Begin exploring
today’s
biggest Jewish
questions…
×
DovBer Pinson: The Jewish People’s Path of Teshuva
We speak with Rabbi DovBer Pinson about how we can rethink teshuva in light of the challenges we face today.
Summary
This series is sponsored by Mira and Daniel Stokar.
In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we speak with Rabbi DovBer Pinson—a scholar, author, teacher, and spiritual mentor—about how we can rethink teshuva in light of the challenges we face today.
In this episode we discuss:
- What is the difference between “lower” and “higher” teshuva?
- How should the Jewish world recalibrate in the face of the recent rise in antisemitism?
- How can we learn to be better at loving the Jewish People, including the Jews with whom we have severe disagreements?
Tune in to hear a conversation about what it means to return to our eternality in a rapidly changing world.
Interview begins at 8:40.
Rav DovBer Pinson is a world-renowned rabbi, scholar, author, teacher, and spiritual mentor. Through his books, lectures, and seminars he has touched and inspired the lives of thousands the world over. Rav Pinson is the Rosh Kolel of the IYYUN Yeshiva/Kolel, Marah D’asra of 84 Viola, and heads The IYYUN/CHABAD Center in Brownstone Brooklyn, New York.
Topics (Produced by Sofer.AI):
Podcast introduction and theme — 0:14
Meeting Rav DovBer Pinson and his impact — 3:51
Life as a text: looking for confluence — 7:00
Introducing the discussion on teshuva — 8:42
Lower vs. higher levels of teshuva — 10:27
Diaspora, Israel connection, and shifting Jewish identity — 12:34
Specific focus of teshuva for the Orthodox Jew — 16:00
Modern identity collapse and reclaiming self — 17:29
Agency and free choice in Judaism — 19:20
Five dimensions of reality in Sefer Yetzirah — 20:23
Orthodox world lagging by fifty years — 22:25
Time vs. space: Mishnah acronym insight — 23:57
Worries about Orthodox commitment and packaging — 26:05
Yeshiva world as a train without an engine — 28:59
Subconscious communication across Jewish communities — 30:29
Peripheral origins vs. established Hasidic families — 31:49
Understanding the relationship with the Land of Israel — 32:51
Israel as a nation vs. a people — 34:05
Collective awareness of shared destiny — 36:16
Yeshiva League analogy and need for new language — 37:31
Taking personal responsibility for all Israel — 41:36
Tension between love for Jews and love for humanity — 43:03
Unity of Torah, God, and Israel — 45:48
Yeshiva learning without a structured curriculum — 47:37
Rebbe’s vision: every Jew as a shaliach — 49:43
Mission of Judaism beyond meritocracy — 54:22
Hope expressed in the daily prayer — 57:17
Jewish calendar holds a Guinness record — 59:08
Personal struggle with criticism over gay Jews — 60:13
Pain from establishment and public backlash — 61:21
Seeking trusted guidance to navigate criticism — 65:53
Personal teshuva: reconciling with critics — 68:53
Humility as source of creative innovation — 71:06
Current crisis as catalyst for collective change — 73:11
The Torah of the moment: Messiah and presence — 74:50
Books that pose good questions — 75:51
Future vision: every day becomes a holiday — 77:48
Great-grandfather lineage in Chabad scholarship — 80:00
Balancing Talmudic study with Chassidic heart — 81:43
Fascination with French Jewry of the 12th century — 82:54
Personal sleep schedule post-COVID — 84:16
Facing personal criticism and baggage — 90:11
Uniting through the Jewish community — 92:27
For more 18Forty:
NEWSLETTER: 18forty.org/join
CALL: (212) 582-1840
EMAIL: info@18forty.org
WEBSITE: 18forty.org
IG: @18forty
X: @18_fortyWhatsApp: join here
References
18Forty Podcast: “Haym Soloveitchik: How Modernity Changed Our Relationship to God”
18Forty Podcast: “Zohar Atkins: Between Philosophy and Torah”
Recommended Podcasts
podcast
Mendel Horowitz: A Good Enough Elul
We talk to Mendel Horowitz, who introduces us to the notion of having a “good-enough Elul.”
podcast
Shlomo Pill: When a Rabbi Doctor Struggles With Addiction
We talk to Rabbi Shlomo Pill about how Torah and teshuva have helped him handle his struggle with addiction.
podcast
Child & Parental Alienation: Keeping Families Together
In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we discuss parental alienation.
podcast
Liel Leibovitz and Lisa Ann Sandell: When A Spouse Finds Faith
In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Liel Leibovitz and Lisa Ann Sandell about what happens when one partner wants to increase their religious practice.
podcast
Lizzy Savetsky: Becoming a Jewish Influencer and Israel Advocate
In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Lizzy Savetsky, who went from a career in singing and fashion to being a Jewish activist and influencer, about her work advocating for Israel online.
podcast
When a Parent Becomes Estranged
In this episode, we talk to a father and daughter who were estranged and then reunited.
podcast
Rav Moshe Weinberger: Can Mysticism Become a Community?
In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we sit down with Rav Moshe Weinberger, rabbi and educator, to discuss the role of mysticism in modern-day Judaism.
podcast
Berel Leib Epstein: Why Be a Believer?
We talk to Berel Leib Epstein about rational reasons to choose to believe in Judaism and live a Jewish life.
podcast
Joey Rosenfeld: Can Mysticism Heal Us?
In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we sit down with Joey Rosenfeld, social worker and kabbalist, to talk about the differences between mysticism and rationalism and the roles they should play in our lives.
podcast
Why 1840?
In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we sit down for a special podcast with our host, David Bashevkin, to discuss the podcast’s namesake, the year 1840.
podcast
Eli Rubin: ‘The Arizal was the first herald of modernity’
Rabbi Dr. Eli Rubin joins us to discuss how Jewish mysticism changed modernity.
podcast
Frieda Vizel: How the World Misunderstands Hasidic Jewry
In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Frieda Vizel—a formerly Satmar Jew who makes educational content about Hasidic life—about her work presenting Hasidic Williamsburg to the outside world, and vice-versa.
podcast
Michael Eisenberg: Iran, USA, Israel: What Comes Next
We talk to Michael Eisenberg about the state of the Jewish People in Israel and the diaspora.
podcast
Einat Wilf: ‘Jews Are Never Allowed To Win, and Arabs Are Never Allowed to Lose’
The true enemy in Israel’s current war, Einat Wilf says, is what she calls “Palestinianism.”
podcast
Aron Moss: ‘The term religious doesn’t really exist in Judaism’
Rabbi Aron Moss joins us to discuss centrality of free will and modern-day accessibility to Jewish mysticism.
podcast
Dr. Ora Wiskind: How do you Read a Mystical Text?
In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we sit down with Dr. Ora Wiskind, professor and author, to discuss her life journey, both as a Jew and as an academic, and her attitude towards mysticism.
podcast
The Dardik Family: A Child Moves Away From Zionism
In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Judah, Naomi, and Aharon Akiva Dardik—an olim family whose son went to military jail for refusing to follow to IDF orders and has since become a ceasefire activist at Columbia University—about sticking together as a family despite their fundamental differences.
podcast
Moshe and Asher Weinberger: Heart of the Fire: Together Even with Small Differences
In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Rav Moshe Weinberger, Rebbe of Kehillas Aish Kodesh and his son Asher, CEO of Swimply.
podcast
Shais Taub: Teshuva of Innocence and Experience
On this episode of 18Forty, we have a wide ranging conversation with Shais Taub, a renowned Chabad scholar and author of the book God of Our Understanding: Jewish Spirituality and Recovery from Addition, about the mechanics of teshuva.
podcast
Benny Morris: ‘We should have taken Rafah at the start’
Leading Israeli historian Benny Morris answers 18 questions on Israel, including Gaza, Palestinian-Israeli peace prospects, morality, and so much more.
podcast
Yussie Zakutinsky: ‘God is as much part of this world as He was before Creation’
Rabbi Yussie Zakutinsky explains how humility and love of other Jews are markers of true mystical direction.
podcast
Yehoshua Pfeffer: ‘The army is not ready for real Haredi participation’
Rabbi Yehoshua Pfeffer answers 18 questions on Israel, including the Haredi draft, Israel as a religious state, Messianism, and so much more.
podcast
Haviv Rettig Gur: ‘Hamas is upset the death toll in Gaza isn’t higher’
Haviv answers 18 questions on Israel.
podcast
Leah Forster: Of Comedy and Community
In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, David sits down with Leah Forster, a world-famous ex-Hasidic comedian, to talk about how her journey has affected her comedy.
Recommended Articles
Essays
I’m a Psychodynamic Therapist. Here’s What That Means.
Psychodynamic therapy is not for everyone. But for those who dare, it can change everything.
Essays
Can Halacha Address Gvir Culture?
What can Jewish law teach us about wealth, peer pressure, and communal responsibility? Two sources point in opposite directions.
Essays
3 Arguments for God’s Existence
Perhaps the most fundamental question any religious believer can ask is: “Does God exist?” It’s time we find good answers.
Essays
A Letter to Children Estranged From Their Parents
Children cannot truly avoid the consequences of estrangement. Their parents’ shadow will always follow.
Essays
Who Gets to Say What Torah Means?
In Parshat Shoftim, the Torah confronts a question that still challenges Jews today: Who gets to decide what Torah means?
Essays
A Letter to Parents of Intergenerational Divergees
Children don’t come with guarantees. Washing machines come with guarantees.
Essays
Ma Lecha Nirdam? How Selichot Wake Us Up
It takes great courage to wake up each day throughout the year and face the day’s challenges. It takes even greater courage…
Essays
Diving Into The World of Mysticism
Joy and meaning can be found not only despite the brokenness, but even because of the brokenness.
Essays
A Brief History of Jewish Mysticism
To talk about the history of Jewish mysticism is in many ways to talk about the history of the mystical community.
Essays
What Ki Teitzei Teaches Us About the Morality of War
When the reservist hears Ki Teitzei this Shabbat, he confronts a question about what the Torah demands of an army.
Essays
(What) Do Jews Believe About the Afterlife?
Christianity’s focus on the afterlife historically discouraged Jews from discussing it—but Jews very much believe in it.
Essays
Why Is Meir Kahane Making a Comeback Among Orthodox Jews?
Israeli minister Itamar Ben-Gvir wears the mantle of Kahane in Israel. Many Orthodox Jews welcomed him with open arms.
Essays
How the Lubavitcher Rebbe Teaches Us to Transcend Ourselves
I consider the Rebbe to be my personal teacher, and I find this teaching particularly relevant for us now.
Essays
Between Modern Orthodoxy and Religious Zionism: At Home as an Immigrant
My family made aliyah over a decade ago. Navigating our lives as American immigrants in Israel is a day-to-day balance.
Essays
Rav Tzadok of Lublin on History and Halacha
Rav Tzadok held fascinating views on the history of rabbinic Judaism, but his writings are often cryptic and challenging to understand. Here’s…
Recommended Videos
videos
Jonathan Rosenblum Answers 18 Questions on the Haredi Draft, Netanyahu, and a Religious State
Talking about the “Haredi community” is a misnomer, Jonathan Rosenblum says, and simplifies its diversity of thought and perspectives. A Yale-trained lawyer…
videos
Intergenerational Divergence
videos
Teshuva
videos
A Vulnerable Conversation About Shame, Selfhood, & Authenticity with Shais Taub & David Bashevkin
In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we speak with Shais Taub, the rabbi behind the organization SoulWords, about shame, selfhood, and…
videos
Why Be a Believer?
We talk to author and theoretical physicist Berel Leib Epstein about rational reasons to choose to believe in Judaism and live a…
videos
18Forty: Exploring Big Questions (An Introduction)
18Forty is a new media company that helps users find meaning in their lives through the exploration of Jewish thought and ideas.…
videos
Jewish Peoplehood
What is Jewish peoplehood? In a world that is increasingly international in its scope, our appreciation for the national or the tribal…
videos
Moshe Benovitz: Why Religious Change Doesn’t Always Last
In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, recorded live at Stern College, we speak with Rabbi Moshe Benovitz, director of NCSY Kollel,…
videos
Why Naftuli Moster Left Haredi Education Activism
We speak with Naftuli Moster about how and why he changed his understanding of the values imparted by Judaism.
videos
Moshe Weinberger: ‘The Jewish People are God’s shofar’
In order to study Kabbalah, argues Rav Moshe Weinberger, one must approach it with humility.
videos
The Five Questions
What is the Zohar — and why has it captivated mystics, scholars, and seekers for nearly a thousand years?
videos
The Hasidic Rebbe Who Left it All — And Then Returned
Why did this Hasidic Rebbe move from Poland to Israel, only to change his name, leave religion, and disappear to Los Angeles?
videos
Torah Study and ChatGPT: How Should Jewish Education Respond to AI?
On this 18Forty panel, we speak with Alex Jakubowski of Lightning Studios, Sara Wolkenfeld of Sefaria, and Ari Lamm of BZ Media…
videos
Julia Senkfor & Cameron Berg: Does AI Have an Antisemitism Problem?
In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast—recorded at the 18Forty X ASFoundation AI Summit—we speak with ASF’s Julia Senkfor and AI researcher…