Real Women, Real Torah

Join Mushky Kovesh and Menucha Minkowitz, students at the Brooklyn Beis Midrash, in a 'Chavrusah Shmooze'. In their lively conversation, they explore the concept of sin, redefining Hashem's intention in creating the world. They discuss how our ability to choose between right and wrong comes from our unique connection with Hashem, the piece of divinity within us. The ideas discussed in this episode are based on the maamar באתי לגני תשל"א. This episode has been released in honor of Yud Shvat, the day of the passing of the previous Rebbe, and the day the Rebbe assumed leadership.

Torah Ohr Parshas Vayechi Each of Leah’s first four sons are named to reflect her deep desire to connect to her husband, Yaakov. On a deeper level, each of these sons embody a pathway through which the Jewish soul connects to her ‘husband’, Hashem. This maamar walks us through four steps in building a relationship with Hashem, each one reflected in another part of our daily prayer. The climax is shemoneh esrei, where we achieve the ultimate unity with Hashem through the quality of surrender embodied by Yehuda. ד״ה יהודה אתה יודוך אחיך

Torah Ohr Parshas Vayigash This foundational maamar explores the dynamic between Yosef and Yehuda as a model for two core perspectives that shape the value system of Judaism.  When Yehuda approaches Yosef to plead on Binyamin's behalf, it’s more than a face-off between two brothers; it’s a meeting of two worldviews. Yosef's is one that values spiritual self-growth as the ultimate pursuit. Yehuda sees value in submission to a purpose beyond himself. Both perspectives portray an angle of truth, but only one can hold center stage at a time. While Yehuda started as the more powerful brother, selling Yosef into slavery, Yosef, now the king of Egypt, seems to dominate Yehuda. But ultimately, in generations to come, Yehuda will triumph as the tribe from which Jewish monarchy will descend. At the end of days, it is his perspective that will come out on top. ד״ה ויגש אליו יהודה

Torah Ohr on Chanukah The celebration of Chanukah centers not around the military victory over the Greek army, but a spiritual victory of the soul, represented by the lights of the menorah. This spiritual battle is one we experience every day, as we fight to ignite a fire of love inside our hearts. This maamar retells the story of Chanukah on a personal level, exploring the metaphor of a candle as a model for developing a relationship with Hashem. ד״ה ענין חנוכה

Torah Ohr Parshas Mikeitz Parshas Miketz begins with Pharoah’s dream of the seven healthy cows being swallowed by seven sickly ones. This dream gives a powerful imagery for the fleeting nature of inspiration. Why does our excitement for spirituality seem to slip away as quickly as it comes? This maamar offers an answer by looking at the end of the previous parsha when ‘the butler forgot about Yosef’ as the root of the problem. We’ll explore the symbolism of each character in this story and the role they play in our personal service of Hashem. ד״ה ויהי מקץ

Torah Ohr Parshas Vayeishev Life in exile is a lot like a dream; an alternate reality in which contradictory experiences coexist and nothing seems to make sense. But dreaming has another side to it. It’s a time of infinite imagination that transcends the limits of reason and accesses the deepest parts of the psyche. This maamar explores the recurring theme of dreams that appears multiple times at the end of Sefer Bereishis and why Yosef is considered the ultimate dreamer. ד"ה שיר המעלות

Torah Ohr Parshas Vayishlach What was Yaakov trying to achieve in making peace with Eisav? How do we reconcile within our own souls the boundless, unchanneled energy of Eisav with the disciplined, focused approach of Yaakov? This week’s maamar will retell the story of Yaakov and Eisav’s dramatic reunion on a mystical level and give us profound insight into the internal battle of every Jew. ד״ה וישלח יעקב מלאכים לפניו https://batshevalearningcenter.com/bereishis

Torah Ohr Parshas Vayeitzei Some people are naturally driven to engage with the world, while others prefer to retreat into their own spiritual oasis. Which one does Judaism prefer? This week’s parsha is our first introduction to Rachel and Leah, the two sisters who marry Yaakov and become the last two matriarchs of the Jewish people. In this maamar, we’ll explore the message behind each of their life stories and how we can incorporate both of their roles within our own lives. ד״ה וללבן שתי בנות

Torah Ohr Parshas Toldos What did Yitzchak see in Eisav that motivated him to shower Eisav with blessings unconditionally? What did Rivka see that made her realize the blessings had to go to Yaakov? This maamar explores the fascinating story of Yaakov deceptively taking the blessings from his father and what that teaches us about keeping our idealism in check. While Yitzchak believed in the power of Eisav’s potential, he failed to see the reality on the ground–that his energy was impossible to access as is without channeling it through Yaakov. ד״ה ראה ריח בני Follow along in the maamar here.

Torah Ohr Parshas Chayei Sara Why are human beings dependent on an act so mundane as eating food in order to survive? What is the nature of our relationship with food and what does that tell us about how we can engage with the physical world around us in a way that lifts us up, rather than dragging us down? This maamar answers these questions by exploring the mystical symbolism of the mearas hamachpela and the meaning of a cryptic line from the Arizal’s poem sung on Shabbos day, “Asader L’seudasa”. ד״ה יגלה לן טעמיה Follow along in the maamar. Visit our website for more resources.

Torah Ohr Parshas Vayeira Why does the Torah so often describe G-d in human terms? Does G-d have a personality? This foundational maamar gives us insight into these questions by exploring the kabbalistic concept of the sefiros. We use the human psyche as a metaphor to understand the dual nature of the sefiros and how they bridge the gap between Creator and creation. ד״ה ״פתח אליהו״ Follow along in the maamar here. Here is a chart of the mashalim used in the first few paragraphs of the maamar. Visit our website for more resources.

Torah Ohr Parshas Lech Lecha The first seventy-five years of Avraham Avinu’s life tell a remarkable tale of personal discovery and heroic sacrifice, but none of that makes it into the story told in Parshas Lech Lecha. We begin with Hashem’s instruction to embark on a journey and with that, Avraham begins for the first time to access the limitless potential of his soul by channeling it towards his unique life’s purpose. Visit our website for more resources on this maamar.

Torah Ohr Parshas Noach Did we really need the drama of a massive flood to teach a few crooks a lesson? Based on a verse from Shir Hashirim, we discover that the flood waters are not a vengeful punishment but a peaceful cleansing and powerful lesson for living a focused life. Stand unprotected and you’ll get washed away by the flood of worldly distractions. Build yourself an ark and those same waters will lift you up to heights you never dreamed of. This episode is sponsored by the Baltimore community in merit of the protection of our brothers and sisters in Eretz Yisroel and the immediate arrival of Moshiach. Visit our website for more resources on this maamar.

Torah Ohr Parshas Bereishis What was so terrible about eating from the Tree of Knowledge? And why did it result in so much shame? In this episode, we’ll discover that ‘knowledge’ isn’t always a good thing and how that first encounter with good and evil changed the human psyche forever. Follow along in the maamar here. ד״ה ״ויאמר ה׳ אלוקים״ Visit our ⁠website⁠ for more resources on this maamar.

Join us on a 12-week journey through Torah Ohr on Bereishis. Explore the stories of Bereishis through a fresh lens and discover the inner strengths you never knew you had. Find out more at batshevalearningcenter.com/bereishis

Stories of Sorrow, Lessons of Hope - Part 3 This episode explores four different angles on a story from the end of Maseches Makkos that describes four sages observing the aftermath of the destruction. Three of them cry, but the fourth, Rabbi Akiva, laughs. As they discuss the reasons for their reaction, we learn some powerful lessons about finding hope in darkness.

Stories of Sorrow, Lessons of Hope - Part 2 In this episode, Mushhky Steinmetz explores the story of Titus as it is told in Maseches Gittin. We learn about his horrific acts of desecration in the Beis Hamikdash and about his unexpected downfall. The Gemara describes in great detail how Titus was tortured for seven years by a mosquito that entered his head through his nose. What is the meaning of this strange punishment, and why do Chazal spend so much time telling us this tale? We'll explore this story through the lens of multiple commentaries. Most significantly, we'll look at how the Maharal uses this story to argue against the rationalist views that were popular in his time.

In this episode, Mushky Steinmetz explores the fascinating story told in Maseches Gittin about R. Yochanan Ben Zachai's clever escape from the walls of Yerushalayim and his conversation with Vespasion, the Roman general. The story concludes with R. Yochanan Ben Zachai making three requests of the future emperor. What is the meaning of these three requests? Why not ask for the salvation of the entire Jewish people and what is it about these three things that make them keys to the Jewish nation's survival and redemption?

In this episode, we introduce our new series, "Stories of Sorrow, Lessons of Hope" with Mushky Steinmetz. This series will explore stories from the Gemara related to the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash and some of the messages the commentators take out of them. In this introductory episode, Mushky defines what Aggadah is and gives a general overview of how to understand Aggadah.

This final episode in our zman grama series is short enough to fit into your pre-Pesach schedule and packed with everything you need to know about the connection women have to the mitzvos we perform at the seder.  Adi Bitter explores the source and reason behind each mitzvah and explains if and why women are obligated to perform them. She ends with a beautiful takeaway about internalizing the deeper message of the seder at all stages of our lives.