Human & Holy

I recently opened a box of my middle school journals, and found the question that has followed me for nearly twenty years: could I honestly call myself a chossid of a Rebbe I had never met? In honor of Gimmel Tammuz, the anniversary of the Lubavitcher Rebbe's passing, I explore some of the questions that have gnawed at me for as long as I can remember: Should my relationship to the Rebbe be defined by longing? Am I fundamentally missing out on a nostalgic, golden age of Chabad if I never met him? What distinct message did the Rebbe have for a generation with a strong emphasis on the self? Is our determination to feel deeply "aligned" with our life choices a flaw, or a gift? Was the Rebbe passing on the baton, and if yes, to who?Drawing on a community survey and a close reading of V'atah Tetzaveh, this episode explores the generational shift the Rebbe himself outlined, what a relationship shaped by ignition, not loss, might look like, and how the Rebbe encouraged each person to step into their mission, to embrace the specificity of their identities and be the unique, unrepeatable messengers of Hashem the world is waiting for. * * * * * * *To inquire about sponsorship & advertising opportunities, please email us at info@humanandholy.comTo support our work, visit humanandholy.com/sponsor.Find us on Instagram @humanandholy & subscribe to our channel to stay up to date on all our upcoming conversations ✨Human & Holy podcast is available on all podcast streaming platforms. New episodes every Sunday & Wednesday on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Podcasts.* * * * * * *TIMESTAMPS:00:00 Finding my middle school journals01:33 "Do we have the right to call ourselves a Chossid?" 04:00 Should I yearn for the physical presence of a Rebbe I never met?06:00 Growing up on shlichus in Houston, TX 08:30 The enormous grief of Gimmel Tammuz 10:30 The community survey about the Rebbe12:00 The message from the Rebbe that changed people's lives13:15 Would you call yourself a chossid?14:30 The final piece of the Torah the Rebbe distributed15:30 Generation of self-sacrifice vs. religious freedom17:55 Exploring V'atah Tetzaveh19:30 What is higher than self-sacrifice?21:36 Why connect to a Tzadik?24:00 This generation's power27:00 The specificity of who you are is your mission30:00 Every person can be a Rebbe33:00 When the Rebbe passed on the baton35:58 Am I a follower of the Lubavitcher Rebbe?37:48 The vision of Moshiach 38:50 Outro

Sivan Rahav-Meir has been on Israeli television since age six, and became religious at fifteen after a chance encounter with three girls who simply said, "Bo l'Shabbat." In this conversation recorded in Jerusalem, Sivan shares how she's channeled three decades of journalism skills toward teaching Torah, why she sees a massive post-October 7th hunger for practical Jewish doing (not just inspiration), and why she believes Jewish identity is our real protection. She's candid about the gap between her public influence and her private reality, and how she is guided by the Lubavitcher Rebbe's paradox: always happy, but never satisfied. She notes the Jewish world's blindspot as the 85% of unaffiliated Jews outside the organized community bubble, and calls every connected Jew to the same simple shlichut that changed her life: invite someone in.* * * * * * *Sivan Rahav-Meir is a media personality and lecturer. Married to Yedidya, the mother of five. Lives in Jerusalem. Went on shlichut with her family 2019-2020, when she served as World Mizrachi's Shlicha to North America.She works for Israel TV news, writes a column for Yediot Aharonot newspaper, and hosts a weekly radio show. Her lectures on the weekly Torah portion are attended by hundreds and the live broadcast attracts thousands more listeners throughout the world. Sivan lectures in Israel and overseas about her personal story. the Jewish world since 10/7, Judaism and new media.She was voted by Globes newspaper as most popular female media personality in Israel and by the Jerusalem Post as one of the 50 most influential Jews in the world.Learn more at www.sivanrahavmeir.com Find her podcast here: https://open.spotify.com/show/6OlPTHjKBnNwDrNNalxD9jFollow her on instagram @sivanrahavmeir* * * * * * *To inquire about sponsorship & advertising opportunities, please email us at info@humanandholy.comTo support our work, visit humanandholy.com/sponsor.Find us on Instagram @humanandholy & subscribe to our channel to stay up to date on all our upcoming conversations ✨Human & Holy podcast is available on all podcast streaming platforms. New episodes every Sunday & Wednesday on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Podcasts.* * * * * * *TIMESTAMPS:[00:00] Introduction[02:04] Welcome Sivan[04:00] The problem with news media [05:10] The role of Torah in making sense of chaos[06:42] Sivan's origin story [07:50] The two words that changed my life [10:05] Building a relationship with Shabbat gradually[11:00] My personal political transformation [13:20] Political peace and inner peace[13:53] Communicating Torah accessibly[15:30] Using professional skills in a holy direction[16:45] What has changed after October 7th?[17:30] People want something tangible [18:39] Responding to the enemey [20:10] Omar Shemtov's testimony from the tunnels [20:56] Why Sivan doesn't call herself a Rebbetzin [24:30] Where does her energy come from? [25:00] The real Avodat Hashem happens in my home [26:15] "Always happy, but never satisfied"[28:10] Resilience & drive as a framework that doesn't contradict joy[28:45] The private work of a public person: young motherhood and the test of patience[31:30] Immediate gratification culture vs. long-term spiritual investment[32:10] If you didn't post it, did it happen?[33:00] Sivan's own social media guidelines[36:00] What worries Sivan about the Jewish world [37:00] Building Jewish identity from within[41:10] Our blindspot: the 85% of unaffiliated Jews outside the "bubble"[44:00] Israeli expats in America [45:30] What I want my legacy to be[46:10] Self love as the basis for loving another [48:30] How Sivan remembers thinks about her connections[50:45] Favorite verse in Tanach[51:00] One book everyone should read [51:20] How I nourish myself[51:55] A daily habit that can transform your life [52:15] My message to the Jewish world [53:30] Closing [54:15] Host outro

A deeply personal and Torah-rich conversation on facing darkness from within. Kiki opens up about her own journey with anxiety and depression, sharing how she moved from resenting the darkness she experienced to believing in its inherent blessing. Drawing on biblical stories, Kiki weaves profound insight with raw personal honesty. She explores what it practically means to face darkness, professional help as a prerequisite to faith-based tools and the belief that our inner light is inextinguishable, no matter what darkness we are facing.Kiki is a Chabad Shlucha for a community in Israel, teaches weekly Chassidus and Kabbalah classes in person and online. She is a bridal educator and mikvah attendant, and is passionate about learning and teaching chassidus. Find her classes on Youtube:https://www.youtube.com/@kabbalahwithkikiFind her classes on Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/6uscGnRqwgd2j8qwkk542M?si=FIxIy73QQNWw7qVSbDYRUgEmail her at chabadofefrat@gmail.com and find her on instagram at @kabbalahwithkiki. * * * * * * *Join our new virtual Tanya class! We will be hosting a live, three part series on the divine soul, through Chapter 2 of the Tanya, a space to explore the text through shared study, poetry, curated illustrations, songs, and guided reflection. Link to join us here: https://humanandholy.mykajabi.com/tanyaclass* * * * * * *To inquire about sponsorship & advertising opportunities, please email us at info@humanandholy.comTo support our work, visit humanandholy.com/sponsor.Find us on Instagram @humanandholy & subscribe to our channel to stay up to date on all our upcoming conversations ✨Human & Holy podcast is available on all podcast streaming platforms. New episodes every Sunday & Wednesday on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Podcasts.* * * * * * *Timestamps:00:00 — Introduction01:43 — Today's topic: Torah wisdom on facing inner and outer darkness02:14 — Why this is personal: Kiki's journey with anxiety and depression03:30 — Showing up to teach even on the hardest days05:14 — Biblical context: Abraham, Yaakov, and descending into Egypt06:00 — The Kabbalistic purpose of exile:07:38 — Descent before ascent08:20 — Yaakov wrestling with the angel10:00 — What blessing is this bringing me?11:15 — The blessing is not external 13:13 — Practically speaking: what does facing darkness actually look like?15:00 — The Hillel model: lighting one candle when the darkness feels overwhelming16:50 — Going outward as a tool: moving out of yourself to find light18:35 — The fear of being swallowed by darkness20:30 — Balancing inward processing and outward giving23:10 — Designating time for pain25:00 — When mental health requires medical treatment first26:24 — Yosef vs. his brothers: two worldviews on how to live in a dark world28:30 — The brothers' approach: protect holiness by withdrawing from the world29:30 — Yosef's approach: engage with darkness and elevate it30:45 — Galus as a dream: the power of opposites coexisting35:00 — Two kinds of dreams: exile's confusion vs. Yosef's redemptive vision40:50 — What happened to our dreams? 43:00 — Changing "if only" to "only because"46:00 — Two approaches to supporting people in their darkness48:00 — Yaakov's model: sometimes when you're in the pit can't climb out alone50:00 — Yosef's model: the power of presence52:30 — Just sitting with someone is enough54:30 — Kiki's personal postpartum depression56:30 — The inextinguishable light58:30 — How to support someone in darkness59:26 — Soul-to-soul closing message

A lesson from the Purim story about self-education, becoming a student of life, waking up to the gap between where we are and what is possible for our soul's expression in this world, and the internal, conscious choice that the Jews during the Purim story were finally able to make to accept the Torah in their lives. Source: Maamer Vekibel Hayehudim 5738Join our new virtual Tanya class! We will be hosting a live, three part series on the divine soul, through Chapter 2 of the Tanya, a space to explore the text through shared study, poetry, curated illustrations, songs, and guided reflection. Link to join us here: https://humanandholy.mykajabi.com/tanyaclass* * * * * * *To inquire about sponsorship & advertising opportunities, please email us at info@humanandholy.comTo support our work, visit humanandholy.com/sponsor.Find us on Instagram @humanandholy & subscribe to our channel to stay up to date on all our upcoming conversations ✨Human & Holy podcast is available on all podcast streaming platforms. New episodes every Sunday & Wednesday on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Podcasts.

In honor of Rosh Chodesh Adar, we talk about the mystical underpinnings of this month of joy: why humor is the very space where contradictions can breathe, how the soul finds expression in lighthearted depth, why taking ourselves less seriously can be a conduit for our fullest expression, and play as a way to find expression for our soul's experience. * * * * * * *Join our new virtual Tanya class! We will be hosting a live, three part series on the divine soul, through Chapter 2 of the Tanya, a space to explore the text through shared study, poetry, curated illustrations, songs, and guided reflection. Link to join us here: https://humanandholy.mykajabi.com/tanyaclassTo inquire about sponsorship & advertising opportunities, please email us at info@humanandholy.comTo support our work, visit humanandholy.com/sponsor.Find us on Instagram @humanandholy & subscribe to our channel to stay up to date on all our upcoming conversations ✨Human & Holy podcast is available on all podcast streaming platforms. New episodes every Sunday & Wednesday on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Podcasts.

Episode sponsored by Naomi Gruber. Dedicated in honor of my dear father’s neshama, דב ברל בן יצחק . May his neshama have the highest aliyah!* * * * * * *Can any of us experience objective truth? What do we make of the ebbs and flows of our inner worlds? If a spiritual experience felt real, but didn't last, was it ever genuine?Sharing one of my favorite ideas from the Tanya about truth as a moving target, and why the imperfect, shifting experience of truth is the only way to touch G-d. * * * * * * *Source: Chapter 13 of Tanya Heads up: Human & Holy is launching an online Tanya course going live this February! More details coming this Sunday. * * * * * * *To inquire about sponsorship & advertising opportunities, please email us at info@humanandholy.comTo support our work, visit humanandholy.com/sponsor.Find us on Instagram @humanandholy & subscribe to our channel to stay up to date on all our upcoming conversations ✨Human & Holy podcast is available on all podcast streaming platforms. New episodes every Sunday & Wednesday on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Podcasts.

A conversation about the nature of human desire, why we were each created with enormous wanting, and how to transform our desire to take into a desire to receive in order to give what we have.We talk about perfection as wholeness, not a lack of flaws, making sense of our relationship to materiality, and the deep, personal fulfillment that happens through merging our own desires with the divine will, through Torah and Mitzvot. This episode is part 2/3 of a series on the Introduction to the Zohar: The Wisdom of Truth by Rabbi Yehudah Leib Ashlag, co-hosted by Tonia Chazanow and Charlotte Broukhim. Find the book here: share.fund/zoharhhUse code ZOHARHH at checkout for 20% offCharlotte Broukhim is a Jewish mom from Los Angeles who explores the intersections of Jewish mysticism, science, and politics. She studied comparative religion at Harvard, and her upcoming Substack will share practical reflections and insights at the crossroads of ancient wisdom and today’s world. Find her on instagram @cbroukhim and contact her at Charlottebroukhim@gmail.com.* * * * * * *EPISODE SPONSOR:Today’s episode is sponsored by SHARE, a global initiative connecting individuals to the timeless teachings of the inner dimension of Jewish wisdom, known as Pnimiyut Hatorah. Their mission is to inspire soulful living and learning by translating ancient insights for the contemporary moment. You can learn more on Share.Fund.To inquire about sponsorship & advertising opportunities, please email us at info@humanandholy.comTo support our work, visit humanandholy.com/sponsor.Find us on Instagram @humanandholy & subscribe to our channel to stay up to date on all our upcoming conversations ✨Human & Holy podcast is available on all podcast streaming platforms. New episodes every Sunday & Wednesday on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Podcasts.

Where do I look for direction? Is G-d just speaking the world into existence, or is G-d speaking to me through all that exists in my life?The Sfas Emes teaches that the plagues transformed the ten divine utterances of creation into the ten commandments, reflecting a clear unveiling of God's hidden creative forces.What is the difference between background speech and directed speech? How can we reinforce G-d's guidance through the ways we notice His words to us? How can we transform the concealed divine within all of creation, into a felt experience of Hashem's guidance in our lives?Source:Sfas Emes Parshas Bo 5631* * * * * * *To inquire about sponsorship & advertising opportunities, please email us at info@humanandholy.comTo support our work, visit humanandholy.com/sponsor.Find us on Instagram @humanandholy & subscribe to our channel to stay up to date on all our upcoming conversations ✨Human & Holy podcast is available on all podcast streaming platforms. New episodes every Sunday & Wednesday on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Podcasts.