Simcha Feuerman

Psychology, Torah and the Daf Yomi

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Mar 23, 2025, 3:48 PM

Perspectives and Poisonous Routes

101 The Power of Perspective: Broad vs. Narrow Thinking Our Gemara on Amud Beis discusses a verse in Mishlei (15:15): “All the days of a poor man are wretched, but a man who is of good heart will be in a constant...

Mar 16, 2025, 1:33 PM

Marshmallows, Money, and Mazal…and More Sanhedrin 92-97

92 Marshmallows, Money, and Mazal: When Patience Pays—And When It Doesn’t Our Gemara on amud aleph discusses the various virtues and benefits of wisdom: And Rabbi Elazar says: Any person in whom there is knowledge, in the end, becomes wealthy, as it...

Mar 9, 2025, 7:10 AM

Stealing Hearts and Souls: Biblical Theft and Parental Alienation Sanhedrin 85

85 Stealing Hearts and Souls: From Biblical Theft to Parental Alienation Our Mishna on Amud Beis discusses the penalty for kidnapping, which can be the death penalty. The Mishna even considers an opinion that a father could be liable for kidnapping,...

Mar 3, 2025, 3:54 PM

Mistaken Identities and Marital Mysteries: Sanhedrin 79

79 Mistaken Identities and Marital Mysteries: When Who You See Is Who You Get Continuing the discussion of indirect or less intentional forms of murder, our Gemara examines a dispute regarding a case where one intends to kill one person but...

Feb 25, 2025, 5:40 PM

The Forbidden Fruit: A Tale of Lovesickness, True Love and More Sanhedrin 75-76

75 The Forbidden Fruit: A Tale of Lovesickness, Pleasure, and the Loss of Temple Bliss On Amud Aleph, the Gemara discusses a fascinating story about a man who was stricken with lovesickness. The physicians assessed that if he was unable to...

Feb 23, 2025, 6:11 AM

The Grass is Always Greener…on the Pagan Side? and More Sanhedrin 67-68

67 The Grass is Always Greener… on the Pagan Side? Our Gemara on Amud Aleph describes the actions and words that the Inciter (to commit idolatry) must say in order to be liable for the death penalty. An example is how...

Feb 18, 2025, 5:49 PM

How Desire Becomes Doctrine and Don’t Be A Fool Sanhedrin 63-65

63 How Desire Becomes Doctrine Our Gemara on Amud Beis offers an insight into what truly motivated the Jews to engage in idolatry—an insight that remains relevant in our times as well. Even though explicit idolatry is much less prevalent today,...

Feb 17, 2025, 4:06 AM

Mob Psychology and Accidental Heresy Sanhedrin 61-62

61 Mob Psychology and Courageous Dissent Our Gemara on amud beis discusses the halacha regarding one who incites others to sin through idolatry. There appears to be a contradiction between two teachings. One teaching suggests that merely verbally accepting the inciter’s...

Feb 16, 2025, 1:58 PM

Mis-Trans-Lation and Gender Reassignment Surgery Sanhedrin 55

55 Rabbenu Chananel, Wokeness, “Trans”-Lation, and Sex-Reassignment Surgery Our Gemara notes a textual anomaly in the verse that discusses sodomy (Vayikra 18:22): The Hebrew term used is “Mishkave Isha,” which suggests plural, as in multiple forms of laying together. Therefore, the...

Feb 2, 2025, 7:14 AM

Love-Bombing God and More Sanhedrin 52-54

52 Love-Bombing God Our Gemara discusses the sudden and mysterious death of the sons of Aharon, who were consumed by a heavenly fire. This fire is described as burning their souls but leaving their bodies untouched. The verse (Vayikra 10:1) attributes this...

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About Me

Rabbi, Psychotherapist with 30 years experience specializing in high conflict couples and families.

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