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Why a trip to Poland for a Jew is so important and meaningful, and INSPIRING! Recorded on my phone, live in Poland, while staffing a trip for Jewish students.

Join old Rabbi E, as I share insights, reflections and blessings on reaching halfway till 120. The Rabbis tell us that the age of 60 brings "seniority," (older age, if you will), but MUCH more importantly, WISDOM! And the foundation of all wisdom, Judaism teaches, is realizing that we, and the world, have a Creator and that He gave us a life full of so many blessings...in order to BE a blessing in this world! Tune in as I, the now "old(er)" and I hope, "wise(r)" Rabbi E, get into an expansive, blessing-bestowing birthday mode. Or hear as a Rabbi E in 3 podcast, on Apple, Spotify...or click here: https://player.captivate.fm/show/b4ed503c-3cf8-457a-8a52-2a8822a45ff4

Won't you stay just a little bit longer?? Tune in for this MUSICAL episode of Rabbi E in 3, as I melodically introduce you to the festival of Shemini Atzeres, the "8th Day of staying back," which takes place at the end of the Sukkot holiday (begins in an hour or two). APOLOGIES TO JACKSON BROWNE, but the very essence of this holiday is about staying in Hashem's presence just a little bit longer...rejoicing with Him and with the Torah (as we complete the yearly cycle of our reading). Chag Sameach!

A few thoughts to start the week of Sukkot, recorded live from the Sukkah of Rabbi E!

Yom Kippur is an aweome day of return: returning to healthy relationships with others, and returning to the real, pure spiritual essence of who we are. And what makes that possible is both the forgiveness that Hashem (and other people!) lovingly grants us,and the PURIFICATION that we experience. All the "stains" on our souls, so to speak (from the hurtful and negative words, deeds and thoughts we all--as human beings--fell into), are utterly washed away. We are purified through the observances of Yom Kippur, as we are purified by the waters of a holy mikveh! And it gets out EVEN the coffee stains!

We all know that Rosh Hashanah is a special time, and that Yom Kippur is a special time....but we may not be aware that the days BETWEEN Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are also a very special and elevated time! A time when the Jewish people have always tried to multiply their good deeds and mitzvot, their prayer and acts of charity...so that we may be judged favorably by G-d, and inscribed for a good year of life on Yom Kippur. They are days of when the spiritual ice is smoother (Zamboni days!), the spiritual air is cleaner (low pollution index days??!), and the opportunity and facility to do TESHUVA ("return") is greater than at any other time!! To return to a deeper connection to ourselves, to our fellow human beings, to the Torah and its wisdom, and to Hashem Himself. "Seek out Hashem when He is near," the prophet Isaiah tells us...and our Sages explain that this special nearness of G-d refers to NOW, the days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur!

Recorded on the last day of the Jewish year, 5782, hours before Rosh Hashnah, I discuss some of the beautiful ideas connected to this magnificent holiday of the new year...and the powerful 10 Days of Return (the first ten days of the year)--ZAMBONI DAYS, smooth and powerful "spiritual skating" days--that culminate in Yom Kippur. The focus is on OUR thoughts, OUR will and OUR desire for the completely new year ahead, and the kind of people we want to strive to be during this completely new year ahead. It's a time to dip an apple in honey, yes, and enjoy family and friends.... but it is also a time to clarify for ourselves what is truly most important in life, and what in life is worth "CHOOSING." Shana tova!!

We are NOT supposed to be slaves...that is why Hashem took us OUT of slavery. Yet, we all still suffer in 2022 (myself, Rabbi E, very much included!) under a cruel and harsh team of taskmasters. "Work," "Work Mentality," "Cell Phone," "Social Media,"....these are some of the "head honchos" of that group of modern slavedrivers that rob us of our outer AND inner freedom! But, wait, we are meant to be FREE, and we Jews have an unbelievably precious and beautiful key to attaining that freedom from slavery: Shabbos, or Shabbat! (She answers to both.) Tune in to this epidsode to learn more. But more importantly, Grab back your freedom...Good Shabbos!

A long day of fasting and mourning is approaching (after Shabbos, August 6th-7th), the fast of the Ninth of Av (Tisha b'Av), commemorating the many, many tragedies that befell the Jewish people throughout the ages on this day. But this day of mourning is NOT about wallowing in our past suffering, but rather, about looking at (and FEELING) what we are missing right NOW. And about LONGING for the time--may it be speedily, in our days--when we WILL get it a1l back (and more). Please tune in, whether or not you observe the fast day: I discuss important concepts in Judaism in genera1!

The word for "word," in Hebrew (davar)is the same as the word for "thing" (with different vowels). Why? Because words have a real weight to them, they are not just so much air. That same word is a1so one of the words in Hebrew for, "leader!" Why? Because our leadership position as human beings in G-d's Creation is demonstrated and expressed largely through our power of speech. (Yes, Judaism teaches that ADAM, humanity, is meant to LEAD this whole huge operation towards holiness and completion.) SO: Mean what you say...strive to DO what you say...and lead your life by (and through) your words. That's the basic topic of this latest episode of Rabbi E in 3!.

Rabbi Edelstein (Rabbi E), of MEOR DC here, and join me as I share my excitement at being in the amazing Land of Israel, after three uninterupted Covid-ravaged years outside! Come visit, whoever you are,--whatever your religion, beliefs or politics. You will be inspired, awakened, excited, stuffed (with amazing food), challenged....and exhausted! I LOVE IT! BARUCH HASHEM!

Jealousy, rebellion, a misguided yearning for (spiritual) INDEPENDENCE....and ultimately, tragedy! Rabbi E. discusses some of the amazing lessons of this week's Torah portion, Korach (Book of Bamidbar/Numbers). Tune in, and may we all appreciate and celebrate our OWN portion--talents, gifts, mission--in this world, and not be SWALLOWED up by jealousy and craving/coveting what really belongs to someone else.

Join me as I discuss how and where we are going, as we are led through life...based loosely on this week's Torah portion, Beha'aloscha (Book of Numbers). And featuring a not-too-out of key introduction (?) taken from a song from the 70's, if my boomer memory serves me well. May we all work on seeing our lives as being LED by Hashem ("NOT WANDERING"), to the Promised Land (both literally, as Jews, and more figuratively, to our own spiritual completion and self-actualization). Sing along with me: "Do You Know Where You're Going To? Do You Like the Things HASHEM is Showing You? Do you know...???"

Join us for a short exploration of the Jewish attitude towards the (abundant) physical pleasures of this BEAUTIFUL world...including the lovely fruit of the vine, in fermented form.(Based partly on this week's Torah portin, Nasso, second in the Book of Bamidbar.) And the simple answer is, "Yes, it absolutely can!" Physical pleasures in general are a great source of vitality in life (obvioulsy) but also very much part of the Jewish concept of holiness (perhaps not so obviously). IF we keep them in perspective, and use them wisely as part of a life of larger meaning and purpose. "Moderation" is not the most enticing, or fully accurate, way of describing the Jewish view of how to relate to the physical pleasures of life --though it is certainly not wrong, and very good as a general (if bland) description. The better term, however, is "ELEVATION!"

You may well NEVER have heard of the holy Jewish festival that is coming up this year immediately after Shabbos: "SHAVUOS." How can that be? It arguably should be the MOST acknowledged, celebrated and eagerly anticipated Jewish holiday of all. It's when the Jewish people RECEIVED the Torah, which is--after all--the source of all the other wisdom and laws in our tradition (including those about more famous holidays)! There are probably many reasons...Tune in to this episode of Rabbi E in 3 as we discuss, and hopefully, get ready to RECEIVE!

With war and pandemic and economic crisis caving down on us, what can we do? Not sure about that, honestly....but at least we can start by not causing harm, pain, or anguish with the words we use each and every day, in each and every encounter, in each and every relationship. Tune in as I discuss the SEVERE AND ALL-IMPORTANT (not quaint!) Torah prohibition of "ona'as devarim," hurting someone else with our words. Is it hard? Well, yeah, I guess it is...but remember: we were sent to this earth precisely to tackle the hardest jobs of all--like elevating and purifying our character traits, including our power of speech.

Welcome to a most uncharacteristic episode of Rabbi E in 3! I recorded it, even though it was not "the perfect time" (whatsoever) to do it. Not at all! And that's exactly the lesson I want to convey, in fact, and it happens to be a HUGELY important one: We shouldn't wait for the "perfect time" to start to work on a self-improvement project, OR to do a certain kind deed or mitzvah we've contemplated...or to study Torah! As the great Rabbi Hillel tells us, in a classic ethical teaching that I quote in the episode: "Don't say, 'When I am free, I will study; for perhaps you will not become free.'" That free time, that perfect time, may never--or more likely, will never--come! And it may just be G-d's intention for us to do that good deed, or start that self-improvement project, or dive into that (even brief) Torah study session anyway. Right now...BECAUSE it is not the perfect time!

"In every generation, a person is OBLIGATED to see oneself as leaving Egypt." Those are the words of the Haggadah....What exactly do they mean? How do we achieve this? Clearly, the Passover Seder is meant to be something much more than just a commemoration of an ancient event, however heartfelt. It is also a deeply personal opportunity (and OBLIGATION!) to experience a taste of true spiritual freedom: allowing G-d to grant us freedom from all the forces, external and internal, that hold us back from truly serving Him and reaching our unique spiritual potential. In short, we all can leave our personal "Mitzrayim" (Egypt) on Seder night! Tune in to this episode of Rabbi E in 3 for more discussion!

Passover is almost here, so I want to give you something to really think about. On Seder night, we have more rules and regulations--that is to say, we observe more mitzvot/commandments--than on any other single night of the Jewish year by far! ("Eat this, and drink this, and lean this way...," etc.) And notice that this festive meal of our holiday of national liberation is called "seder," which itself means..."order!" Now, let me ask you this ONE simple question (and we can save the famous four for later): Is that any way for us Jews to celebrate, "FREEDOM?" The answer is, "It is the absolutely PERFECT way to celebrate our freedom!" We just need to think more deeply (and Jewishly) about that famous and beloved word. " Tune in to this latest episode of Rabbi E in 3 for details!

Every person, Jewish or not, should be aware of what's related in this week's Torah portion, Yisro (in The Book of Exodus). It describes the most important event in human history arguably: The Revelation at Mt. Sinai, and the uttering of the "10 Commandments" by G-d to the entire Jewish people. They were the gateway to, and microcosm of, the rest of the Torah, which constitutes the instruction manual to elevate ourselves and the world...and infuse it with righteousness and godliness. And before hearing the 10 Commandments, the Jewish people collectively, as a nation, accepted the BIG offer (and responsibility) of entering into a covenant with the Holy One, Blessed be He! Big stuff. It's all right here: tune in, as I discuss! And this was recorded not directly as a podcast, but as an old-fashioned video, Rabbi E in 3-D. NO INTRO OR OUTRO THIS WEEK...Producer on break.....just me speaking! Enjoy.