The Zal

Is a Jew still a Wandering Jew if she chooses to be on the road? In this episode we discuss the Jewish perspective on the necessary balance between mind and body — spirituality and physical labor — hidden in stories that seem as straightforward as war journalism. Join us in The Zal and listen to Adam's mind get blown as we unpack the story of crossing the River Jordan (or choosing instead to wander) from practical and mystical perspectives. 

Follow along here: Torah, Numbers 32: 5-20 

What is a mentor? A useful connection? Someone with experience and wisdom? A kind person? Smart? Educated? Even when finding these traits, it's hard to know if they're a good fit for you. This episode addresses the general goal of mentorship - and three different types of mentors. Torah sources, real world applications.

Follow along: Pirkei Avot Chapter 1, Mishnas 6 and 16

Once a good deed is performed, the second guessing starts. People immediately get judgmental of themselves and others — if a mitzvah comes naturally, the judgment says "too easy!" And if it was hard, the judgment says "you can't be that good if it was that hard!" In this episode we try to understand three of the very different places inspiration to do good can come from, and what makes all of them equally valid. 

Music by Joe Bagale.

Follow along: Rebbe Rashab's Discourses - 1906 - Page 308 - There's no English link online, but if you read Hebrew or want to see how vast the work of the Rebbe Rashab is....

Jewish literature is replete with mixed messages about dreams. Should one study them, as in the Torah story of Joseph interpreting the dreams of himself and others? Or should they be ignored for they are "of no account"? In this episode, we study a piece of Talmud where both of these angles come to a head. Join us as we attempt to derive a principle.

Follow along: Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Nedarim, Page 8a-8b

Often in Jewish history our haters sought to put an end to Judaism by the trigger of a gun. This episodes explores when a Jew should "choose life" and when to make the ultimate sacrifice for their beliefs. 

Follow along: Rambam: Mada, Foundations of Torah, Ch. 5, Laws 1-3

In this inaugural episode, Adam and Dovid discuss the tricky balance of knowing that there's one best path while acting with decisiveness and without (too much) anxiety.

Follow along: Reshimos 44