The Stoic Jew

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: I recorded this on Thursday morning about my state of mind on Thursday morning. The main topic of the episode is what I refer to as “phantom stress” – getting stressed out about elements of the past that my psyche is convinced still exist in the present and the future – and the approach I intend to use to address it. My musings o...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: Today’s musings were sparked by my recommendation of the Charlie Kaufman movie Synecdoche, New York , and my decision not to rewatch it because it’s too depressing. In today’s episode we discuss four perspectives on tragedies – three from the thinkers listed in the title, and the fourth from Judaism itself.  Sources: - Aurelius,...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: Today we compare Epictetus’s treatment of the topic of speech vs. silence with that of the Rambam. We examined the latter in-depth and at length in our Rambam Bekius podcast (see show notes for links to the relevant episodes), but in this episode, we’ll content ourselves with broad observations about how their approaches differ i...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: If you’re looking for new ideas and insights on Stoicism and Judaism, then MAYBE this episode isn’t for you. I stumbled upon these words of Marcus Aurelius which resonated with me with regards to the dilemma I find myself in. Now that Lomdeha is officially over, I need to decide the best way to make up for that loss of income. I...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: I'm posting Friday's episode now, on Thursday afternoon, 45 minutes before the beginning of the wedding that I discuss in the episode itself, just in case any of my listeners are also planning on attending this same wedding and would like to hear my "Stoic Jew thoughts" going into it. Warning: it's a bit...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: This episode begins with a move advocated by Epictetus called “making use of impressions.” We then read a lengthy excerpt from Radical Acceptance by Tara Brach about a technique she refers to as “The Sacred Pause.” After comparing and contrast this technique with that of Epictetus, we consider the role that The Sacred Pause might...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: This episode was brought to you by insomnia, burnout, Iron Archer, human nature, and the human struggle. And if you were one of the 7-10 individuals across the Atlantic who woke up to discover that there was no new episode this morning, this is why. Related Episodes: - Thank Iron Archer (and IFS) for Today’s Non-Episode Episode -...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: That’s right – 150 episodes! I had various ideas of what I wanted to talk about, but in the end, I decided to just hit record and think my scattered thoughts out loud, starting with one of my favorite quotations from Seneca regarding my craft. Related Episodes: - TSJ Milestone - Reflections on Our 100th Episode (!) and Epictetus...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: Today’s (short!) episode was brought to you by my annoying ticking clock, and my ineffective methods for dealing with the annoyance. The real-world example I talk about here illustrates one of my personal pitfalls in applying Stoicism – one which is remedied by Mishlei. As always, the devil is in the details.     Sources: - Epict...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: Today’s episode was inspired by a comment someone made on Facebook which derisively referred to Ryan Holiday’s books on Stoicism as “the pop version of Stoic literature.” This comment rubbed me the wrong way, but I couldn’t put my finger on why … until I thought it through by making this episode.    Sources: - Epictetus, Enchirid...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: In past episodes we’ve talked about how “live each day as if it might be your last” is easy to say but difficult to implement. One of the biggest obstacles to this mentality is the fact that, statistically speaking, it’s likely that this will NOT be your last day. This past (last?) Yom Tov I stumbled upon a way to overcome this o...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: I didn’t intend to record TWO episodes about Shavuos, but in my efforts to answer a student’s question on a passage from Aurelius’s Meditations, we ended up going there. If you’ve ever wondered what the relationship is between the agricultural theme of Shavuos (“ chag ha’katzir,” the harvest festival) and the historical theme ( “...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: Today’s episode is a candid expression of my personal thoughts and feelings about the current situation in Israel. If this upsets you, I’m sorry, but I felt that it would be beneficial to honestly express  my thoughts and feelings. As Rambam said: “[W]hen I have a difficult subject before me – when I find the road narrow, and can...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: I didn’t set out to record an episode about a Stoic perspective on Shavuos, and yet, here we are! It just so happens that the letter of Seneca we’ve been reading is perfectly aligned with Judaism’s stance on this topic, and it just so happens that this topic is relevant to Shavuos.  For my shiur on the theme of Shavuos, click her...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Today’s episode is l’zeicher nishmas Eliezer ben Hendel.   Synopsis: Today we continue reading from Seneca’s letter of consolation to his mother, Helvia. This excerpt touches upon a number of themes without any common thread that I perceived. Some of these ideas we’ve never discussed and others are fundamental but expressed with Seneca’s u...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: Yesterday was Mother’s Day and I decided to see if I could find any Stoic writings on that theme. I selected an excerpt from Seneca’s letter of consolation to his own mother, which – as the title reflects – could be perceived as rather ruthless. But I do believe that if we understand the wisdom of his words, which are paralleled...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: Today we conclude our reading of Seneca’s letter to Lucilius on the topic of friendship and sharing knowledge. All the points Seneca makes in this part of the letter resonated with me on a personal level, in light of my experience as a teacher and as someone who is blessed to live in a community of chachamim .  Sources: - Seneca:...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: Today we begin reading a letter from Seneca to his friend and student, Lucilius, about the nature of a true friendship. His description of such a friendship conforms to the Rambam’s explanation of the type of friend we are commanded by the Sages to acquire for ourselves at all costs.  Sources: - Seneca: Letter #6 – On Friendship...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: Have you ever heard of the tragedy of Golden Boy, the shirt? In today’s episode I will recount for you my own version of that tale – but one which ends on a happy note. I’m sure I’ve read these passages from Epictetus in the past, but as I mentioned at the outset of this week, reviewing Stoic ideas is critical for internalizing t...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: Today’s reading is from a chapter in Epictetus’s handbook which is loaded with weighty concepts. Our focus, however, will be on a single point. Stoicism and Judaism both prompt us to turn our focus inwards, and to recognize how we are complicit in our own suffering. However, Shlomo ha’Melech (King Solomon) takes a very different...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: Earlier this year I recorded an episode entitled “Stoic Compassion for Those Who Stumble.” Today I decided to review the same passages we read in that episode, adding a new layer from IFS (Internal Family Systems). I did my best to steer clear of going too much into IFS and tried to keep the ideas in as “normal sounding” terms as...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: I recorded today’s episode last week a couple of hours before Shabbos. I was in a particularly contemplative mood and decided to express my thoughts verbally. I wasn’t sure whether I was going to post it, for fear of it being TOO personal or TOO open, but I listened to it again today and deemed it shareable. I had initially plann...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: Today’s episode was an experiment prompted by an IFS (Internal Family Systems) self-therapy session I had in which I attempted to gain insight into why I didn’t want to record an episode today. I debated whether to record this, and even after that, I debated whether to publish it. In the end I decided that even though I don’t exp...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: In today’s episode we examine another example of a harsh truth taught by Epictetus in (what I deem to be) too harsh of a manner. The points he makes are compelling but he frames them in a way that risks alienating his audience with his absolutism. Are matters as black-and-white as he makes them seem? Is there a middle ground? And...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Synopsis: In yesterday’s episode we discussed Epictetus’s method of “using impressions” to change our experience of life. In today’s episode Marcus Aurelius gives us an impressions-based technique for dealing with injuries and insults from our fellow human beings – one which might help us to implement the loftier and more philosophically a...