The Science of Kabbalah

Why is there a juxtaposition between the Red Heifer and the death of Miriam? How does Moshe striking the rock connect with the water of Torah? Hear about this as we discuss these interesting concepts from last week's Torah portion of Chukat.

Rav Yitzchak and William address the concept of Ger Toshav (Resident Alien) from the weekly Torah portion of Chayei Sarah. There has been so much controversy over this term and it is time for people to just learn what it means, who it is speaking about, and if it is something that applies today?

There are triggers in life that always allow us to become nostaligic and to dwell on the past. A major theme in the climatic verse from Lamentations that we read on Tish B'Av relates to both old and new.

This week Rabbi Yitzchak is flying solo. As we prepare for Passover there are spiritual lessons that can often be lost as we get so busy cleaning and cooking. There are both lessons we learn from the telling of the story, and those lessons we learn from objects on our Seder table. Each one of these is meant to bring the spirituality from within our physical world.

Many people feel like they reach a very high level on Jewish holidays, only to feel like they have fallen just after. Having just celebrated Shavuot, Rav Yitzchak and William discuss how we can keep the fires of faith burning all year long.

Rabbi Yitzchak and William discuss the Olah (Burnt) Offering and the unique instruction to remove its skin. In our current situation, we are incapable of touching other people and are even told to avoid coming in contact with the skin on our own faces. Can there be a spiritual connection to skin, the human soul, and our current Coronavirus environment. Listen to this very unique perspective from the Kabbalah and the Sages of Judaism.

Rav Yitzchak and William discuss the crazy math used by the Three Stooges and Abbot and Costello, and how certain groups try to use this type of logic to reinterpret the Hebrew scriptures to say something it does not. In this show you will learn from Torah sources and Kabbalah how the math adds up, and how Avraham (Abraham) experienced the Creator and interacted with his messengers (angels).

This week Rav Yitzchak is joined by his wife Leah. He continues the discussion started with William last week about rights versus responsibilities. However, in this week's show through the teaching of Rebbe Nachman, Kabbalah, and other sources we see the connection that halakha has to Shabbat and its ability to bring illumination into all of aspects of our lives.

This week Rabbi Yitzchak and William discuss the secrets of Torah and the Tastes of Torah and the distinction between the two. Emphasizing the importance of learning the ancient wisdom of Kabbalah and how it can be transformational wisdom that will change your life.

On this week's show Rabbi Yitzchak and William discuss the weekly Torah portion titled Mishpatim. Mishpatim relates to ordinances or judgments commanded by Hashem to the Jewish people. Most people find these civil ordinances to seem anti-climactic in light of last week's revelation at Mount Sinai. However, on closer inspection these laws can reveal great spiritual truths and show how the first ordinances related to slavery can teach us about the role of Messiah in our future redemption.

This week Rav Yitzchak is joined by his wife Leah, as they discuss the iceberg metaphor. What does the "Tip of the Iceberg" mean? How does it relate to redemption, and what can we do to look beneath the surface in order to change ourselves and the world around us?

In the age of Coronavirus there seems to be an abundance of conspiracy theories arising. Rabbi Yitzchak discuss how this correlates to what we learn in Torah. The discussion then shifts to a perceived contradiction or paradox that exists, which is related to the free will of man versus the foreknowledge of G-d. Our hosts try to find a center point between extremes to try and resolve these contradictions.

Musings on the first Torah Portion of Bereshit include not only a discussion of the Hebrew language and why the Torah starts the way it does

Rav Yitzchak and William discuss Purim, Amalek, and the importance of clothing. Are you wearing a costume just for one day, or do you wear a mask all year long? This, and other important questions will be discussed and answered.

There is a very famous Torah teaching from Rebbe Nachman of Breslov in his Magnum Opus called Likutei Moharan that is always studied during the month of Elul.

This famous saying attributed to Thomas Fuller in 1650 can really be found in the Zohar in the Torah portion just read this past Shabbat called Vayishlach. In that Torah portion after Yaacov (Jacob) wrestles with an angel all night that angel asks to be release because dawn is about to break. There is an interesting connection to this story and Chanukah which begins this week on Thursday at sundown. Chanukah s all about lighting up the darkness and doing it one day at a time.

Rav Yitzchak and William are joined by Lorelai Kude. Lorelai has over forty years of experience in astrology as it relates to Jewish tradition. Her Master's thesis "Yesh Mazal B'Yisarel," translated as "There is Mazal in Israel," is the answer to the often quoted source by most Jews that there is in fact no mazal or constellation in Israel. Meaning that Jews don't believe in, or shouldn't be involved in astrology. However, there are numerous sources from the sages of Judaism that speak otherwise. This is a fascinating show that will challenge your beliefs on the role of astrology in Judaism specifically, as well as for all the rest of the world.

This week Rav Yitzchak is once again joined by his wife for this special show on Yom Kippur. Every year in every synagogue the book of Jonah is read on Yom Kippur, but is there something more we can learn about our current troubles in the world and the story of a prophet swallowed by a fish? Listen in to this very special message for the Jewish people and all of humanity.

William returns and joins Rav Yitzchak to speak about politics in both the U.S. and Israel. How are we to view the opposite sides, and what does Kabbalah teach us about finding the balance instead of the extreme.

This week Rabbi Yitzchak and William discuss the connection made in the weekly Torah portion of "Bo" (Come), to crocodiles, the Pharoah of Egypt, and the biblical character of Job. Many of the Jewish sages believe that Job was one of the advisors of Pharoah, who remained silent when Pharoah wanted to kill all the male children of the Hebrew slaves. It is taught that this is the reason he suffered such terrible physical loss.

On this week's show Rabbi Yitzchak and William discuss the weekly Torah portion, Vayishlach. It tells the story of Yaakov (Jacob) and the messengers he sent to his brother Eisav (Esau). However, there is a powerful message to be learned about how we are to live in our current exile and the power of the spiritual weapon we possess.

Rav Yitzchak and William this week discuss the second book of the bible, Shemot or Exodus and what it means to have a "good name," as well as the misconceptions on so called prohibitions related to who can learn Kabbalah, Talmud, and Torah in general.

This week Rabbi Yitzchak and William pick up where they left off. The discussion goes into more detail about why the letter "Bet" the second letter of the Hebrew alphabet is used at the beginning of the Torah. In addition, we are given the perspective of the Sages and Kabbalists about the distinctions between this physical reality and the spiritual essence that lies behind it or under it.

This week Rabbi Yitzchak and William discuss whether or not we have a right to assert our rights, or whether our faith is based on responsibility and obligation. Judaism has much to teach on this subject, and there is even a connection in the weekly Torah portion of Vayigash. We learn how Yehuda (Judah), the brother of Yosef (Joseph) steps up and takes responsibility, which not only brings restoration to his family, but brings him a legacy of kings.

Last week we began our discussion on a lesson from Rebbe Nachman on Purim as a path towards Passover. In this week's show we continue the discussion with the connection of the Red Heifer spoken of in the upcoming Torah portion this Shabbat, which is known as Shabbat Parah, and the differences between the types of redemption experienced by the Jewish people.

What in the world is a slop bucket and how can it connect to a Crown? This week Rabbi Yitzchak and William speak about the elephant that's in the room, but the elephant that is everywhere. The Coronavirus is on everyone's mind and people are either connecting to physicality or spirituality. How do we focus when there are so many distractions?

With the advent of vaccines for the Corona Virus comes with it more division and contention about who and what we should be listening to. Almost all who follow Torah Judaism would never dispute Rabbinic authority, however, it seems that new voices are arising questioning the very same Rabbis who are calling upon the public to take the vaccine. This is not a pro or anti-vaccine discussion, but one about our Jewish sources related to health, healing, experts, and Rabbinic authority.

In this world of technology and the non-stop offerings of self optimization, not just by those who would have been considered snake oil salesmen at one time, but by trained professionals with credentials, is there an alternative found with Judaism? Rav Yitzchak and William are joined by Rav Doniel Katz of the Elevation Project to discuss answers from the Torah, Kabbalah and the Sages of Judaism to the questions so many to have regarding self optimization, consciousness, and connecting to the divine spark within.

This week we are joined by Mordechai ben Avraham whose journey took him from the entertainment business of Los Angeles, to the Yeshivot of Jerusalem. Growing up an African American whose parents embraced Islam in his childhood is a far cry from his current path as an Orthodox Jew living in Jerusalem. Hear the amazing story of transformation and learn more about his upcoming book, "The Mind of the Black Jew."

Rav Yitzchak is joined by his friend Rabbi Amichai Cohen who was in attendance at the Lag B'Omer celebration on Mt. Meron when tragedy struck. Hear his first hand impressions as well as a discussion on the spiritual lessons we learn when dealing with situations above and beyond our control.