The Shmuz

If you’re overwhelmed by fire and brimstone droshos, this shmuz is for you. Full of chizuk and encouragement, it discusses how we are all ‘diamonds’-and what we can do to polish up those scratches.   This podcast has been graciously sponsored by JewishPodcasts.fm. There is much overhead to maintain this service so please help us continue our goal of helping Jewish lecturers become podcasters...

  Now that Elul’s here, there are no more excuses. We need to get real with ourselves about who we are- a powerhouse of unlimited potential and strength, capable of achieving genuine greatness in this world and the next. Sounds like the other guy? You’re wrong. Listen now and be convinced that you really are awesome.   This podcast has been graciously sponsored by JewishPodcasts.fm. Ther...

This podcast has been graciously sponsored by JewishPodcasts.fm. There is much overhead to maintain this service so please help us continue our goal of helping Jewish lecturers become podcasters and support us with a donation: https://thechesedfund.com/jewishpodcasts/donate

In this introduction to teshuva Rabbi Shafier explains how Rosh Hashanah impacts us all-from the largest cosmos in our universe to the smallest news headline. Listen to this first to really get into the spirit of Elul.   This podcast has been graciously sponsored by JewishPodcasts.fm. There is much overhead to maintain this service so please help us continue our goal of helping Jewish lecture...

  They say that the only guarantees in life are death and taxes. Yet it seems that something else is guaranteed: no matter what, there is always something to pray for. It could be success learning or davening, finding a spouse, earning a living, getting along with neighbors and coworkers, or living in peace and safety. And once you have children, there is no end of things that seem to go wron...

This podcast has been graciously sponsored by JewishPodcasts.fm. There is much overhead to maintain this service so please help us continue our goal of helping Jewish lecturers become podcasters and support us with a donation: https://thechesedfund.com/jewishpodcasts/donate

This podcast has been graciously sponsored by JewishPodcasts.fm. There is much overhead to maintain this service so please help us continue our goal of helping Jewish lecturers become podcasters and support us with a donation: https://thechesedfund.com/jewishpodcasts/donate

  Parshas Re’eh: If Hashem Wants Me to be Happy, Why Am I So Broke?   I say every morning ‘sheasah li kol tzarci’- Hashem, You have provided me with all of my needs. Three times a day I remind myself that You open Your hand and satisfy every living thing with its desire. I know You want me to be happy, to enjoy Your world, to keep mitzvos and do Your will...so if that’s the case, WHY AM...

This podcast has been graciously sponsored by JewishPodcasts.fm. There is much overhead to maintain this service so please help us continue our goal of helping Jewish lecturers become podcasters and support us with a donation: https://thechesedfund.com/jewishpodcasts/donate

This podcast has been graciously sponsored by JewishPodcasts.fm. There is much overhead to maintain this service so please help us continue our goal of helping Jewish lecturers become podcasters and support us with a donation: https://thechesedfund.com/jewishpodcasts/donate

It was July of 1969, when Neil Armstrong landed on the moon, took his first steps, and announced, “It’s a small step for a man, a giant leap for mankind.” With those words he entered history as the man who walked on the moon. Yet how much of the credit goes to him? Buzz Aldrin stepped down but a few moments later, and no one remembers him. But even more, it took thousands of men, hundreds of year...

Bitachon can’t be learned from a book. We can learn the theory, get a grip on the fundamentals of our hashkafa and think we know that we trust in Hashem. But until we are really tested, we have no idea whether our bitachon is real or not. Being naturally optimistic or anxious isn’t an indication of where we’re holding in bitachon-that’s nothing more than a reflection of our personality. To acquire...

This podcast has been graciously sponsored by JewishPodcasts.fm. There is much overhead to maintain this service so please help us continue our goal of helping Jewish lecturers become podcasters and support us with a donation: https://thechesedfund.com/jewishpodcasts/donate

The world that we live in isn’t the way it’s supposed to be. Tisha B’Av gives us that moment of reflection, the opportunity to consider what we are missing and how we can begin to rectify what has been lost. Like children born into darkness, we can’t even comprehend what life should look like, how we are meant to enjoy this world and use it as a tool to become closer to Hashem. This Tisha B’Av, ta...

 Remember when we had to watch a ton of Holocaust movies to feel any stirring of emotion on Tisha B’Av? Remember when we had to drag ourselves out of our pampered comfort zones to think about what it must have been like to suffer at the hands of the Romans? It wasn’t easy to imagine what a dangerous, frightening, unpredictable world meant.    Is it still hard? I don’t think so. Even...

Have you ever heard the three rules of criticism?  1. Don’t do it  2. Don’t do it  3. Don’t do it  Ok, everyone knows how it feels to be criticized. Everyone agrees that it’s damaging to our most precious relationships. Some people have lived under the shadow of criticism their whole life, and have the arduous task of trying to rebuild their self-esteem and confidence. So if it...

Parshas Pinchas: How To Restore Balance, Focus and Meaning to Your Life In this week’s Parsha, Pinchas is given the bris shalom after defending the honor of Hashem. Four hundred years ago, The Seforno explained that as a result of this gift, Pinchas was granted longevity. By living ‘at peace with himself’ Pinchas was able to live a longer, healthier life. Would you like to live more at peace with...

The episode of Bilaam and the donkey is often viewed as something comical. Bilaam’s donkey won’t move, Bilaam gets angry and the two of them have a conversation about it. A man arguing with his donkey isn’t exactly an everyday occurrence-why doesn’t he stop and acknowledge the outright miracle that he’s experiencing? And whilst this may be a humorous part of the parsha, if you fail to see beyond t...

Understanding and Integrating the Difference Between Emunah and Bitachon Do you believe in Hashem, but sometimes feel that He’s out to get you? Then you have emunah, but lack bitachon. You see, it’s not enough to simply recognize that Hashem runs the world. As frum Jews, we are also meant to internalize that Hashem is directly involved in our own lives and knows what is best for us. Too many of ou...

This podcast has been graciously sponsored by JewishPodcasts.fm. There is much overhead to maintain this service so please help us continue our goal of helping Jewish lecturers become podcasters and support us with a donation: https://thechesedfund.com/jewishpodcasts/donate

How Much Hishtadlus Should I Do?* You know that your year is decreed on Rosh Hashanah. Every aspect of your life is carefully designed by your Creator. You also know that you’re commanded to do your hishtadlus and daven that Hashem rewards your efforts. But how much hishtadlus is too much? How am I meant to tell when Hashem’s answer is ‘no’ or whether He wants me to keep up with the effort and tef...

This podcast has been graciously sponsored by JewishPodcasts.fm. There is much overhead to maintain this service so please help us continue our goal of helping Jewish lecturers become podcasters and support us with a donation: https://thechesedfund.com/jewishpodcasts/donate

This podcast has been graciously sponsored by JewishPodcasts.fm. There is much overhead to maintain this service so please help us continue our goal of helping Jewish lecturers become podcasters and support us with a donation: https://thechesedfund.com/jewishpodcasts/donate

This podcast has been graciously sponsored by JewishPodcasts.fm. There is much overhead to maintain this service so please help us continue our goal of helping Jewish lecturers become podcasters and support us with a donation: https://thechesedfund.com/jewishpodcasts/donate

This podcast has been graciously sponsored by JewishPodcasts.fm. There is much overhead to maintain this service so please help us continue our goal of helping Jewish lecturers become podcasters and support us with a donation: https://thechesedfund.com/jewishpodcasts/donate