Pacific Jewish Center | Rabbi » Connections

Prayer in Judaism | Connections 11/2/09

rabbifink — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 06:37:45 +0000

Prayer is something so basic to all faiths and religions. Jewish ideas of prayer are decidedly different from other cultures. It is very important to learn about the Jewish approach to prayer.

I began the class by announcing that this was a topic I longed to discuss for a very long time. I finally felt that the time was right.

We asked all the basic questions about prayer. We asked some advanced questions about prayer.

Using ideas from Rabbi Chaim Volozhin and others we pieced together a rational approach to prayer that made sense to us.

It was a very exciting class with outstanding participation and a very alert listening audience.

I really recommend giving this class a listen.

All audio classes are available by clicking podcasts on the top of this page. Or just click here.

You can also subscribe to all classes in iTunes by clicking here.

Enjoy.

Truth and Faith | Connections 10/26/09

rabbifink — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 22:30:15 +0000

Two words with very different meanings were discussed tonight.

Truth on the one hand and faith on the other.

In Judaism these are really two phases of life’s various challenges. Our discussion ranged from Abraham to smokers to ferrets.

It was quite an adventure and I invite you listen.

All audio classes are available by clicking podcasts on the top of this page. Or just click here.

You can also subscribe to all classes in iTunes by clicking here.

Enjoy.

The Miracle of Tests and Ordeals | Connections 10/19/09

rabbifink — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 16:19:23 +0000

At Connections this week we learned a lot about ourselves.

We began with a quote from Messilas Yesharim. The purpose of life is to perform mitzvos, to serve and to be tested. To be tested is the purpose of life?

We then discussed ordeals and tests in a traditional and more novel way. You will enjoy the approach. You can listen below.

I even managed another decent Seinfeld reference…

All audio classes are available by clicking podcasts on the top of this page. Or just click here.

You can also subscribe to all classes in iTunes by clicking here.

Enjoy.

Fast of Gedaliah: Meaning and Lessons | Connections 9/21/09

rabbifink — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 05:17:53 +0000

It was not easy giving my Monday night class tonight. After fasting all day to remember the tragic death of the great Gedaliah I found myself tripping over my words. So I apologize if the class sounds a bit jumbled.

We talked about the history of Gedaliah and the significance of the fast day.

I concluded by quoting Rabbi Hoffman from VIN regarding using Lashon Hara as a shield from believing negative information that could be very harmful. I recommend reading the original here.

All audio classes are available by clicking podcasts on the top of this page. Or just click here.

You can also subscribe to all classes in iTunes by clicking here.

Listen to the class here.

Physical Reward For Spiritual Deeds | Connections 9/14/09

rabbifink — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 06:54:17 +0000

This week we learned about the actual nature of the judgment of Rosh Hashana.

Using a unique approach from Rav Dessler, we resolved a difficult contradiction in Jewish philosophy and enjoyed great questions and insight from all the attendees.

This was our final class in the Preparing for Rosh Hashana Series.

All audio classes are available by clicking podcasts on the top of this page. Or just click here.

You can also subscribe to all classes in iTunes by clicking here.

Listen to the class here.

The Shofar: A Time Machine | Connections 9/7/09

rabbifink — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 11:15:13 +0000

This evening we tackled another oft discussed them of Rosh Hashana, the Shofar.

We used a deep understanding of Shofar to answer a common and troubling calendaring issue regarding Rosh Hashana and Creation.

Overall, the participation was great, the energy was high and it was a great way to continue our preparatoins for Rosh Hashana.

All audio classes are available by clicking podcasts on the top of this page. Or just click here.

You can also subscribe to all classes in iTunes by clicking here.

Listen to the class here.

Rosh Hashana: Beginning of all Beginnings | Connections 8/31/09

rabbifink — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 16:41:42 +0000

As we continue our journey through Elul, marching towards Rosh Hashana, Connections returned the Pacific Jewish Center.

Our approach was that if we are “preparing” for Rosh Hashana, we need to understand just what Rosh Hashana means. What is a succesful Rosh Hashana and how do we get there?

We analyzed one angle of Rosh Hashana that can help us this year on Rosh Hashana and throughout the year.

All audio classes are available by clicking podcasts on the top of this page. Or just click here.

You can also subscribe to all classes in iTunes by clicking here.

Listen to the class here.

Honor Thy Father & Mother | Connections 6/8/09

rabbifink — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 01:31:50 +0000

Another beautiful evening in Venice CA was highlighted by a wonderful Connections.

Everyone was all smiles and we had a great time socializing and learning.

Our Torah topic was the philosophy and moral implications of honoring one’s parents.

We discussed various theories and we ended with the Torah approach.

I recommend listening to this class as the questions and discussion were very interesting and thought provoking.

Click through to listen.

You can listen to the entire class below (35 minutes)

Structure and Philosophy of Torah 3 | Connections 5/4/09

rabbifink — Tue, 19 May 2009 06:22:37 +0000

The third and final class in a very exciting series concluded our preparations for Shavuos.

Catch up by listening to Part 1 and Part 2.

Today we sought to resolve the burning question we began our series with. Why is Talmud study the focus of Torah scholarship? Why do Yeshiva students spend the bulk of their time studying Talmud? Why is Talmud our connection to the Oral Law transmission?

Those questions plus much more are covered in this week’s class.

The participants truly challenged me and asked some really great questions today. As always your attendance and contributions are much appreciated.

Click the link to listen to the class.You can listen to the entire class below (60 minutes)

Structure and Philosophy of Torah 2 | Connections 5/4/09

rabbifink — Tue, 12 May 2009 07:26:26 +0000

Happy Lag B’Omer.

We had a great turnout this week despite the fact that we lost some attendees to Lag B’Omer celebrations this week.

This week Connections was the second of a series of classes about the history, philosophy, structure and benefits to Torah study.

In preparation for Shavuos, when the Jewish people accepted the Torah, this was the perfect time for the series.

Tonight we did a quick review of last week, though listening online would be a better option. You will get the full picture that way.

Our journey this week took us from the writing of the Mishna through the the beginnings of the formation of the Talmud.

There was a great discussion about “machlokes” and the differing opinions among Tanaic and Amoraic literature.

To be continued next week. See you there (or here).

Click through to listen to the class.

You can listen to the entire class below

Structure and Philosophy of Torah | Connections 5/4/09

rabbifink — Tue, 05 May 2009 17:22:02 +0000

This week Connections was the first of a series of classes about the history, philosophy, structure and benefits to Torah study.

In preparation for Shavuos, when the Jewish people accepted the Torah, this was the perfect time to begin the series.

This class is the foundation for the next few classes so I highly recommend checking it out. The reviews of the class were great and we hope more people will join us next week.

Our discussion ranged from history of the Jewish people, the connection between the spiritual and material world, astrology and much, much more.

Looking forward to next week. See you there (or here).

Click through to listen to the class right now.

You can listen to the entire class below (60 minutes)

Israel & The Jewish People | Connections 4/27/09

rabbifink — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 06:30:20 +0000

With the upcoming Yom Haatzmaut and Yom Yerushalayim holidays I felt it was a perfect time to discuss the role Israel plays within the Torah system.

For many people Israel serves as a bastion of democracy in the Middle East, for others it is a Jewish homeland where no Jew will be denied access, for others it holds tremendous historical value, there are others who cherish its spiritual significance and there are yet others who pine for the elevated Torah study of the Land of Israel.

Our goal was to find the meaning of the Land of Israel and its connection to the Jewish people from the Torah. We went to the source to find why there is an intrinsic connection between the Jewish people and the land of Israel.

This relationship did not begin in 1948.

The class ended with some really interesting anecdotes (I don’t want to give anything away – but suffice to say, very interesting stuff) and a few great points from our Connections attendees.

Click through to listen to the class right now.

You can listen to the entire class below (50 minutes)

Download

The Omer & Channeling Our Materiality | Connections 4/20/09

rabbifink — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 05:09:35 +0000

Tonight, Connections returned.

Our mission: to understand the difference between our Pesach celebration and the Shavuos celebration. More specifically, why is our Pesach celebration of freedom accomplished via the non-descript Matzah and our celebration of receiving the Torah is with a physically pleasurable celebration.

We also learned the Torah way of approaching character development and how to use our natural instincts and tendencies for spirituality.

The evening ended with a few great questions and an important clarification on my part.

It’s all online and you can click through to listen to the class.

You can listen to the entire class below (35 minutes)

Download

Purim Night! | Connections 3/9/09

rabbifink — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 18:01:08 +0000

Purim Night at the Shul on the Beach was amazing.

On Sunday a number of volunteers from the community distributed Hamentaschen to passersby on the Venice Boardwalk. They met so many interesting Jewish people from Venice / Santa Monica and the rest of the world.

A lot of those people joined us for the Purim Party at the Shul on the Beach Monday night. We hope we will see them again soon!

I spoke briefly and put a bow on all our Purim talks up to this point.

It’s all online and you can click through to listen to the class.

You can listen to the short class below (17 minutes)

Download

Yom Kippur and Purim | Connections 3/2/09

rabbifink — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 17:22:11 +0000

As we have learned more and more about Purim many people have danced around the subject of Yom Kippur and Purim.

There is a connection there and tonight we explored that connection. Quoting great Rabbis like the Vilna Gaon, Rabbi Yitzchak Blazer and R’ Yitzchak Hutner we went deeper than ever before into the world of Purim.

You will definitely enjoy the class especially if you have been following throughout the Purim series. To catch up you can listen to our first Purim class by clicking here and the second by clicking here. The conclusion of the series will be at the PJC Purim party on Monday night March 9, 2009 at the Shul on the Beach at 7:40 PM. See you then!

In the meantime enjoy this week’s edition.

It’s all online and you can click through to listen to the class.

You can listen to the entire class below (40 minutes)

Download

Purim, Doubt, Clarity and Amalek | Connections 2/23/09

rabbifink — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 05:58:30 +0000

Last week we began our Purim learning. (Recommended listening)

Tonight we continued our learning about Purim. Often misunderstood and misused, Purim deserves better treatment than that.

We journeyed through the book of Genesis, The Scroll of Esther and the Talmud in search of meaning and reason. Why is Purim named after the lottery that Haman cast? Why did Haman cast a lottery?

We answered a lot of questions tonight. The basic idea is universal but much of it is in the name of Rabbi Shneur Kotler.

Make sure you listen through the end because I forgot to answer one of our questions until one of the attendees reminded me during the questions .

It’s all online and you can click through to listen to the class.

You can listen to the entire class below (40 minutes)

Download

Scoffers, Purim and the Measure of a Man | Connections 2/16/09

rabbifink — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 16:04:28 +0000

This week at Connections we began to unlock some of the secrets of Purim.

We began with Amalek the ancient nemesis of the Jewish People. We learned about their essence and how to eradicate that flaw from within ourselves.

One of the most profound ideas I have ever heard was also discussed. How to measure a man. What is the primary factor in determining the value of a person.

We also touched upon drinking on Purim.

Purim will be our theme for the next few weeks, so stay tuned for more!

It’s all online and you can click through to listen to the class.

You can listen to the entire class below (45 minutes)

Download

New (Old) Audio Class Added

rabbifink — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 07:40:21 +0000

I have just added the first Connections class from early December.

The link to the audio is there as well as the podcasts section to the right…

The Clothes Make (or break) the Man | Connections 2/2/09

rabbifink — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 16:20:05 +0000

This week at Connections we talk about clothes. Apparently clothes have been on my mind a lot. If you have been reading the blog you may have noticed that the recent posts all had to do with clothes. I commented on the espn.com article about wearing pants while playing basketball and then I commented on the President’s dress code. While I was preparing for the Torah learning portion of Connections this week I was drawn to Tzitzis.

We talked about clothing and the Torah’s associations with clothing. From Adam to Joseph to Saul we find a lot of negativity surrounding their clothing. What do I mean? Well you will have to listen to find out…

We learned about the numbers 6, 7 and 8 in Judaism and eventually we got to Tzitzis. We learned how Tzitzis can help us avoid the danger zone associated with clothing. There was an in depth treatment of how Tzitzis are made and what their construction requirements teach us.

We also talked about the difference between the Nazi form of Anti-Semitism and the Ancient Greek form of Anti-Semitism. The Ancient Greeks wanted us to be like them and forget Torah. The Nazis wanted us destroyed because we not like them.

Click through to listen now.

You can listen to the entire class below (40 minutes)

Download

You Are What You Eat | Connections 1/26/09

rabbifink — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 06:48:02 +0000

Nowhere is the statement “you are what you eat” more true than in Judaism.

Our topic tonight was the dietary laws of the Torah. Tonight we dispelled many of the myths about kosher. We discussed the origins of the English word Kosher and contrasted that to the Hebrew word for Kosher.

Kosher is survival of the fittest. The fittest food for human consumption. Fit in the sense that it is good for your soul. Soul Food.

We got pretty deep into understanding why food is so important in Judaism and how some of the dietary rules help us avoid “danger zones”.

The discussion ranged from chutes and ladders to sciatica. (no kidding)

There was a very nice crowd tonight and we hope that the class continues to grow. Come next week – and bring a friend!

Click through to listen now.

You can listen to the entire class below (50 minutes)

Download

One Month Anniversary & Best of the Blog (So Far)

rabbifink — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 21:02:52 +0000

Well it has been one month for me on the blogging trail. I must say, I quite like it. I like the idea of expressing myself to an infinite (sometimes reluctant) audience. If the world stops being interesting to me then the blog posts will probably end. I don’t think that is going to happen so I am fairly certain you will see more of my thoughts over time and this is in addition to the twice weekly podcasts and essays of my speeches.

I have compiled a brief “best of” for those of you who may have missed some previous posts. The word “and” appears in nearly every post title. Hmmmmm…..

Malcolm Gladwell and Outliers

Madoff 1 and Madoff 2

Bob Costas and Destiny

Kobe Bryant and Preparation

The Ravens and Respect

Children and Manners

Winners and Losers

Inspiration. As easy as 1-2-3! | Connections 1/12/09

rabbifink — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 05:50:56 +0000

We had such a nice program tonight. The event was sponsored by Elizabeth Liber as she moves to New York to attend Stern College. Thank you for your sponsorship and we will miss you!

Our topic tonight was Inspiration. Much of our discussion was rooted in R’ Akiva Tatz’s distillation of some very profound ideas. The main idea revolves around the numbers one, two and three. Listen to the class to find out just what that means! We learned more about the secrets behind the splitting of the sea, why food spoils, how to make a marriage work and “coping” with the load of our daily lives. There was some really great input from the attendees including some science, geometry and philosophical thoughts.

All in all the class was exciting, the questions were thought provoking and everyone in attendance had a really nice time. It makes the preparation and delivery worth the effort when the attendees are so engaging and positive.

I hope you will join us next Monday night for our next “Connections” we would love to see you there!

You can listen to the entire class below (55 minutes)

Download

Beauty – Is it more than skin deep? | Connections 1/5/09

rabbifink — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 06:00:16 +0000

A wonderful crowd joined together for socializing and Torah study this evening. The atmosphere was wonderful, the questions and comments from the participants were insightful and I had a great time.

Tonight we traversed all across the Torah spectrum. We talked about the Ner Tamid in every shul, the splitting of the sea, therapy and “American Pie” (the song not the movie). We learned about beauty and we enjoyed some incredible connections. That is what it is all about – right? You will find a lot of interesting ideas discussed and bandied about in this class.

How does this all connect? There is only one way for you to find out for yourself!

The entire audio of the class is provided below so that you can listen, enjoy and think about everything that we learned about. If you like what you hear you are more than welcome to join us next Monday night for our next “Connections”.

If you missed it live you can listen on your computer right now by clicking the link below. If you joined us it is also a great way to review. Right click “Download” to save the class on your computer.

Download

Pacific Jewish Center Chanukah Party 2008

rabbifink — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 16:22:58 +0000

Jeff Liss did a tremendous job organizing and preparing the annual PJC Chanukah Party.

The kids and adults had a great time and we all thank Jeff for a job well done.

Tonight was a Connections night and I was on the program and I had to compete with the magician upstairs…

The question posed was as follows. The more significant miracle of Chanukah is the victory of the Maccabees over the Greeks in the physical and spiritual war in which they found themselves. There was another miracle of a small jug of oil lasting 8 days instead of 1 day. Why is the mitzvah of Chanukah to light candles connected to the miracle of the oil which is less important than the war? Why don’t we commemorate the war with a mitzvah? Secondly, why was a miracle of oil necessary? God does not just show off His abilities to perform miracles, there must a reason why the oil needed to last until new pure oil was available… What was so important about the oil burning for 8 days?

By the end of the talk we had answered those questions and touched on some relevant topics. Including the special qualities of fire and how to win a moral war in a spiritual wasteland.

Enjoy!

Download

Malcolm Gladwell and "Perfection"

rabbifink — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 08:11:04 +0000

In a twist of fate I was sent this link by PJC member Judd Magilnick.

Malcolm Gladwell is a great writer and has had a great influence on my thinking. Perhaps the greatest secular influence on me of all! I have not yet had a chance to read his new book “Outliers” however I have read this NY Times OP-ED piece.

I am not necessarily agreeing with the writer’s assessment of Gladwell’s position rather I am commenting on the writer’s position in relationship to “Perfection”.

The astute will notice that this is exactly the point we made in our “Perfections” discussion. Success in not predetermined, it is our hands and our task to be vigilantly improving ourselves. Of course there are elements that are outside of our control such as location of birth, IQ, default personality traits etc. but none of those can stand in the face of our will to succeed!

I guess Malcolm Gladwell (in the writer’s view) and Rabbi Akiva will have to just agree to disagree…