In today’s episode, I interview Ester Zirkind about the concept of Moach Shalit al Halev, the Chassidic teaching that encourages us to let the mind take the driver seat when we make decisions. In a personal accounting of this idea, Ester speaks about the importance of our emotions in the equation. Using the mind to guide the heart is not an excuse to disregard the heart; it is an invitation to feel our emotions fully, so that when it comes time to make the decision, our heart is regulated enough to make a conscious choice.

To Guide Your Emotions, Feel Them First with Ester Zirkind

Do you crave spiritual conversation that feels relevant to your daily life? Do you enjoy studying but can’t always find yourself in the text? This podcast is a space for experiential learning. Together, we will be exploring ideas in Jewish and Chassidic thought through the lens of real people’s experiences. How do they weave the sacred into the fabric of their lives? What relevance do mystical ideas have to their most intimate, human struggles? What does it mean to be both human and holy?

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Buddhism

Hinduism

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When nothing is large enough to hold the enormity of your emotions, where do you go? 


This episode is Chani's story of finding solace in the weekly Parsha, how the emotional wisdom of the Torah became her mirror and comfort as she grieved the loss of her older sister, Raizel. A moving reflection on what it means to bring the full emotional range of our inner experiences to our study of the Torah. 


The women's siddur is back in stock and available for purchase on humanandholy.com/shop.
We love hearing your feedback! Email us at info@humanandholy.com to get in touch.
To sponsor an episode, reach out to us via email or visit ⁠⁠humanandholy.com/sponsor⁠⁠.
Become a monthly supporter of the podcast on ⁠⁠patreon.com/humanandholy⁠⁠.
You can find us on instagram @humanandholy. 

I Fell Apart Into the Torah with Chani Mochkin

A conversation with a practicing marriage and family therapist about the limits of therapeutic language. Fraida establishes the enormous gifts of therapy in giving people the ability to come face to face with their humanity and inner healing, and suggests that as Jews, we don't have to stop there. We can weave the reality of our divine souls and infinite potential into the story of our vulnerability and humanity.


The women's siddur is back in stock and available for purchase on humanandholy.com/shop.
We love hearing your feedback! Email us at info@humanandholy.com.
To sponsor an episode, reach out to us via email or visit ⁠humanandholy.com/sponsor⁠.
Become a monthly supporter of the podcast on ⁠patreon.com/humanandholy⁠.

The Limits of Psychotherapy With Fraida Kaplan

A full, organic farbrengen with Rivka Marga Gestetner. We covered faith in the Redemption, allowing our children to fly even when our instinct is to pull them in, what the walls of the Mishkan have to teach us about boundaries, the nuance around self care, and why our creative outlets are holy. 


We love hearing your feedback! Email us at info@humanandholy.com.
To sponsor an episode, reach out to us via email or visit ⁠humanandholy.com/sponsor⁠.
Become a monthly supporter of the podcast on ⁠patreon.com/humanandholy⁠.



Boundaries, Parenthood, and the Hidden Holiness in Our Creative Outlets with Rivka Marga Gestetner

What are the side alleys of growth that go unnoticed while we seemingly return to the same struggles, over and over again? What are the spiritual benefits of the more chaotic elements of our lives? And how can we navigate our own spiritual glass ceilings, to allow us to leap beyond our self perception and grow to our fullest potential?


Sources mentioned in this episode: 
Alter Rebbe's Discourse: Torah Ohr, 'Shir Hamaalos' Parsha Vayeshev
Lubavitcher Rebbe's Talk: Parshas Miketz תשׁי"ג, Farbrengen of the 5th night of Chanukah 


The siddur mentioned in this episode will be available for purchase on humanandholy.com in the coming weeks. To find out when the siddurim are live, sign up to our newsletter here: humanandholy.com/newsletter


We love hearing your feedback! Email us at info@humanandholy.com.
To sponsor an episode, reach out to us via email or visit humanandholy.com/sponsor.
Become a monthly supporter of the podcast on patreon.com/humanandholy.


To get in touch with Esther Shemtov, visit her website www.onyourownpodcast.com or email her at esther@mayanot.edu.



I’ve Made the Same Resolutions for Ten Years with Esther Shemtov

Join us for an evening with five women from different backgrounds, gathering to approach the holiday of freedom with a sense of wonder and exploration. We discuss the different voices that we reckon with in our Judaism, our experiences around sensitive mitzvos that are part of our daily lives, talk about the steps of the Seder, play a game, eat, and share poetry.


To download free conversation cards for your Seder based on each of the Seder steps, visit humanandholy.com/seder-prompts.


Timestamps:
0:15-2:43 Exploring the Seder With A Sense of Wonder
2:44-5:15 Introducing Our Guests
5:16-9:11 The Four Sons as Four Voices Within
9:12-10:29 Cookie Distribution & Rules of the Game
10:30-13:27 The Details of Shabbos 
13:28-17:23 Finding Our Tznius Without the Noise of Other People’s Perceptions
17:24-20:17 Struggles With Mikvah
20:18-25:37 Spirituality In Halacha
25:38-26:59 Game Winners & Prize
27:00-28:04 Perspective in Pause
28:05-29:00 Nurturing Curiosity In Our Judaism 
29:01-30:09 Learning How to Rest
30:10-31:37 Growth From Brokenness
31:38-32:58 Seeing G-d Everywhere
32:59-36:08 Rapid Fire Seder Prompts
36:09-37:46 Spoken Word Poem 
37:47-41:25 Ball Game & Reflections




Stay in touch with us! 
Instagram: @humanandholy
Email: info@humanandholy.com
Website: humanandholy.org




The song behind the Seder poem is called 'The Seder Song' by Zusha. You can find more of their music here:  @zusha  

To Guide Your Emotions, Feel Them First with Ester Zirkind

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