Best Rabbi David Lapin Podcasts (2025)

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Horayot 3b Courage in Action & Caution in Judgement - שיבא מכשורא 18:36

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6d ago18:36

18:36

In doing, our bias should be to action. In judging our bias should be to caution. When it comes to errors in judgement, fear of the full consequences of error is crucial. Source SheetBy Rabbi David Lapin

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Horayot 2a Overture No One is Infallible - הורו בית דין לעבור 22:24

7d ago22:24

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Leadership has a level of responsibility beyond anything of the individual. However, their responsibility doesn’t relieve the individual of his own accountability. We examine the balance between individual and leadership responsibility for error Source SheetBy Rabbi David Lapin

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Avodah Zarah 76b Finale The Power of No - אידכר מה עבדת באורתא 20:15

8d ago20:15

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We express our true identities not by what we do but by what we refuse to do. What we do not do defines our boundaries, and our boundaries define our identities – as individuals, families, communities, nations and faiths. Source SheetBy Rabbi David Lapin

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Avodah Zarah 73a Melting Pot or Tapestry - יין ביין בכל שהוא 24:07

11d ago24:07

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How does the law of bittul - nullification (when something forbidden gets mixed with something permitted, if the quantities are small enough so that there is no felt experience of the forbidden substance, then it is nullified) work? Does the mixture take on the identity of the dominant, permitted substance, or does it retain its identity but may be…

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Avodah Zarah 72a Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic Motivation - הא זוזי אנסוהו 19:08

12d ago19:08

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Choices that are not motivated by any extrinsic factors are different from those that are made in response to an extrinsic event Source SheetBy Rabbi David Lapin

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Avodah Zarah 71a Delegation, Dictation and Novation - צא והפס עלי 19:24

13d ago19:24

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When managing people, it is essential to clarify the degree of their authority, ownership and responsibility Source SheetBy Rabbi David Lapin

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Avodah Zarah 70a They Just Don't Get Us - השתא מידכר ליה לחמרא 20:31

14d ago20:31

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“We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are.” – Anaïs Nin Source SheetBy Rabbi David Lapin

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Avodah Zarah 69b Religious Hypocrisy - זונה גויה וישראל מסובין 18:02

15d ago18:02

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When a religious person is careful about certain areas of halacha but not about others, it doesn’t necessarily signify hypocrisy, it is more likely simply inconsistency, something we are all somewhat guilty of. Source SheetBy Rabbi David Lapin

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Avodah Zarah 66a Definition and Description - מין במינו בתר שמא אזלינן 19:59

18d ago19:59

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Sometimes two objects that look identical are defined differently. How does the Torah view these two objects, as similar or different? Source SheetBy Rabbi David Lapin

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Avodah Zarah 65a Debating Ideas and Beliefs - מעשה דרבא ובר שישך 21:43

21d ago21:43

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The purpose of debate is not only to persuade others but also to reinforce our own ideas and beliefs Source SheetBy Rabbi David Lapin

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Avodah Zarah 64b How Quietness Unlocks the Soul – שבת ועבודה זרה 23:33

22d ago23:33

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One who does not keep the Shabbat does not allow the space and the time to explore their soul. They deny its existence, much like the idol worshipper denies the existence of an inner spiritual world. Source SheetBy Rabbi David Lapin

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Avodah Zarah 63b Disgust is a Values Choice - רוצה בקיומו 18:53

23d ago18:53

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Disgust is often an instinctual reaction to something that repels us. But disgust can also be a conscious choice we make that is a reinforcement of our values Source SheetBy Rabbi David Lapin

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Avodah Zarah 62a Objects of Idolatry Disgust - השוכר את הפועל 19:23

24d ago19:23

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Some prohibitions (especially Rabbinic prohibitions) attach to the action of an individual. Others attach to the object. In the case of Avodah Zarah the object is so contaminated that even Rabbinic Prohibition can attach to the object. Source SheetBy Rabbi David Lapin

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Avodah Zarah 58b Thwarting the Anti-Semite - יין שמסכו עכום 17:15

28d ago17:15

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We have an example of how the great Poskim solve human and social problems within the guardrails of Halacha by fully understanding the context of the circumstance Source SheetBy Rabbi David Lapin

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Avodah Zarah 57a Transformational Choices - עד שתשקע עבודת כוכבים מפיהם 20:23

29d ago20:23

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Every choice we make entails a cost, a sacrifice. Some choices are made from an inner place of fear, others from a deeper place, from a place of soul, of Emunah. These are the choices that are transformational Source SheetBy Rabbi David Lapin

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Avodah Zarah 56b Hands and Feet - נסוך דרגל לא שמיה ניסוך 16:11

30d ago16:11

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We explore how the differences between hands and feet extend beyond physiology and even halacha, to kabbalistic ideas as well Source SheetBy Rabbi David Lapin

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Avodah Zarah 55a Medicine and Miracle -חלאים רעים ונאמנים 18:57

1M ago18:57

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Medicine plays a critical role in health care – but there are other factors too, and science goes far beyond what we know in any given age Source SheetBy Rabbi David Lapin

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Avodah Zarah 52a Leadership Greatness - דיין שאינו הגון כאילו נוטע אשרה בישראל 20:43

1M ago20:43

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Leadership greatness entails the combination of character and wisdom. Source SheetBy Rabbi David Lapin

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Avodah Zarah 51a Corrupting Holiness - בעינא כעין פנים 18:47

1M ago18:47

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Defiling that which is holy, corrupting that which is authentic, is one of the most serious transgressions Source SheetBy Rabbi David Lapin

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Avodah Zarah 50a Discernment - בנן של קדושים 19:50

1M ago19:50

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Seeing to the essence of things and discerning the differences between that which appears similar Source SheetBy Rabbi David Lapin

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Avodah Zarah 49b Transference and Contamination - יוליך הנאה לים המלח 19:46

1M ago19:46

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The negative force of idolatry contained in an object cannot be transferred but it can contaminate other objects. Destroying the contaminated object can at times destroy the negative force in its entirety Source SheetBy Rabbi David Lapin

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Avodah Zarah 48a A Tree and its Branches - גדעו ופסלו לשם עכום 18:00

1M ago18:00

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Parents are obligated to do their best in how they raise their children. But if their children turn out bad, how responsible are they? Source SheetBy Rabbi David Lapin

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Avodah Zarah 45a The Hills are Alive with Idolatry - ההרים והגבעות 17:03

1M ago17:03

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The source of idolatry is neither in the object of service, nor in the subject serving it. The source is in a corrupted value system. Source SheetBy Rabbi David Lapin

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Avodah Zarah 44b Sanctity in Thought and Words - דברים של קודש בלשון חול 18:52

1M ago18:52

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There is so much sanctity in the words of torah that even thinking about them in inappropriate places is forbidden Source SheetBy Rabbi David Lapin

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Avodah Zarah 43a The Dragon Ring - טבעת רבי אליעזר הקפר 18:40

1M ago18:40

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One can be attached to an object or to its commercial value. In the same way one can be attached to an idea embedded in that object. Idolatry is an added layer of value embedded in a worshipped object Source SheetBy Rabbi David Lapin

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Avodah Zarah 42a Ownership and Value - גזרה דלמא מגבה לה 16:22

1M ago16:22

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There is a widely held assumption that if one is forbidden to benefit from a certain object, it has no value and therefore is not subject to the laws of ownership. However, probing more deeply we discover ownership is not determined by one’s rights to an object but rather by one’s responsibility for it. Source Sheet…

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Avodah Zarah 41a Ideas and Objects - חומר וצורה_עכום שנשתברה מאיליה 20:57

1M ago20:57

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Unlike other faiths, the Torah does not bifurcate the spiritual and the material, they are fused into one. Source SheetBy Rabbi David Lapin

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Avodah Zarah 38a Food and Social Intimacy - בישולי עכום 18:30

2M ago18:30

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Intimacy is not only about who is in the inner, intimate circle; it is also about who is not. Boundaries create social intimacy Source SheetBy Rabbi David Lapin

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Avodah Zarah 37a Reputation as a Tool for Self-Awareness - קרו לן בית דין שריא 20:50

2M ago20:50

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Truth and reputation are not always loving siblings. There are times when truthfulness can impair reputation thereby reducing an individual’s future effectiveness. But sometimes we have to listen tour reputation and challenge our inner beings and deeper motivations Source SheetBy Rabbi David Lapin

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Avodah Zarah 36a Tradition & Innovation - אין בית דין יכול לבטל דברי בית דין חבירו וכו 22:53

2M ago22:53

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Faithfulness to tradition assures authenticity. Innovation avoids rigidity and fundamentalism. How do we balance the two? Source SheetBy Rabbi David Lapin

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Avodah Zarah 35a-b Teachers and Angels - עלמות אהבוך 17:04

2M ago17:04

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To be a nation of learners, as we are, we need first and foremost to be a nation of teachers. Teaching is not just a means of enabling the next generation with the knowledge and skills they need, teaching is also a form of learning by which the teacher can access higher levels of understanding than he would merely as a scholar. Source Sheet…

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Avodah Zarah 34a Time Dilutes Impact - קנקנים של עכום לאחר יב חדש מותרים 20:22

2M ago20:22

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Time has a diluting effect both on memories and on the impact of events and even materials. Source SheetBy Rabbi David Lapin

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Avodah Zarah 31b Beer and Wine - מפני מה אסרו שכר של עכום 17:09

2M ago17:09

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Wine is a vehicle both of social connection and of connection to Hashem. Dilution of Jewish society through intermarriage dilutes our relationship to Hashem as well. Source SheetBy Rabbi David Lapin

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Avodah Zarah 18 The Anatomy of a Sheila - ברוריא ברתיה דר' חנינא בן תרדיון 14:53

2M ago14:53

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Have we paid too high a price for the release of our hostages or is no price too high? Source SheetBy Rabbi David Lapin

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Avodah Zarah 2a Overture – פתיחה למסכת ע"ז 19:08

3M ago19:08

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By Rabbi David Lapin

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Shevuot 40b Good Character is Innate – אין אדם מעיז פניו 18:10

3M ago18:10

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In some areas we are expected to master and overcome our natural urges. But there are areas, the areas of basic human character, where virtue is innate – we simply need to nurture and develop it. Source SheetBy Rabbi David Lapin

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Shevuot 37a When Image Becomes a Mask – קרבן אשם לשבועת הפיקדון 19:24

3M ago19:24

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When using Hashem as a strategy to gain trust which is then broken, the transgression is not just monetary, but one of faith as well Source SheetBy Rabbi David Lapin

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Shevuot 36a What we Imply is Also a Statement -מכלל לאו אתה שומע הן 19:07

3M ago19:07

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We need to be mindful not only of what we say but also of what our words imply, even if not said Source SheetBy Rabbi David Lapin

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Shevuot 35a-b Empathy and Grace - ליכא מידי אחריני דנקרא רחום וחנון 18:40

3M ago18:40

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The synthesis of empathy and grace applies to Hashem uniquely Source SheetBy Rabbi David Lapin

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Shevuot 34b and 41b Memory - מלתא דלא רמיא עליה 18:22

3M ago18:22

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How much we remember or whether we remember at all, depends on the responsibility we have to remember and the degree to which we are intentional about remembering Source SheetBy Rabbi David Lapin

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Shevuot 30a Be Judgmental - הוי דן את חבירך לכף זכות 18:20

3M ago18:20

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The Torah goes much further than requiring us to not be judgmental. The Torah wants us to make positive assumptions about the actions and intentions of others wherever possible. This is both a law, and a strategy for successful relationships Source SheetBy Rabbi David Lapin

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Shevuot 29a Perspectives and Truth - שבועת שוא ושקר 17:54

3M ago17:54

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Everything we see is a perspective, not the Truth." – Marcus Aurelius. Is this true according to Torah? Source SheetBy Rabbi David Lapin

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Shevuot 28a Being Human - האדם בשבוע 16:47

4M ago16:47

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Being human means being conscious and aware not only of what we do but also of the consequences of what we do Source SheetBy Rabbi David Lapin

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Shevuot 27a When it is Right to Do Wrong- נשבע להרע לעצמו 18:39

4M ago18:39

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Life is seldom black and white. Even in matters of moral values, there are times we need to prioritize one value over others. In Halacha is also nuanced and at times we must prioritize one halacha over another. How we prioritize values and halacha is a skill we develop through the learning of Gemara. Source Sheet…

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Shevuot 26b Write or Speak - מוצא שפתיך תשמור 17:06

4M ago17:06

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A thought that is articulated carries with it a powerful energy that a thought alone lacks. A written thought carries a similar energy, but lacks the communication nuances that the oral word has Source SheetBy Rabbi David Lapin

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Shevuot 23b Cannot vs May Not - יראת שמים ויראת חטא 16:39

4M ago16:39

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There is a qualitative difference between things we cannot do because they go against our nature or against the laws of nature, and things we can do but may not. However, is this difference in our minds or is it a difference in reality? Source SheetBy Rabbi David Lapin

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Shevuot 22b The Moral Authority of Logic - איבעית אימא סברא 21:24

4M ago21:24

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We assume that a clear imperative of the Torah carries the highest moral authority. Yet this may not be so: rational human logic carries an even higher authority and underpins the authority of the Torah Source SheetBy Rabbi David Lapin

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Shevuot 21a Forging G-d’s Signature - בית דין של מעלה אין מנקין אותו 17:17

4M ago17:17

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Forging G-d’s “signature” to authenticate a lie undermines the very essence of Truth Source SheetBy Rabbi David Lapin

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Shevuot 20a Contextual Interpretation - במסרבין בו לאכול 19:14

4M ago19:14

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As in the case of Nedarim, in Shevuot the precise meaning of the language used is critically important. Nevertheless, Abaye teaches us, context can provide a very different interpretation of an individual’s intention Source SheetBy Rabbi David Lapin

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Shevuot 19a Avoiding OCD in Halacha - שני שבילין 20:02

4M ago20:02

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The stakes in Halacha are high. The consequences of committing an aveira (wrongdoing), even in error, are serious. However, Halacha magnificently builds mechanisms to avoid people developing OCD over the fear of possibly having committed an aveira. Source SheetBy Rabbi David Lapin