The Chavrusa with Rabbi Levi

Why does the change you fight hardest for disappear the fastest? Yehoshua entered the land with the Aron, the shofar, and open miracles — the walls of Jericho fell, and the land dropped into our hands "like a ripe fruit." Yet the Rambam rules that this holiness vanished with the Babylonian exile. Ezra returned with a battered generation, missing the Aron, missing the fire from heaven — a...

The Secret to Lasting Change | The Lesson of Pinchas Why do some moments of inspiration change us forever, while others fade within days? In this episode of Chavruta with Rabbi Levi Farkash , we explore one of the Rebbe's most practical insights through the story of Pinchas. Both Moshe and Pinchas saved the Jewish people from destruction. Yet Pinchas alone received an eternal covenant of peace...

Lead with Your Heart | The Rebbe's Lesson on Leadership As we approach Gimmel Tammuz, we explore a profound teaching of the Lubavitcher Rebbe on the meaning of leadership. Why is the number 32 significant? Because 32 is the numerical value of lev — heart. Drawing from Chassidus, Tanya, Rambam, and the teachings of the Rebbe, we discover why a Jewish leader is compared to the heart of the body....

Episode 18|There's No Such Thing as "I Can't"| The Hidden Lessons of the Spies --- This weeks episode is sponsored by Aaron Ben Avraham Ha Kohen in honor of Malka Leah Bat Me'atsai for a Refuah Shleimah. ---------- The story of the spies is often remembered as a story about fear. But according to the Rebbe, their real mistake was much deeper. The spies did exactly what Moshe...

The Torah That Goes Straight to the Soul | The Secret of the Manna In this episode of Chavrusa, we explore one of the most fascinating miracles in the Torah: the manna that sustained the Jewish people in the desert. The sages teach that the manna wasn't just miraculous food. It carried a spiritual quality that affected every person who ate it, creating a greater receptivity to Torah and godlin...

As we approach Shavuot — the anniversary of the giving of the Torah — we explore a profound Chassidic teaching about the relationship between Hashem and the Jewish people. The sages describe Matan Torah not just as a moment of receiving commandments, but as a marriage between God and the Jewish people. But what happens when that relationship becomes difficult? Drawing from the teachings of the Reb...

Why Struggle Makes a Mitzvah More Powerful In this episode of The Chavrusa with Rabbi Levi Farkash, we explore a profound question: Why does Hashem place us in a world where doing the right thing can feel so difficult? Drawing from Chassidic teachings and the heartbreaking story of the Cantonist children — Jewish boys kidnapped into the Russian army and pressured to abandon Judaism — we uncover a...

In this episode of the Chavruta with Rabbi Levi Farkash , we explore one of the most powerful and hopeful ideas in the Torah: the concept of a second chance. --------------- Thank you to this weeks sponsor Omni Agency. Reach out Menachem Farkash at 425-435-4286 for all your insurance needs. --------------- When a group of Jews were unable to bring the Korban Pesach at the proper time, they didn’t...

Bringing Spirituality Down to Earth | What Aaron’s Sons Got Wrong ---- This week's episode is sponsored in honor of the birthday of Rabbi Levi Yitzhak Ben Rav Mordechai. May he be blessed with good health, long life, and much hatzlacha in all that he does. --------- In this episode of the Chavrusa with Rabbi Levi Farkash , we explore a powerful and unsettling question: What if spiritual growth...

In this episode of Chavrusa with Rabbi Levi Farkash , we explore a powerful and surprising transition in the Jewish calendar: On Pesach, we are commanded to completely remove chametz ... embracing simplicity, humility, and pure faith. And yet, just weeks later on Shavuot, the Torah commands us to bring an offering of specifically chametz . Why does something once forbidden suddenly become part of...

In this episode of Chavrusa with Rabbi Levi Farkash , we explore a powerful question at the heart of the Passover Seder: Is the focus of Pesach to remember the slavery of Egypt — or to experience freedom ? We dive into the deeper meaning behind two central elements of the Seder — matzah and maror — and uncover a fascinating distinction: while matzah remains a biblical mitzvah , maror today is only...

Does a Mitzvah Count If You Didn’t Mean To Do It? In this episode of The Chavrusa with Rabbi Levi Farkash, we explore a fascinating Torah question: If someone performs a mitzvah without realizing it… does it still count? In this week’s Torah portion, the Torah places two commandments side by side — the commandment to observe Shabbos and the construction of the Mishkan , the Tabernacle. From this c...

Discover the profound spiritual paradox of the half shekel commandment - why the Torah demands we give exactly half a coin, not more or less, and how this ancient practice reveals timeless truths about our relationship with the Divine. Rabbi Levi Farkash explores how complete spiritual service paradoxically requires acknowledging our incompleteness, and why passion, not just action, transforms ord...

In this weeks episode Rabbi Levi does a deep dive into the Torah's teachings about Amalek and their attack on the Israelites, exploring how this ancient enemy represents the irrational forces that cool down our spiritual highs and disconnect us from divine revelation. Learn practical strategies for maintaining spiritual momentum through Torah study and submission to God. Also a word from this...

In this week’s Chavrusa study session, we explore a fascinating halachic detail in Parshat Mishpatim: First a word from this weeks sponsor Eastside Young and Jewish. Purim in The Galaxy happening March 2, 2026. Purchase your tickets at: https://www.eastsideyoungjewish.org/purim Early bird rates through 2/13/25: Now the episode... When two litigants come before a Jewish court, who speaks first ......

Join Rabbi Levi as he explores the relationship between divine law (the Torah) and human morality, centered on the giving of the Ten Commandments from the Torah portion  Yisro . Rabbi Levi relayed the teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, who argued that a stable and enduring moral life is impossible without a divine foundation. The Rebbe's position was supported by interpreting the simultaneous...

Join Rabbi Levi Farkash as he explores one of Judaism's most debated theological questions through the lens of the Exodus story. This Chavruta learning session examines how the Egyptians could be punished for enslaving the Jews when God had already prophesied this would happen to Abraham centuries earlier, diving deep into the tension between divine foreknowledge and human free choice. This we...

Join Rabbi Levi Farkash as he explores a profound Torah concept: how we can maintain unwavering faith while still questioning God during difficult times. Through the story of Moses confronting Hashem about the Jewish people's suffering in Egypt, discover the difference between questioning from doubt versus questioning from a place of deep faith and passionate commitment to the divine mission....

In this week's Chavrusa with Rabbi Levi Farkash. Discover three transformative life lessons from Moses' journey that will help you balance your inner passions for Judaism and navigate your spiritual path. From his upbringing in Pharaoh's palace to his encounter with the burning bush, learn how to step into your purpose, help fellow Jews, and find divine connection through service to ot...

Dive deep into the biblical story of Joseph as he transforms from prisoner to Viceroy of Egypt. This episode explores how Joseph's constant acknowledgment of God's role in his success became the key to his remarkable rise, and examines why the Torah dedicates extensive detail to seemingly minor dream interpretations that changed the course of history.

Join us for a deep dive into one of the most profound love stories in biblical history - the match between Isaac and Rebecca. Through the lens of Abraham's faithful servant Eliezer and his miraculous prayer, we explore how this ancient narrative reveals the fundamental purpose of human existence: uniting the physical and spiritual realms. Discover why this matchmaking story was answered by God fas...