Set Apart

Our thoughts and prayers go out to everyone who was affected by the tragedy at Mount Meron on Lag BaOmer last week.

In times like this, those in the diaspora may feel especially helpless regarding their fellow Jews on the other side of the world. While prayer always helps, some also want to contribute financially to the cause. Money is being raised through United Hatzalah to try to provide care for those who remain injured and in need of help. Check out the organization’s donation page if you want to contribute.

This week on the show we’ll be discussing the role of belief in Judaism, guided by the Rambam’s 13 Principles of Faith.

The 13 Principles are the most popular statement of Jewish faith ever conceived, but have not been without controversy. We’ll discuss why on the show.

In the meantime, if you want to read the principles straight from the Rambam himself, the Maimonides Heritage Center has a free PDF of his Introduction to Perek Helek (skip to page 17 if you just want to read the principles).

This week on the show we’ll be discussing the commandment to honor our parents. One of the difficult parts of keeping this mitzvah is finding ways to honor parents who are, quite frankly, just bad at parenting. While we will discuss this on the show, Rabbi Manis Friedman has also put out a good video on the subject.

Hopefully those who are in need of a little bit of extra help on this one will find the video and show informative.

The season of Pesach is upon us, and this week we’ll look at one of the most enduring symbols of the holiday.

Much is made of the lamb and the use of its blood in the Passover story. But what’s the point of it all? Is this just one of these weird Bible stories that only made sense to primitive man, or is there more to it? There is! Tune in this week to hear the full story of the Passover lamb, and how the clues we need to figure it out can all be found directly in the scriptures.

By the way, if you’ve waited until the last minute and your local store is all out of matzah, never fear! PJ Library has a quick and easy recipe available so you can make your own.

While it’s normal for everyone to feel worried once in a while, anxiety has spread like wildfire throughout North America, and it seems to be disproportionately affecting teenagers and young adults.

For the next two weeks we will be discussing the role that anxiety has come to play in modern life, the possible reasons for it, and tips for just chilling out.

Check out the show’s YouTube page to hear parts one and two.

Happy Purim to everyone!

Just like last year, there are still concerns about public gatherings to hear the Megillah. You can always read it aloud yourself (without giving a blessing), and Chabad still has a free printable version that anyone can use. Several shuls nationwide, such as Park Avenue Synagogue in New York, Adas Israel in D.C., and Beth Yeshurun in Houston have conducted live readings online. However, also check with your local synagogue to see if they are holding outdoor or socially-distanced readings.

In the meantime, tune in to the show today at 4:30 p.m. for some music to get you in the mood!

In a belated Valentine’s episode, this week we will be discussing the romance between Rabbi Akiva and his wife, Rachel.

The two’s marriage weathered most unusual circumstances, which has since become the subject of books as well as a dedicated passage in the Talmud. Tune in Thursday to hear the story of how these two came to be, and what we can learn from their devotion to Torah and each other.

This week we say goodbye to another great mind of the Jewish world, Rabbi Dr. Abraham Twerski, who passed away in Jerusalem on January 31.

In addition to being a noted rabbi from a prestigious Hasidic dynasty, Rabbi Twerski was also a well-respected psychiatrist who contributed much to our understanding of addiction and self-esteem. Join us this week as we take a few minutes to remember the life and passions of Rabbi Twerski.

If you are unfamiliar with his work, or simply want to recall some of his wisdom, there is a great playlist on YouTube featuring many of his short clips speaking about a variety of common challenges in life.

If you did not hear, the website now has a References tab. Here you can find many of the references used for the show, and use them to enhance your own Torah study.

If you haven’t seen it yet, go have a look!

It’s almost over now, but hopefully everyone has been having a joyful Hanukkah season in spite of the unusual circumstances.

We still have one more week left of Hanukkah music on Set Apart, so if you’re in the mood for it, tune in to KEOS 89.1 FM on Thursday at 4:30 p.m.!