What is the purpose of bonding and emotional connection in parenting and how is it accomplished? Rabbi Shais Taub addresses parents of Chaviva High School in Cleveland, OH to discuss the Jewish way in creating emotional trust and safety in our homes so that our children may flourish.

Why are we here? What's life all about? And do we really have any say in the matter?

These were the questions I was told to speak about as they drove me from London Heathrow to my speaking engagement where a crowd was already gathered.

Chapter 33 continues the theme of JOY begun in Ch. 26. The specific form of joy that we focus on in this chapter is the unique happiness we feel when we feel close to Hashem.

What is the symbolism of the burning bush? Here is one explanation from a maamar of the Frierdiker Rebbe. It's talking about two opposite fires: the passion of the righteous for G-d and the passion of the wicked for earthly pleasures. The Torah is the solution for how to survive both of these.

There are many reasons why some of us feel perpetually anxious. In this second lecture in a series on Emunah & Anxiety, Rabbi Shais Taub addresses some of the underlying conditions that can place an extra burden on our allostatic load. He uses the expression "spiritual canaries" to describe people for whom life itself can be incredibly stressful.

Concluding Ch. 32 -the HEART of TANYA- we discuss how to love even those people who behave in ways that are objectively hateful.

Find out why Chapter 32 is the "heart of Tanya." How does the identity shift outlined in Chapter 31 lead to a radical change in our relationships with others.

Yaakov blessed the sons of Yosef to "prosper like fish" which is explained to mean that they should be protected from the evil eye. What about being "fish-like" protects us from being damaged by the jealousy of others? (Based on Likkutei Sichos vol. 25, pp. 11-12.)

A further discussion of the spiritual paradigms of masculine and feminine. In this follow up episode we focus specifically on applications in the area of marital intimacy.

Are we stressed because of the stories we tell ourselves or do we tell ourselves stories because we are stressed. King Solomon's wisdom provides us with two powerful spiritual tools for ridding ourselves of these personal "mythologies" that we use to explain our suffering.