Torah from the Mystical Mountain

Can forgetting ever be an act of faith?

In this episode, we explore the story of Rav Zeira, who fasted one hundred fasts before ascending from Babylonia to Eretz Yisrael so that he could "forget" the Torah he had already learned. How could one of the greatest sages intentionally do what the Torah so strongly warns against?

Through the Rebbe's reading of this enigmatic passage, we discover that Rav Zeira wasn't abandoning Torah, he was making room for a deeper encounter with it. Sometimes the only way to receive something more fully is to loosen our grip on the forms we've already known.

Together, we explore the difference between the Torah of Bavel and the Torah of Eretz Yisrael, why forgetting Torah is described as losing a part of one's own life, and what it means to release old patterns without losing ourselves.

Dedicated l'ilui nishmat Pesya bat Avraham, whose second Yarzeit  whose life was marked by love, unwavering faith, and a deep longing for Mashiach, this episode is an invitation to discover how letting go can become the deepest form of remembering.

Note: This is the final episode before a short summer break. The podcast will be on hiatus for the next few weeks and will return after the summer with new shiurim. Thank you so much for learning with me, I look forward to continuing our journey together soon, iy"H.  

A pdf of the Sicha can be found here 

This class allows the Project Likkutei Sichos cycle, which is currently in its 7 years as it works towards completing the 39 volumes of the Rebbe’s Likkutei Sichos. You can learn more about the project and see additional resources (including english/hebrew translation) for learning the Sicha in this class here.

I’d love to hear how this episode landed for you, and what you’re taking from it.

About Rivky:

Rivky Kaplan is a Chabad Shlucha in the mystical city of Tzfat with her husband Rabbi Chaim and is blessed to have her children, and grandchildren, close by. An educator at heart, she teaches both locally and on the international stage, known for her ability to draw audiences into rich, text-based conversations that feel both timeless and deeply personal. Rivky has specialized training in Taharat Hamishpacha and fertility. She is the creative vision behind Otzar HaTaharah, Mikvah Chana's groundbreaking visitor's center. To learn more visit HaTaharah.org

To get in touch, email Rivky at [email protected]

What if the Third Beis HaMikdash is something you've already seen?

In this episode, we explore one of the most beloved teachings about Shabbos Chazon: that every single Jew is shown a vision of the future Beis HaMikdash.

Drawing on the teachings of the Barditchever and the Rebbe, we discover that this vision isn't reserved for prophets or tzaddikim. It reaches each of us through the deepest part of our soul, quietly shaping who we are, even when we aren't consciously aware of it.

We explore why the Barditchever compares the Beis HaMikdash to a garment lovingly prepared by a father for his child? Why does the Rebbe insist that this metaphor is even more precise than comparing it to a house? And what does it mean that the Third Beis HaMikdash will reveal not only Hashem's Presence, but the hidden holiness already embedded within creation itself?

As we approach Tisha B'Av, this class invites us to see the Three Weeks differently—not only as a season of mourning, but as a time when our souls are quietly remembering the world they were created for.

A conversation about vision, longing, and becoming the kind of person who can one day see the Beis HaMikdash with open eyes.

A PDF of the sicha can be found ⁠here⁠. And in English⁠ here⁠.

This class allows the Project Likkutei Sichos cycle, which is currently in its 7 years as it works towards completing the 39 volumes of the Rebbe’s Likkutei Sichos. You can learn more about the project and see additional resources (including english/ hebrew translation) for learning the Sicha in this class ⁠here.⁠

I’d love to hear how this episode landed for you, and what you’re taking from it.

About Rivky:

Rivky Kaplan is a Chabad Shlucha in the mystical city of Tzfat with her husband Rabbi Chaim and is blessed to have her children, and grandchildren, close by. An educator at heart, she teaches both locally and on the international stage, known for her ability to draw audiences into rich, text-based conversations that feel both timeless and deeply personal. Rivky has specialized training in Taharat Hamishpacha and fertility. She is the creative vision behind Otzar HaTaharah, Mikvah Chana's groundbreaking visitor's center. To learn more visit ⁠HaTaharah.org⁠

To get in touch, email Rivky at ⁠[email protected]⁠

What does it mean to build a life in a place that was never meant to be home?

In this episode, we explore one of the Torah's quiet mysteries: why is half of Shevet Menashe given land east of the Jordan when only Gad and Reuven requested it?

Through the Rebbe's sicha, we discover that Menashe's story is not about settling for less, but about preparing for more. Their inheritance points toward the future expansion of Eretz Yisrael and becomes a model for the Jewish experience of living faithfully in exile.

We explore the spiritual personalities of Menashe and Ephraim: one preserving the memory of beit avi and refusing to let exile become home, the other discovering how to flourish and bear fruit even in a foreign land.

Along the way, we revisit the daughters of Tzelofchad, whose fierce love for Eretz Yisrael revealed the unique character of Shevet Menashe. Their willingness to stand before Moshe and demand a portion in the land becomes more than a legal case—it becomes a window into a tribe whose identity was defined by longing for home, even as part of it was called to live beyond its borders.

As we enter the Three Weeks, this teaching becomes an invitation to hold both truths at once: to build, create, and flourish wherever Hashem has placed us, while never forgetting where we truly belong—and allowing that longing to shape the future we're helping bring into being.

A PDF of the sicha can be found here. And in English here.

The map referenced in the class can be viewed here.

This class allows the Project Likkutei Sichos cycle, which is currently in its 7 years as it works towards completing the 39 volumes of the Rebbe’s Likkutei Sichos. You can learn more about the project and see additional resources (including english/ hebrew translation) for learning the Sicha in this class here.

I’d love to hear how this episode landed for you, and what you’re taking from it.

About Rivky:

Rivky Kaplan is a Chabad Shlucha in the mystical city of Tzfat with her husband Rabbi Chaim and is blessed to have her children, and grandchildren, close by. An educator at heart, she teaches both locally and on the international stage, known for her ability to draw audiences into rich, text-based conversations that feel both timeless and deeply personal. Rivky has specialized training in Taharat Hamishpacha and fertility. She is the creative vision behind Otzar HaTaharah, Mikvah Chana's groundbreaking visitor's center. To learn more visit HaTaharah.org

To get in touch, email Rivky at [email protected]

Most of us spend our lives hoping for miracles.

But what if the Torah invites us to become people whose very lives are wondrous?

In this class on Parshas Pinchas, we explore the Rebbe's distinction between nes and pele and discover that wonder is not merely something that happens to us—it can become the way we move through the world.

Through the story of Pinchas, the reward of bris shalom that he receives, and the life of the Frierdiker Rebbe, we ask what it looks like to live beyond calculation, beyond fear, and beyond asking only, "What am I obligated to do?"

Instead, we encounter a deeper question:

What does Hashem want from me?

A conversation about courage, spiritual intuition, hidden wonders, and learning to recognize Hashem's hand in both the extraordinary and the everyday.

A PDF of the sicha can be found here: A PDF of the sicha can be found here.

This class allows the Project Likkutei Sichos cycle, which is currently in its 7 years as it works towards completing the 39 volumes of the Rebbe’s Likkutei Sichos. You can learn more about the project and see additional resources (including english/hebrew translation) for learning the Sicha in this class here: https://projectlikkuteisichos.org/chelek-33-pinchas-sicha-1/ 

I’d love to hear how this episode landed for you, and what you’re taking from it.

About Rivky:

Rivky Kaplan is a Chabad Shlucha in the mystical city of Tzfat with her husband Rabbi Chaim and is blessed to have her children, and grandchildren, close by. An educator at heart, she teaches both locally and on the international stage, known for her ability to draw audiences into rich, text-based conversations that feel both timeless and deeply personal. Rivky has specialized training in Taharat Hamishpacha and fertility. She is the creative vision behind Otzar HaTaharah, Mikvah Chana's groundbreaking visitor's center.

To learn more visit HaTaharah.org To get in touch, email Rivky at [email protected] 

Sometimes the greatest gift of a challenge is only visible after we've passed through it.

In this class, we explore the Rebbe's analysis of Birchas HaGomel through the story of the Frierdiker Rebbe's release from Soviet prison and uncover a profound teaching about gratitude, growth, and spiritual perspective.

Why do we call ourselves chayavim when thanking Hashem? Why does gratitude often make us feel smaller rather than larger? And how can a place of constriction become the doorway to a completely new stage of life?

Through the teachings of the Frierdiker Rebbe, the Alter Rebbe, and Yaakov Avinu's words katonti mikol hachasadim, we explore the relationship between rescue and humility, challenge and transformation, descent and ascent.

A conversation about learning to recognize Hashem's kindness, not only after the miracle, but in the midst of the journey itself.

A PDF of the sicha can be found here: 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1walWVQ0j07W8iG0m3PkpTTTOul2EGUNN/view?usp=sharing 

This class allows the Project Likkutei Sichos cycle, which is currently in its 7 years as it works towards completing the 39 volumes of the Rebbe’s Likkutei Sichos. You can learn more about the project and see additional resources (including english/hebrew translation) for learning the Sicha in this class here:

https://projectlikkuteisichos.org/chelek-33-12-13-tamuz-sicha-1/ 

I’d love to hear how this episode landed for you, and what you’re taking from it.

About Rivky:Rivky Kaplan is a Chabad Shlucha in the mystical city of Tzfat with her husband Rabbi Chaim and is blessed to have her children, and grandchildren, close by. An educator at heart, she teaches both locally and on the international stage, known for her ability to draw audiences into rich, text-based conversations that feel both timeless and deeply personal. Rivky has specialized training in Taharat Hamishpacha and fertility. She is the creative vision behind Otzar HaTaharah, Mikvah Chana's groundbreaking visitor's center.

To learn more visit HaTaharah.org

To get in touch, email Rivky at [email protected]

This week, we explore the Korban Todah and Bikkurim, exploring how the Torah informs, and invites us into gratitude.

Beginning with the thanksgiving offering brought after experiencing salvation, we examine why gratitude in Torah is rarely practiced alone. The Korban Todah required a feast, guests, bread, and community. Torah invites us to connect through our gratitude.

From there, we turn to the mitzvah of Bikkurim, the first fruits carried to the Beit HaMikdash with song, ceremony, and a retelling of the Jewish story. The farmer doesn't simply offer fruit; he recounts the journey from exile to redemption, recognizing that every blessing rests upon generations of Divine kindness.

Drawing on the Rebbe's teaching, we discover that Bikkurim is about far more than fruit. The Jewish people themselves are called Hashem's first. Every Jew is a form of Bikkurim, belonging before Hashem, and carrying an essential bond with Him that precedes everything else.

A conversation about gratitude, memory, belonging, and what it means to live with the awareness that all we have, and ultimately all we are, comes directly from Hashem.

I’d love to hear how this episode landed for you, and what you’re taking from it.

About Rivky:

Rivky Kaplan is a Chabad Shlucha in the mystical city of Tzfat with her husband Rabbi Chaim and is blessed to have her children, and grandchildren, close by. An educator at heart, she teaches both locally and on the international stage, known for her ability to draw audiences into rich, text-based conversations that feel both timeless and deeply personal. Rivky has specialized training in Taharat Hamishpacha and fertility. She is the creative vision behind Otzar HaTaharah, Mikvah Chana's groundbreaking visitor's center.

To learn more visit HaTaharah.org

To get in touch, email Rivky at [email protected]

This episode was produced by Rivka Mazal Tauber. She can be reached at [email protected] 

In this class, we explore Parshat Behaalotecha and the deeper message the Menorah illuminates.

The seven branches of the Menorah represent seven different paths of serving Hashem, each unique expressions of the Jewish soul that nevertheless face toward one center and work together to spread light outward into the world.

The class focuses on Aaron HaKohen as ohev et habriyot u’mekarvan laTorah, someone who loves people and brings them close to Torah, and explores how one brings another Jew closer to Torah through love, trust, and inner integrity rather than compromise or fear.

Through the halachic details of preparing and lighting the Menorah, we examine what it means to influence others from a place of holiness, how to remain aligned while helping others grow, and why no person is ever too far away to reignite their inner flame.

A conversation about light, leadership, unity, and the sacred responsibility of helping souls burn brighter.

A PDF of the class can be found here:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_aJA10n7SGWuuIJOBKYI3GSZeLzJFSQU/view/

I’d love to hear how this episode landed for you, and what you’re taking from it.

About Rivky:

Rivky Kaplan is a Chabad Shlucha in the mystical city of Tzfat with her husband Rabbi Chaim and is blessed to have her children, and grandchildren, close by. An educator at heart, she teaches both locally and on the international stage, known for her ability to draw audiences into rich, text-based conversations that feel both timeless and deeply personal. Rivky has specialized training in Taharat Hamishpacha and fertility. She is the creative vision behind Otzar HaTaharah, Mikvah Chana's groundbreaking visitor's center. To learn more visit HaTaharah.org

To get in touch, email Rivky at [email protected]

This episode was produced by Rivka Mazal Tauber. She can be reached at [email protected] 

In this pre-Shavuot class, we explore “marriage tips from Mount Sinai” — what the relationship between Hashem and Bnei Yisrael teaches about boundaries, trust, and intimacy.

Through the boundaries around Har Sinai, the counting of the Omer, and the preparation for Matan Torah, we examine how mitzvot create connection rather than distance, why trust is more transformative than fear, and what it means to show up fully and honestly in relationship.

The class also explores the trust embedded within halachic life, the importance of transmitting Yiddishkeit through love and confidence, and the idea that Hashem desires not perfection, but presence.

A conversation about Torah as relationship, about becoming vessels for connection, and about preparing ourselves to receive the Torah with openness, dignity, and joy.

I’d love to hear how this episode landed for you, and what you’re taking from it.

About Rivky:

Rivky Kaplan is a Chabad Shlucha in the mystical city of Tzfat with her husband Rabbi Chaim and is blessed to have her children, and grandchildren, close by. An educator at heart, she teaches both locally and on the international stage, known for her ability to draw audiences into rich, text-based conversations that feel both timeless and deeply personal. Rivky has specialized training in Taharat Hamishpacha and fertility. She is the creative vision behind Otzar HaTaharah, Mikvah Chana's groundbreaking visitor's center.

To learn more visit HaTaharah.org

To get in touch, email Rivky at [email protected]

This episode was produced by Rivka Mazal Tauber. She can be reached at [email protected] 

The Torah cares deeply about who and what surrounds us. 

In this class, we explore why Parashat Bamidbar is always read before Shavuot and what the arrangement of the tribes around the Mishkan teaches about human influence.

We explore a Sicha of the Lubavitcher Rebbe that examines the progression from simply being near conflict to becoming internally shaped by it, and eventually participating in it ourselves.

Yet alongside the challenges, we uncover a deeper truth: positive influence is even more powerful than negative influence: Torah, closeness to holiness, and communities built around peace have the ability to transform people from the inside out.

A PDF of the sicha can be found here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hCTIs49BRD0JtiIlWY5YDjdpL9WNnmM5/view?usp=sharing

This class allows the Project Likkutei Sichos cycle, which is currently in its 7 years as it works towards completing the 39 volumes of the Rebbe’s Likkutei Sichos. You can learn more about the project and see additional resources (including english/hebrew translation) for learning the Sicha in this class here: https://projectlikkuteisichos.org/chelek-27-kedoshim-sicha-1/ 

I’d love to hear how this episode landed for you, and what you’re taking from it.

About Rivky:

Rivky Kaplan is a Chabad Shlucha in the mystical city of Tzfat with her husband Rabbi Chaim and is blessed to have her children, and grandchildren, close by. An educator at heart, she teaches both locally and on the international stage, known for her ability to draw audiences into rich, text-based conversations that feel both timeless and deeply personal. Rivky has specialized training in Taharat Hamishpacha and fertility. She is the creative vision behind Otzar HaTaharah, Mikvah Chana's groundbreaking visitor's center. To learn more visit HaTaharah.org

To get in touch, email Rivky at [email protected]

This episode was produced by Rivka Mazal Tauber. She can be reached at [email protected] 

In Parshat Behar, the Torah asks: "What will we eat in the seventh year?"

This Sicha challenges the assumption that this is a question of doubt, and instead, through Rashi and Parshat Bo, reframes it as a wise question.

We explore Shmita as the Avodah of releasing control, the deeper meaning of the blessing of the sixth year, and the parallel to our own moment in history: the “sixth year,” a sixth millennium, marked by both exertion and effort, yet still, we continue to trust the promise the unfolding redemption.

A conversation about what it means to ask, to trust, and to keep going:  even when we don’t yet see how it will be sustained.

A PDF of the sicha can be found here: A PDF of the sicha can be found by clicking here.

This class allows the Project Likkutei Sichos cycle, which is currently in its 7 years as it works towards completing the 39 volumes of the Rebbe’s Likkutei Sichos. You can learn more about the project and see additional resources (including english/hebrew translation) for learning the Sicha in this class here.

I’d love to hear how this episode landed for you, and what you’re taking from it.

About Rivky:

Rivky Kaplan is a Chabad Shlucha in the mystical city of Tzfat with her husband Rabbi Chaim and is blessed to have her children, and grandchildren, close by. An educator at heart, she teaches both locally and on the international stage, known for her ability to draw audiences into rich, text-based conversations that feel both timeless and deeply personal. Rivky has specialized training in Taharat Hamishpacha and fertility. She is the creative vision behind Otzar HaTaharah, Mikvah Chana's groundbreaking visitor's center. To learn more visit HaTaharah.org

To get in touch, email Rivky at [email protected]

This episode was produced by Rivka Mazal Tauber. She can be reached at [email protected]