The Shmuz

A Short Shmuz on Succos: Just Ask for Mercy

What happens when you don't have a good argument for why Hashem should say yes? Rabbi Shafier reveals one of the most powerful ideas behind tefillah: we don't always have

The Shmuz on Succos: Elusive Happiness

The Torah tells us to be happy on Yom Tov. But how can you be commanded to feel something? Rabbi Shafier reveals that the key to simchas Yom Tov isn't pretending to be ha

The Ushpizin: Breaking the Forces of Habit

Every night of Succos, we welcome the Ushpizin into our sukkah. But what can these great figures teach us about the way we live? Through a fascinating question about Yaak

The Teshuvah Shmuz 324: A Diamond with a Flaw

Yom Kippur: The Voice Inside Your Head

Not every thought that pops into your head deserves to be believed. Rabbi Shafier takes you inside the battle with the Yetzer Hara, revealing how it can make the wrong ch

Yom Kippur: Finding the Real You

Why is it so easy to see what everyone else is doing wrong, yet so difficult to recognize our own mistakes? Rabbi Shafier reveals one of the most powerful tricks of the h

Yom Kippur: Appreciating and Achieving Greatness

You put on tefillin. You hold back one piece of lashon hara. You say one tefillah with real kavana. It can feel like such a small thing. But what if the true impact of th

Yom Kippur: Start Talking

You've decided what needs to change. You've made a plan. You're determined that this time will be different. So why do we so often find ourselves right back where we star

Understanding Your Purpose on Yom Kippur

Yom Kippur isn't only about looking back at what you've done wrong. It's also an opportunity to look forward and ask a much bigger question: Am I becoming the person I'm

How to Make this Yom Kippur Meaningful, Powerful and Inspiring

What if the real question on Yom Kippur isn't only what you've done wrong, but what you've done with your life? Rabbi Shafier explains that each of us was given a unique

The Shmuz on the Parsha: Ha'azinu

Is there anything you've done that is simply too big to undo? Any mistake that puts you beyond the reach of teshuvah? In this powerful shmuz, Rabbi Shafier explores the e

Shmuz #233 The Rosh Hashanah Shmuz

How should you feel on Rosh Hashanah? Joyful that Hashem is revealing Himself as King, or frightened by the knowledge that your future is being decided? In this powerful

The Shmuz #322 The Greatness of Man (Elul Shmuz)

In a world that constantly tells us our worth is defined by success, status, or social standing, Shmuz 322: The Greatness of Man delivers a powerful reality check: what i

The Shmuz on the Parsha: Nitzavim Vayelech

What would change if you truly felt that Hashem was right there with you? We know Hashem is everywhere, yet turning that knowledge into something we actually experience i

Shmuz 321: Bitachon and Histadlus (Elul Shmuz)

The Shmuz on the Parsha: Ki Seitzei: The Greatness of Man

What if you truly understood how much you matter? The Torah gives us a picture of the human being that is far greater than most of us imagine, with every mitzvah, every c

Shmuz - 319 - The Nefesh HaBehami

Have you ever wondered why you can feel deeply inspired one moment, only to struggle with the exact opposite feeling a short time later? That contradiction is built into

The Shmuz on the Parsha: Shoftim: The Tiny Giant Called "I"

You want to be confident...but not arrogant. You want to work on your personal development, but cheshbon hanefesh is demoralizing. You know Hashem gave you talents and ab

The Marriage Seminar - Part 13: A Chosson's Guide (Only for Men)

Every smart young couple starts their marriage with the same dreams, goals and ideals. They’re one hundred percent sure that they will live in married bliss forever. Unt

The Shmuz on the Parsha: Re'eh

Finding Happiness in a World That Always Wants More We're surrounded by messages telling us we need more. A bigger house, a newer car, nicer clothes, the latest gadget.