Best Rabbi David Lapin Podcasts (2025)

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Shevuot 40b Good Character is Innate – אין אדם מעיז פניו 18:10

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15d ago18:10

18:10

In some areas we are expected to master and overcome our natural urges. But there are areas, the areas of basic human character, where virtue is innate – we simply need to nurture and develop it. Source SheetBy Rabbi David Lapin

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Shevuot 37a When Image Becomes a Mask – קרבן אשם לשבועת הפיקדון 19:24

19d ago19:24

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When using Hashem as a strategy to gain trust which is then broken, the transgression is not just monetary, but one of faith as well Source SheetBy Rabbi David Lapin

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Shevuot 36a What we Imply is Also a Statement -מכלל לאו אתה שומע הן 19:07

19d ago19:07

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We need to be mindful not only of what we say but also of what our words imply, even if not said Source SheetBy Rabbi David Lapin

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Shevuot 35a-b Empathy and Grace - ליכא מידי אחריני דנקרא רחום וחנון 18:40

20d ago18:40

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The synthesis of empathy and grace applies to Hashem uniquely Source SheetBy Rabbi David Lapin

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Shevuot 34b and 41b Memory - מלתא דלא רמיא עליה 18:22

21d ago18:22

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How much we remember or whether we remember at all, depends on the responsibility we have to remember and the degree to which we are intentional about remembering Source SheetBy Rabbi David Lapin

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Shevuot 30a Be Judgmental - הוי דן את חבירך לכף זכות 18:20

26d ago18:20

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The Torah goes much further than requiring us to not be judgmental. The Torah wants us to make positive assumptions about the actions and intentions of others wherever possible. This is both a law, and a strategy for successful relationships Source SheetBy Rabbi David Lapin

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Shevuot 29a Perspectives and Truth - שבועת שוא ושקר 17:54

26d ago17:54

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Everything we see is a perspective, not the Truth." – Marcus Aurelius. Is this true according to Torah? Source SheetBy Rabbi David Lapin

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Shevuot 28a Being Human - האדם בשבוע 16:47

27d ago16:47

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Being human means being conscious and aware not only of what we do but also of the consequences of what we do Source SheetBy Rabbi David Lapin

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Shevuot 27a When it is Right to Do Wrong- נשבע להרע לעצמו 18:39

28d ago18:39

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Life is seldom black and white. Even in matters of moral values, there are times we need to prioritize one value over others. In Halacha is also nuanced and at times we must prioritize one halacha over another. How we prioritize values and halacha is a skill we develop through the learning of Gemara. Source Sheet…

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Shevuot 26b Write or Speak - מוצא שפתיך תשמור 17:06

29d ago17:06

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A thought that is articulated carries with it a powerful energy that a thought alone lacks. A written thought carries a similar energy, but lacks the communication nuances that the oral word has Source SheetBy Rabbi David Lapin

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Shevuot 23b Cannot vs May Not - יראת שמים ויראת חטא 16:39

1M ago16:39

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There is a qualitative difference between things we cannot do because they go against our nature or against the laws of nature, and things we can do but may not. However, is this difference in our minds or is it a difference in reality? Source SheetBy Rabbi David Lapin

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Shevuot 22b The Moral Authority of Logic - איבעית אימא סברא 21:24

1M ago21:24

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We assume that a clear imperative of the Torah carries the highest moral authority. Yet this may not be so: rational human logic carries an even higher authority and underpins the authority of the Torah Source SheetBy Rabbi David Lapin

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Shevuot 21a Forging G-d’s Signature - בית דין של מעלה אין מנקין אותו 17:17

1M ago17:17

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Forging G-d’s “signature” to authenticate a lie undermines the very essence of Truth Source SheetBy Rabbi David Lapin

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Shevuot 20a Contextual Interpretation - במסרבין בו לאכול 19:14

1M ago19:14

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As in the case of Nedarim, in Shevuot the precise meaning of the language used is critically important. Nevertheless, Abaye teaches us, context can provide a very different interpretation of an individual’s intention Source SheetBy Rabbi David Lapin

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Shevuot 19a Avoiding OCD in Halacha - שני שבילין 20:02

1M ago20:02

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The stakes in Halacha are high. The consequences of committing an aveira (wrongdoing), even in error, are serious. However, Halacha magnificently builds mechanisms to avoid people developing OCD over the fear of possibly having committed an aveira. Source SheetBy Rabbi David Lapin

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Shevuot 16b What is the Shechina - משכן ומקדש 18:11

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Source SheetBy Rabbi David Lapin

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Shevuot 14b -15a Education on Purpose - עבודתן מחנכתן 18:34

1M ago18:34

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Education is the process of bringing out the potential an individual already has for a particular talent or characteristic Source SheetBy Rabbi David Lapin

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Shevuot 14b Knowledge and Reality - נעלם ממנו מקום מקדש 18:42

1M ago18:42

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This sugiya explores the difference in consciousness between theoretical knowledge and one’s living reality Source SheetBy Rabbi David Lapin

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Shevuot 12b-13a Yom Kippur Afternoon - יום הכפורים מכפר 15:18

1M ago15:18

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By the time we reach Yom Kippur afternoon, our Kapara (Atonement) is complete. The remainder of the day our focus pivots from healing self to healing others and to the universe we might have contaminated with our actions. Source SheetBy Rabbi David Lapin

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Shevuot 5a The Subconscious - ונעלם 21:23

2M ago21:23

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Normally a shogeig (unintentional action) means that at the time of the action we had no knowledge that what we were ding was wrong. In the case of שגגת טומאת מקדש וקדשיו the un intentionality that triggers the obligation to bring a קרבן עולה ויורד, requires a measure of subconscious knowledge that the action was wrong. We explore the nature of sub…

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Shevuot 4a Contradictions in Halacha - ומשנה לא זזה ממקומה 20:22

2M ago20:22

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Halacha is a living process. Poskim (halachik decisors), like all of us, are works in progress. Their decisions at a given time are snapshots of their evolution at that time. Their later opinions, when different from earlier ones, do not invalidate the reasoning of these earlier opinions which remain a part of our halachik canon. Source Sheet…

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Shevuot 2a Overture_ What is an Oath - סדר ישועות 20:41

2M ago20:41

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Universally, oaths are taken seriously as a way of assuring facts in the future and establishing facts in the past. This is because the idea of oaths is a natural law built into the creation Source SheetBy Rabbi David Lapin

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Makkot 23b Finale_Reward, Sanctity and Freedom - רצה הקבה לזכות את ישראל 21:10

2M ago21:10

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ר' חנניא בן עקשיא אומר: רצה הקדוש ברוך הוא לזכות את ישראל לפיכך הרבה להם תורה ומצות, שנאמר: ה' חפץ למען צדקו יגדיל תורה ויאדיר Source SheetBy Rabbi David Lapin

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Makkot 21b-22a Deconstructing Complexity - יש חורש תלם אחד 16:50

2M ago16:50

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The value of an object, action or idea is a function of the number and complexity of its individual components. Connoisseurs appreciate this. Source SheetBy Rabbi David Lapin

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Makkot 20b Gender Differences_ Appearance and Behavior - לא ילבש 22:13

2M ago22:13

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Gender confusion is initiated not only by cross-dressing and make-up, but also by cross-gender behavior Source SheetBy Rabbi David Lapin

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Makkot 18b Prosperity and Sacrifice - ביכורים הנחה מעכבת 21:51

2M ago21:51

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National prosperity is a blessing from Hashem that is conditional on the sacrifices that individuals make. Source SheetBy Rabbi David Lapin

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Makkot 17a Wholeness - בריה 18:57

2M ago18:57

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When the Torah names something not as a description of a commodity but as the definition of a specific object’s wholeness, it becomes a “beriah”, something whose identity is complete and cannot be adulterated. Source SheetBy Rabbi David Lapin

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Makkot 16a Awareness - התראה 21:07

2M ago21:07

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Doing something by mistake (שוגג) and doing it intentionally (מזיד) are two points on a single spectrum of awareness. Full awareness of what one is doing creates the conditions for a מזיד; anything less than full awareness already moves the dial in the direction of שוגג. The purpose of warning (התראה) is to raise awareness to the maximum level. Sou…

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Makkot 15b Educating vs Intimidating - התראת ספק 18:20

2M ago18:20

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Just as in the Torah, the purpose of Azhara is to educate us in values not to threaten us with punishment, so too hatra’ah (warning) is to educate the person about the consequences of his actions, not to intimidate him with fear. Source SheetBy Rabbi David Lapin

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Makkot 13-14b Growth and Discomfort - אזהרה מנין 19:05

2M ago19:05

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How we respond to resistance determines our growth. Growth happens when we resist the forces of nature; and with resistance comes discomfort. Sometimes we choose our areas of resistance and embrace them. At other times resistance is imposed upon us. Source SheetBy Rabbi David Lapin

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Makkot 11a How Hashgacha (Destiny) Really Works - שהיה להם לבקש רחמים 17:24

2M ago17:24

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Experts expound on why various things happen. In reality they are explaining how they happen but not why they happen. The why is far too complex for the human mind to grasp. Source SheetBy Rabbi David Lapin

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Makkot 10a Character Counts - תלמיד שאינו הגון 21:11

2M ago21:11

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Teaching torah to an individual of poor character is high risk – both to Torah and to the teacher. Source SheetBy Rabbi David Lapin

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Makkot 9a Common Decency - שהיה לו ללמוד דרך ארץ 16:22

2M ago16:22

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Why is common decency not so common at all? Is decency, derech erettz, innate or learned? Source SheetBy Rabbi David Lapin

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Makkot 8a Tradition – יש אם למסורת (ב) 20:16

2M ago20:16

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Sometimes, the tradition handed down to us, requires a less literal interpretation of a text. Provided the text can be applied to the traditional interpretation, tradition trumps literalness. Source SheetBy Rabbi David Lapin

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Makkot 7a Judgement - אי אפשר דלא יכחיש אחד מהם את חבירו 16:01

2M ago16:01

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Even reported facts and established stats can often be unreliable. Judgement is an intuitive balance of facts, statistics and reasonable assumptions. Source SheetBy Rabbi David Lapin

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Makkot 4b We Don’t do Leftovers - לאו הניתק לעשה 19:01

2M ago19:01

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Mostly an active transgression of a Torah law entails punishment, but there are times when the transgression can be unwound thereby removing the need for punishment. Source SheetBy Rabbi David Lapin

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Makkot 3a Self-Incrimination - באומר עדות שקר העדתי 18:09

3M ago18:09

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Once evidence is accepted in Beit Din it creates a new reality that cannot be undone except by Hazzama. Source SheetBy Rabbi David Lapin

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Makkot 2 a-b Skin in the Game - עדות שאתה יכול להזימה 18:35

3M ago18:35

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To truly trust what an individual says, he or she need to have “skin in the game”; they must be at risk in the event that their statements are false. Source SheetBy Rabbi David Lapin

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Sanhedrin 113a The Power of One - עיר שיש בה אפילו מזוזה אחת 18:46

3M ago18:46

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Never underestimate the power of a single, ordinary individual doing a single “ordinary” action, to have extraordinary impact on masses of people. Source SheetBy Rabbi David Lapin

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Sanhedrin 111b-112a Seeing the Invisible - מי גרם להם שידורו בתוכה 14:52

3M ago14:52

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Our physical eye only sees beauty and ugliness on the surface. The eyes of our soul can see beneath the surface. Source SheetBy Rabbi David Lapin

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Sanhedrin 109a Science and Faith- נבנה מגדל ונעלה לרקיע 17:54

3M ago17:54

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Science is simply the discovery of Hashem’s ways, it is part of knowing Hashem. The challenge to faith is not from science but from the secular world view that naturally accompanies it. This secular world view of science and technology originates in the story of the Tower of Babel. Source SheetBy Rabbi David Lapin

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Sanhedrin 108a The Preservation of Nature - אם אדם חטא בהמה מה חטאה 18:06

3M ago18:06

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Our stewardship of nature goes beyond protecting the environment from physical destruction. We are also stewards of the environment’s moral and spiritual quality. Source SheetBy Rabbi David Lapin

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Sanhedrin 107a-b Beauty in Appropriateness - בעא אברהם רחמי דליהווי ביה זקנה 20:15

3M ago20:15

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When contemporary society’s view of aesthetics is different from the Torah’s we need to notice the gap and realign our own sensitivities to the Torah’s. When it comes to beauty, the Torah appreciates context and appropriateness Source SheetBy Rabbi David Lapin

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Sanhedrin 106a Why Protest - איוב ששתק נידון ביסורין 13:49

3M ago13:49

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The reason to protest in defense of others or of moral principle is not for the impact of the protests, but because of their humanity. Source SheetBy Rabbi David Lapin

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Sanhedrin 105b The Pleasure of Learning - שמתוך שלא לשמה 19:03

3M ago19:03

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Although when mitzvot are done for impure motivations, their power is less, this does not apply to one who studies Torah and finds immense pleasure in his learning. Source SheetBy Rabbi David Lapin

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Sanhedrin 101a Song - עושה אותו כמין זמר 20:40

3M ago20:40

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Should the words of Tanach, which are Kodesh, be used as lyrics for Jewish rock music? Source SheetBy Rabbi David Lapin

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Sanhedrin 100b Don't Worry - דאגה בלב איש 19:58

3M ago19:58

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Managing anxiety requires that we distinguish between the words awe (יראה), fear (פחד) and worry (דאגה). Awe is a mitzva, fear is an instinct and worry is a choice. Source SheetBy Rabbi David Lapin

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Sanhedrin 99b It's All or Nothing - לא איבעי להו לרחקה 19:45

3M ago19:45

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We often assume that something good cannot cause evil, but in the case of the Torah this is not always true. When torah is studied not in accordance with its rules, its results can be disastrous Source SheetBy Rabbi David Lapin

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Sanhedrin 88b Fundamentalism Is The Root of Dissension - רבו מחלוקת בישראל 16:42

3M ago16:42

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Fundamentalism develops when people focus on the details of the Law without understanding its deeper intention, meaning and spirit. The greater people’s understanding of underlying principles the more they can find common ground and respect one another’s opinions. Source SheetBy Rabbi David Lapin

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Sanhedrin 84b Physician Liability - מכה אדם לרפואה פטור 21:43

4M ago21:43

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When physician treats a patient, s/he is doing a Mitzva and any mistake he makes, even if fatal does not obligate him legally or morally (provided he wasn’t careless). Source SheetBy Rabbi David Lapin