Man, Judaism and the Pursuit of Pleasure Part 4

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Humans have a physiological innate need to live for something; to have meaning. Our needs go beyond the physical. In Judaism we say that this need is the yearning of the soul for soulful nourishment the same way bodies scream out for their unmet needs. Rabbi Wolbe teaches the Torah’s methods of how to utilize this drive for maximum pleasure

Beware of the Two Cliffs: How to navigate the perils of Self Perfection

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Any pursuit of self perfection and character refinement will invariably be accompanied by two frightening and formidable challenges: 1. Body-Backlash; when the body rejects the agenda of the soul. 2. Heightened Haughtiness; when someone ascends to Mount Pious and declares himself mayor and looks down condescendingly upon others. These two dangers must be approached very carefully…

Man, Judaism and the pursuit of Pleasure Part 1

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We begin this first of a multiple part exposition of major items in Jewish Life, Philosophy and Practice with a controversial but logical conclusion and a question. The conclusion: Life can only have meaning if God exists. The question: When you accept the Jewish definition of God you accept that God lacks nothing; so for what purpose did God decide to create the universe? We then dig into the two answers promulgated by traditional Jewish sources. Tune in for some advanced Jewish philosophy.

The Overachiever’s Secret

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The term “overachiever” should not be mistakenly conferred onto people who achieve greatness; greatness can result from great intellect, opportunity and circumstance, overachievers are those who achieve beyond what their peers in circumstance and ability achieve. What is their secret, and how can we emulate them?

God through history

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In this wide ranging discussion on God and his active participation in history, we ask, and attempt to answer, questions like these:

  • How did 600k Jews mobilize and leave Egypt at a moments notice?
  • Where was God during the Holocaust, Inquisition, the Chmielnicki massacres of 1648?
  • Why does God not do miracles miracles every day?
  • How is the founding of our religion different than every other one? 

Adam and Eve: A Model Marriage?

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In several places in Jewish Literature and practice we present Adam and Eve as a prototype of a relationship worth emulating. There is only one slight problem with that – Adam and Eve did not seem to have a stable relationship, much less an idyllic and harmonious one. What could the Torah possibly mean when we are instructed to act like Adam and Eve in pursuit of positive long term relationships?