In this episode, I sit down again with Rabbi Baruch Gartner who presents a clear framework for understanding shame not as a flaw, but as something built into creation, the “orlah”, the protective armor that eventually disconnects us from ourselves, others, and God. Drawing from Rebbe Nachman, Tanya, and the Baal Shem Tov, he explains how facing embarrassment is actually the gateway to joy, creativity, and reconnection.

From there, we explore money, one of the more challenging subjects. We talk about transformative giving, the relationship between business and Torah learning, and how money can either drown a person or elevate them, depending on the quality of their connection.

We then zoom out to the collective: baseless hatred, unity, exile, and healing. Rabbi Gartner shares a bold idea, that small pockets of genuine unity and sincerity can shift the larger story, not through perfection, but through real connection.

This conversation doesn’t fit neatly into a category. It’s part vulnerability, part mysticism, part challenge, and part personal struggle, an honest exploration of the blocks within us and the hunger for something more alive and true.

See you on the other side,

Eli