Does Government Have a Spiritual Responsibility?

With the current war raging in Israel, the big question returns. Why is it that this region - more than anywhere else in the entire world - has had so many battles and fought so many wars over the last three millennia? From the beginning of Biblical times with the war over the land of Canaan and the land of Israel, to the wars waged by the Assyrians, Babylonians and the Romans (just to name a few), to the rise of the major religions, Judaism, Christianity and Islam battling over control of Jerusalem and the promised land - the Middle East is in a perpetual state of war.Today's war is nothing new. This doesn't diminish the tragedy, and the pain and suffering, but seeing this centuries-old pattern behooves us to retrace the steps and explore the history and the roots of these battles.Please join Rabbi Simon Jacobson in this eye-opening discussion and discover the underlying historical, religious and spiritual forces at work here. Recognizing the root of the issues will help us seek out sustainable and long-term solutions.

1 Helmi 202435min

What do Jews really think of gentiles? With Jews in the news yet again, dominating headlines as they so often do -- the war in Israel, rising antisemitism -- all the big timeless questions rise to the surface: Why is the world so obsessed with Jews? What are the roots of antisemitism? Why are Jews hated so much by some people, and respected by others? But a question that's less often asked is the other way around: what do Jews really think about non-Jews? Ostensibly, one would naturally expect that the Jews developed tremendous fear, animosity and hate toward the nations of the world due to the sheer extent of Jewish persecution perpetrated over the millennia -- expulsions, discrimination, violence, inquisitions, pogroms, and of course, the 20th century Holocaust. Can you imagine anyone not developing massive distrust of gentiles who have historically (with few exceptions) oppressed the Jews throughout history? Take the Holocaust, in which six million Jews were annihilated, with the world remaining mostly complicit through their silence. But is that really true? Do Jews hate gentiles? Do they look down at them? Antisemitic literature and media would sure have you believe that. (The fabricated Protocols of the Elders of Zion -- the most notorious and widely distributed antisemitic publication of modern times -- is one example). They cite Jewish texts, distorting them as derogatory quotes about non-Jews. But what is the meaning of some of these texts? And how about the concept of Jews being the "chosen people" -- does that suggest that gentiles are inferior? So what indeed is the true attitude of Jews to non-Jews? You may be surprised and even shocked by the answer. Please join Rabbi Simon Jacobson and discover what Jews really think about non-Jews -- very different from what you would expect. Learn some profound, counterintuitive truths, which will leave you with new and fresh hope, and a gameplan on how to build a unified and loving future -- with harmony between all human beings, Jews, gentiles and all peoples of the world.

25 Tammi 202446min

One of our greatest enemies is a silent enemy. It's called fear. Its power lies not in aggression, not in violence and not in sheer fire power. Its power lies in its inconspicuous and insidious ability to paralyze us; to hold us back and prevent us from moving forward.What effect does fear have on your life? And what can we do to counter it? Being that it's not an overt enemy you really can't measure its consequences in a tangible way. But how many decisions do we not make, how many moves do we not take and how many elements in our lives would be different if fear was not holding us back?The first step to taking control of fear is identifying this invisible enemy that is lurking in shadows. The second step is then confronting and countering it. This is especially relevant in today's volatile climate, in a world with so many unknowns and uncertainties. The wars being waged, the polarization in our society, and so many other shifting standards create a deep-seated disorientation due to the ever changing landscape. There are so many turbulent factors that are contributing to a certain unease, a disruption of norms and of constants you can rely on. Without these solid foundations in place in our lives, our collective and individual fear level only rises. Please join Rabbi Simon Jacobson in this very pertinent discussion on fear and its consequences. Discover the secret to identifying this silent enemy and explore tools and methods to conquer the fear, and free ourselves of its invisible tentacles -- and live a liberated life, with the courage to spread your wings and actualize your greatest potential.

18 Tammi 202429min

I was looking at aerial images of Gaza before and after October 7th. The sheer destruction, the tragedy, the shattered lives and losses that are all so senseless and such a waste. And I thought to myself, what is the root of it all? Why? Who needed this devastation?How could Hamas subject their own people to such utter ruin and destruction?The answer is one simple word: hatred. It all began with the tremendous potent power of hatred. Atrocities perpetrated against innocent men, women and children with such animosity. A hatred so deep that it actually celebrates the mutilation and the humiliation of other people. You suddenly see before your very eyes how utterly lethal hatred is when it takes over and consumes a person, or a group of people. It can do the worst possible things with the worst possible outcomes. Far worse than any fire and worse than any weapon can cause.This teaches us not only how to avoid hatred at all costs but also - and above all - how to embrace the antidote to hatred, which is love.Please join Rabbi Simon Jacobson in this relevant and critical discussion about the corrosive effects of hatred, as it consumes and destroys everything in its path. By delving into the heart of darkness, into the abyss, we can learn how to counter those toxic forces with enormous forces of positivity, light and love.

11 Tammi 202430min

The tremors and upheavals of 2023 are meant to lead to a new birth, to a new world. So as we enter this new year of 2024, what shape will this renewal take? What will this new world look like? An added, exhilarating element to this metamorphosis is that we - every single one of us - are very much active participants and partners in writing the script of this birth and renewal. Our actions and behavior will help define the unfolding drama, the  narrative and choreography of our future life. So we are compelled to ask ourselves - what will the new future look like? What should it look like? And what should we be doing to help actualize it? How can we harness and transform the wars, the battles, the pain, the grief and the tragedy that marked the last quarter of 2023 and turn it into a true rebirth - a future that we can be proud of? A future that would in some way "redeem" the darkness we are experiencing? It is up to us to determine that when time will tell the story and history will write the narrative we will be able to look back and say that the pain is a distant memory of the past, and in its stead here is the glorious world we built. Here is what we accomplished. Here is how we grew as individuals, as a community, a nation, and as a world.Please join Rabbi Simon Jacobson in this vital discussion on how to look ahead and discover a vision for tomorrow. Last week we closed the chapter on 2023 and this week we begin to write the new chapter of 2024 -- and of the future of our universe.

3 Tammi 202432min

As the curtain comes down on the year of 2023, we can headline it as the year of disruption. So many of our expected "norms" have been upended..In fact, the disruptions really began earlier in this millennium in so many different ways; in technology, in commerce, in politics, in geopolitical shifts etc. And of course, Covid. As we look back at the last two decades and connect the dots we can discern a developing pattern of accelerating disruptions.And indeed in this past year we are witness to the ongoing battles in Ukraine, hostilities with China and Iran, and now, in the last quarter of the year, the horrific atrocities of October 7th and the ensuing war in Israel and Gaza. The question is, where are we headed? What does this all mean? How are we to interpret these upheavals? Can we make sense of them? Can they be a precursor to a brighter future?Please join Rabbi Simon Jacobson and probe into the deeper forces at work behind this chaos. Discover how these disruptions and upheavals are actually tremors of a new world being born. The shivers preceding the eruption of a paradigm shift.

28 Joulu 202333min

How much of your personality has been shaped by others? By our parents - our genes and our DNA. By our environment, our homes, our families, our schooling, our education, our value systems and our social influences. The question is how much of your existing identity is really you and how much has been defined by others? Have you found your own voice, your unique purpose? Or have you never discovered it, or perhaps lost it along the way?This question is acutely amplified when faced with adversity. When we are attacked, we impulsively go on the defensive. But do we get defined by our enemies? Take for example, the natural defense mechanisms and immunity systems we build up to protect ourselves from predators. After sustained attacks, it's possible that in our fear of being hurt we develop such thick layers of protective armor, to the point of our own detriment, that we cannot distinguish between our armor and our inner identities. You have become the mask and the armor. Think about that: In addition to the initial pain caused by the abuser, you may have tragically become the ultimate victim -- perpetually defined by those who have threatened and hurt you. Instead of being your own person, you are then giving the perpetrator the power to dictate who you are. You will never be able to win against an enemy that continues to shape you and define who you are meant to be. It is critical to find yourself and not allow yourself to be defined by anything else in life. Please join Rabbi Simon Jacobson in this vital discussion and discover that while yes, there are factors that shape our lives, they DO NOT determine who we are. We need to face and fight our enemies, but it is critical that we not allow ourselves to be defined by them. Discover how to access the real you -- independent of all your surrounding circumstances -- and unleash its power in your life and in the world.

21 Joulu 202330min

Is there anything in life that is indestructible? We are mere mortals, finite creatures in a physical world where everything in existence seems to be impermanent. Things erode, deteriorate, and ultimately age and perish. That inner search for eternity, for immorality - is that just a fantasy or is it indeed possible? Chanukah teaches us the secret to immortality, the indestructible power of light that turns the finite infinite and the ordinary extraordinary. Please join Rabbi Simon Jacobson as we learn how to access that light within ourselves and within the world around us. Especially now, in dark times, finding that indestructible power of light is needed more than ever.

14 Joulu 202330min