The Shmuz

Latest Episodes:

#138 - The Potential and The Present Mar 09, 2019

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"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 essential for growth, but it is also one of our greatest pitfalls. If we don't clearly see how much we are capable of, we cannot chart the course toward our potential. However, with a realistic view of where we are now and a clear understanding of what we could become might lead to depression. This Shmuz focuses us on maintaining a balance between the two views needed for steady growth: a clear understanding of where we are now and a vivid image of what we can be, even if we won't reach those levels for many, many years. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

#160 - Purim: Sheep to the Slaughter and Concert Bans Mar 09, 2019

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When Adar enters we increase Joy. Yet how can we be happy when we live in such troubling times? From rockets falling daily on S'derot, to the brutal massacre of 8 of our Yeshiva Bochurim in Yeshivat Merkas HaRav -- It has been difficult to feel joy. In the midst of it all many are troubled by the recent ban by Gadolim on a concert in America. This Shmuz attempts to make sense of the events we are living through, and offers a perspective on our times. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

#161 - April 15th: The Test of Emunah Mar 09, 2019

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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? Do I somehow believe that I will only get that amount if I bend the rules a bit?And the final test comes when I sign on the words:"Under penalties of perjury, I declare that I have examined this return and accompanying schedules and statements, and to the best of my knowledge and belief, they are true, correct, and complete."Then I face the challenge: Do my actions fit my beliefs? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

#162 Learning to Care Mar 09, 2019

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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.

#163 Only the Good Die Young Mar 09, 2019

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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/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

#164 I Hate Critic Mar 09, 2019

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

#165 The Art Of Mar 09, 2019

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#168 - Emunah Mar 09, 2019

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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 untamed, yet always performing within a predictable, set pattern; all diverse parts conforming to a master plan--the world itself cries out: there is a Master to this house!Yet, many intelligent, educated individuals look at this very phenomenon, study it, discuss it- and don't see HASHEM. Quite the opposite they attribute it all to some lucky roll of some cosmic dice. All of this wisdom just evolved, the entire plan just happened. How can we reconcile the undeniable evidence of a creator with the reality that many, many people just deny it? And how does it affect our own belief system?This Shmuz explores some of the basics of Emunah, and brings us to a deeper understanding of what causes a person to believe or not believe. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

#166: Everybody is doing it Mar 09, 2019

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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 a generation ago are now common place in the most respected ones. We may be tempted to assume that this doesn't affect us. After all, we are different. We don't buy into the culture of the times. And while we may feel self-assured and secure in our position, the reality is that we are human, so it can't help but affect us. The question is: what can we do about it?This Shmuz explores the influence that society has upon us, and offers practical insights to deal with it. . See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

#167 - Sefiras Ha'Omer Countdown to Ka'balas Ha'Torah Mar 09, 2019

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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 our lives, how is it that we just don't seem to be learning as much as we know we can. This explores the true motivations to learn and offers some insightful perspectives on increasing our involvement in learning Torah. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

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