The Shema Podcast for the Perplexed

I approached this interview, with Rabbi Wohlgelernter, with the following question; how does one fulfill the mitzvah of remaining joyful while learning how to be Torah observant? As for me, it has been a continual experience of thinking I have learned everything needed, only to then learn that I barely know anything.   In this episode, Rabbi Wohlgelernter explains that this process of growth shoul...

I approached this interview, with Rabbi Wohlgelernter, with the following question;  how does one fulfill the mitzvah of remaining joyful, while learning how to be Torah observant? As for me, it has been a continual experience of thinking I have learned everything needed, only to then learn that I barely know anything.   In this episode, Rabbi Wohlgelernter explains that this process of growth sho...

The United States is more divided than ever, with each side believing they are on the side of what is right and good.   This is not a new dilemma for the world, as this problem originated in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve ate from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, confusing the distinction between the two.   The Almighty’s remedy to our affliction was the Torah, which is the technology...

As many of you know I recently moved with my family into a Jewish Community for the first time. I feel the way an immigrant from an impoverished country probably feels when they move to the USA where so much freedom and opportunity exists, that did not exist in their homeland. As someone who had no idea that this community existed prior to 6 years ago, I wanted to dedicate an episode to the topic,...

When I realized that Torah was directly from the Heavens, I encountered a new question, “What is Torah?” I had seen a Torah scroll and I knew about the 5 Books of Moses but when I began to study the text, many more questions surfaced. I would read the weekly Parsha baffled by a narrative that seem to leave out so much information, yet knowing that their was something deep behind the text that I wa...

We entered Rosh Hashanah and declared that Hashem is our King and we are His subjects, allowing us to move into Yom Kippur so we could reflect on our previous year and discern when our thoughts, words and actions were not congruent with that truth. And now it is time to enter our Sukkahs, designed like His arm reaching around us and holding us close. It’s time to recalibrate back to the truth that...

The Almighty desires for us to continually strengthen ourselves spiritually so that we can grow closer to Him. Just like a weightlifter intentionally exhausts their muscles under the weights they are lifting so that their muscles will tear and then be rebuilt to be stronger, the Almighty created a framework for us to do the same spiritually. He orchestrates events which create tests for us. Tests...

G-d blew a soul into Adam. On Rosh Hashanah we blow into the Shofar, tapping into the core of our soul to awaken us from our slumber. We are reminding ourselves of our mission. G-d is the King and we are His subjects. Our tasks at hand is the loftiest of all tasks, to be His co-creators and bring Godliness to every corner of the world. This is a must listen episode, as Rabbi Wohlgelernter teaches...

We received Torah Law from the Almighty to instruct us on maintaining a utopian society, however Torah Law in totality is intended for when the Jewish people return to Israel, the temple is rebuilt and the Sanhedrin Court reestablished. So, if that is the case, what are our responsibilities in our host nations? How involved should we be in politics? Should a Jew hold public office? Should Torah in...

A fundamental mitzvah of a Jew is to love their fellow as themselves. But what about Jewish heretics that lead Jews astray? The Jewish people collectively are guilty of the Sin of the Golden Calf, because while it was only the Egyptians converts that committed the sin, the rest of Jewish people were held culpable as they did nothing to stop it. So, how do we reconcile the mitzvah of loving our fel...

We are taught that we are a heavenly soul residing in a physical body. However, our morning prayer states that we are thankful to G-d for restoring our souls to us, which implies that we are a body. So, which is it? Are we a body or a soul? I was having a middle age identity crisis, so I asked my dear friend, Rabbi Chaim Bucsko, to come on to the program and give me some clarity on who is “me.”

The Hebrew word for man is “Ish” which is spelled “Aleph-Yud-Shin” and the Hebrew word for woman is “Ishah” which is spelled “Aleph-Shin-Hey.” The two letters not in common are the “Yud” and the “Hey” which is a name of G-d. In this episode Rabbi Cohen discusses in depth the rationale for the importance of proper thoughts during marital intimacy so that we can be holy and properly unite the Name o...

Previously I did an episode where I taught what I have learned on how to fulfill the most important mitzvah of Shalom Bayit. Now I attempt to take these theoretical concepts and learn how to implement with real world practical advice through this insightful interview with Rabbi Aryeh and Zehava Wolbe. If you want to please The Almighty and your spouse, then this is a must listen to episode.

Whether marital intimacy occurs with the intention to create a child or not, this episode is a must listen for every couple. The negative middos that one is born with are a result of improper thoughts and actions in the Holy of Holies, our bedrooms. Rabbi Yaakov Cohen shares incredible insights from the Zohar that will enable a couple intending to become pregnant the methods for bringing down a so...

First, God made the heavenly realm and earthly realm. Then He made mankind with a heavenly soul infused into an earthly body, in order to be a conduit between those two realms. In this episode I ask Rabbi Wohlgelernter to teach us how to bring Torah with us into our business life. He not only answers that question but provides valuable insights on how to infuse holiness into every moment of our li...

God created the world to bestow pleasure and then designed us to pursue Him, the source of all pleasure in ever greater quantities through Torah and mitzvot. And, if we do not properly attach ourselves to Him, and instead overindulge in the illusionary pleasures of the world, then devastating consequences can ensue. In this episode my most cherished guest ever, shares how the Alcoholics Anonymous...

Last year in the US over 57% of Hate Crimes were against Jews, which seems like a lot on its own, but when you factor in that we only account for barely 2% of the US population, it’s quite astronomical. Anti-Semitism is truly unlike any other form of racism, as the Jewish people comprise every ethnicity. And it cannot be xenophobia, as we have been exiled to every part of the globe. Anti-Semitism...

Mt. Sinai was our wedding canopy where the Almighty, as our groom and we the Jewish people, as His bride, made an eternal commitment that we would be forever bound to one another. Shavous is arriving soon. It is our anniversary with the Almighty, where we renew our mutual commitment. Hashem has just one request from us and that is that we leave our work behind and focus simply on one another. List...

It is now the Counting of the Omer. These 49 days between Pesach and Shavous create a bridge that allows one to leave their mental restrictions and move towards a more expanded consciousness. In this episode, Rabbi Chaim Buscko breaks down for us how to tap into the spiritual energies now present. By doing so, we will forge ourselves into vessels that will allow us to absorb the wisdom of Torah an...

This important topic is for men only. Gentlemen, we have a sacred and eternal covenant with the Almighty, the Bris Milah. This contractual arrangement comes with ongoing responsibilities, that if violated will cause a breach of this Holy contract and make our Bris null and void. It is essential for us and the entire Jewish nation to keep our covenant. Tune in and learn from Rabbi Cohen as he discu...

G-d brought us into Egypt to become humbled and dependent servants to Pharaoh, so that He could bring us out of Egypt to be humble and dependent servants to Him. G-d is now shattering global economies to test us and see if we remember, are we dependent on our Pharaohs or are we dependent on Him. This is a must listen to episode for how to preserve and grow wealth in any economic climate with Rabbi...

The Jewish people have been saying every year, since the destruction of the 2nd Temple, at their Passover Seder and at Yom Kippur, “Next Year in Jerusalem!” We have been yearning for millennia for the arrival of Moshiach and our redemption, where we will return to Jerusalem and rebuild our temple. In this episode, Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe, shares his knowledge with us on this subject, teaching us everyt...

G-d gave His Torah to the Jewish people, containing His laws and decrees for them to follow. But what about the Non-Jew? In this episode, I speak with Rod Bryant, who many years ago was a successful Christian Pastor, and left it all behind when his study of Torah opened his eyes to the falsehood of the Church. His epiphany took his life on a course that led him to devote his life to the teaching o...

The reason Shalom Bayit is the most important mitzvah is because it is ONLY within the dynamic of a marriage that one can achieve their tikkun (soul correction) in this world.   In this podcast we share the rationale for why it is the most important mitzvah and the tools for succeeding in fulfilling this mitzvah.

The Torah begins with Adam, whose sensory perception was primarily attached to his soul, while his sensory perception to his body was secondary, thus allowing him to communicate with G-d, the way we now only know how to do with our fellow man. And it ends with Moses, returning to this intended state of mankind, but not by default, but through his personal efforts. In this edition we explore the To...