Pacific Jewish Center | Rabbi » Shiur

PJC Chanukah Party 2009 Address

rabbifink — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 02:36:10 +0000

As part of the festivities of our Chanukah Party on the beach, I addressed the attended with a speech on Chanukah and this week’s parsha, Miketz.

It was an addendum to my Shabbos drasha, which I hope to publish shortly.

Enjoy the class. Audio is below.

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.

Mesillas Yesharim 12/06/09

rabbifink — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 01:16:30 +0000

We ventured further into Chapter 9 today.

The Ramchal’s insights into laziness, anxiety and rational fear continue to amaze me.

Today contrasted rational fear for one’s safety with imagined fear used to excuse laziness.

Worth a listen, as always…

Audio is below.

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.

Mesillas Yesharim 11/22/09

rabbifink — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 03:08:03 +0000

Today’s class was another really informative and relevent topic.

We learned about fear, worry and anxiety.

With anxiety affecting tons of us it was interesting to find sources bemoaning the difficulty of dealing with anxiety as well as its debilitating nature.

Very enjoyable class, as always.

Audio is below.

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.

Mesillas Yesharim 11/15/09

rabbifink — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 06:35:41 +0000

Last week we talked about the Healthcare plan that was ratified by the house the night before.

This week we got back on track and started Chapter 9.

In my opinion, this was one of the best Mesillas Yesharim classes to date. The Ramchal was so insightful and I shared an insight of my own which I think is very poignant. It all goes back to Adam and Eve being ousted from the Garden of Eden.

Audio is below.

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.

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.

Mesillas Yesharim 11/1/09

rabbifink — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 22:23:11 +0000

Today, we learned the methods of acquiring zrizus.

Ramchal hearkens back to the methods of acquiring zehirus that we studied earlier and for the benefit of us all, we reviewed them together.

Along with any review comes new insights and understanding. Today was no different.

Audio is below.

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.

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.

Mesillas Yesharim 10/25/09

rabbifink — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 04:39:19 +0000

We began today’s class by delving deeper into the ground-breaking concept we studied last week.

Basically, the Ramchal teaches us that we can use our physical actions to arouse spiritual and emotional change.

We discussed a number of applications for the concept.

Then we began the next chapter.

Audio is below.

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 live here.

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.

Mesillas Yesharim 9/13/09

rabbifink — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 06:59:54 +0000

Chapter 7 continued with more inspirational words to help us do our Mitzvos with more Zrizus.

We completed Zrizus part A, beginning your good deeds with speed and we began Zrizus part B, completing your good deeds quickly.

There was also a short discussion on good review habist for Mesillas Yesharim. Aside from reviewing by listening online it is integral to review the text.

Learn all about it by listening to the class below.

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.

Mesillas Yesharim 9/6/09

rabbifink — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 18:54:19 +0000

Today we began Chapter 7 of the Mesillas Yesharim. Having established that Zrizus is the opposite of Laziness the Ramchal explains how and when we must implement Zrizus.

We need to know how to use good behaviors to maximize their benefits.

Learn all about it by listening to the class below.

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.

Mesillas Yesharim 08/30/09

rabbifink — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 17:38:01 +0000

This week we completed Chapter 6 of Mesillas Yesharim.

We began with a great discussion about Truth. We talked about how people fall into two categories. There are those who choose what they do and base their decision on what they believe to be the “truth” and there are others who merely follow the path in front of them and do not choose that path.

Another point of emphasis was the understanding that our natural state as humans is to be stationary. We are naturally lazy. Our task is to rise up from that laziness and elevate our lives to the point that we are thinking and choosing the life we live.

There’s plenty more of interesting Torah in the audio.

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)

Men (Learning) at Work

rabbifink — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 22:54:18 +0000

This blog post is about men learning at work. By learning, I mean studying Torah.

I taught a class today at Teichman Enterprises.

It was a really great experience and I was inspired and I want to share my feelings with you.

If you are looking for the Australian musical artists known as Men at Work who sing that great song called “Down Under” (the one the “Piamentas” ripped off and sing to the words “Asher Bara”) click here for Men at Work.

If you don’t know what I am talking about watch these two videos…

Okay – got that? Now Watch this:

<a href="http://youtube.com/watch?v=Fig44jXBpj4&feature">http://youtube.com/watch?v=Fig44jXBpj4&feature</a>

But I digress.

Back to our previously scheduled blog post.

I heard from my Rebbe that he is often approached by men who work long hours and feel as if they are spiritually drowning because they have such limited time to work on their spirituality.

His advice was that once a day, while at work we should contemplate on the reasons we are working. We are working to support a family, a wife, children, to provide the opportunity for them to grow Jewishly, so that we can send our children to expensive Jewish schools and so we can give charity, and so that we can experience a beautiful Shabbos together and if we are able to focus on that for just a moment it can make a tremendous difference in our work. Literally transforming our mundane job into a spiritual activity.

Truly, this is a beautiful idea.

Today I witnessed and participated in an equal if not better solution.

Teichman Enterprises has a weekly Torah class in their office. A catered lunch and a Rabbi teaching Torah is sure to insert some spirituality into a mundane work week. It is the perfect way to integrate the spiritual with the more mundane.

I was privileged to teach the class today and I was inspired. The attendees were attentive, interested and thoughtful.

It is impressive that so many people were willing to take time off from work to come hear words of Torah.

Notable among the attendees was Meish Wilson from Venice and the Pacific Jewish Center.

Today we learned about the special silver trumpets that were blasted before many moments in Jewish life. We learned about the root of sin and the path to recovery from sin as well.

I thoroughly enjoyed myself and I hope the attendees did as well.

(One correction, I mention R’ Yehuda HaLevi in the class, in fact it was R’ Shlomo Alkabetz, my error and I apologize.)

Today was a big day for iPhone owners and before the class we talked about the marvels of the iPhone over lunch. Thanks to the magic of the iPhone (and an app called iTalk) you can listen to the class on your computer right now!

Click below to listen.

Enjoy the class. (35 minutes)

Messilas Yesharim 6/6/09

rabbifink — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 01:08:41 +0000

We began Chapter 5 of Messilas Yesharim.

Ramchal begins to define for us the word “Zrizus”.

The basic idea we learned this week was the parallel from Zehirus to Zrizus.

Zehirus helps us avoid morally harmful activity. Zrizus helps us take action to do morally good activity.

We also discussed Sotah and some of the ideas that were mentioned in my Monday Lunch N Learn.

Click through to listen.

Enjoy the class (26 minutes)

Mesillas Yesharim 05/24/09

rabbifink — Sun, 31 May 2009 21:26:49 +0000

You may recall that last week we did not get any further in the Messilas Yesharim text.

Oh yes, we had a great discussion about getting serious about life. We devoted much of our discussion to clothes.

Clothes has been a hot topic at the Pacific Jewish Center lately.

Yesterday, we supposed to talk about the number 50 in Judaism and why Shavuos is the only Jewish holiday with no set date. Instead, we talked more about clothes. Unbelievable.

This week we got back on track.

We completed Chapter 5 in Messilas Yesharim and learned about the 3rd and final detriment to “Watchfulness”. Do you want to know what it is?

Click through to listen.

Enjoy the class (29 minutes)

Mesillas Yesharim 05/17/09

rabbifink — Tue, 19 May 2009 06:16:03 +0000

This week we ventured further into the detriments to watchfulness.

The last two weeks (catch up here and here) have focused on setting aside time for Torah and spiritual growth. This is to avoid becoming mired in materiality and neglected our spiritual needs.

Today we moved on to the next detriment. The next thing Ramchal teaches us to avoid is an overarching lack of seriousness. Perhaps it could be more precisely defined as immaturity.

Ramchal says that being un able to take things seriously and scoffing anything important is going to impede our growth.

Find out how by clicking below.

Enjoy the class (28 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

Mesillas Yesharim 05/10/09

rabbifink — Tue, 12 May 2009 07:16:22 +0000

Moving right along in Chapter 5

We quickly reviewed last week and continued until we wrapped up category number 1 of “things to avoid’ so as not to hinder our “Zehirus”.

The main idea is to avoid overwhelming oneself in materiality.

Also, a discussion ensued regarding our natural resistance to morality. It’s like a magnet pulling us towards our instincts.

It was a great class with super pace and as always great questions.

Click through to listen online.

Enjoy the class (38 minutes)

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)

Mesillas Yesharim 05/03/09

rabbifink — Sun, 03 May 2009 19:09:09 +0000

Mesillas Yesharim was electric today!

The 5th Chapter is all about avoiding the things that may hinder our ability to be “watchful”. We need to know what we are doing before we can improve our actions. We need to avoid traps that will take our minds off of watching what we are doing.

This is in the spirit of “Sur Merah, Vaaseh Tov” – Psalms 34. First we must turn away from evil and then we go towards good.

Ramchal gives us 3 things to avoid. We began the first of these today.

During the class we had 3 really great discussion.

Our first discussion was about the distance from our heads to our hearts and Tefillin.

The second discussion was about working for a living. The Torah approach is that one should earn a living to take care of our material needs and set aside time for Torah study to take care of our spiritual needs.

We ended with a lengthy discussion about absolute truth. Our Rabbis teach us that one can only become righteous and moral if they study Torah. What is the meaning behind this? Why is intellectual information a prerequisite for moral growth?

Click through to find out.

Enjoy the class (38 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

Mesillas Yesharim 04/26/09

rabbifink — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 18:21:05 +0000

…And we’re back. After a brief hiatus the Mesillas Yesharim class returned today with a bang.

We completed the fourth chapter of Mesillas Yesharim!

We began our class today with a re-reading of what we studied during our last class (just added – sorry about that).

It was just as incredible as the first time we studied this idea – it truly blows my mind.

We wrapped up the class with the final thoughts of Chapter 4 and next week we will begin Chapter 5.

Click through to hear the end of Chapter 4.

Enjoy the class (30 minutes)

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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

Mesillas Yesharim 03/15/09

rabbifink — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 18:02:15 +0000

Incredible.

Today we learned about an amazing concept in Judaism. We learned Ramchal’s reconciliation of a very important conceptual contradiction.

We learned recently that we believe GD’s judgment is exact. He is truth and truth is absolute justice. We use this to contemplate the consequences of our actions. When we contemplate the consequences of our actions we may be able to control our animal instincts.

What about GD’s mercy? What about His compassion. How are we to understand mercy in the context of judgment? If we deserve to suffer the consequences of our actions how can GD “overlook” those consequences and show mercy?

You will be absolutely blown away by Ramchal’s answer.

Click through for the secret.

Enjoy the class (35 minutes)

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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

Messilas Yesharim 03/08/09

rabbifink — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 17:50:13 +0000

We changed the clocks the night previous to this class. You can tell because I sound extra groggy!

Walking along Ramchal’s “straight path” we continued to analyze the impact of our actions.

There are no small things, nothing gets brushed under the carpet. Meditating on this idea can help us remember that all of our actions all have consequences – that is Ramchal’s goal in this section.

The questions were insightful and I really enjoyed the class despite the effects of the clocks moving ahead an hour…

Click through to listen to the class.

Enjoy the class (27 minutes)

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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

Messilas Yesharim 03/01/09

rabbifink — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 17:55:36 +0000

We had a really exciting class today. We began the most practical method for instilling watchfulness in our lives and this sparked a very vibrant discussion.

Ramchal mentions many situations where great people in Jewish history going back to Biblical times found that their actions, while nearly perfect, demanded retribution from GD.

The questions were insightful and I really enjoyed the class.

Click through to listen to the class.

Enjoy the class (35 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

Messilas Yesharim 02/15/09

rabbifink — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 17:16:10 +0000

This week we did a review of the first way Ramchal provides to inspire us to be watchful. This is a method useful for very spiritual people who just need a small push to get them started on the path of watchfulness. Then we went over the second way to become watchful. This way is for the type of person who senses and feels his portion in the next world as real and tangible.

What about the rest of us? That is what we began this week. We concluded with a very interesting irony in the way GD deals with his closest adherents. Next week we take it all to the next level.

You can listen to the class by clicking through.

Enjoy the class (22 minutes)

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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

Messilas Yesharim 02/15/09

rabbifink — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 19:59:11 +0000

Last week PJC was honored with a guest speaker and the Messilas Yesharim class took a one week siesta. The class returned this week.

We took another step forward along the “Pathway of the Just”. We continued Chapter 4 and learned how to channel our thirst for respect into inspiration for growth.

We also had a discussion about using all your talents for good. Each of our character traits can be used to help us if used properly. The question is if we are capable of channeling our abilities or if they are masters over us.

Enjoy the class (30 minutes)

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