Reb L's G-dcast artwork

Reb L's G-dcast

139 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 2 years ago -

Hashkafic musings

Judaism Religion & Spirituality
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Episodes

GC#129 - Sing Low, Wheat Kariot - Perek Shira 60 - The Wheat Sings

July 01, 2021 20:41 - 10 minutes - 9.26 MB

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 understanding of our surroundings, are Mummy or Daddy - Abba or Ima. They are the comfort, the pillows (Kariot in Hebrew - and you just thought it was a tasty Israeli breakfast cereal!) that cushion us from pain. Without them, we are exposed and in pain. The Gemoro tells us that the child begins to call thes...

GC#128 - Original Sing & The Lump in My Throat - Perek Shira 59 - The Apple's Chorus Part 2

June 25, 2021 07:28 - 10 minutes - 9.27 MB

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 environment. Nature or nurture, we have traits which originate from the previous generation. Like it or lump it, we're stuck with it.  It is no accident, that this same fruit is the one borrowed by certain people - not of the Jewish persuasion - to express the rather depressing notion that we are co...

GC#127 - Apple of My Eye - Perek Shira 58 - The Apple's 'Coreus'

June 17, 2021 15:35 - 10 minutes - 9.26 MB

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 Tapuach is the apple. Vilified by many in its identity, yet its song is a sweet recall of the special relationship between Hashem and His beloved nation - taken from Shir Hashirim. When others were not interested in the responsibilities of what the Torah might demand of them, along came a downtrodden n...

GC#126 - Beyond Ego: A Tribute To My Father Z'L - Perek Shira 57 - The Song of The Date Palm

June 04, 2021 10:44 - 19 minutes - 18.5 MB

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 many people as possible. Anything positive gleaned from here, should be a merit for his Neshomo. (Anything else - blame on me). It is also the reason for the double length feature. We are about to discover some of the secrets of the date palm. Unique, in it being a member of both the 4 Minim of Succos,...

GC#125 - Get Stuffed! An Explosive Tale of 2 Joes - Perek Shira 56 - The Song of the Pomegranate Part 2

February 19, 2021 10:44 - 10 minutes - 9.27 MB

'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 explode. Rimon - the fruit that appears stuffed with seeds, bursting with goodness... (Fun fact of the day - Rimon is a hand grenade in Modern Hebrew). What is the idea of the song expressed by the stuffed pomegranate? Fyi...a paper by a non-Jewish doctoral student of computer science at Columbia U...

GC#124 - Veiled Wisdom - Perek Shira 55 - The Song of the Pomegranate Part 1

February 11, 2021 15:30 - 10 minutes - 9.26 MB

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. Their beloved knows of their virtues. When works on oneself on the inside, you need not say anything...the positivity can be seen on the outside too. What treasures lie within? Take a peek behind the veil...

GC#123 - Figments of Imagination - Perek Shira 54 - The Song of the Fig Part 3

February 05, 2021 12:03 - 10 minutes - 9.26 MB

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 you are dealt is comparable to determinism - you couldn't do anything about it. The way you play the hand...is in your hands. That is free will. There are obviously questions on the analogy. And there is an overlap with the nature/nurture debate - to which we have alluded. Essentially, however, as we have...

GC#122 - Nurture Your Nature - Perek Shira 53 - The Song of the Fig Part 2

February 05, 2021 11:32 - 10 minutes - 9.27 MB

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'... Respectful student...eyes downcast and embarrassed) We're quick to blame - it could be home, peer pressure or our own personal characteristics...but perhaps there is a way to harness one's nature - understand how to channel it. Being aware of the fruits of my actions will allow me to nurture my nature...

GC#121 - The Time Is Ripe - Perek Shira 52 - The Song of the Fig Part 1

February 03, 2021 21:22 - 10 minutes - 9.26 MB

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 is one of a select few that is seen as a praiseworthy feature of the land of Israel. What is its secret? It's about time. Literally...

GC#120 - 'Gefenitely Maybe' - Perek Shira 51 - The Song of the Vine Part 2

January 29, 2021 14:14 - 10 minutes - 9.27 MB

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 Shira this week. Some will feed the birds - give these creatures of song a little taste of something. What is the secret of the song? Why do we sing by the Yam Suf?  We will see how when one puts the individual notes together - just like each individual grape  of the Gefen - the vine - is not worth much. But ...

GC#119 - Grape Expectations - Perek Shira 50 - The Song of the Vine

January 27, 2021 15:34 - 10 minutes - 9.27 MB

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 togetherness. Isolated, we are as good as worthless. It is strength in numbers - not necessarily quantitatively, but in the nature of being together with others. We cannot do it alone. And when we can acknowledge this, it is the biggest blessing of all...

GC#118 - I Open At The Close - Perek Shira 49 - The Trees of The Field Sing Part 2

October 09, 2020 13:12 - 10 minutes - 9.27 MB

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 - as children, rather than servants. I dedicate this episode to the Woodlands people, where I originally 'wood' have said these words at Neila.

GC#117 - The Root of All Good - Perek Shira 48 - The Trees of The Field Sing Part 1

October 08, 2020 12:26 - 10 minutes - 9.27 MB

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 Elul and Tishrei - where we are told that 'the King is in the field?' The clue is in the familiar fact that we sing about our impending sentences for the coming year - serious, yet happy...tune in for the first installment of the message of the trees.

GC#116 - The Raining King - Perek Shira 47 - The Rain Song Part 2

September 17, 2020 23:46 - 10 minutes - 9.27 MB

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? What should we feel? Part of the secret may lie within the concept of Elul itself. Embedded in source after source, we need to explore what our task is over this period of time. The Gemoro In Bava Basra relates how Iyov suggested that he was suffering because, perhaps, Hashem mixed up Iyov with 'Oyev...

GC#115 - Raining Supreme - Perek Shira 46 - The Rain Song Part 1

September 07, 2020 16:42 - 10 minutes - 9.26 MB

'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 the physical too much. But is it a crime? The Gemoro tells us that after 120 years, we will have to give an accounting for the physical pleasures that were permitted to us, and we did not partake thereof. A more careful examination will show us that a key part of our prayers is asking for rain - particular...

GC#114 - Call Of Dewty - Perek Shira 45 - Song of The Dew Part 3

August 14, 2020 02:05 - 10 minutes - 9.27 MB

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. Gulp - we might just retract that complaint.. It's one thing to complain. It is another to act upon that complaint. We find the paradigm of such a character in Shoftim. Unsurprisingly, Gidon became a Judge over the Jewish nation. His qualification? He cared. When he complained about not experiencing Has...

GC#113 - The Wandering Dew - Perek Shira 44 - The Song of The Dew Part 2

August 13, 2020 00:20 - 10 minutes - 9.26 MB

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 of the next song after the dew – is hammering down on the sun-drenched, sun-hardened, parched earth. This can cause flash floods. Not so with dew. Dew is always welcome. And always present. It is fresh, constant and used as a motif for unconditional blessing from Heaven by no less a personality than Y...

GC#112 - Unconditional Positive Regard - Perek Shira 43 - The Song of The Dew

August 07, 2020 01:57 - 10 minutes - 9.26 MB

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 flower on a rock. It can stay that way for years. But here comes the miracle. Add a few drops of water…4 hours later – a beautiful flower is in full bloom. You can get them online. Unless attached to something, they are blown about in the wind in the desert - a type of tumbleweed (though they are no...

GC#112 - Unconditional Positive Regard - Perek Shira 43 - The Song of The Dew Part 1

August 07, 2020 01:57 - 10 minutes - 9.26 MB

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 flower on a rock. It can stay that way for years. But here comes the miracle. Add a few drops of water…4 hours later – a beautiful flower is in full bloom. You can get them online. Unless attached to something, they are blown about in the wind in the desert - a type of tumbleweed (though they are no...

GC#111 - Not Valentine's Day - Perek Shira 42 - The Song of Lightning

August 05, 2020 04:12 - 10 minutes - 9.27 MB

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 romance into the hearts of hopefuls. It has nothing in common with a whole mish-mash of a pagan fertility festival with the martyrdom of three saints (of whom one used to perform clandestine marriages – until he was caught). Nor has it anything to do with American gangsters – Al Capone and Bugs Moran, their rivalry or associa...

GC#110 - Happy Birthday Moshiach! - Perek Shira 41 - Song of The Wind

August 03, 2020 23:48 - 10 minutes - 9.26 MB

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'. The truth is, since when are we so deterministic? If you don't have at least one of those names, then you can't be Moshiach? And if you were born on any of the other 353 days, then forget it? Obviously, this brooks further investigation. What is the significance of these factors? And why does it have t...

GC#110 - Happy Birthday Moshiach! - Perek Shira 41 - Song of The Wind Part 1

August 03, 2020 23:48 - 10 minutes - 9.26 MB

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'. The truth is, since when are we so deterministic? If you don't have at least one of those names, then you can't be Moshiach? And if you were born on any of the other 353 days, then forget it? Obviously, this brooks further investigation. What is the significance of these factors? And why does it have t...

GC#109 - On Cloud Nine - Perek Shira 40 - The Clouds of Glory Sing

July 31, 2020 16:51 - 10 minutes - 9.27 MB

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 level 9 cloud. They are the densest and tallest of all clouds, producing rain and often called thunderheads. Tisha b'Av is a cloud on day 9 of the month in which Aharon - in whose merit we had the protective Clouds of Glory - died. And whilst it all seems hopeless, dark and threatening, day 9 is the...

GC#108 - Uncomfortably Numb - Perek Shira 39 - Song of The Clouds Part 3

July 30, 2020 15:26 - 10 minutes - 9.27 MB

‘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 on the day, we shifted the blame onto someone, or something else. ‘Mustn’t grumble!’ There’s another one. We are grumbling by saying that, or at the very least, implying the grumble. And perhaps the best and most common version – ‘No offence, but…’ <Insert insult here>. Enough said. By projecting th...

GC#107 - The Pain Of Rhetoric - Perek Shira 38 - Song of The Clouds Part 2

July 29, 2020 19:03 - 10 minutes - 9.26 MB

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 liked rhetorical questions. He said, "Who cares?" I said, "that's a classic!" Where would we be without rhetorical questions? Some questions remain unanswered because it’s too painful to answer them. Some questions remain unanswered because we really know the answers to them and they just don’t need t...

GC#106 - Clouded Judgment - Perek Shira 37 - Song of The Clouds Part 1

July 28, 2020 21:05 - 10 minutes - 9.27 MB

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, friends/former friends, bosses, leaders...and the list goes on. And when our chidren complain about someone else, we jump on the 'That's Loshon Hora' bandwagon, even when they are justified in telling us something. But we are righteously indignant...or are trying to find the easy road out... But where d...

GC#105 - 2020 Vision - Perek Shira 36 - Song of The Stars Part 4

July 26, 2020 23:01 - 10 minutes - 9.27 MB

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.  Like the superhero who was asked what his special power was. 'Hindsight', came the reply. 'That's not going to help us, is it?' he was challenged. 'Yes, I see that now...' The prophets of doom and gloom are queueing up (British spelling before you ask) to predict the direst of consequences for many events and a...

GC#104 - Poles Apart - Perek Shira 35 - Song of The Stars Part 3

July 24, 2020 01:36 - 10 minutes - 9.26 MB

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 spheres. Yet, confusingly, there seem to be some sources indicating that there is influence from above, based on when we were born. Which is it? One thing is for sure. If the future would be so predictable, we could prevent crime and negative behaviours. We would know not to do things which backfire....

GC#103 - Starstruck - Perek Shira 34 - Song of The Stars Part 2

July 23, 2020 02:24 - 10 minutes - 9.26 MB

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 their paths.' Amongst the many interpretations (excluding the wild one, that Sisera was attacked by aliens - yes, really!), the underlying theme is that Hashem either literally, or metaphorically (or indeed both) moved the stars to aid the Israelites against Sisera.  The deeper meaning here is that Sise...

GC#102 - Stars Trekking - Perek Shira 33 - Song of The Stars Part 1

July 22, 2020 01:46 - 10 minutes - 9.26 MB

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 faithful friend. "Watson, look up at the sky and tell me what you see." Watson replied, "I see millions of stars." "What does that tell you?" Watson pondered for a minute. "Astronomically, it tells me that there are millions of galaxies and potentially billions of planets." "Astrologically, I observe t...

GC#101 - Holocaust Kingdom - Perek Shira 32 - The Moon's Song Part 3

July 20, 2020 11:57 - 10 minutes - 9.26 MB

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 realise that this is the point that you are about to be delivered.  In the blink of an eye. The 3 Weeks are described as two fences hemming us in – Bein Hametzorim – between the Straits. The days that could have been, and the days that just are... And we feel stuck. It’s painful. But the pain tells you th...

GC#100 - The Hitchhiker's Guide - Perek Shira 31 - The Moon's Song Part 2

July 17, 2020 18:11 - 10 minutes - 9.26 MB

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 their destination at the end of those journeys. And I am 42 years old today. Happy birthday to me. We will discuss the concept of the renewal of the moon as an atonement for the previous month, just as a birthday signifies an opportunity for another go - a mini Yom Kippur. So yes - this is the hitchhi...

GC#99 - Hey Diddle Diddle, Playing Second Fiddle - Perek Shira 30 - The Moon's Song Part 1

July 17, 2020 02:53 - 10 minutes - 9.26 MB

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 the runner up. I came second in the poetry competition 3 times in primary school...it still rankles. The moon found itself in this very awkward position when it suggested to Hashem that there can only be one king.Hashem said - 'Good point. Go and diminish yourself'. We will see what the moon continues to ...

GC#98 - The Long & Winding Road - Perek Shira 29 - The Sun's Song Part 3

July 16, 2020 05:56 - 10 minutes - 9.27 MB

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 lifetimes. The next one is due in 2037. The excitement was palpable in 2009 at the last one. People gathered in various places from early in the morning, to celebrate the return of Hashem's faithful servant to its exact point of origin. At first, this may seem almost pagan, G-d forbid (how ironic). But we ...

GC#97 - Clash Of Clans - Perek Shira 27 - The Sun's Song Part 2

July 14, 2020 17:20 - 10 minutes - 9.27 MB

'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 individuals!' 'You're all different!' 'Yes, we are all different!'  'I'm not.' Famous words indeed. But pretty deep. We all identify with movements, communities and ideas (I avoid any 'isms' - there is much to say about that - but for another time). How accepting are we though? 'Join the club?' A club is exclusive, e...

GC#96 - Here Comes The Sun - Perek Shira 27 - The Sun's Song

July 13, 2020 12:01 - 10 minutes - 9.27 MB

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. Today, we will discover the song that the sun sings - expressing a similar treatment, at the hands of Hashem. What is behind this strange daily ritual which is described in its song? We have been speaking a lot about the what the days of Tammuz could have been, and how we actually experience them now. The...

GC#96 - Here Comes The Sun - Perek Shira 27 - The Sun's Song Part 1

July 13, 2020 12:01 - 10 minutes - 9.27 MB

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. Today, we will discover the song that the sun sings - expressing a similar treatment, at the hands of Hashem. What is behind this strange daily ritual which is described in its song? We have been speaking a lot about the what the days of Tammuz could have been, and how we actually experience them now. The...

GC#95 - The Othello Illusion - Perek Shira 26 - Night Song Part 4

July 10, 2020 00:13 - 10 minutes - 9.27 MB

'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 feelings of invincibility at times in our lives. Everything is going right...and then something shatters our illusions. We can't believe how everything is turned on its head - just like that. I think about the game of Othello in this context. You think that you are winning. One move by your opponent...

GC#94 - Night Vision - Perek Shira 25 - Night Song Part 3

July 08, 2020 21:10 - 10 minutes - 9.27 MB

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 wouldn't want to be paired with someone who dislikes you. We have spoken of darknes and Golus/exile. The fact is, that this is precisely when G-d is carrying us. It may be dark, but if I am with the One I trust the most, I can take comfort in that. But it's still dark. The 17th Tammuz ushers in a sad p...

GC#93 - The Vigilante - Perek Shira 24 - Night Song Part 2

July 07, 2020 22:39 - 10 minutes - 9.27 MB

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 will see which god or godess it is meant to be. And you wonder how anyone could believe in the efficacy of prayer to this thing.  However, anyone who has investigated this subject a little, will be aware that the ancient idolatories were far more sophisticated than the modern day atheistic naysayers' d...

GC#92 - Balak & White - Perek Shira 23 - Night Song Part 1

July 06, 2020 23:23 - 10 minutes - 9.27 MB

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 on Hashem - even in the darkest moments. I was mulling over the concept of light and dark for quite a while. When looking up all the different scientific discussions on whether black and white are indeed opposites, or what these colours actually even are, I was hit by an extraordinary thought - I won'...

GC#91 - Footprints In The Butter - Perek Shira 22 - Song Of The Day

July 05, 2020 23:29 - 10 minutes - 9.27 MB

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 is the fact that you don't need evidence of an event if the actual event or thing is still in front of you. If you point out that the parrot you bought is dead, there is no point in the seller trying to insist that it is 'just resting' upon closer examination. That closer scrutiny sheds light - both l...

GC#90 - Blessings In Disguise - Perek Shira 21 - Song Of The Streams Part 2

July 03, 2020 14:22 - 10 minutes - 9.26 MB

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, Bilaam has a track record of successful curses against various victims. He turns his attentions to the Jewish nation. But he can't find a way in. In contrast to the Ayin Tova - the good eye - of Moshe, Aharon and Miriam, he focuses his evil eye - Ayin Ra on them. But he cannot gain a foothold. Why no...

GC#89 - Well Said! - Perek Shira 20 - The Song of The Streams Part 1

July 03, 2020 00:39 - 10 minutes - 9.27 MB

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 Miriam results in the Israelites having the mysterious Well, which was some kind of travelling rock according to some, or a travelling stream according to others. Either way, Miriam rocks!  This Ayin tova is one of the most important character traits to possess, If you have it, you work tirelessly for oth...

GC#88 - Bittersweet Symphony - Perek Shira 19 - The Rivers' Song Part 3

July 01, 2020 19:00 - 10 minutes - 9.26 MB

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 was possible to comprehend from a human perspective. A common misconception is that Shlomo said 'I said I would be wise, but it is beyond me', he was referring to the mitzva of Poroh aduma - the red cow. This is inaccurate. Simply because there was a 'strange-looking ceremony', with certain strict elem...

GC#87 - The Sea Of Tears - Perek Shira 18 - The Rivers' Song Part 2

June 30, 2020 21:50 - 10 minutes - 9.26 MB

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. The Midrash spends a lot of time pondering, the natural cycle, and wondering how it is that the salty waters of the sea become sweet in the rivers and when it rains. But this is the point - even when things are unclear and bleak, there is a guarantor - an ערב in Hebrew. The same root is used for 'sweetne...

GC#86 - Put Your Hands Together - Perek Shira 17 - The Rivers' Song Part 1

June 29, 2020 22:49 - 10 minutes - 9.27 MB

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 gifts of wisdom that Avraham Avinu gave to the children of the East - not necessarily unconnected, albeit distorted somewhat.) Amongst the answers, we hear: 'The sound of one hand clapping is the sound of the other hand, the absent or invisible hand that claps because one hand cannot clap, there can onl...

GC#85 - Smooth Criminal?- Perek Shira 16 - Song of The Seas Part 2

June 26, 2020 12:58 - 10 minutes - 9.26 MB

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 - with the most horrific results. L'havdil, we have noted how speech has such potential to destroy on the one hand, and to build on the other. Korach utilised his persuasive, smooth talking nature (note his name and the identification with smoothness), to seduce others to follow him. He gave emotive spe...

GC#84 - 'Seas' the Moment - Perek Shira 15 - Song of The Seas Part 1

June 26, 2020 00:04 - 10 minutes - 9.27 MB

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 Korach was swallowed up by the earth. He urged him to put his ear to the ground. He heard the words, 'Moshe and his Torah are true, and they (we) are liars'. What is the significance of this phrase? And can it help us understand that strange sounding Midrash which tells us that when Moshiach arrives, Kora...

GC#83 - One-sided Arguments - Perek Shira 14 - Song of The Waters Part 2

June 24, 2020 22:18 - 10 minutes - 9.26 MB

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 that this was not the custom. In order to resolve the standoff, they went to see the last surviving founder of the shul and asked him if they must stand for the whole repetition of the Amidah. “That’s not the tradition,” he replied. “So we can sit?” “That’s not the tradition.” “So - what do we do? We c...