torah Inspiration With Rabbi Ari Sollish Recorded live on May 20, 2022

Daily Power Parsha 5.18.22 (Behar) A Quick Daily Dose of Torah Inspiration With Rabbi Ari Sollish Recorded live on May 18, 2022

Beyond Right - Lesson 2 Beyond Restitution With Rabbi Ari Sollish (Recorded live at the Intown Jewish Academy on May 17, 2022) Offender rehabilitation is a value all can agree on, but does it have a role to play in the legal system? This lesson explores the Jewish value of rehabilitation, known as teshuvah: Who can do it, how is it done, what it achieves, and the rules we and our legal systems can...