The Shmuz

We are creatures of habit -- we act by habit, we react by habit and, to a large extent, we even think by habit. And, in truth, it has to be that way. If we didn't act based on previously established patterns of behavior, life would be unmanageable. If every time we turned a corner we would have to think through the actions involved, our entire mind's focus would be on navigating the basics of livi...

While there is much talk today about the importance of self esteem and its effect on a person's attitudes and accomplishments, there is a corollary benefit of understanding the greatness of man -- If I am obligated to respect myself because I was created in the image of HASHEM, then so too, I must respect you, because you also were created in that same image. In fact, Ben Azzai teaches us that if...

All the great leaders and teachers of the Jewish Nation had faults and flaws. The Torah tells us the shortcomings of Avrohom, Dovid, and Shlomo. More amazingly, the Gemarah tells us that the four men who never sinned aren't counted amongst the greatest of our nation. Why? The reason is simple. HASHEM didn't put us on the planet not to sin. HASHEM created us to act - to accomplish, to change oursel...

An atheist is someone who doesnt believe in G-d. A religious person is someone who practices a lifestyle that serves G-d. It would therefore seem obvious that being a religious atheist would be a contradiction in terms. Yet not only isnt this correct, the phenomenon of religious atheists is far more prevalent than we realize. This Shmuz focuses us on some of the bedrock foundations of our religion...

We know that Tshuvah works. The Nivim told us it does, Chazal repeat it many, many times, and we even have Yom Kippur, a day created specifically for tshuvah. The question isn't whether Tshuvah works, but why I don't make use of it? Why is it that I don't stand there on Yom Kippur with tears flowing down my face, repenting, improving, ridding myself of a year's worth of iniquities? It isn't that I...

On 12 April 1961, Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first man in space. Upon his return, he made the famous statement, I have proven that G-d doesnt exist I was in heaven, and I didn't see any God up there." While we may find his logic simple minded, in reality, he makes a valid point. How can the Torah expect us to believe in something that all of our senses deny? We relate to the world th...

Hot, hotter, hottest. Fast, faster, fastest. In the English language we distinguish between the adjective, a descriptive word, and the superlative, an adjective taken to its extreme. Yet when we think about wealth, that distinction somehow gets lost. If I am not as rich as Bill Gates, then I am not rich. While the Torah does not guarantee that any individual will be wealthy, it does offer a tried...

I do daven with a minyan. I don't. I do a chesed -- I don't. Does it really matter? Does it really make a difference? Very often we find ourselves thinking what is the big deal? Will my actions really change my life? Will they change my world? Yet every once in a while, we come across a single action that does change the world-- a shot heard around the world. Our natural assumption is that these t...

When a person recognizes that he needs to lose weight, it isn't enough for him to read all the latest diet books and find a great plan - the person has to actually "do it." He has to go on that diet and stick to it. But "doing it" requires motivation, not just the initial motivation to begin, but long-lasting motivation that will withstand the tests of life, allowing changes in behavior to become...

The Vilna Gaon tells us that the main reason for life is to change our middos -"If not" he says, "Why should a person have life?"  The difficulty with this mandate is that it means: I have to change. While in theory I may be open to grow -- I may even recognize the many advantage to my life, in practice we humans find it very difficult to change.  Ask a person who has smoked for 20 years, "How eas...

There are certain life lessons that they don't teach you in school. One of them is the importance of maintaining a sense of humor.  Not only is this one of the key elements for maintaining a sense of balance and joy as we travel through the trials of life, in terms of our relationships with others, a light touch often spells the difference between harmony and strife-love and hate. Focusing on the...

Recent studies show that in 2004,  there were an estimated 44.5 million adult smokers in the United States, and 70% of them want to quit. Each year, 35% do attempt to stop,  yet only 5% succeed -- clearly change isn't easy. Willpower alone isn't enough. A good program for change alone isn't enough. To make change permanent, we need outside help. Support groups are successful for this very reason....

The Palestinians have aspirations of political freedom as do every people. Their requests are merely of sovereignty and political rights-- and of course, once they have been granted these, they will live in harmony with their neighbors, recognizing Israel's right to peaceful coexistence. Or will they? An opened minded view of the current situation brings grave doubts to the true desires of the Ara...

Since the time of Kain and Hevel, it seems a given that brothers fight. Even in the most refined home, where individuals are polite and respectful, siblings take liberties with each other that they wouldn't dare take with outsiders- it is almost as if an unwritten law permits the torture of siblings. What is even more surprising is that individuals we know, good people, who outside the home are so...

We know that the Torah is very exacting in regards to Loshon Horah: there are 17 negative and 14 positive commandments concerning disparaging speech.  In fact, the Rambam paskens like the Gemara, that the sin of Loshon Horah is worse than the sins of Idol worship; illicit relations, and bloodshed. The question is why? Of all of our activities why does the Torah see fit that this one should be deal...

Almost all of the people that we deal with are reasonable, well intentioned individuals. And so too, am I. Yet, in the course of life, there is conflict, hurtful words, vengeful acts And, in that rare moment of self honesty, I realize that everything that happens isn't the "other guys fault". I too, am to blame. There have been situations where I acted in a manner that was cold and callous. There...

"Considering where I come from and what I've been through, I'm doing pretty well..." While this may be a comforting position to take, the question a person must ask themselves is: is this really all that I can be? What if I were to stop making excuses? What if I was to truly hold myself accountable to live up to my potential? What if I was to go full blast - how great could I be? This question is...

We all know the importance of learning, and we certainly value it in our daily lives. Yet, somehow that sense of significance doesn't always translate into reality. there may be many days that we don't learn as much as we can, and if pushed to the wall, all of us would admit that we could be learning more. But we're not. Why is this? If we claim to truly value Torah, if we admit to its vitality in...

We live in times when society at large has lost its moral compass. Particularly in the United States, once a bastion of family values and morality, we now watch daily as new innovations in decadence and promiscuity pour forth. We can't open a newspaper without being exposed to a new depth of moral decay. Ideas, concepts, and images that wouldn't have been accepted in the most base of publications...

The Rishonim tell us that the most assured way to come to belief in HASHEM is to look out at the world. When a person sees the beauty of the universe; the conformity of every part working together as a unit, everything so orderly and so reliable--the sun rising every morning exactly at the appointed time; the tides always pulling in the pre-described manner; the forces of nature all so seemingly u...

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Info coming soon.. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. 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

Is there an explanation for a woman in her mid-thirties, the mother of four children, to be struck down by cancer? Does it make sense that a forty-year-old should take a jump shot on a basketball court and die in mid-air? It seems that we are witnessing more and more young people dying. The question is: why? This Shmuz focusing on understanding the reason behind all human suffering. See acast.com/...

Of course, he's a nice guy. Everyone is a nice guy. Yet how do you explain all of the pettiness and downright nasty things that people do to one another on an ongoing basis? This Shmuz focuses us on one of the most important functions in a human: learning to truly care about another human being and sharing his plight. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. This podcast has been...

To most of us, April 15th is nothing more than a deadline for filing our personal taxes. But when a person begins thinking about life from a broader perspective, they come to recognize that April 15th is a great test -- It is a test of my beliefs in practice. Do I truly believe that HASHEM runs this world and not I? Do I truly believe that HASHEM determines how much money I am to make this year? D...