Torah of Life

Welcome back, friends. Thanks for tuning in to the Torah of Life podcast. In this episode, I recap my January adventures and teaching opportunities and share some of the key highlights I learned along the way. It's beautiful to be a part of recovery conversations in so many places. Where will I go next? Stay tuned! If you'd like to know more, join the Our Jewish Recovery group on f

A short bit of wisdom for you... It's amazing what lessons you can learn just from opening your eyes and paying attention. Yesterday the leaves taught me something, and I hope they'll teach you as well. Thanks for listening to the Torah of Life podcast. May you be blessed with Happiness, Holiness, and Healing. Rabbi Ilan

Welcome back my friends to the Torah of Life podcast. So glad to be back with you. It's been too long! In this episode, I share with you where I've been, what I've been up to, and what I'm hoping to do going forward with this show. There are good things in store for this show in 2020 and beyond. I shared a quote from Bahya ibn Pakuda, taken from Alan Morinis's Everyday Holiness, th

Thanks for listening to the Torah of Life podcast. Sorry for the post so quick to Shabbat (on the East coast anyway). Here's a quick teaching about why life sometimes feels so hard. Why do we get all these tests anyway? Shouldn't life be easier? Torah seems to be clear that when we find God, and surrender ourselves into God's will, the tests become obstacles for continued growth. P

Freedom! Finally, after generations of slavery, the Israelites leave Egypt, cross the sea, and escape the shackles of tyranny that had been binding them. Their freedom is hard-earned, and almost didn't happen. A clever marketing trick by the Holy One kept them from being scared and wanting to turn back to Egypt (at least in this instance!). What was that secret and how can it help

Friends, What do we do when darkness surrounds us? When we can't find a way forward, we can feel paralyzed, stuck, stranded on a deserted island of complicated choices and realties. How can we find our way out of the darkness? A surprising comment by Zev Wolf of Zhitomir on this week's Torah reading offers insight as to why the darkness surrounded the Egyptians for three days, and

Here we are, it's 2019, and the Torah of Life podcast is back and better than ever! Why have I been silent since Thanksgiving? Listen to this episode for an update on the book I've been writing! (OMG, I wrote a book!) You can preorder it here: https://www.amazon.com/God-Created-Recovery-Addiction-Unleash-ebook/dp/B07K91J9C2 I've missed you since Thanksgiving and am so glad to be ba

Happy Thanksgiving! What are your Thanksgiving traditions? Food? Football? Family and friends? Getting ready for Black Friday? Whatever your traditions are, I hope it's a wonderful day for you. Didn't you always want to know why Thanksgiving is on Thursday? And who started Thanksgiving in America anyway? Listen to today's episode to find out! Thanks for listening to the Torah of Li

Welcome back to the Torah of Life podcast. Thanks for listening. The unspeakable tragedy in Pittsburgh last Shabbat left so many at a loss for words. How could this happen? Will it happen again? Are we safe in America? What has become of the freedom for everyone to worship and live in peace? And how can or should we respond to the tragedy? These questions aren't easy, and there is

Welcome back to the Torah of Life podcast. Thanks for listening. In this episode I share a commentary which talks about the destruction of Sodom and Amorah can teach us about the people who live there, and about the effects that living in a culture of violence and sin might have upon the inhabitants of the city then, and on us today. I share a findings of a few scientific studies t