The Shmuz

You know what’s right. But in the middle of a nisayon, your reasons for making an exception can sound remarkably convincing. Discover three principles from Akeidas Yitzchak that can change how you approach your own challenges: understand why your tests are uniquely yours, recognize the rationalizations that cloud your judgment, and look beyond the pressure of the moment. Listen now to discover how the choices you make when nobody’s watching can become your greatest opportunities for growth.  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

Avraham Avinu was one of the wealthiest, most powerful and influential men of his generation. Yet at 99 years old, recovering from his bris milah and in considerable pain, he ran to welcome three complete strangers, bowed before them and personally waited on them. Why does the Torah devote so many precious pesukim to the details of a meal, yet barely mention Avraham's extraordinary power and influence? Rabbi Shafier explores what this remarkable episode reveals about the true measure of greatness, why chesed is so central to our purpose in life, and how we can learn to become more like Hashem through the way we treat others.  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

Avraham Avinu risked his life to rescue Lot, yet afterward he was terrified. Had the miraculous victory used up all his reward in Olam Haba? How could one of the greatest tzaddikim who ever lived even consider such a possibility? Rabbi Shafier reveals a fascinating perspective on the true cost of the pleasures you enjoy in this world, and why your intentions can make all the difference. Learn how to enjoy what Hashem has given you without sacrificing your eternal reward, and discover the surprisingly simple way to build up an extraordinary fortune in Olam Haba. 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 news is relentlessly, deliberately unnerving, and the steady drumbeat of divisive ideologies keeps pushing against Klal Yisroel, challenging our collective resilience. What to do? In moments like this, you can look to Avraham Avinu, who also lived in insanely turbulent times. He faced a culture immersed in avoda zara, survived being hurled into the flames by a brutal ruler, and witnessed societies collapsing under their own moral decay. Yet amid all this suffocating darkness, Avraham stood strong as a pillar of hope, inspiring others with simple, unwavering kindness. Even the smallest light can drive away darkness. Listen to this Shmuz and discover why your beautiful Jewish life is anything but inconsequential.   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

You know you shouldn't lose your temper. You've promised yourself you won't do it again. And then, before you know it, you've done exactly the same thing. Why is it so difficult to act on what you know? Rabbi Shafier explores a fascinating question about Noach that reveals why even the greatest tzaddikim struggle with the gap between knowledge and action. Learn how your own mind can work against you, why willpower alone isn't always enough, and how learning mussar can help you turn what you know into what you live. 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