The Shmuz

We are taught over and over again that HASHEM is merciful and kind. We are taught that many times more that a Mother loves her child, HASHEM loves everyone one of his creations. Yet when we look around the world we live in there are many features that just don't make sense. There is pain and suffering. There are hurricanes and tornadoes. There are diseases and ailments; there are orphans, widows and divorce. If we also accept that HASHEM is all- knowing then we understand that all of these features are part of the design that HASHEM had for this world they weren't by accident- they were part of the plan.How are we to understand all of the suffering and misfortune that seems to be deliberately designed into the world? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. This podcast has been graciously sponsored by JewishPodcasts.fm. There is much overhead to maintain this service so please help us continue our goal of helping Jewish lecturers become podcasters and support us with a donation: https://thechesedfund.com/jewishpodcasts/donate

Everybody wants to succeed. We want successful careers, successful relationships; we want to be winners at the game of life. But winning takes hard work, and hard work takes single-minded drive. That can be hard to maintain, especially when the going gets tough.This Shmuz looks at the amazing success stories of champion athletes and underdogs who beat the odds, teaching us where we can find the inner strength to reach the heights HASHEM set up for us.Said At The 3rd Annual Torah Retreat. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. This podcast has been graciously sponsored by JewishPodcasts.fm. There is much overhead to maintain this service so please help us continue our goal of helping Jewish lecturers become podcasters and support us with a donation: https://thechesedfund.com/jewishpodcasts/donate

This podcast has been graciously sponsored by JewishPodcasts.fm. There is much overhead to maintain this service so please help us continue our goal of helping Jewish lecturers become podcasters and support us with a donation: https://thechesedfund.com/jewishpodcasts/donate

The Torah calls us a stiff necked people. It seems to be part of our very nature --put two Jews together and you get three opinions.So how it is possible for us to live in harmony, as individuals, as families and certainly as communities? We certainly understand the damage of conflict, and unfortunately many of us have felt first hand, the powerful downward spiral that occurs when human beings live in a state of strife. The question is on a practical level, what can I do about this? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. This podcast has been graciously sponsored by JewishPodcasts.fm. There is much overhead to maintain this service so please help us continue our goal of helping Jewish lecturers become podcasters and support us with a donation: https://thechesedfund.com/jewishpodcasts/donate

Each individual was created with different strengths and weakness -- One is wise and the other is capable, one has great physical strength, and the other has a strong mental capacity. One is a financial wizard but can't fix his car, the other is a great Talmid Chacham but can't balance his checkbook. Some people can paint, some can speak, some can play the piano, some can create, some can sing and some can write poetry each person has his or her own unique ability. This Shmuz focuses on the concept that each individual was created with the potential for greatness -- but not all individuals have the potential to be great in the same areas. As there are different aptitudes, talents and gifts, there are different expectations from each person. One of the keys to leading a successful life is to find my personal strengths, develop them, and use them to accomplish great things. At the end of my days "They" will ask me if I became a great person, but not a great person as judged by the criteria of you, or any other individual -- the question will be did I use my abilities, gifts and talents to become the great individual that I could have become. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. This podcast has been graciously sponsored by JewishPodcasts.fm. There is much overhead to maintain this service so please help us continue our goal of helping Jewish lecturers become podcasters and support us with a donation: https://thechesedfund.com/jewishpodcasts/donate

Any level of spiritual growth comes with a lot of hard work and perseverance. Oftentimes it takes months or years to change my outlook on life, and to bring my value system in line with the Torahs values. Now that I have invested the time, energy and effort, and I have reached a certain level of understanding, how do I maintain it? How do I keep up the growth that I have attained? This Shmuz offers us the Torah's system for preserving spiritual growth, and making the changes that we have effected in ourselves permanent. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. This podcast has been graciously sponsored by JewishPodcasts.fm. There is much overhead to maintain this service so please help us continue our goal of helping Jewish lecturers become podcasters and support us with a donation: https://thechesedfund.com/jewishpodcasts/donate

We know that HASHEM is more kindly that any human being that we can imagine. HASHEM created this entire world with fantastic love and concern strictly to give to man. We also know that HASHEM created many features in this world, specifically to give man more enjoyment. So why don't I see it? Why don't I see the Chessed of HASHEM? Why can't I simply open my eyes and be awed by the fantastic amount of chessed, pure kindliness that HASHEM has invested in this world? In this Shmuz we focus on a concept of projection. That more a person lives a life of doing for others, the more they are can appreciate what others do for them, and the more they are able to sense kindliness. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. This podcast has been graciously sponsored by JewishPodcasts.fm. There is much overhead to maintain this service so please help us continue our goal of helping Jewish lecturers become podcasters and support us with a donation: https://thechesedfund.com/jewishpodcasts/donate

As we come close to Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, we focus on the idea that Torah expects us to do Teshuva. Yet for most of us, while in a theoretical sense we understand that there are areas in which we could improve, in our real mode of being, we don't seem to feel that we really sin. When we go to Shul on Yom Kippur morning, it is rare to find the person who walks in with this sense of the magnitude of his sins and the fierce determination to get rid of them. For most of us, we come to daven, we try to focus on what we can do to improve, but the idea of heart felt remorse and repentance just doesn't seem to fit in.In this Shmuz we are brought to focus on the severity of a sin and its grave consequences, and our ability to use the system of Teshuva to rid them from our essence. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. This podcast has been graciously sponsored by JewishPodcasts.fm. There is much overhead to maintain this service so please help us continue our goal of helping Jewish lecturers become podcasters and support us with a donation: https://thechesedfund.com/jewishpodcasts/donate

In todays culture there is great emphasis on Self Esteem. Countless studies and reports claim that the basis of success is a good strong sense of self. Does the Torah agree? Are there exceptions to this rule? Is self esteem really that integral to becoming a great person? And if, in fact, I need to have a high self esteem to reach my potential as an individual, how can that be balanced with the concept of being humble? High self esteem translates into thinking that I am very important; humility manifests itself into thinking that I am not important. Arent these two concepts in utter contradiction? In this Shmuz we are introduced to the correct source of self esteem, its importance in success, and the formula for finding the balance between a good strong sense of self and a healthy sense of humility. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. This podcast has been graciously sponsored by JewishPodcasts.fm. There is much overhead to maintain this service so please help us continue our goal of helping Jewish lecturers become podcasters and support us with a donation: https://thechesedfund.com/jewishpodcasts/donate

While Yom Kippur is known as the day of forgiveness, there are two other issues a person should be focusing on during this day: Praying for all of their needs in the coming year, and asking themselves that key question: is the life that I am leading, in fact the life I wish to be leading. This Shmuz focuses us on the importance of all three issues, and gives us some powerful motivation to use the day to its fullest. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. This podcast has been graciously sponsored by JewishPodcasts.fm. There is much overhead to maintain this service so please help us continue our goal of helping Jewish lecturers become podcasters and support us with a donation: https://thechesedfund.com/jewishpodcasts/donate