Podcasts by Reb Ls G-dcast

GC#129 - Sing Low, Wheat Kariot - Perek Shira 60 - The Wheat Sings from 2021-07-01T20:41:11

It's been almost two months now, and the pain is still there. I do keep thinking that he hasn't really gone. The first words that we learn, or instinctively say - even before we have an understa...

GC#128 - Original Sing & The Lump in My Throat - Perek Shira 59 - The Apple's Chorus Part 2 from 2021-06-25T07:28:05

The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, or so it said. Ah...the ubiquitous apple. This expression is used to denote the way that our behaviours reflect the things that we learned from our home...

GC#127 - Apple of My Eye - Perek Shira 58 - The Apple's 'Coreus' from 2021-06-17T15:35:08

Yes - deliberate misspelling. What is so special about the apple? In the UK, it is seen as a pretty regular fruit. Tasty, but ordinary. According to the translation that we will use today, the T...

GC#126 - Beyond Ego: A Tribute To My Father Z'L - Perek Shira 57 - The Song of The Date Palm from 2021-06-04T10:44:57

I would like to dedicate this podcast to our father ר' יהודה אריה בן ר' יצחק מאיר - הריני כפרת משכבו, as we reach the end of the Sheloshim period. Please feel free to listen and forward to as ma...

GC#125 - Get Stuffed! An Explosive Tale of 2 Joes - Perek Shira 56 - The Song of the Pomegranate Part 2 from 2021-02-19T10:44:12

'I'm stuffed! I'm going to burst!' The phrases that we say when we are uncomfortably full... possibly because we couldn't resist the great food that was available...we feel like we are about to ...

GC#124 - Veiled Wisdom - Perek Shira 55 - The Song of the Pomegranate Part 1 from 2021-02-11T15:30:05

The song that the pomegranate sings is an interesting choice. Referring to the beauty behind the veil, the verse from Shir HaShirim hints to the modest humility of one who does need to show off....

GC#123 - Figments of Imagination - Perek Shira 54 - The Song of the Fig Part 3 from 2021-02-05T12:03:38

It is often quipped, that it is unclear if choosing free will is determined, or accepting determinism is a choice...

You may have heard the idea compared to a game of cards: The hand that...

GC#122 - Nurture Your Nature - Perek Shira 53 - The Song of the Fig Part 2 from 2021-02-05T11:32:23

Teacher: 'Why did you shout out?'

Student: 'He/she told me to...' or...  2) 'I can't help it, it's my nature'

Teacher: 'Would you do that at home?' (Cheeky student - 'Yes'... ...

GC#121 - The Time Is Ripe - Perek Shira 52 - The Song of the Fig Part 1 from 2021-02-03T21:22:03

The fig is a very interesting fruit. Sometimes seen as cheap in the Gemoro, it takes time to ripen, and spoils easily. It requires constant vigilance...or should we say figilance.

Yet, it...

GC#120 - 'Gefenitely Maybe' - Perek Shira 51 - The Song of the Vine Part 2 from 2021-01-29T14:14:01

This Shiur is in memory of a great woman - Reizel bas Moshe. She should be a Meilitz yosher for us all, and her children should continue to be a source of Nachas for her.

It's Shabbos Shi...

GC#119 - Grape Expectations - Perek Shira 50 - The Song of the Vine from 2021-01-27T15:34:43

What is Tu Bishvat? A chance to sing happy birthday to the trees? We know we are not just tree huggers for the sake of it, so there must be more to it than that.

The vine sings a song of ...

GC#118 - I Open At The Close - Perek Shira 49 - The Trees of The Field Sing Part 2 from 2020-10-09T13:12:18

Part 2 of The Song of The Trees explores Hoshana Rabbo as a culmination of the Yomim Noraim, its relationship with Yom Kippur, Neila and its connection with our growing relationship with Hashem ...

GC#117 - The Root of All Good - Perek Shira 48 - The Trees of The Field Sing Part 1 from 2020-10-08T12:26:18

Chapter 3 begins with the song of the trees of the field. They sing of Hashem judging the world. What have trees got to do with justice? And what potential connection is there to the months of E...

GC#116 - The Raining King - Perek Shira 47 - The Rain Song Part 2 from 2020-09-17T23:46:19

As the last few hours of the year pass; as the last day of Elul passes, it is time to reflect on the craziest year in most of our lifetimes. How has it been? Do we feel closer or more distant? W...

GC#115 - Raining Supreme - Perek Shira 46 - The Rain Song Part 1 from 2020-09-07T16:42:45

'Such Gashmiyus!'  One of those annoying phrases you hear when you're tucking in to a particularly tasty piece of food....It's calculated to rile you - makes you feel guilty for enjoying th...

GC#114 - Call Of Dewty - Perek Shira 45 - Song of The Dew Part 3 from 2020-08-14T02:05:19

I wonder if you ever found yourself in a situation where you complained about something, and had the tables turned on you. You were the one charged with the mission to rectify the situation. Gul...

GC#113 - The Wandering Dew - Perek Shira 44 - The Song of The Dew Part 2 from 2020-08-13T00:20:39

Apologies for my absence over the last few days. I’m back…Like the Rose of Jericho, when all seems dead, a little bit of water, and it’s back to life. I write these words as rain – the subject o...

GC#112 - Unconditional Positive Regard - Perek Shira 43 - The Song of The Dew Part 1 from 2020-08-07T01:57:54

Have you ever held a resurrection plant? Perhaps you know it as a dinosaur plant? Or a Rose of Jericho? We have a small version of it at home – bought in a desert shop in Israel. A shriveled up ...

GC#111 - Not Valentine's Day - Perek Shira 42 - The Song of Lightning from 2020-08-05T04:12:36

Valentine’s Day? Absolutely Not! Barely heard of, and painfully misunderstood when it has been heard of, Tu B’Av is not Cupid drawing back his bow to fire the arrows of...

GC#110 - Happy Birthday Moshiach! - Perek Shira 41 - Song of The Wind from 2020-08-03T23:48:02

Do you know anyone called 'Menachem-Shilo-Yinon-Chanina'? You do? My bet is that they were born on Tisha B'Av. This would be the parents' attempt to ensure fame for their little 'Tzaddikel'.

GC#109 - On Cloud Nine - Perek Shira 40 - The Clouds of Glory Sing from 2020-07-31T16:51:55

One of the interesting theories of the origin of the phrase 'to be on cloud nine' dates from 1896, when a certain Sir Ralph Abercromby was involved in the new grading of cumulonimbus clouds as a...

GC#108 - Uncomfortably Numb - Perek Shira 39 - Song of The Clouds Part 3 from 2020-07-30T15:26:04

‘I won’t use my broken arm as an excuse for why I lost the game. He was just better on the day.’ A well-worn, oft-used tactic employed by many… including us. In saying that we were second best o...

GC#107 - The Pain Of Rhetoric - Perek Shira 38 - Song of The Clouds Part 2 from 2020-07-29T19:03:39

I asked my friend, “What’s the term for when you ask a question without expecting an answer?” He didn’t respond because it was rhetorical. I met a total stranger and mentioned the fact that I li...

GC#106 - Clouded Judgment - Perek Shira 37 - Song of The Clouds Part 1 from 2020-07-28T21:05:16

How often do we act as judge, jury and executioner? (Including whether the author of this podcast has given the correct spelling - judgment or judgement?) How often do we condemn colleagues, fri...

GC#105 - 2020 Vision - Perek Shira 36 - Song of The Stars Part 4 from 2020-07-26T23:01:29

Hindsight is described as 20-20. How apt. We always know better than people in power. We always know better than decision makers. That's because after the event we are wiser to it. 

...

GC#104 - Poles Apart - Perek Shira 35 - Song of The Stars Part 3 from 2020-07-24T01:36:05

Do you believe in the stars? Well, I can see that they are there. But it depends what you mean by believing in them. We don't subscribe to the notion that your destiny is fixed by the celestial ...

GC#103 - Starstruck - Perek Shira 34 - Song of The Stars Part 2 from 2020-07-23T02:24:18

The first example of someone being starstruck, as far as I am aware, is Sisera. In Shoftim Chapter 5, we find the following phrase: 'They fought from the Heavens; the stars [were moved] from the...

GC#102 - Stars Trekking - Perek Shira 33 - Song of The Stars Part 1 from 2020-07-22T01:46:49

Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson decide to go on a camping trip. After dinner and a bottle of wine, they lay down for the night, and go to sleep. Some hours later, Holmes awoke and nudged his fait...

GC#101 - Holocaust Kingdom - Perek Shira 32 - The Moon's Song Part 3 from 2020-07-20T11:57:14

We have spoken of being hemmed in - all the way back in episode #32 – Charge of The Light Brigade. When you think it’s all over – there’s no way out. And you feel forsaken, you don’t even realis...

GC#100 - The Hitchhiker's Guide - Perek Shira 31 - The Moon's Song Part 2 from 2020-07-17T18:11:58

100 not out! It's been a journey and we are discussing journeys here too. We will encounter the 42 encampments of the Jews in the desert and the 42 cities of the Leviim in the place that was the...

GC#99 - Hey Diddle Diddle, Playing Second Fiddle - Perek Shira 30 - The Moon's Song Part 1 from 2020-07-17T02:53:34

A conductor was once asked, 'What is the hardest instrument to play in the orchestra?' Without hesitation, he replied, 'Second fiddle'.

Nobody remembers who came second. Noone wants to be...

GC#98 - The Long & Winding Road - Perek Shira 29 - The Sun's Song Part 3 from 2020-07-16T05:56:51

28 years is a long time. That is the time it takes for the Sun to return to its original position in which it found itself to be at the point of Creation. We won't experience many in our lifetim...

GC#97 - Clash Of Clans - Perek Shira 27 - The Sun's Song Part 2 from 2020-07-14T17:20:48

'Look. You've got it all wrong. You don't need to follow me. You don't need to follow anybody! You've got to think for yourselves. You're all individuals!'

 'Yes, we're all individua...

GC#96 - Here Comes The Sun - Perek Shira 27 - The Sun's Song Part 1 from 2020-07-13T12:01:04

How good are you are getting up in the morning? I reckon, that if you were threatened by sharp pointed sticks, and other weapons, you would probably be a bit better at jumping out of bed.

GC#95 - The Othello Illusion - Perek Shira 26 - Night Song Part 4 from 2020-07-10T00:13:19

'No! This cannot be - I am invincible!' Usually the last words that the incumbent evil overlord says, just before he finds out that he is not, after all, invincible. We all, to some extent, have...

GC#94 - Night Vision - Perek Shira 25 - Night Song Part 3 from 2020-07-08T21:10:19

You know the game that you play, whereby you fall backwards into someone's arms (hopefully)? The trust game. I'm pretty certain that you would choose someone you trust - hence the name. You woul...

GC#93 - The Vigilante - Perek Shira 24 - Night Song Part 2 from 2020-07-07T22:39:47

Have you ever been to the British Museum? If not, it's worth a visit. You will find vast amounts of little stone figurines in the display units. If you look closely (careful not to bow!), you wi...

GC#92 - Balak & White - Perek Shira 23 - Night Song Part 1 from 2020-07-06T23:23:31

Podcast number 92 brings a quote from Tehillim Chapter 92. Many groups visiting Poland have sung these words under the infamous gates of Auschwitz-Birkenau. They express a trust in, a reliance o...

GC#91 - Footprints In The Butter - Perek Shira 22 - Song Of The Day from 2020-07-05T23:29

I am sure that the title appearing above will be very familiar to fans (and others) of a particular genre of jokes. Aside from the ridiculous nature of the joke, the obvious absurdity behind it ...

GC#90 - Blessings In Disguise - Perek Shira 21 - Song Of The Streams Part 2 from 2020-07-03T14:22:42

Faced by the evil Bilaam, hired by the equally dangerous Balak, the Jewish nation are confronted by the one man who knows how to use their own weapon against them. Wielding the power of prayer, ...

GC#89 - Well Said! - Perek Shira 20 - The Song of The Streams Part 1 from 2020-07-03T00:39:20

Did you hear the story of the three holes in the ground? Well, well, well!

Continuing our water-based serenade, we encounter live streaming in today's episode. We see how the Ayin Tova of...

GC#88 - Bittersweet Symphony - Perek Shira 19 - The Rivers' Song Part 3 from 2020-07-01T19:00:57

We have spoken of rivers and of paradoxes. Today, we will meet the ultimate paradox. This is one that even the wisest of men said was beyond his ken. This means that it was not something which w...

GC#87 - The Sea Of Tears - Perek Shira 18 - The Rivers' Song Part 2 from 2020-06-30T21:50:37

Tears can be a bit of a mystery. How can they be used for both joy and sorrow? Even the Hebrew for crying, and indeed for the word 'tears', is associated with confusion and being mixed up.

GC#86 - Put Your Hands Together - Perek Shira 17 - The Rivers' Song Part 1 from 2020-06-29T22:49:27

L'havdil, there is a famous philosophical question - 'What is the sound of one hand clapping?' (Sometimes associated with a koan, or paradoxical riddle - perhaps sometime we will look at the gif...

GC#85 - Smooth Criminal?- Perek Shira 16 - Song of The Seas Part 2 from 2020-06-26T12:58:10

Have you ever seen footage of the world's most notorious criminal of the last century? It's frightening how mesmeric he was as a speaker. He knew how to capture the imagination of the public - w...

GC#84 - 'Seas' the Moment - Perek Shira 15 - Song of The Seas Part 1 from 2020-06-26T00:04:21

We know the story of Rabba Bar  Bar Chana (Perhaps we didn't know his name), who was travelling through the desert. The Arab guide who was showing him the local landmarks took him to where ...

GC#83 - One-sided Arguments - Perek Shira 14 - Song of The Waters Part 2 from 2020-06-24T22:18:50

The story goes that the members of a shul were arguing about whether the custom there was to stand for the repetition of the Amidah. Some of them said “We always stand,” whilst others insisted t...

GC#82 - Cold As Ice - Perek Shira 13 - Song of The Waters Part 1 from 2020-06-24T10:05:06

We have been speaking about moving from a barren desert to the field. The field is where we can cultivate, till the soil and work on it until we see the yield. But there is still something missi...

GC#81 - Gestalt Therapy - Perek Shira 12 - Song of the Fields Part 2 from 2020-06-23T00:12:03

We are probably all familiar with the optical illusions of Escher et al. Amongst the most famous visual tricks, is the one where there are two or more vases, placed strategically adjacent to eac...

GC#80 - Parents' Evening - Perek Shira 11 - Song of the Fields Part 1 from 2020-06-22T09:20:23

Parents' evenings in school for me were an inevitable exercise in damage limitation. It was never really necessary for my parents to go. I could give them the script beforehand. Come to think of...

GC#79 - The Truth Hurts - Perek Shira 10 - The Desert's Song Part 2 from 2020-06-19T02:37:42

Perhaps one of the most poignant one-liners I have encountered is the one which says: ' 'Be yourself', is about the worst advice you can give some people'. We don't always think that some people...

GC#78 - Your Wish Is My Command - Perek Shira 9 - The Desert's Song Part 1 from 2020-06-18T00:12:28

We know that the spies were not fools. We also know that they were not originally evil. Moshe chose them specifically for their righteousness. But something turned them. What was it?

They...

GC#77 - Get Out of Jail...Free! - Perek Shira 8 - The Song of Gehinnom Part 2 from 2020-06-17T00:10:12

I felt that more explanation was needed on the subject of Gehinnom. We have examined what it means to realise one's potential...and its polar opposite. The burning shame of understanding that we...

GC#76 - Sisyphean tasks - Perek Shira 7 - The Song of Gehinnom Part 1 from 2020-06-15T23:28:27

Can you imagine standing in the holiest place on earth and speaking or acting inappropriately? I hope not. But even if you can, I would still hope that it only remains in the imagination.

GC#75 - Eye Spy - Perek Shira 6 - The Song Of Gan Eden from 2020-06-15T01:25:15

Who can claim to have seen Gan Eden - the Garden of Eden? No one that I personally know. Yet the Gemoro in Tamid 32b relates how Alexander the Great found his way there. Refused admittance, he p...

GC#74 - Global Warming & World Acclaim - Perek Shira 5 - The Earth Song from 2020-06-12T02:16:34

There has been much talk in recent years about global warming. There is debate between scientists as to the extent to which we can and are actually affecting the climate on our planet.

I'...

GC#73 - The Sky's The Limit - Perek Shira 4 - The Heavens' Song from 2020-06-10T23:19:26

Good Heavens!

There is no better way to start an epic piece of music than with an overture. Normally associated with classical music, it is a dramatic introduction to the larger piece whi...

GC#72 - The Song That Never Ends - Perek Shira 3 - Intro 3 from 2020-06-09T23:12:23

This is a song that never ends. It just goes on and on my friend. This is a song that never ends. It just goes on and on my friend.

Etc.

However, listen carefully, and you will rea...

GC#71 - The Circle of Life - Perek Shira 2 - Intro 2 from 2020-06-08T23:17:57

Interesting name...

When we spoke about being pieces of a jigsaw puzzle yesterday, we were still missing a few of them. One major element that we need to understand, is what the definitio...

GC#70 - Sing a Song of Sixth Sense - Perek Shira 1 - Intro 1 from 2020-06-07T22:57:24

Do you ever get that feeling of being watched? Sounds creepy, I know. But actually, as one of the myriad elements of creation, we are all pieces in a giant jigsaw puzzle, and as such, just as we...

GC#69 - Jealous Guy from 2020-06-04T23:58:15

They say that when Oscar Wilde heard an intelligent comment uttered by James Whistler (although I have heard it the other way too), he sighed and said, 'I wish I had said that'. To which Whistle...

GC#68 - No Man Is An Island from 2020-06-03T22:27:54

How long is this guy going to milk the post Shavuos thing for? Well - at least tonight (you never know - could be more). Yes, we're still coming down the mountain, but in a strange way - like Es...

GC#67 - Happy? Clap Along! - The Positive Drug from 2020-06-03T00:48:33

Have you ever done a good deed? Come on - there must have been something. How did it feel? I'm willing to bet that even if it was uncomfortable, it felt good to have done it. This is tr...

GC#66 - Getting Carried Away from 2020-06-01T23:10:44

As we struggle to stop Shavuos becoming but a distant memory, we need to learn how to remain connected to the source. Earlier in our series, we discussed the concept of having roots and wings. T...

GC#65 - Mind The Gap from 2020-06-01T02:03:40

After the Lord Mayor's show...post Shavuos - are we just left with the crumbs from the oft-joked about cheesecake? Interesting that one of the reasons for eating it, is the reference to a mounta...

GC#64 - The Call To Arms from 2020-05-28T19:41:09

Just when you thought that I'd finished...

Day 50 - or kind of...the Possuk tells us that there the people went out 'chamushim'. That either means 'armed' or 'a fifth' or 'a fiftieth'. Wh...

GC#63 - The Return Of The King - Omer Day 49 from 2020-05-27T23:36:53

I've been waiting 7 weeks for this one! The culmination of all your hard work - all your efforts. The picture is complete and you are ready to accept the Torah. Or are you?

How have we ch...

GC#62 - Let the Games Begin - Omer Day 48 from 2020-05-27T00:00:43

Funny title to give - right at the end of the Omer. What is meant by a game? Amongst the various dictionary definitions is: 1. 'an activity that one engages in for amusement or fun', and 2. a co...

GC#61 - Crowning Glory - Omer Day 47 from 2020-05-25T23:48

We find ourselves in the strangest of situations. On the one hand, because of technology, we have never found it easier to connect with each other. It has been argued, that this is why the conne...

GC#60 - Kiss of Life/Kiss of Death - Omer Day 46 from 2020-05-25T00:02:03

Today, we find a connection between one action with two very different implications. When you throw a goodbye kiss to a parent or beloved relative, you are expressing that you will miss them and...

GC#59 - On A Road From Nowhere - Omer Day 45 from 2020-05-24T01:40:14

I once heard a well known comedian parody a politician by imagining the following speech (in part) being given at a party conference:

'We must ask ourselves crucial questions. Where are w...

GC#58 - Living On Borrowed Time - Omer Day 44 from 2020-05-22T18:37:31

In yesteryear, we find people who lived for hundreds of years. As time progressed, Hashem said that this was no good fo humanity. Why not? If you cast your minds back, we  titled Podcast nu...

GC#57 - An Offer You Cannot Refuse - Omer Day 43 from 2020-05-22T04:16:28

We're into the final week of the Omer. The week of Malchus - Kingship. We have said all along that a real king is a servant to his people. We went from being slaves to becoming Mamleches Kohanim...

GC#56 - Showdown - Omer Day 42 from 2020-05-21T00:56:31

There's a lot that I wanted to say about the number 42. Levite cities, journeys and encampments in the wilderness (#howmanyroadsmustamanwalkdown) and one of the Divine names. However, there is t...

GC#55 - Daydream Believer - Omer Day 41 from 2020-05-20T00:46:04

Gone are the days when dreams were just dismissed as a load of nonsense. They are analysed, sifted through and interpreted. But is this really a new phenomenon? Absolutely not. It is a return to...

GC#54 - I Can See Clearly Now (The Chein Has Shone) - Omer Day 40 from 2020-05-19T00:23:41

Day 40. 

40 in Jewish thought is a number of renewal, rebirth. Many examples in Tenach abound of this figure and its manifestation. The Flood; years in the Desert, before entry into ...

GC#53 - Cognitive Dissonance - Omer Day 39 from 2020-05-18T00:58:49

My favourite topic. I 've been waiting for this for a while. We all suffer from cognitive dissonance to a lesser or greater degree. The concept in simple terms, is that information that is hard ...

GC#52 - 'I know a Guy' - Omer Day 38 from 2020-05-17T00:40:14

...Such a Jewish phrase! It speaks of the idea of connections. There is a well known theory of the six degrees of separation - one is never more than six handshakes away from anyone in the world...

GC#51 - In Your Face! - Omer Day 37 from 2020-05-15T15:11:13

Memory is an important thing. But only if the thing that you are remembering is important...just a random bunch of facts and figures is reduced to meaningless lists if there is no purpose. Knowi...

GC#50 - Edge Of Reason - Omer Day 36 from 2020-05-15T00:43:19

We've reached the sixth week of the Omer and Podcast number 50! So if you're still listening, a) well done and b) thank you. 

This is the week that is represented by the incredible Y...

GC#49 - Head Over Heels - Omer Day 35 from 2020-05-14T00:30:27

We've completed 5 weeks of the Omer. Finally, Malchus/Kingship meets Kehuna/Priesthood. The Hod of Aharon meets the Malchus of Dovid. Interestingly, the Gemoro says that Hod is otherwise known a...

GC#48 - Fixed Mindset v Growth Mindset - Omer Day 34 from 2020-05-13T02:00:18

It's an interesting one. Many follow the custom of Rav Yosef Karo, the Mechaber or author of the Shulchan Aruch - to only permit haircuts and so forth on the 34th day of the Omer. 

H...

GC#47 - Of Barbecues and Barber Queues - Lag B'Omer from 2020-05-12T00:59:52

Why does it take so long to get a haircut on Lag B'omer? Because of all the barber queues....

I think I dined out on that joke for about 6 months. 

But seriously, what is this...

GC#46 - Heart of Stone, Heart on Fire - Omer Day 46 from 2020-05-10T23:26:34

Peace and eternal truth seem unlikely partners. Yet on day 32 of the Omer, we see the two combine in spectacular alliance. Evidenced by the beautiful fraternal relationship between Moshe and Aha...

GC#45 - The Johari Window - Omer Day 31 from 2020-05-10T00:49:16

There is a fascinating concept in pscychology, known as the Johari window. Sounding more exotic than it actually is, it is just a combination of the two names Joseph (Luft) and Harrington (Ingha...

GC#44 - Knocking on Heaven's Door - Omer Day 30 from 2020-05-08T17:47:07

The Mon started falling from heaven - in a 'manna' of speaking. Don't excuse the pun - but it is the day of Yitzchok (literally, 'he will laugh'), in the week of Aharon.

We have passed Pe...

GC#43 - So Long, and Thanks For All the Fish - Omer Day 29 - Pesach Sheini from 2020-05-08T00:55:18

I'm all for giving people another chance, a second bite of the cherry. But a second bite of the matzo? SInce when could I say, 'Sorry I missed your party. Can you do it again for me?' When it's ...

GC#42 - Life, The Universe and Everything - Omer Day 28 from 2020-05-07T00:20:54

The day before Pesach Sheini and we are at the end of week 4 of the Omer. The nexus of Moshe and Dovid. They both were kings - interestingly, both are referred to as Kohanim (see tehillim 110 an...

GC#41 - Raider of the Lost Ark - Omer Day 27 from 2020-05-06T00:37:14

If you were taken from your home as a baby, or as an impressionable young man, it would be traumatic. If you went through slavery and then became viceroy, or you were raised as a prince, even th...

GC#40 - So Close, Yet So Far - Omer Day 26 from 2020-05-05T00:43:25

Just in case you thought it couldn't get more complicated, well, here it is. I begin to regret my self-imposed obsession of trying to get 90 minutes worth of material into ten minutes...

...

GC#39 - 'Halfway There - Almost Living on a Prayer' - Omer Day 25 from 2020-05-03T22:34:38

Day 25. My favourite day in the Omer. Understanding what it means to be perfectly balanced, requires a study of the the foremost of our leaders, Moshe. He led the people tirelessly until the day...

GC#38 - Know Your Place! - Omer Day 24 from 2020-05-03T00:53:02

When I started researching this particular episode, I never realise what an epic journey it would lead me on. I had an inkling of a feeling, when I thought about the trait of Netzach - of Moshe,...

GC#37 - Black & White Fire - Omer Day 23 from 2020-05-01T18:25:59

It's a beautiful song - 'Bilvovi Mishkan Evneh' - I place a Sanctuary in my heart. But it is so much more than nice poetry. As Pesach passed over, we spoke about connection with Hashem - the 'Do...

GC#36 - Pillars of Society - Omer Day 22 from 2020-05-01T01:53:53

You want to scare off potential customers? Tell them that there are 613 rules that need to be observed. That's what Moshe did. Perhaps that's too complicated...so along comes Dovid and reduces t...

GC#35 - Snakes and Ladders - Omer Day 21 from 2020-04-30T00:26:21

The culmination of 3 weeks of counting. Hopefully, we are on an upwards journey, ascending Yaakov's ladder, and not slipping into Eisav mode. Eisav - the twin who should have been the perfect co...

GC#34 - Wondering About Wandering About - Omer Day 20 from 2020-04-28T23:59:25

If I say the word Angel to anyone brought up in the west, we tend to thing of a winged being. With a halo. And a harp. On a cloud. Or a plump Cherub on the Trivial Pursuit board. How wrong can o...

GC#33 - Because You're Worth It - Omer Day 19 from 2020-04-28T14:49:32

What do you do when worlds collide? Seemingly contradictory worlds - the physical and the spiritual; Torah and 'the outside world'? We need them to be bridged. That is the job of the Kohein. To ...

GC#32 - Charge of the Light Brigade - Omer Day 18 from 2020-04-27T23:52:45

He who laughs last...thinks slowest...

Start a shiur with a 'joke', says the Gemoro in Shabbos daf 30. As it is forbidden in this world to fill your mouths with laughter, you then need to...

GC#31 - The Truth, The Whole Truth and Nothing But The Truth - Omer Day 17 from 2020-04-26T23:25:58

The man of truth, the one who stands for everything that is straight and true is Yaakov. Yet he also stands accused. Accused of being a liar - by his own brother. 

If we are going to...

GC#30 - Broken or Fixed? - Omer Day 16 from 2020-04-26T06:38:23

A well known Jewish comedian once said that no Jew ever sleeps properly. Either, 'I didn't sleep enough', or 'I slept too much'. Or, 'I slept, but it wasn't the right kind of sleep'. We...

GC#29 - Balancing Act - Omer Day 15 from 2020-04-24T17:56:08

The third week begins. The week of Yaakov's Tiferes, Kovod, Rachamim, Emes and Torah. The Rambam explains how we are supposed to keep to the middle path. We should not go to extremes.

Thi...

GC#28 - Let it Go: The 12 (49) Step Programme - Omer Day 14 from 2020-04-24T00:09:33

A fortnight has gone by. I have no doubt in my mind that many of you will have had the fleeting thought...Fortnite? The game that took the world by storm. If I had a penny for every Bar mitzva b...

GC#27 - When the slave Became King - Omer Day 13 from 2020-04-22T23:20:32

If Yitzchok was the master of self-discipline, Yosef was the master of self-control. The former was the perfect burnt offering - the עולה תמימה; the latter was the perfect Tzaddik. 

...

GC#26 - 'Thanks for Listening' - Omer Day 12 from 2020-04-21T20:07:19

Ever gotten into an argument? Perhaps once or twice. A day. How many times was your intention pure? Once or twice. Full stop. 

Aharon's essence tells us to avoid machlokes at all cos...

GC#25 - Who Wants to Live Forever? - Omer Day 11 from 2020-04-20T23:50:15

One was never allowed into the land of Israel. The other was never allowed to leave. One is called the perfect burnt offering. The other is referred to as being imperfect. One has failing eyesig...

GC#24 - The Desert of the Real - Omer Day 10 from 2020-04-19T22:26:16

We've spoken about heroes before. Heroes within our people. Heroes without. And it got me thinking. There are heroes that we find every 7 years - the Pasuk calls people who keep the Shemitta law...

GC#23 - The boy who should not have lived - Omer Day 9 from 2020-04-17T18:13:23

How is it possible that the man who represents strict justice and discipline is called Yitzchok - 'he will laugh'? Another paradox, which I guess we are getting used to...

The clue is und...

GC#22 - The Key to SImcha is Rising to the Occasion - Omer Day 8 from 2020-04-17T15:52:35

Pesach is over, and we have packed away all the mismatched crockery and assorted mugs. So that's it for another year? But wait... there is an interesting custom that arises.. especially as it is...

GC#21 - Yertle the Turtle and Heartbreak - Omer Day 7 from 2020-04-17T07:34:22

Dr Seuss makes his maiden appearance in these podcasts. Here, we examine what the difference is between real kingship and a rule which is there only to serve the self. Surprisingly, the real kin...

GC#20 - Seeing is Believing - Omer Day 6 from 2020-04-14T18:26:52

7th Day Pesach - Yesod (foundation - represented by Yosef) - the climax. We sing out in Shira. This is the foundation of everything - we have crossed the Yam Suf, and our Emunah is cemented as w...

GC#19 - A kind of Peace and a Piece of Kindness:Scroll down for more! - Omer Day 5 from 2020-04-14T09:04:10

What do Aharon and Achasherosh have in common? Answer - everything and nothing. As noted in a much earlier shiur, there are many connections between Purim and Pesach - one being the drinking of ...

GC#18 - The Generation Game - Omer Day 4 from 2020-04-13T16:11:05

We are family. We know that. We live by that. What is the nature of this togetherness? Relationship, and the burning desire to remain close to your Beloved. The more you know about your other, t...

GC#17 - Jingo - Omer Day 3 from 2020-04-12T23:18:32

Too much kindness can sometimes be a bad thing. Too much strictness isn't too pleasant either - just ask schoolchildren of a particular bygone age. When Hashem created the world, He created it w...

GC#16 - Imitato Dei - Omer Day 2 from 2020-04-12T00:44:28

If we understood correctly, Week one of the Omer is Chesed - kindness, week two is strict justice etc. And on each week, day one is kindness, day two is strict justice and the pattern c...

GC#15 - Lightbulb Moments - Omer Day 1 from 2020-04-12T00:16:36

I've prepared really well for Pesach and now I'm ready to listen to all of those motivational messages of  how Hashem loves us and how to get closer to Him and....

...wait - you mean...

GC#14 - Phoenix From The Flames from 2020-04-08T15:06:59

No, it's not a joke - the phoenix is important in our tradition. As I gazed into the dying embers of the burned Chometz, and as the occasional tongue of fire forked out in between the former pie...

GC#13 - Bedikas Chometz - Soul searching from 2020-04-07T23:11:49

Have you finished your Pesach cleaning yet? I would have thought so. So what are you looking for? And why check every nook and cranny. And with a dripping candle at that.

It turns out tha...

GC#12 - A Mid Seder Night's Dream from 2020-04-07T22:27:43

Why are we obsessed with time? Be it in terms of cycles of years, months, weeks, days, hours, minutes and even seconds...the festivals are defined by time. Moed (festival), really means a meetin...

GC#11 - Testing G-d...A tenth situation from 2020-04-05T23:50:53

Did you know that you are allowed to test Hashem? The haftorah of shabbos HaGadol suggests that you can try it, by giving a tenth of your earnings. But there may be an even greater way of tithin...

GC#10 - Counting Sheep from 2020-04-04T23:42:34

What is it about sheep? When saying Kiddush Levono tonight, I thought about the (absent) clouds being sheep without legs. But why did the Egyptians set such great store by them? And why did we n...

GC#09 - The little Shabbos Hagadol talk - To love or to fear? from 2020-04-03T14:11:13

The usual quip that people make at this time of year is that Shabbos Hagadol is called that because of the Rabbi's speech...I think we would wish to be able to sit through one of those this year...

GC#08 - Lavan v Pharaoh - from bad to worse? from 2020-04-03T00:07:03

Imagine you are trying to show how amazing your holiday in Scotland was. After everyone is suitably wowed by the beauty of the Highlands, you then take out last year's pictures...of you in the H...

GC#07 - Second Nature...or Nurture? from 2020-04-01T22:06:35

It's a miracle! Or is it nature? Or is it a natural phenomenon with awesome timing? Perhaps it's now time for something totally different - the nature of nature is not what you think...

GC#06 - Chad Gadya - who are you kidding? from 2020-03-31T21:06

It's the climax of the evening. You've gone from the sordid depths of Egypt, through the glorious dizzying heights of Yetzias Mitzrayim. We've acknowedged all of this through an unforgettable me...

GC#05 - I see the light! from 2020-03-30T17:28:37

Not everything is black and white. Just when you think you are at  the darkest point, the dawn arrives...

GC#04 - Slaves of Time from 2020-03-29T18:33:53

At a time that we are stuck indoors, perhaps we can begin to understand that real freedom means not being beholden to others' expectations of us. Only one who is subject to a Higher Power is the...

GC#03 - Putting your heart into it from 2020-03-27T16:43:58

It doesn't matter whether you gave a little or a lot. It's about your intentions. Have a great Shabbos!

GC#02 The beginning of everything - the Rosh chodesh of all roshei chodoshim from 2020-03-26T12:36:50

This is where it all begins - the first day of the first month - only 6 months until Rosh Hashono!

GC#01 The Inaugural G-dcast from 2020-03-25T18:36:46

Feel free to drop in a shoutout for next time!