Jerusalem Pulse Radio Streaming mp3 news and commentary

Dear Friends,In this, the third talk in the Garden of Eden series, we discussed what the nature of the test really was.  We also explore what the true nature of the special garments Hashem made for Adam and Chava were.  Finally, we take another look at the snake and how in our own lives he tries to defeat us.

- David Sacks

Many people are surprised to learn that before Adam and Chava ate from the Tree of Knowledge — the Torah records two earlier rebellions made before human beings were even created!  The first is the incident between the sun and the moon and the second was by fruit bearing trees.  Given that these creations don’t have free choice, what are the Rabbis teaching us with these accounts, and how did they set the stage for mankind’s first test?

– David Sacks

Getting out of bed in the morning for many of us is the most challenging part of the day.  The Torah teaches us that we have to arise in the morning like a lion!  In this weeks, talk we look into what that means and how to do it.

- David Sacks

Why is life so confusing?  To answer (one part) of this giant question we take a look at another question — is the Torah written in chronological order, or not?  Factor in now that we ourselves are compared to Torah scrolls and that Judaism (unknown to many people out there) actually believes in reincarnation, and now we have a very interesting ingredients for a talk that begins back in the Garden of Eden and goes straight back into our daily lives.

- David Sacks

According to the Jewish view of the world, the body and the soul are meant to be best friends.  Without the soul the body is just a lump of earth, and without body the soul has no way to perform mitzvahs in this world.   How are we to proceed when (as is so often the case) the body and the soul are at odds with each other?  In this week’s talk we lay out a program on how to assess and needs of each and how to balance them.

- David Sacks

We all desperately want to be happy.  But how? In this week’s talk we lay out a detailed program for success in this most crucial area of life.

- David Sacks

Dear Friends,

Purification comes when we transcend our limitations.   In the language of the Sages such a thing happens with the ashes of the red heiffer.  Not only does it remove the ritual impurity of death, but on a deeper level it is fixing the sin of the golden calf.  In this week’s talk we explore the interplay between the finite and the infinite, the rational and the super rational, and the nature of faith.  How necessary is faith anyway, and what is it’s relationship to reality?

– DAVID SACKS

Dear Friends,

Did you know there is a Torah way to cut an onion?  Ideally, one shouldn’t begin by cutting off it’s roots.  While this doesn’t necessarily apply in our generation, back then there were even negative health implications for one who did this.  Which got me thinking… If I am that connected to an onion — imagine how connected I am to another human being!  In this week’s talk we discuss previous generations impact on us, and our impact on future generations.

- David Sacks

Dear Friends,So often it seems like we’re wondering around in the darkness.  Sometimes we’re blessed with moments when a light turns on and then in retrospect we see that we were never alone, even though it felt that way at the time.  Here is a personal story about how sometimes everything comes together in a wonderful way, even though it took years to see it.

– DAVID SACKS

• UNIFIL DOES NOTHING TO STOP HIZBALLAH FROM RE-ARMING OR LEBANESE CITIZENS FROM CROSSING INTO ISRAEL, BUT THEY DO STOP ISRAEL COWS FROM ENTERING LEBANON

• GAZA INCHES CLOSER TO SHARIA LAW

• SENIOR CHURCH OFFICAL AND HIS WIFE WERE BEATEN BY HAMAS AGENTS

• ISRAEL/US ARROW MISSILE SYSTEM FAILED TEST LAST WEEK

• NETANYAHU ORDERS HALT TO CONSTRUCTION ON APARTMENTS IN EAST JERUSALEM AFTER MEETING WITH US ENVOY MITCHELL

• PA TOP OFFICIAL SAID ARAFAT FOOLED THE WORLD WITH HIS PUBLIC CONDEMNATION OF TERRORISM AGAINST ISRAEL

• TELEPHONE POLL SHOWED PULL-OUT OF JEWS IN GAZA WAS A GRAVE ERROR IN JUDGMENT

• CLINTON ANNOUNCED $200M TRANFERRED TO PA

• ISRAELI MEDICAL BREAKTHROUGH FOR HEART ATTACK PATIENTS

• FATAH PARTY TO MEET TO VOTE ON NEW PLATFORM AGAINST ISRAEL THAT IS COMPARABLE TO THAT OF HAMAS• ISRAEL ANSWERS TO UN AND INTL COMMUNITY REGARDING GAZA INCURSION • GUNMAN BURST INTO GAY COMMUNITY CENTER KILLING 2 WOUNDING MORE• SWINE FLU THREATENS ISRAEL

Dear Friends,Tisha B’Av is now over and a dramatic upswing in positiveness now kicks in.  In this week’s talk we look at the spiritual DNA of the month of Av and where we are now.

- David Sacks

• US CONGRESSMEN VISIT ISRAEL IN A SHOW OF SOLIDARITY WITH THE JEWISH STATE

• CLINTON CLAIMED ISRAEL VIOLATED ITS PEACE OBLIGATIONS WHEN IT REMOVED ILLEGAL ARAB SQUATTERS

• FATAH’S DEFIANCE AND HATE FOR ISRAEL SHOWN BRIGHTLY AT HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION

• A NEW LEBANESE WAR IS IN THE MAKING

Dear Friends,Can you imagine eating a hotdog and thinking the whole time this is the worst sushi you ever had?  We need to know what something is first before we can begin to evaluate it.  The same thing goes with this world.  Until we understand how it works we will constantly be met with frustration and disappointment.  In this week’s talk, we set out some of the basic ground rules for understanding how Hashem runs the world.

- David Sacks

• 71 US SENATORS SENT LETTER TO OBAMA STATING THEY WANT TO SEE ARAB CONCESSIONS, TOO

• AT FATAH CONFERENCE ABBAS MADE CLEAR THAT HE CLINGS TO IDEALS OF ARAFAT

• PA SALAAM FAYED NOW LIVING FULL-TIME IN EAST JERUSALEM

• FAYED SAID THEY WILL NEVER SIGN PEACE DEAL UNLESS FULL SURRENDER OF EAST JERUSALEM TO PA

• TERRORISTS FROM IRAQ WAR RELOCATING TO GAZA

• HAMAS AND UNWRA FIGHTING OVER THE STATUS OF 3 AMBULANCES SENT INTO GAZA IN JULY

Dear Friends,What does it mean to test G-d?  And what about miracles?  We look deeply into the sources and arrive at a more sophisticated understanding of what it means to be in this world.

– David Sacks

Dear Friends,

Imagine you buy a lottery ticket, never check to see if it won, and then never think about that lottery ticket again.  Now imagine that ticket was a winner and was worth thirty million dollars.   The question is, did you lose thirty million dollars or not?  On the one hand, you most certainly did.  But on the other hand, if you never knew you ever had it to begin with, you never had it to lose!  In this week’s talk we discuss the spiritual dimensions to this question and explore the bottom line of life.

– David Sacks

Dear Friends,

Imagine an epic battle between Sea Monsters and a diver out to recover a precious gem.  In a piece of Aggadata –  the deeply encrypted transmissions of the Talmud –  such a tale is related.  What does it mean and how does it teach us to wage life’s battles better?  Using the understanding of the Malbim we take a look in.

– David Sacks

Did you know that according to the Beis Yaakov (The second Ishbitzer Rebbe), deep down, every person believes they created themselves?

If Rosh Hashanah is all about making Hashem king, how can I succeed if I’ve carved out a realm separate from G-d?

Happy New Year!

- David Sacks

Dear Friends,

What can be said about the holiest day of the year?   Here are some thoughts to get us ready for the day.  Wishing all of you the sweetest sweetest year!

– David Sacks

Dear Friends,

Every person is so needed by G-d.  One expression of this is the fact that every Jewish person corresponds to a particular letter in the Torah.  Just like a Torah scroll is unkosher if it is missing one letter, so too if one of our brothers or sisters is missing we can’t be complete, either.  But what does this connection mean on an even deeper level?  In this talk we dive into the deep end.

– David Sacks

Dear Friends,

Did you know there is a Torah way to cut an onion?  Ideally, one shouldn’t begin by cutting off it’s roots.  While this doesn’t necessarily apply in our generation, back then there were even negative health implications for one who did this.  Which got me thinking… If I am that connected to an onion — imagine how connected I am to another human being!  In this week’s talk we discuss previous generations impact on us, and our impact on future generations.

– David Sacks

(FIRST AIRED JULY 09)

Dear Friends,

On the one hand, G-d is everywhere.  And yet, on perhaps an even deeper level, G-d charges us with awesome responsibility of revealing His oneness!  The ark Noah built had precise measurements.  The Hebrew word for measurements is “Middos” — a word more commonly understood as character traits.  In this week’s talk, we discuss how we can contruct our lives in a way that reveals G-d presence in the world.

- David Sacks

Dear Friends,

What did Avraham know that Noach didn’t?  Also, we compare the first two great couples Adam and Eve and Avraham and Sarah to see what the numerical differences in their names teaches us about their similiarities and differences.

– David Sacks

Dear Friends,

We are living through a time often called the “age of information”.  Ironically, the barrage coming at us can often obscure that which is most essential to keep in the forefront of our consciousness.  In other words, sometimes the more we know the less we end up knowing!  In this week’s talk we pull the lens way back to observe the overall pattern that informs not only our personal lives, but all of creation.

- David Sacks

Dear Friends,

This week’s Torah portion is unique in the Torah in that there are no “breaks”  — no white spaces within it.  It is no coincidence that this portion also contains the account of Yakov, Jacob our forefather, running for his life, finding his soulmate, entering into the business world and raising a family.  If you think you don’t have any time in your schedule to do anything — then this week’s talk is for you!

- David Sacks

Dear Friends,

Gettng ready for Hanukah!  Let’s light up the darkness together!

- David Sacks

Dear Friends,

How many wings does an angel have?  This may sound like the most esoteric of questions, but the Torah actually tells us the answer — and even better how many they have today (hint – two fewer).  We also discuss the story of Yoseph and how he prepared for his fateful encounter with his brother before he was sold.

- David Sacks

Dear Friends,

Four amazing “coincidences” happened to me this week.   I’ve been trying to wrap my brain around this subject for quite a while now and bring you fresh info from the never ending search to decode life.

PS – Here is the link I promise in the talk.  It’s another incredible story.

A real miracle or the doing of extraordinary people?

- David Sacks

Dear Friends,

One of the most perplexing things in life is just how slow things take!  The Exodus from Egypt is a perfect example.  Here is something that Hashem Himself wanted to do — and yet when we see how He brought it about we find that He does it one stage at a time.  Since all future redemptions are based on this, studying it will give us hope and patience for personal lives.

- David Sacks

IN THE FIRST INSTALLMENT OF THE SHEMA SERIES, RABBI ASI DELVES INTO THE MEANING BEHIND THE FIRST PART OF THE SHEMA.

Dear Friends,

Our Holy tradition teaches that Hashem created the world with the letters of the aleph-bais.  With this in mind, our Sages teach in the Talmud (Shabbos 104) that there is a system called A”t B”ash where we reimagine words by exchanging the last letter of the alphabet for the first letter, the second to last letter of the alphabet for the second letter and so on.  More than just “playing games” to derive new spellings, the Sages are offering us a new portal into accessing the infinity of the Torah.  In this talk we deeply explore the geometry of this world and the next, and the opportunities available to us only in the here and now.

- David Sacks

Dear Friends,When we received the Torah at Mount Sinai, Hashem looked at the pureness of our hearts and asked, who will guarantee that our hearts will remain like this always?  We said that “we” would guarantee it.  But the Gemara teaches (Avodah Zarah 5a) that that was the wrong answer!  We should have said “Hashem, You guarantee that we stay this way!”  Contained here is a fundamental lesson about gratitude and how to avoid the trap of relating to ourselves when we are really trying to connect with G-d.

- David Sacks

Dear Friends,

“Who is G-d?  What is G-d?”  This week’s talk begins with that question and evolves from there!  Join us for a free wheeling tour through ideas ranging from basic beliefs to the giving of the Torah to achieving harmony in a world where all of us are given certain desires in our hearts and then told not to act upon them!  What sense does that make?  A lot actually, as we explore the role human beings play in restoring balance to the universe.

- DAVID SACKS

• Iran ups nuclear, missile programs, threatens Israel

• Palin tells Obama to back Israel, bomb Iran

• Abbas won't drop hardline demands, threatens more violence

• Hamas not sorry for targeting Israeli civilians

• Hamas fears Israel has infiltrated its leadership

• Israeli FM: Land-for-peace process is dead

• Palestinian children dream of victory over Israel...and America

• Rebellious Arabs attack Israeli police in Jerusalem

• Middle East Muslims urged to rise up against Christians and Jews

• Palestinian police officer kills Israeli soldier

• UN 'expert' says Hamas only fired 2 rockets at Israel before Gaza war

• Israeli expert: There are no Palestinian refugees

• Christian volunteers attacked while working Jewish fields in 'West Bank'

• Israelis organize massive Washington, DC snowball fight

Rabbi Wolf and Maayon Yisroel bring you a special 6-week lecture series:

PART I

Introduction to the Kuzari & R’ Yehuda HaLevi’s unique World View.

By Rabbi Daniel Korobkin

• Palestinians fire rocket from Gaza, clash with IDF soldiers

• US military head lands in Israel

• Break Israel's Gaza blockade, urges US congressman

• Africans seek Israeli help battling Muslims

• Poll: Jews hated across Mideast, except by Israeli Arabs

(note - there is one error in today's report. In the first story Ryan says, "Defense Minister, Barack Obama," when he meant Ehud Barak.)

• Russia won't sanction Iran, US urges Israel not to attack

• Mass confusion over who assassinated top Hamas operative

• Palestinians want killer cop released by Israel

• Rising nationalist MK suggests Israeli citizenship for Palestinians

• Dubai assassins used names of living Israelis

• Obama warms to Syria, appoints new ambassador

• Europe scales back criticism of Israel over Dubai assassination

• Turks take revenge on Israel for 'humiliation' of their ambassador

• Europe wants to recognize Palestinian state now

• Israelis arrested while trying to reclaim Jericho synagogue

• Arabs riot over Jewish history in Hebron

• Palestinians threaten war over Jewish 'heritage sites'

• London has become center of Hamas activity

THIS REPORT SPEAKS VOLUMES FOR THOSE WHO WISH TO SEE THE WRITING ON THE CAVE!

• America joins criticism of Israeli heritage sites

• Mossad t-shirt sales soar following Dubai assassination

• Jerusalem teeters on the brink of violent explosion

• Israeli warplanes train rapid refueling, as Iranian uranium becomes vulnerable

• Heavy rains bring Israel's Sea of Galilee above 'red line'

• Obama: Jewish homes in Jerusalem holding up peace

• US to Lebanon: Stop Hizballah arms smuggling, or face Israeli wrath

• World opposes Israel building new Arab homes in Jerusalem

• Terrorist shooting on road recently opened to Palestinians

• UN feebly asks Egypt to stop killing Africans

• Israel woefully unprepared for earthquake

• Joe Biden arrives in Israel, as Palestinians honor terrorism

• US set to blame Israel for failure of peace talks

• Israeli army chief in US for series of meetings

• Thousands protest return of Jerusalem neighborhood to Jews

Dear Friends,

Somewhere between the hidden and the revealed, between the great salvations of Purim and Pesach, between yesterday and tomorrow, lies our lives.  This talk covers the blessing over clouds, how Hashem manifests His might through silence, and basic faith.

- David Sacks

• Bolton: Israel must attack Iran now

• Right-wing Israeli lawmaker wants more rights for Arabs

• Netanyahu encourages Christian Zionists to stay the course

• Palestinians call off talks over new Jerusalem construction

• PA calls off ceremony honoring terrorist

• Israel eyes 'West Bank' as wartime haven

• Tourism to Israel booming again

Dear Friends,

What does it mean to unifying the Name Yud kay with Vav kay?  What does it mean that every Parsha in the book of Shemos/Exodus starts with the letter vav except the final one which starts with the letter aleph?  How is the first word of the Torah -- Breisheet -- a microcosm of human history?  How do we go about revealing the hidden?  Lots and lots of ideas in this week's talk!

- DAVID SACKS

• Clinton scolds Israel over new Jerusalem housing

• Did Washington encourage bereaved family to sue Israel?

• Brazil president visits Israel, dishonors Herzl

• Biden accuses Israel of not wanting peace

• Israelis say Obama Admin overreacted to Jerusalem building

• Hamas rockets hit southern Israel

• Israel approves plan to boost Arab towns

Creation, Neoplatonism, and Chassidus: A look at Sefer HaYetzira.

Dear Friends,

There is so much going on!!  We are in the awesome holy month of Nissan, which marks the beginning of the universe and the dedication of the Holy Tabernacle which was a microcosm of the universe.  It is also the month that the Jews leave Egypt.  In this talk we explore a number of ideas -- including the interrelationship of freedom and forgiveness, the souls of Noach and Moshe, and the nature of miracles and human effort. By the way, Sir Isaac Newton was fascinated by the Holy Temple and felt that understanding the dimensions of it were the key to grasping the shape of the universe.

- David Sacks

• Netanyahu caves to Obama, Clinton pressure

• Israel cancels Jerusalem projects to appease Washington

• Israeli warplanes strike Gaza Strip

• Into the lion's den: Netanyahu meets US leaders

• Israeli soldier killed by friendly fire near Gaza

• German town forbids display of Israeli flag

Drawing from the Past and the Future to illuminate the Present.

Dear Friends,

Is the Torah a book?  A scroll?  A set of instructions?  All of the above, none of the above?  Deeper still what does it mean when the Talmud teaches us that the Torah existed 974 generations before the world was created?!  Further still, what does it mean when it says that G-d looked into the Torah and created the world?  What did He look into exactly??   We can't really begin to understand our own lives or what the grandness of history is all about until we arrive at a deeper understanding of these questions.  In this talk we address what the true giantness of the Torah is all about.

- David Sacks

Dear Friends,

We explore the inevitability of questioning yourself in life and how to stay connected to your roots even as you become your own person.  Also, more teachings this week from Reb Shlomo Carlebach on what it means to light a fire in your heart, and the Ishbitzer Rebbe on what we were really asking for when we wanted meat in the desert.

- David Sacks

Dear Friends,

The question is, are you fighting a battle you’ve already won?  So many of us find ourselves addicted to struggle.  We can’t take “yes” for an answer!  Sometimes we have to work hard to achieve, other times we have to recognize that we can’t have it all, no matter what the guy holding the beer bottle with the nice tan in the commercial is saying.  The key is knowing when to strive, and when to be samay’ach b’chelco, happy with our lot.  We look at Korach, the spies, and ourselves, to try to map out some of the keys to human nature and figure out what is normal.

– David Sacks

Dear Friends,

Heaven exists and we’re all going.   Our Sages teach that all the righteous people of the world, and every Jew has a place in heaven.  But what is heaven?  It is a place?  A state of mind, a physical reality?  Do you remain you there?  Or is it is some  ethereal realm where we cease to be us and disappear into the infinity of  G-d?  In this week’s talk, we answer these questions and show how practical this information can be to our everyday lives.

- David Sacks

Dear Friends,

This week we begin "the three weeks" the period between the surrounding of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Holy Temple.   But just beneath the surface of the sadness, another story is waiting to be told.  We go behind the scenes to the first 17th of Tammuz, the Garden of Eden, Mount Sinai, the tents of Yaakov, and reveal not only what was, but what is meant to be.

– David Sacks

Dear Friends,

Wow, there is a ton of stuff in this week's talk, exploring everything from fixing the Tree of Knowledge, to the end of death, to why Eliahu lives forever, to the Kabbalah of circumcision, to the connection between Eve and the daughters of Tzlafchad receiving an inheritance in the land of Israel, to making peace, to the walls of Jerusalem.

If you make it all the way through this one (it gets deeper as you go along) drop me an email!

David Sacks

Dear Friends,

When we enter into Shabbos, we literally transport ourselves into another dimension. It is simultaneously both the journey and the destination -- transcendence itself. In this week's talk, we explore the two names of Shabbos, to try and unlock the mystery of why it is so much more than just another day of the week.

- David Sacks

Dear Friends,

Dear Friends,

This is a time of fixing, of knocking down walls we’ve put up without even knowing it, of ridding ourselves of contradictions and manifesting on the outside what we truly are on the inside.  We also discuss transforming the letter Bais into the letter Aleph, and what the “Apocalypse” is according to the Torah and how we can avoid it.

- David Sacks

Dear Friends,

We expect so much of ourselves, and of G-d and of the world, and it crushes us when things don't work out.  The invitation to hate oneself seems to be extended to us everyday.  And yet, what is our success rate supposed to be?  In baseball, if someone get a hit one out of every three times at bat they go straight into the Hall of Fame.  That's a whole different set of expectations.  With dating you can go on one hundred wrong date and still marry your soul mate.  Deeper still is the question of balancing when it's me accomplishing something in the world and when is it G-d?  Afterall, doesn't everything come from Him?  And if that's the case how can I ever feel good about myself if it's just Him doing it?  What is my role?  If I ascribe too much to myself it's ego!  Too little and it's poor self esteem!  How do I balance these things?  In this talk we go into a several step program on how to do it with love!

- David Sacks

Rabbi Asi brings down the teachings of Rebbe Dov Ber aka The Mitteller Rebbe.

Dear Friends,

Who’s world are you living in?  Are you living in your own world, or are you living in G-d’s world?  On the surface they may seem like one and the same.  But imagine for a moment someone is collecting funds.  One person gives a dollar, while the second person gives his last dollar.  Ah, a world of difference!  How we view things cuts to the core of our existence and of who we are.  As a very wise person once put it, “99% of life is in your head”!

- David Sacks

Dear Friends,

Imagine trying to view a piece of art with smudged sunglasses.  This is what so many of us experience when we view life.  The art we are looking at is life, and the glasses we are seeing it through is our own feelings about ourselves.   In other words,  so often how we feel is what we see!  In this week's talk we see just how far this concept goes, especially as we look into how to view the future.

– David Sacks

Our ongoing battle to elimInate divisiveness from the human heart.

Dear Friends,

One of the most challenging things in life is doing the right thing when you are caught by surprise.  If you don’t know when the moment is coming, how can you prepare for it?  The Ishbitzer Rebbe, one of the deepest of the Torah Masters, steps out a fascinating approach based on love.  In this week’s talk we hear his thoughts, based on the teachings of Reb Shlomo Carlebach, and tie it all into getting ready for the New Year.

– David Sacks

One is loved, one is hated… will there ever be peace?

Dear Friends,

One of the big turn offs for many people contemplating G-d, is the subject of “organized religion”.  It seems like making a connection with the Divine shouldn’t have to involve a large building fund, membership dues, and all the other headaches associated with a part of our lives that is so intensely personal.  But a deeper exploration of Judaism shows us that it isn’t an organized religion in the classic sense at all.  But if that’s the case, how do we cut through all the institutional red tape?  I hope this talk is a start!

- Daivd Sacks

One is loved, one is hated… will there ever be peace?

Dear Friends,

Joy is the ultimate vessel.  Nothing organizes the chaotic energies of life and allows you to have the perspective that joy brings.  In this week's talk, we discuss the unique structure of the Torah portion of Ki Tavo which the Sages arranged we always read before Rosh Hashana.  As we will see, the Parsha has a lot to teach us about how to prepare for the big day that is just around the corner.   In this talk we also discuss the Divine mechanics of light, blessing and negativity -- dispelling common misunderstandings about what many people misinterpret as vindictiveness.

– DAVID SACKS

Dear Friends,

The Zohar looks at the Spiritual Dynamics of Rosh Hashana and likens it to the epic drama of Yaakov disguising himself as Esav in order to get the Blessing from Yitzhak.   That in itself is fascinating, but when we fold in Rashi's understanding of the event and see how it all applies to us in a practical way as we prepare for Rosh Hashana, there is plenty to think about.  Highlights include an understanding of our innate goodness and advice for dealing with feelings of guilt. Thanks to all for listening, for your beautiful emails, and may you be inscribed for a sweet and beautiful year!

- David Sacks