Emuna Beams
Jewish Holidays
Episodes

Wednesday Apr 02, 2025
Wednesday Apr 02, 2025
The Pascal sacrifice, the Tenth and final plague and the Exodus of Egypt are the subjects of this lesson, the third of our "Story of Passover" series. The events took place 3,337 years ago in the Hebrew year of 2448 (1312 BCE), and it's a story of emuna that continues on to this very day.

Thursday Mar 13, 2025
Thursday Mar 13, 2025
Megilat Esther, the Scroll of Esther that tells the Purim story, seems like a rapid series of events that happened within a year. Actually, though, the Purim story transpires the events of 13 years. It begins when Achashverosh ascended to the throne of Persia in 3392 (369 BCE) to the time when the Jews overcame their enemies and celebrated the first Purim in 3405 (356 BCE). So too, the decades of significant events that lead to the full redemption of our people, will also come together to form the Megilla of Geula...

Wednesday Mar 05, 2025
Wednesday Mar 05, 2025
Mordechai wasn't politically correct, but he saved the Jewish People from annihilation. There's nothing new under the sun. We see this with our own eyes how the battle between the liberal Jewish establishment's political correctness and the seemingly antiquated Torah sages that took place in Mordechai's time back in ancient Persia is still taking place right now in the USA and in Israel.

Monday Oct 21, 2024
Monday Oct 21, 2024
The body is responsible for natural functions whereas the soul is responsible for spiritual functions. Both fight for control of the emotions as we'll soon see. When the soul prevails, emotions gravitate to the right side of the heart but when the body prevails, the soul gravitates to the left. Wholeheartedness is perfect harmony between body and soul. The special day of Shmini Atzeret is conducive for just that.

Monday Oct 14, 2024
Monday Oct 14, 2024
Hashem is always with us, wherever we are. But there's a chance - once a year during Succoth - to be with Him. What's the difference? It's tremendously different when Hashem is with us in our domain than when we're with Him in His domain...

Sunday Oct 06, 2024
Sunday Oct 06, 2024
The mere idea of Yom Kippur is enough to raise the anxiety level of many people; that's because no one ever explained to them how Yom Kippur is the happiest day in the Jewish calendar. For real? Hear this.

Sunday Sep 22, 2024
Sunday Sep 22, 2024
Imagine that during Rosh Hashanah of last year, an angel world would suddenly appear and reveal everything that would happen this year. What would you do if you had advanced knowledge of the Hamas onslaught on Simchat Torah, the hostages and the impending war?

Sunday May 26, 2024
Sunday May 26, 2024
The first 32 days of the Omer obligate us to curtail joy and joyous occasions. Then comes the 33rd day, 18 Iyar, the anniversary (yahrtzeit) of Rebbe Shimon Bar Yochai's departure from the physical world. Everything turns completely around with singing, dancing, rejoicing and festive meals. What's behind all this?

Tuesday Apr 30, 2024
Tuesday Apr 30, 2024
During the Omer, Rebbe Akiva's 24,000 students died because they didn't properly respect one another. We still mourn them, almost 2,000 later, because we haven't yet corrected their sin. We're all still guilty of intramural hate. Do you know why? Let me explain, with an amazing story from over sixty years ago, about my father, of blessed memory...

Friday Apr 26, 2024
Friday Apr 26, 2024
The 210 years of exile and 116 years of slavery in Egypt ended with on the eve of the 15th of Nissan, 2448 in the Hebrew calendar. This was the year 1312 BCE. Hashem gave a most difficult command to the Israelites. Each family had to slaughter a lamb, which the Egyptians held sacred as their prime deity. This was an act of total dedication to the Almighty, where emuna had to prevail over logic and fear. Such dedication triggered the final exodus from Egypt, in a remarkable chain of events that we learn in todays lesson.

Thursday Apr 25, 2024
Thursday Apr 25, 2024
When Moses relayed Hashem's message of "Let My people go" to Pharaoh, the Egyptian monarch snarled back, "Who is Hashem that I should listen to Him? Besides, I've never heard of Hashem before" (Exodus 5:2). With such unprecedented insolence, Pharaoh was begging for punishment. The punishment came quickly. There were ten different plagues. Each one was a precise measure-for-measure response to the suffering that Pharaoh and the Egyptians meted out to the Israelites, as we see in today's lesson.

Thursday Apr 25, 2024
Thursday Apr 25, 2024
How did a fierce, proud and independent people like the Israelites fall into slavery in Egypt? Why did they have to suffer unspeakable atrocities? Here, in first of our 3-Part "Story of Passover," we gain a deeper appreciation of the Passover holiday and of true freedom.