Shows
Jerusalem LightsBlood, Sweat and TearsIn this week's Jerusalem Lights podcast, Rabbi Chaim Richman shares his experiences of prayer on the Temple Mount, and the odyssey of a prayer journey to the graves of the tzaddikim (the righteous) in Ukraine. What is the concept of prayer at these places? What is the 'pitchfork' of prayer, and why did Moshe's 515 prayers to enter the Land of Israel go unanswered? Jim Long and Rabbi Richman discuss some powerful secrets of prayer, and reflect upon the Temple Mount revolution as the continuation of the blood, sweat and tears of Jewish history... and the unceasing voice of Mount...
2025-08-141h 10Jerusalem LightsKorach and the Tomb of Living RegrWho was Korach, the Levitical antagonist who rose up and tried to lead a rebellion against Moshe…and against God Himself? What was his true agenda, and what can we learn from him, and his remarkable, 'out of this world' punishment of being swallowed up by the 'mouth of the earth?' Join Jim Long and Rabbi Chaim Richman in this week's episode of the Jerusalem Lights podcast as they discuss Korach, a man who was swallowed up by his own ego, becoming an eternal symbol of how self-deception becomes a fall, too late, into self-awareness....Due to technicalities re...
2025-06-241h 06Jerusalem LightsString Theory and the Song of the UniverseThis week's Jerusalem Lights podcast sees our hosts together in person, united in Jerusalem. Jim Long's visits to Israel always make for a special program! Jim and Rabbi Chaim Richman explore the theme of faith that resounds throughout this week's Torah portion of B'shalach, touching upon everything from the splitting of the sea, to a secret excursion to find some left-over manna in the desert, to the intricacies of String Theory and its vibrating dimensions! The universe is crying out the presence of G-d, and despite appearances, reality is truly unlimited.
Lovingly Recorded in Ora Studios, Jerusalem Israel
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2025-02-051h 07Jerusalem LightsThe Divine Paradox of Fire and IceIn part II of our focus on the Ten Plagues, this week's Jerusalem Lights podcast focuses on the last three plagues as featured in the Torah portion of Bo: locusts, darkness and the slaying of the firstborn. Jim Long and Rabbi Chaim Richman take up their discussion and delve into the rich sources of the Midrash and Oral Tradition , and with his inimitable scholarship and expertise, Jim Long continues to amaze with an up-close look at the narrative found in ancient Egyptian texts and records.
Recorded in Ora Studios, Jerusalem Israel
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Rabbi Chaim Richman
Jerusalem Lights | Torah for Everyone
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2025-01-291h 01Jerusalem LightsInner Dimensions of the Ten PlaguesThe ten plagues that God visited upon Egypt served to temporarily return creation to a state of chaos and judgement, contrasting with the Genesis narrative where order and life were brought forth from the primordial waters. In this edition of the Jerusalem Lights podcast, Jim Long and Rabbi Chaim Richman ponder the deep symbolism of the plagues ...not just physical but cosmic forces that directly confronted the foundational order established at creation. Jim Long shares fascinating information from the annals of ancient Egypt that testify to the historical veracity of the Biblical narrative, and the perspective of the Egyptians...
2025-01-261h 00Jerusalem LightsClimbing a Staircase to HeavenWhy did the patriarch Yaakov (Jacob) just happen to stop at 'the place', as he escaped from the wrath of his brother Esav, only to dream there of God speaking to him from the top of a ladder reaching into heaven? What is the significance of this 'ladder,' and how did this experience help to prepare him for his sojourn with the crafty Laban? Join Jim Long and Rabbi Chaim Richman for this week's intriguing Jerusalem Lights podcast, as our hosts share the fascinating backstory of Yaakov's adventures…as the future of Israel, and all humanity, hangs in th...
2024-12-041h 07Jerusalem LightsUnknown Chapter of the Exodus Story?Jim Long and Rabbi Chaim Richman welcome the month of Nisan, first month of the Biblical year and the time of past and future Redemption. Archeologist Hillel Richman joins our podcast and shares some unique insights into a fascinating and little-known chapter of Israelite pre-Exodus history involving the descendants of Joseph and the Land of Israel.
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Rabbi Chaim Richman
Jerusalem Lights | Torah for Everyone
Please support the work of Jerusalem Lights, Inc., a USA recognized 501 ( c ) 3 non-profit organization to enable these productions to continue and grow:
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2024-04-101h 03Jerusalem LightsWalk Your PathIn this week's Jerusalem Lights podcast, Jim Long and Rabbi Chaim Richman are joined by long-time friend Mrs. Yocheved Woodward, who shares the inspiring story of her life-long devotion to G-d, which led to her departure from Christianity, through the stages that ultimately led to her Orthodox conversion to Judaism and aliya to Israel, where together with her dedicated husband, she makes her home in the Golan Heights and serves G-d every day with all her heart.
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Rabbi Chaim Richman
Jerusalem Lights | Torah for Everyone
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2024-03-061h 04Jerusalem LightsLong Nights and Bright LightsJim Long is back in Israel this week and unites in Jerusalem with Rabbi Chaim Richman for an edition of the Jerusalem Lights podcast that focuses on the holiday of Chanukah. Jim is not on vacation…he’s here to lend a hand as a volunteer, and to help the people of Israel as the IDF's Swords of Iron war with Hamas terrorists continues. Why is Chanukah so beloved to Jews all over the world? And why is this holiday so unique to the essence of the Land of Israel? Jim and Rabbi Richman reflect on Chanukah and its reso...
2023-12-061h 00Jerusalem LightsIsrael At WarA Special Jerusalem Lights Broadcast
On Shabbat, Saturday October 7th 2023, during the Festival of Shimini Atzeret, Israel was attacked by Hamas terrorists who brutally murdered over 800 people, committed unspeakable, inhuman atrocities, and kidnapped an untold number of Israelis and foreign nationals, bringing them to the terrorist enclave of Gaza. Israel has declared war on Hamas. Rabbi Chaim Richman and Jim Long share an update from Jerusalem and provide firsthand knowledge and perspective, facts, and vital spiritual insights.
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Rabbi Chaim Richman
Jerusalem Lights | Torah for Everyone
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2023-10-0953 minJerusalem LightsPreparing For Yom KippurYom Kippur, the awesome Day of Atonement, begins this Sunday evening September 24. This week's Jerusalem Lights podcast looks at this amazing day of forgiveness and atonement…. but how does Torah define sin, and what constitutes true and sincere repentance? Jim Long and Rabbi Chaim Richman begin to prepare for Yom Kippur with illuminating insights into this beautiful day, as well as the nature of sin and the fine art of repentance – a gift G-d gives to man which can literally help us become new people. May we all be sealed in the Book of Life for a long life of h...
2023-09-201h 12Jerusalem LightsThe Thirteen Principles of FaithIn this week’s rousing episode, hosts Jim Long and Rabbi Chaim Richman focus on the trailblazing work of Biblical archaeologist and Torah scholar Vendyl Jones, Jim’s mentor of blessed memory. Vendyl brought many non-Jews to a recognition of the G-d of Israel and a love for Torah, and Jim reports his experiences after attending an inspiring conference that was recently held in his memory. Rabbi Richman expounds upon Maimonides’ ‘Thirteen Principles of Faith,’ a universal credo that expresses the fundamental articles of faith cherished by Jew and Gentile alike.
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Rabbi Chaim Richman
Jerusalem Lights | Torah for Everyone
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2023-07-121h 06Jerusalem LightsSee You At SinaiJerusalem Day, coinciding this week with Friday May 19, marks the 56th anniversary of the liberation and unification of Jerusalem in the miraculous Six Day War. This week’s Jerusalem Lights podcast looks at the trajectory between this emotionally-charged day of prophetic promise, and Shavuot, the upcoming Festival of Weeks. Jim Long and Rabbi Chaim Richman reflect on the dual nature of this powerful festival, the anniversary of the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai, and its relevance to Israel and to the entire world. Rabbi Richman also shares truth – and facts – about the recent Islamic Jihad attacks against Israel...
2023-05-171h 08Jerusalem LightsHide and SeekThis week marks Rosh Chodesh, the beginning of the new Hebrew month of Adar, whose apex is the holiday of Purim. This is a time of year especially associated with joy – but what is the secret of Adar joy, and how can we tap into it all year long? Jim Long and Rabbi Chaim Richman explore the unique spiritual dimensions of the month of Adar and its confluence with the Torah portion of Terumah, featuring the fascinating concept of the Ark of the Covenant. As the Book of Exodus shifts its focus to building a home for the Divine Pr...
2023-02-221h 01Jerusalem LightsDateline JerusalemJim Long’s current visit from Arkansas to Israel gives our hosts an opportunity to broadcast the Jerusalem Lights podcast face to face. United in the rabbi's studio in Jerusalem, Jim Long and Rabbi Chaim Richman discuss the close-to-home pain of a recent terror attack, and examine the urgent events of the day... trying to make sense of Israel’s current imbroglio of ‘judicial reform’ on the backdrop of this week’s Torah portion of Mishpatim: the Divine laws for a just society bequeathed by G-d at Mount Sinai. ___
Rabbi Chaim Richman Jerusalem Lights | Torah for Everyone
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2023-02-1555 minJerusalem LightsFamily TiesA palpable tension forms the backdrop of this week’s Torah portion of parashat Vayeitzei, ‘And he went out’ – Gen. 28:10), as the patriarch Yaakov (Jacob) and his wives begin to have children, and establish the foundation for the nation of Israel. Everything about bringing these children into the world is marked by struggle. In this week’s edition of the Jerusalem Lights Podcast, Jim Long and Rabbi Chaim Richman talk about the forces that were at work to prevent the Children of Israel from forming. Lavan sought to destroy the family of Israel. Our hosts reflect upon the similarity between th...
2022-11-301h 09Jerusalem LightsThe Dark TowerIn this week's episode of the Jerusalem Lights podcast, our hosts discuss some of the deeper spiritual dimensions of this Hebrew month of Marcheshvan. Jim Long and Rabbi Chaim Richman are also intrigued by the Tower of Babel, which was the flagship project of Nimrod, the world's first king, a master manipulator whose goal was total mastery over everyone...even over G-d Himself. The 'Dark Tower' of Nimrod was the capital of the brave new world he sought to create, a godless, dystopian society where progress and technology were worth more than human life. This week’s Torah portion of...
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Jerusalem LightsA Wedding in the Good LandReunited once again in Jerusalem, Rabbi Richman and Jim Long share joy, inspiration and the profound spiritual insight of seeing Hashem’s anonymous signature on the events in our lives, in this very special and personal wedding edition of the Jerusalem Lights podcast.
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Rabbi Chaim Richman Jerusalem Lights | Torah for Everyone Please support the work of Jerusalem Lights, a USA recognized 501 ( c ) 3 non-profit organization to enable these productions to continue and grow: Paypal: infojerusalemlights@gmail.com or: https://paypal.me/JerusalemLights?loc...
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2022-06-151h 10Jerusalem LightsThe Tapestry of PurimThe Historical Record of Purim and the Struggle to Rebuild the Holy Temple
In honor of Purim, Jim Long and Rabbi Chaim Richman shed light on the Purim story as told by the Scroll of Esther, beginning with the Fast of Esther and its remarkable power of prayer. Our hosts present unique Torah thoughts, fascinating historical and archeological information, and spiritual insights that motivate us all towards spiritual growth, challenging all people to internalize the universal lessons – and redemptive promise – of this ‘highest of all days,’ wherein the true nature of our relationship with our Creator is revealed...
2022-03-1550 minJerusalem LightsThe Great UnmaskingParashat Vayikra - Secrets of Leviticus: Sensitivity to the Sanctity of Life
This week we begin our weekly Torah readings in the book of Leviticus, called ‘the heart of Torah,’ featuring the much-misunderstood Temple offerings, which teach man to be sensitive to the sanctity of all life….especially to human life, for man was created in the Divine image. In this week’s Jerusalem Lights podcast, Jim Long and Rabbi Chaim Richman reflect on the magnificent intersect of Leviticus with the themes of the upcoming holiday of Purim, and the Divine mandate to eradicate evil from this world.
2022-03-0956 minJerusalem LightsWar and PeaceParashat Pekudei
As the world witnesses Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine and its terrible cost in lives, Jim Long and Rabbi Chaim Richman ponder the prophets’ vision of the unity of all mankind, and pray for the plight of all who are suffering from this devastation. Our hosts examine the patterns of Divine synchronicity that connect the Tabernacle, the Month of Adar…and Vladimir Putin.
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Rabbi Chaim Richman Jerusalem Lights | Torah for Everyone
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2022-03-0237 minJerusalem LightsResponding From the HeartParashat Shekalim: Only a Half Can Become Whole
The construction of the tabernacle in this week’s Torah portion of Vayakhel was a work of the heart: Israel’s response in coming forward with the materials to build the sanctuary is described as ‘everyone whose heart motivates him; every wise-hearted person, everyone whose heart inspired him…’ – Why is this commandment, more than any other, seemingly dependent on the heart? Jim Long has been visiting in Israel for several weeks and on the eve of his departure back to Arkansas, Jim and Rabbi Chaim Richman recorded this week’s Jerusalem Ligh...
2022-02-231h 01Jerusalem LightsCan A Non-Jew Study Torah?Parashat Ki Tisa
Shema Yisrael: One G-d Acknowledged by the Whole World Is Torah study only for Jewish people, or can non-Jews access its wisdom freely? Is it permitted or forbidden? Is it merely tolerated, or warmly encouraged? There seems to be lots of confusion and many opinions. Jim Long and Rabbi Chaim Richman weigh in on this vitally important question, and look to the Torah itself and the prophets of Israel, to examine the relationship between Israel and the nations, and the role of Jews and Gentiles together in bringing about the ultimate Divine plan of r...
2022-02-1658 minJerusalem LightsThe Real MessiahParashat Tetzeveh
Plain Talk about the Jewish Belief in the Coming of the Messiah
Jim Long and Rabbi Chaim Richman answer a listener’s email and share a frank, direct and informative conversation about the Jewish belief in the coming of the messiah…what does Torah teach us about who he is, who he isn’t, what he does, and how we will know that he is the real thing? A podcast not to miss!
Rabbi Chaim Richman Jerusalem Lights | Torah for Everyone
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2022-02-0957 minJerusalem LightsA Joyful ReturnParashat Terumah
It’s a joyful return to the Land of Israel for Jim Long! Our hosts are united and broadcast this week’s podcast side by side, together from Jerusalem. Jim provides a unique Noahide’s perspective on why the Land of Israel should be important to non-Jews, and Rabbi Chaim Richman explains the challenge that we all face during these dark, dystopian days: Whose side are you on?
Rabbi Chaim Richman Jerusalem Lights | Torah for Everyone
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2022-02-0352 minJerusalem LightsThe Path To FreedomParashat Beshalach
What was it about the Splitting of the Red Sea that caused Moshe and the Children of Israel to burst into song, for the first time? And why doesn’t G-d perform miracles for us today? Jim Long and Rabbi Chaim Richman share thoughts and exchange views about Hollywood movies, the challenge of making a living…and faith in G-d! Especially when it comes to belief in the immortality of the soul and the resurrection of the dead! ___
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2022-01-1258 minJerusalem LightsShake It Up!Parashat Va'era
The Torah portion of Va’era features seven of the ‘Ten Plagues’ that the Creator brought upon Egypt. Pharaoh, called by the prophet Ezekiel ‘the great alligator of the Nile,’ was the King of Denial – he denied G-d’s existence altogether. In this week’s episode of Jerusalem Lights, Jim Long and Rabbi Chaim Richman illuminate that the primary purpose of these plagues was to demonstrate G-d’s unparalleled power…it was about knowledge of G-d, not about punishment. Rabbi Chaim Richman explains why the Egyptian exile and redemption is a such an important Torah concept, and Jim Lon...
2021-12-2951 minJerusalem LightsCanceling JosephParashat Shemot
This week’s Torah portion of parashat Shemot (‘Names’) begins the Book of Exodus. In a flash, the generation of Joseph and his brothers have passed, and a new king arises in the land of Egypt ‘who did not know Joseph.’ The children of Israel ‘were fruitful, teemed, increased….and the land became filled with them,’ much to the chagrin of Pharaoh, who began to devise a solution to his Jewish problem – and thus began the servitude of Israel in Egypt. This week’s Jerusalem Lights podcast examines the Egyptian exile, and Jim Long and Rabbi Chaim Richman...
2021-12-2256 minJerusalem LightsThe Power of PurityParashat Va'Yechi
The book of B’reishith reaches its conclusion this week in the Torah portion of Parashat Va’yechi. The time draws near for the patriarch Yaakov to depart from this world, and he seeks to bless his children and prepare them for their upcoming exile and future Redemption. The era of Yosef is coming to an end. In this week’s Jerusalem Lights podcast, our hosts share some plain and frank Torah talk about ‘Sins of the Flesh’ and the Torah’s attitude about sexuality. Jim Long and Rabbi Chaim Richman focus on what we can learn fr...
2021-12-1558 minJerusalem LightsWorlds In CollisionParashat Toldot
To sleep, perchance to dream… This week’s Jerusalem Lights podcast takes a look at dreams, as we prepare to welcome the month of Kislev, the month of the spiritual ‘fixing’ of sleep and dreams. Some dreams are prophetic, and the energy of this upcoming month is focused on the miraculous…as embodied by the upcoming Festival of Chanukah. This week’s Torah portion of parashat Toldot documents the beginning of the eternal struggle of Yaakov and his brother Esav, a struggle that began while the two were yet in their mother Rebecca’s womb. It’s a face-of...
2021-11-0352 minJerusalem LightsThe Secret of Sarah's TentParashat Chayei Sarah
The Torah portion of Chayei Sarah features only two concepts: the death of Sarah and her burial at the ‘double cave’ in Hebron, and Eliezer’s mission to find a wife for Isaac. Yet a major theme connects these events: the true meaning of the continuum of the generations, and a deeper understanding of Hashem’s promise of life after death. In this week’s Jerusalem Lights podcast, Jim Long and Rabbi Chaim Richman share some fascinating ideas about this Torah portion and the secret of Sarah’s tent: lessons on life and death, love and mar...
2021-10-2757 minJerusalem LightsThe Long and Winding RoadParashat Lech Lecha
This week’s Torah portion of parashat Lech Lecha introduces Avraham Avinu – the patriarch Abraham, the original iconoclast and spiritual revolutionary who discovered the One True G-d on his own, and singlehandedly battled against a world sunk in idolatry. Abraham bequeathed the knowledge of Hashem to the world, brought faith to humanity, and rekindled hope for mankind. What fueled this great man’s desire for truth, and what gave him the courage to stand alone against the whole world? This week’s Jerusalem Lights podcast looks at stories of the road: the early life of Abrah...
2021-10-1343 minJerusalem LightsWhere Did the World Go Wrong?Parashat Noach - The Universal Noahide Laws, the Bedrock of Human Existence
This week we welcome the new month of Mar Cheshvan, a time of inner spiritual transformation. It’s the month of the beginning of the rainfalls of blessing in the Land of Israel, and yet it's also the time in which the Great Flood began…and this week’s Torah portion of parashat Noach focuses on that flood. The flood was G-d’s retribution against a humanity that had grown so wicked, it had lost all semblance of the Divine image in which man was created. But w...
2021-10-0656 minJerusalem LightsGetting Back to the GardenParashat B'reishith
With the conclusion of the festivals of Tishrei, this week we begin the weekly cycle of Torah readings at the beginning again, with the first portion of B’reishith, the Book of Genesis. What a Divine Big Bang! What an amazing, all-inclusive, expansive Torah portion. Here are all the most profound secrets of life. Hashem created the world from nothing, all for His love of man and His desire to bestow kindness. This week’s Torah portion affirms to us that there is a Creator who created this magnificent world, and who created each of us…a...
2021-09-291h 01Jerusalem LightsSukkot, Time of Our JoyAfter the cleansing catharsis of Yom Kippur, we are commanded to joyfully begin the New Year outside the house…by spending a week in the intimate, Divine embrace of our sukkah, the temporary structure that commemorates the booths erected by the Children of Israel when they departed Egypt, as well as the Divine clouds of glory that enveloped them throughout their desert wanderings. The Festival of Sukkot is also observed with special prayers of thanksgiving accompanied by the ‘four species’ (Lev. 23). But why does Sukkot follow Yom Kippur, and why is Sukkot, more than any other time of year, known...
2021-09-221h 03Jerusalem LightsThe Great Reset - The Universal Power of Yom Kippur ForgivenessYom Kippur Insights: How Does Torah Define Sin, and What Makes Repentance Real?
In this week’s Torah portion of Ha’azinu, Moshe calls upon heaven and earth to bear witness, as he delivers his prophetic song of rebuke, consolation, and ultimate redemption. And Yom Kippur, the awesome Day of Atonement will be observed beginning this coming Wednesday night – September 15-16. May non-Jews also participate in the Yom Kippur experience? Should they? How…and why? What do we all seek to gain from Yom Kippur, Jew and Gentile alike? This week’s episode of the Jerusalem Lights podcast fo...
2021-09-141h 04Jerusalem LightsRosh HaShana - Signed and Sealed for a Sweet New YearThe Universal Message of Rosh HaShana Unites Jews and Gentiles
The themes of this week's Torah portion of Nitzavim help to prepare us for our passage into the coming new year -- just as the portion of Nitzavim opens with the awesome scene of the entire nation of Israel preparing to 'pass into' the covenant with G-d and into the Land. Our portion feature so many foundational ideas that directly relate to the coming days of Rosh HaShana, time of judgment for all humanity, including repentance, warnings against the lure of idolatry, and the call to choose life...
2021-09-0151 minJerusalem LightsElul: The Month of New BeginningsParashat Shoftim: ‘You shall be Wholehearted with Hashem your G-d:’ Don’t be Afraid of Tomorrow
The beloved month of Elul has arrived! Elul is the last month of the year and in preparation for the upcoming Days of Awe, these are days of special Divine mercy, designed for repentance and deep spiritual work. Elul stands for ‘I am to my beloved and my beloved is to me,’ and rapprochement with our true Beloved – our Creator – is the theme of this month. This week’s Jerusalem Lights podcast focuses on the great challenge of Elul for all seekers of G-d. Jim...
2021-08-1147 minJerusalem LightsSeeing the BlessingParashat Re'eh
This week’s Torah portion of Parashat Re’eh (‘See’) presents a call for the Children of Israel to become a just, sensitive society in the land promised to the forefathers, always to remain focused on the presence of G-d in their midst. The whole Torah is about developing a heightened sensitivity to ‘avodat Hashem’…serving G-d through everything that we do. And in our Torah portion this week, the concept of the permanent location of the Holy Temple begins to emerge and take shape: for the first time we are told about ‘The place that Hashem your...
2021-08-0437 minJerusalem LightsThe Good Land: "The Eyes of HaShem, Your G-d, Are Always Upon It"Parashat Eikev - 'The Eyes of Hashem, your G-d, are always upon it...' - Deut. 11:12
The Torah portion of Eikev takes its name from the Hebrew word for ‘heel,’ and this week’s Torah portion begins with an allusion to those commandments that people tend to be less mindful of…perhaps considering them to be of less importance. But how do we know what’s really more, or less, important in G-d’s eyes? In this week’s episode of Jerusalem Lights, our hosts ponder this question. The observance of all G-d’s commandments is greatly emphasized in our...
2021-07-2850 minJerusalem LightsIn Praise of the Land of IsraelParashat Va'Etchanan - Ben and Jerry’s, BDS, and the Myth of ‘Occupied Palestinian Lands’: It’s Not About Ice Cream
This week’s Torah portion of Va’Etchanan features many fundamental Torah teachings, including the Shema Yisrael and the Ten Commandments. This Shabbat is also ‘the Sabbath of Consolation,’ and coincides with the ancient holiday of Tu B’Av – the 15th of Av, a day of rejoicing. In this week’s edition of the Jerusalem Lights podcast, Jim Long and Rabbi Chaim Richman reflect on Moshe’s recollection of his heartfelt plea to the Almighty to be allowed to enter into the...
2021-07-211h 01Jerusalem LightsThe Last Tisha B'AvParashat Devarim - How Can We Stop the Cycle of Tisha B’Av Mourning?
This week we begin to read the book of Deuteronomy, the fifth book of the Torah, called ‘Devarim’ in Hebrew. Devarim means words, and this book presents the parting words of Moses to the people of Israel. The man of G-d who had been described in the book of Exodus as ‘not a man of words…heavy of mouth and heavy of tongue’ has now become a man of many words, and Deuteronomy features Moshe’s compassionate rebuke, inspiring ethical discourse, instruction for living, and the...
2021-07-1447 minJerusalem LightsA Painful Report from IsraelParashat Matot-Masei
In this week’s Jerusalem Lights podcast, Rabbi Chaim Richman reports about the attempted terror arson attack which took place against his community this past week, and shares his personal pain and insights regarding the heroes who truly risk their lives every day for the sake of the Land of Israel, and the twisted way in which the media portrays them. This Shabbat is Rosh Chodesh, the first day of the new month, and as we conclude the Book of Numbers with the reading of its last two Torah portions, Matot and Masei, we also ush...
2021-07-0753 minJerusalem LightsA Time to ActParashat Pinchas
The namesake of this week's Torah portion is Pinchas, a grandson of the High Priest, Aaron. Pinchas suddenly emerges as a bold new leader for this new generation of the Children of Israel, readying to enter into the Promised Land. Gone is the Generation of the Desert, characterized by passivity -- Pinchas is a man of action. His bold and unprecedented strike against the heinous immorality calculated by the wicked Bilaam and King Balak to destroy Israel earned him a Divinely-appointed 'Covenant of Peace' and a covenant of 'Eternal Priesthood.' This week’s Jerusalem Lig...
2021-06-3059 minJerusalem LightsBilaam, the Prophet of the WokeThis week's Torah portion of Balak focuses on the unholy alliance between the Moabite king of that name and Bilaam, the infamous heathen prophet. In addition to being a great philosopher and humanitarian, Bilaam is an accomplished sorcerer endowed with a unique quality -- his curses always come true. Balak hires Bilaam to curse the Children of Israel, to prevent them from entering into their land. Why? What had the Israelites done to provoke his ire? Nothing. Just because they exist. G-d turned Bilaam's curses into blessings, but we sure learn a lot from Bilaam's intentions. Rabbi Chaim Richman and co-h...
2021-06-2353 minJerusalem LightsThe Goal of All KnowledgeThis week’s Torah portion of Chukat begins with the ordinance of the Red Heifer, a Divine decree considered to be the Torah’s most inscrutable mystery. This commandment is a ‘chok,’ meaning a decree that is incomprehensible to human intellect. Even the wise King Solomon could not understand the concept of the Red Heifer…yet Moses alone did understand its secret. This week’s Jerusalem Lights podcast asks, how and why was Moshe able to grasp a concept that no other man can hope to know? And what does this mean for us today? Jim Long and Rabbi Chaim Richma...
2021-06-1653 minJerusalem LightsDon't Get Swallowed Up By the EarthParashat Korach
The man Korach, for whom this week’s Torah portion is named, led a rebellion against the authority of Moses and Aaron…as camouflage for his true intent, which was nothing less than a mutiny against G-d Himself…a denial of His existence. His power-hungry, ego-driven rebellion couldn’t conceal his real motivation, though…and ultimately, the earth concealed him, as he and his cohorts were swallowed up by ‘the mouth of the earth.’ What does this really mean, and how to we understand this elusive account and the many fascinating, enigmatic traditions and teachings about Korach a...
2021-06-0948 minJerusalem LightsIsrael Under Attack Part II: Israel's Survival and the Fate of HumanityThis week’s Jerusalem Lights Podcast once again focuses on Israel’s defensive war, ‘Guardian of the Walls,' now in its second week. Hamas, the Iranian-backed terror organization that rules Gaza and oppresses its own people, has bombarded Israel with 4,000 missiles, shooting hundreds of missiles each day. This onslaught continues to be augmented by terrorists of Islamic Jihad and Hezbollah of Lebanon…and has been supported by violent riots and murderous terror attacks against Jewish Israelis terror perpetrated by Arab citizens of Israel. The State of Israel continues to be roundly condemned for defending itself with ‘disproportionate response’ against those...
2021-05-1949 minJerusalem LightsIsrael Under AttackParashat Bamidbar
This week, Israel defends itself from an unprecedented barrage of missiles launched from Gaza. Over 1,000 missiles were fired at Israel just in the days leading up to this broadcast, between May 10 -12, resulting in loss of life and extensive damage, and sending hundreds of thousands of Israelis to bomb shelters. At the same time, mobs of local Arabs are rioting in numerous Israeli cities, attacking Jews, and burning down synagogues, stores, cars…while much of the world’s governments hypocritical response, condemning Israeli defensive action but ignoring the attacks against Israel, are predictably hypocritical, and the...
2021-05-121h 07Jerusalem LightsIsrael: A Lesson in UnityFacing Tragedy with the Silence of Aaron
This week’s Jerusalem Lights podcast focuses on our hosts' struggle to understand the tragedy of Mount Meron. Though we still reel from the unbearable pain of the loss of life, Jim Long and Rabbi Chaim Richman reflect on the eternal nature of Israel’s unity: the entire nation shares the pain of every bereaved family. What is the source of this unique sensitivity? Our hosts share their insights, bare their feelings, and pose their own questions as well, especially in the light of this week’s closure of the Book of...
2021-05-051h 07Jerusalem LightsParashat Emor - The Secret of a Long LifeThis week’s Torah portion of Emor begins with a whisper to the kohanim, the priests who serve in the Holy Temple, instructing them to refrain from exposure to death. What is the reason for the unique rules that govern the lives of those Divinely-appointed men who serve in the Holy Temple? In this week’s edition of the Jerusalem Lights podcast, our hosts engage in an elucidating discussion on the Torah’s perspective of life, death and the eternity of the soul. Jim Long and Rabbi Chaim Richman present a tour de force that demonstrates how this week’s Torah...
2021-04-2854 minJerusalem LightsWhat Does It Mean To Be Holy?The Holiness of Being Connected to This World
This week’s double Torah portions of Acharei Mot – Kedoshim features G-d’s calling to Israel, ‘You shall be holy, for I, Hashem your G-d, am holy’ (Lev. 19). What does that mean? How can people be holy in this world, and what is a life of holiness? Is this elusive concept a mystical idea, or can it be translated into everyday, practical terms?
Listen to Jim Long and Rabbi Chaim Richman’s fascinating conversation about revealing the G-dliness in every area of our lives, in this week’s inspiring Jerusa...
2021-04-211h 06Jerusalem LightsThe Meaning of the State of Israel: A Vision of Hope For All HumanityUnderstanding the Unique Language of the Book of Leviticus: At 73, Israel’s Prophetic Message for the World
This week’s Jerusalem Lights podcast, recorded on the eve of Israel Independence Day, celebrates Israel’s 73 birthday! Jim Long and Rabbi Chaim Richman share their perspectives and give their personal thanks to G-d for the State of Israel, recount the miracles of its rebirth, contemplate its significance in prophetic fulfillment, and reflect on its unique mission in the saga of human history. Our hosts reflect on Israel’s role in the life of both the Jewish people and the nations, a...
2021-04-141h 11Jerusalem LightsThe Purity of a True Spiritual ExperienceParashat Shemini: The Transcendent Power of Keeping Kosher
The tragic and untimely death of Aaron’s sons Nadav and Avihu appears in this week’s Torah portion of Shemini. How are we to understand the ‘strange fire’ that these righteous men brought as an offering on the special day of the tabernacle’s inauguration? This week’s Jerusalem Lights podcast finds our hosts pondering this question, especially as it relates to our own aspirations and enthusiasm for true spiritual experiences. Jim Long and Rabbi Chaim Richman connect the dots between the story of Nadav and Avihu, the laws of kashru...
2021-04-0758 minJerusalem LightsTo Seder, or Not to Seder: Can Non-Jews Observe Passover?This week’s Jerusalem Lights podcast is a Passover primer! Jim Long and Rabbi Chaim Richman offer an amazing and inspiring analysis of the eternal covenant of the Passover offering, the haggadah and the seder night, the unique prohibition against chometz (leaven) – and the significance of Passover for all mankind. Can Passover be observed by non-Jews? Should it be? Are non-Jews who love the G-d of Israel encouraged to make a Passover seder? Tune into this week’s Jerusalem Lights podcast Passover special for the fascinating and uplifting discussion! Plus: The Torah portion of Tzav continues the theme of Temple...
2021-03-241h 05Jerusalem LightsWe Are The MiracleJerusalem Lights Podcast #57 - Standing Between the Staves of the Ark of the Covenant
This week the book of Exodus is concluded with the reading of the last two Torah portions, Vayakhel and Pekudei. On the day following the first Yom Kippur, Moses assembled the entire nation together and conveyed G-d’s message of forgiveness, giving over to them G-d’s commandments of observing the Sabbath and building the Tabernacle—the twin elements for the sanctification of time and space. In this week’s Jerusalem Lights podcast our hosts reflect on the transcendent, eternal beauty these concepts impart. T...
2021-03-101h 02Jerusalem LightsThe Golden Calf and the Tyranny of TimeThis week’s powerful Torah reading of Ki Tisa features so many concepts that speak to man’s perennial search for a true and meaningful relationship with the Creator, even as he grapples with his own limited humanity. Jim Long and Rabbi Chaim Richman explore the universal meaning of the horrendous Golden Calf episode and it implications for contemporary man, and share knowledge and insight in the wide array of connected topics in our parasha that have great meaning for all true spiritual seekers, such as repentance, humility, G-d’s Divine attributes of mercy….and the secret of the Temple's...
2021-03-031h 05Jerusalem LightsThe Eternal Power of PurimPurim Parallels and Universal Lessons from the Scroll of Esther
The beloved holiday of Purim will be celebrated this week! In this special edition of the Jerusalem Lights podcast, Jim Long and Rabbi Chaim Richman delve deeply into the multi-faceted dimensions of the Purim story as told by the Scroll of Esther, presenting unique mystical insights, fascinating historical and archeological information, amazing contemporary parallels, and spiritual insights that motivate us all towards spiritual growth, challenging Jew and non-Jew alike to internalize the universal lessons – and redemptive promise – of this ‘highest of all days,’ wherein the true nature of our r...
2021-02-241h 18Jerusalem LightsMaking a Space for G-d to Dwell in this WorldThe Divine Presence vs. the Spirit of Amalek
This week’s Torah portion of Terumah gives expression to the Creator’s desire to be welcomed into this world – and this changes everything. The message of G-d’s desire that we create a Mikdash – a sanctuary for His presence, first fulfilled with the desert tabernacle and later, through the Holy Temple in Jerusalem -- is a message of love and faith which infuses human existence with purpose and hope. This Shabbat of parashat Terumah is also the special Sabbath known as Shabbat Zachor, wherein, in preparation for the upcoming h...
2021-02-1758 minJerusalem LightsThe Perpetual Sinai Revelation: Man’s Eternal Rendezvous with the DivineJerusalem Lights Podcast #52 - Parashat Yitro: TORAH FOR EVERYONE!
This week’s Torah portion is named for Yitro, former advisor to Pharaoh and idolatrous priest par excellence. The very same Yitro who became Moses’ father-in-law, and turned with all his heart to follow the One G-d of Israel. What’s more, Yitro was also the architect of ancient Israel’s judicial system. Why is this week’s Torah portion, featuring the most important event in human history – the giving of the Torah known as the ‘Sinai Revelation’ – named after this man? In this week’s Jerusalem Lights podcast, Jim Long an...
2021-02-0358 minJerusalem LightsThe Suspension of IllusionParashat B’shalach: Walking Through the Sea Towards Our Eternal Destiny
With Pharaoh and the Egyptian army in hot pursuit, the Children of Israel face the Sea of Reeds in this week’s Torah portion of B’shalach. Walking through the water that had miraculously split before them, the Israelites experienced the great saving of Hashem, and collectively rose – man, woman and (even the as-yet unborn) child, to the highest level of revelation. This prophetic illumination resulted in the entire nation bursting forth with the very special ‘Song of the Sea.’ This song sums up their experience as a clear v...
2021-01-2758 minJerusalem LightsAre We Slaves To Time or Masters of Time?Parashat Bo: The Torah Concept of Time vs. Pharaoh’s Mind Control Slavery: A Lesson for Our Time
This week’s Torah portion features the final three of the ten plagues: locusts, darkness and the slaying of the firstborn. It also contains the commandments of the Passover offering, and Rosh Chodesh...the sanctification of the New Moon, which is the foundation of the Hebrew calendar. In this week’s edition of the Jerusalem Lights podcast, our hosts explore the authentic Torah concept of time, and the opportunity that is given to us – through the sanctification of time – to rise abo...
2021-01-2057 minJerusalem LightsPrison Break: The Action BeginsPARASHAT VA'ERA
The Modern-Day Egyptian Exile of Psychological Warfare, Fear and Control G-d’s plan to redeem Israel from Egyptian bondage begins in this week’s Torah portion of Parashat Va’era, which features the first seven of the ten plagues that were visited upon Pharaoh and all of Egypt. But why did G-d take the long way around? Why did the Master of the Universe deem it appropriate to wreak the havoc of these ten strikes, rather than just deliver His people to freedom immediately? This week’s edition of the Jerusalem Lights podcast examines this question...
2021-01-131h 00Jerusalem LightsAncient and Modern Cancel CultureParashat Shemot: Ancient and Modern Cancel Culture
This week our Torah portion is parashat Shemot, beginning the Book of Exodus. In a flash, the generation of Joseph and his brothers have passed, and a new king arises in the land of Egypt ‘who did not know Joseph.’ The children of Israel ‘were fruitful, teemed, increased….and the land became filled with them,’ much to the chagrin of Pharaoh, who began to devise a solution to his Jewish problem – and thus began the servitude of Israel in Egypt. This week’s Jerusalem Lights podcast examines the Egyptian exile, which caused I...
2021-01-061h 02Jerusalem LightsRemembering Vendyl Jones: Pioneer of Torah for Non-JewsOur Jerusalem Lights podcast this week features a special tribute to the memory of an extraordinary man. Spiritual trailblazer, archeologist, author and teacher, Vendyl Jones of blessed memory was a true pioneer of bringing the light of Torah to the non-Jewish world. Jim Long fondly recalls his mentor and shares some of Vendyl’s fascinating personal history, and highlights some of his remarkable achievements. The reading of this week’s Torah portion of Vayechi brings the book of B’reishith (Genesis) to a close with the happy reunion of the family of Jacob in the Land of Egypt. Jim Long a...
2020-12-301h 09Jerusalem LightsVayigash and Three Days in Tevet: Light Emerging from DarknessThe Tenth of Tevet and the Septuagint: King Ptolemy, Torah Translations and the Golden Calf of Intellectual Arrogance
The dramatic reunion of Yosef and his brothers in the Torah portion of Vayigash coincides with three ‘days of darkness’ this week: the 8th, 9th, and the Fast Day of the 10th of this Hebrew month of Tevet. Our Jerusalem Lights podcast focuses on the events in history that these days recall: The forced translation of the Torah into Greek; the death of Ezra the Scribe; and the start of the Babylonian siege against Jerusalem which ultimately led to the...
2020-12-231h 03Jerusalem LightsPharaoh's Dream and Quantum MechanicsYosef the Dreamcatcher, Making the World’s Dreams Come True
From Yosef in Egypt to the Hasmonean Priests of Chanukah: Fighting Against Illusion
As we welcome the new month of Tevet and the beloved holiday of Chanukah reaches its illuminating crescendo this week, our hosts enthusiastically relate to the action-packed Torah portion of Miketz which features themes whose messages resonate with the urgency of the unique, ‘uncertain’ times in which we are living. These days may seem uncertain, even chaotic…but Hashem knows exactly what He is doing! Jim Long and Rabbi Chaim Richman ponder Yosef’s...
2020-12-161h 06Jerusalem LightsThe Light of Chanukah and the Soul of Machiach (Non-Jews, Chanukah Lights and the Courage to Stand with Israel)Parashat Vayeshev: Yosef and the Beginning of the Descent into Egyptian Exile
The light-filled holiday of Chanukah begins this week, converging with the Torah portion of Vayeshev, which focuses on Yosef (Joseph) the dreamer – the patriarch Yaakov’s beloved son of his old age. To put it mildly, Yosef doesn’t get along with his brothers – and they waylay him, throw him in a pit, and sell him as a slave. He winds up in Egypt as a servant to one of the Pharaoh’s officers. But as our hosts discuss in this week’s episode of the Jerusale...
2020-12-091h 02Jerusalem LightsWho Is Esav Today?Parashat Vayishlach and Plain Talk About Israel, Iran and the Fakhrizadeh Assassination
The Stain of Esav’s Influence on the History of Western Culture
The Torah portion of Vayishlach includes an exciting array of many of the seminal events in the patriarch Yaakov’s life, including Yaakov’s struggle with an angel; his much-anticipated reunion with Esav, the rape of Dina by Shechem and the revenge of brothers Shimon and Levi on the city, and more. In this week’s edition of the Jerusalem Lights podcast, Jim Long and Rabbi Chaim Richman ponder the relationship of the b...
2020-12-021h 05Jerusalem LightsIllusion vs. RealityParashat Toldot: Plain Talk about the Birthright, the Blessings, and the Legacy of Abraham and Esav, the Progenitor of Western Culture
This week we usher in the new month of Kislev, whose energy is informed by its crescendo, the Festival of Chanukah, with its theme of the revelation of the hidden light of creation. Indeed, light and darkness is a major theme of this month, and features prominently in this week's Torah portion of Toldot, as Yaakov and Esav emerge and begin a face-off which will last until the end of time, while the fate of humanity...
2020-11-1856 minJerusalem LightsThe Legacy of Sarah and the Spiritual Preeminence of WomenAll About Life and Death - and Love and Marriage
The Torah portion of Chayei Sarah features only two concepts: the death of Sarah and her burial at the ‘double cave’ in Hebron, and Eliezer’s mission to find a wife for Isaac. Yet in this week’s edition of the Jerusalem Lights podcast, our hosts discover that a major theme emerges from the connection of these ideas – namely, the true meaning of a life well lived. Jim Long and Rabbi Chaim Richman share some fascinating ideas about this Torah portion and its lessons on life and death, lov...
2020-11-101h 00Jerusalem LightsThe Lesson of Our Father Avraham: In the Service of HumanityThe Incomprehensible Test of the Binding of Isaac : A Defining Moment at the Crossroads of History
In a show not to be missed, this week’s edition of the Jerusalem Lights podcast was recorded on the 17th day of MarCheshvan – the day that marks the beginning of the Great Flood in the time of Noah – as the election ballots in the USA are being counted and tension mounts. All sides are in agreement that we are now reaching a defining moment in history, and our hosts reflect on the deeper meaning of the timing of this important electio...
2020-11-041h 00Jerusalem LightsAbraham, Creation and the Unified Theory of EverythingAlso, The Amazing Merit of our Mother Rachel
In this week’s Torah portion of Lech Lecha (“Go to yourself”), the patriarch Abraham bursts upon the scene. He begins a career of teaching a world that was in denial of G-d, that there really was a Creator. Abraham literally stood up against the whole world, confronting and exposing the fallacy of idolatry and confounding the evil establishment, and he reinstated belief in the One G-d, bequeathing this knowledge to all humanity. But where did Abraham come from? How did he find the Creator? What motivated Abraham to begin his s...
2020-10-281h 06Jerusalem LightsNoah Feeds the Animals on the Ark: A Lesson in CompassionParashat Noach: The Waters of Marcheshvan: Blessing or Retibution
Water, water everywhere: This week’s Torah portion of Noach tells the story of the Great Flood, G-d’s retribution against a humanity that had grown so wicked, it had lost all semblance of the Divine image in which man was created. The flood began during this very month of MarCheshvan, and yet this month also begins the much-anticipated rainfalls of blessing in the Land of Israel. This week’s edition of the Jerusalem Lights podcast provides a veritable ‘flood’ of background information and Biblical knowledge on the generation...
2020-10-211h 02Jerusalem LightsB’reishith: The Constant Renewal of All CreationB’reishith: The Constant Renewal of All Creation
Is the World on Auto Pilot, or is G-d Still Running the Show?
The festivals of Tishrei have concluded and this Shabbat we begin the yearly cycle of Torah readings once again, starting over with the first portion of the book of Genesis – parashat B’reishith. The process of renewal that we have all participated in during this intense holiday season, is now manifest as the renewal of all creation. But the truth is that just as G-d brought forth all of creation from nothing, so too He con...
2020-10-1457 minJerusalem LightsThe Power of Yom Kippur: Forgiveness for Jew and non-Jew AlikeChange Your Spiritual DNA/ How Does Torah Define Sin, and What Makes Repentance Real?
In this week’s Torah portion of Ha’azinu, Moshe calls upon heaven and earth to bear witness, as he delivers his prophetic song of rebuke, consolation, and ultimate redemption. This Shabbat is known as the ‘Sabbath of Repentance,’ and Yom Kippur, the awesome Day of Atonement will be observed this coming Sunday night – Monday, September 27-28. May non-Jews also participate in Yom Kippur observance? Absolutely yes! Our hosts discuss the concept of Yom Kippur forgiveness and atonement…. but how does Torah define sin, and wha...
2020-09-2353 minJerusalem LightsThe Positive Energy of Ushering in a Good, Sweet New Year!Preparing for Rosh HaShana: Rejoice with Trembling: Making Hashem King on Rosh HaShana: Not Just Lip Service
The year 5780 is about to depart, and we prepare to welcome the New Year of 5781, may it bring every blessing! Rosh HaShana is the birthday of man and a special holiday with universal relevance and meaning for all humanity. In this week’s special edition of the Jerusalem Lights podcast, Jim Long and Rabbi Chaim Richman emphasize this universality, declaring that 'you don’t have to be Jewish to observe Rosh HaShana!' Our hosts share some tips, and deep Tora...
2020-09-1653 minJerusalem LightsParashat Netzavim/Vayelech-Standing Before Hashem at the Renewal of CreationRosh HaShana: Preparing to Receive a New Light and the Transformative Sound of the Shofar
Themes of this week's double Torah reading of the portions of Nitzavim and Vayelech set the stage for our passage into the coming new year -- just as the portion of Nitzavim opens with the awesome scene of the entire nation of Israel preparing to 'pass into' the covenant with G-d and into the Land. Our portions feature so many foundational ideas that directly relate to the coming days of Rosh HaShana, time of judgment for all humanity, including repentance, warnings against th...
2020-09-1044 minJerusalem LightsParashat Ki Tavo: The First Fruits of ThankfulnessTorah is the People of Israel’s Deed to the Land of Israel:
Serving Hashem in Gladness is the Key to Every Divine Blessing
For the nation of Israel about to enter into the promised land, this week’s Torah portion of Ki Tavo presents the quintessential formula for a G-d-centered life: Thankfulness and acknowledgement, commandment and covenant. This week’s episode of the Jerusalem Lights podcast finds our hosts pondering the nature of the stark dichotomy featured in this portion: from the sublime joy of the experience of bringing the first fruits offering up to the...
2020-09-021h 01Jerusalem LightsParashat Ki Tetzei: Awakening Divine Mercy in Our WorldUniversal Torah for a World Gone Mad
Grabbing Hold in the Month of Elul: Desperate Times Call for Desperate Measures
The shofar-blast of the month of Elul serves to rouse us out of our lethargy. Elul is the time to wage spiritual battle against everything holding us back from developing our full potential! In this week’s edition of the Jerusalem Lights Podcast, Jim Long and Rabbi Chaim Richman delve into this week’s Torah portion of Ki Tetzei, which opens and closes on the theme of battle, and in between features more commandments than any...
2020-08-2659 minJerusalem LightsThe Compassionate Justice of Torah (Parashat Shoftim)Parashat Shoftim: The Month of Elul, a Spiritual Workshop for the Whole World
The Transformative Experience of Torah Study: It's Not Just for Jews
This week's edition of the Jerusalem Lights Podcast ushers in the month of Elul, the last month of the year and a time of repentance, tikkun and deep spiritual work. Our hosts focus on the great challenge of Elul for all seekers of G-d, and the special opportunity it presents us to prepare ourselves for the upcoming Days of Awe. Jim Long and Rabbi Chaim Richman discuss how this week's Torah...
2020-08-1954 minJerusalem LightsParashat Eikev: The ‘Little’ Things We Trample UnderfootThe Past and Future Circle Dance of Tu B’Av: Lessons of Tu B’Av for Today: Love and Unity in a Time of Testing and Uncertainty
The confluence between this week’s Torah portion of Ekev and the ancient Biblical holiday of Tu B’Av provides much inspiration for this week’s rousing edition of the Jerusalem Lights podcast. Our hosts Jim Long and Rabbi Chaim Richman delve deeply into the rich teachings of the sages that illuminate the fascinating history – and prophetic future promise – of the holiday known as the 15th of Av, called by the sages ‘the...
2020-08-051h 02Jerusalem LightsParashat Va'Etchanan: Changing the Narrative of the Tisha B'Av ExperienceWhat Will You Be Doing on Tisha B’Av?
The Relevance of the Holy Temple Today – And the Temple Mount Revolution
This week’s Torah portion of Va’Etchanan, with its emphasis on love of G-d and the Land of Israel, opens with a subtle allusion to the Holy Temple. The observance of the fast day of Tisha B’Av this week (July 30) will mark 1951 years since the destruction of the Holy Temple. What relevance does the distant memory of the Holy Temple have for our modern world today? Should we be mourning the past, or prepari...
2020-07-2852 minJerusalem LightsKING WITHOUT A THRONE: Who Rules Over You?Life Lessons of Menachem Av, the Month of the Consoling Father
Torah for Everyone: Fixing a Damaged, Despairing World with Love and Kindness
This week we begin the month of Menachem Av, and next week on the fast day of Tisha B’Av we will mark 1950 years since the destruction of the Holy Temple. On the backdrop of our brave new world of confusion and doubt, corruption and anarchy, exploitation and manipulation, this week’s episode of the Jerusalem Lights podcast looks at the world through the eyes of the Torah’s principle of striving to see...
2020-07-221h 07Jerusalem LightsParashat Pinchas: Standing Up Against the MobBreaking the Template: Do We Have Free Will or is Everything Predetermined?
This week the Hebrew calendar marks the Fast Day of Tammuz 17, which begins a three-week period of introspection and mourning for the destruction of the Holy Temple. Is there a message in these days for Gentiles as well as Jews? In this week’s episode of the Jerusalem Lights podcast, our hosts relate to this question against the backdrop of the preeminent Torah principle of free will. In this week’s Torah reading, Pinchas, grandson of the High Priest Aaron, single handedly staves off a devas...
2020-07-0858 minJerusalem LightsKorach’s Rebellion and the Arrogance of Personal AgendaNarcissism in the Garb of Civil Rights Activism
And, the Dilemma of Israel’s Annexation Question and Lessons of the Month of Tammuz
The charismatic Korach, a Levite of distinction, leads a rebellion against the authority of Moses, ostensibly championing equality and social justice…but it is quickly revealed that his incitement is not directed against Moses alone, but against G-d Himself. His ego-driven rebellion is actually a manifestation of his own myopic, narcissistic world view. Pretending to be concerned about the welfare of the nation, he is only concerned with himself; he is the very...
2020-06-241h 01Jerusalem LightsParashat Shelach: We See What We Choose To SeeThe Sin of Evil Speech and the Law of Reciprocity - Speaking Against the Land of Israel: An Ancient Sin with a Modern Twist
The Torah portion of Shelach begins a turning point in history. Moses sends 12 upstanding, righteous men to spy out the Land of Canaan in preparation for the Children of Israel's entry into the Land. Ten of these men come back with an evil, slanderous report that causes the people to despair and cry. This was the first Tisha B'Av, and the disastrous sin of speaking evil against the Land of Israel became the...
2020-06-171h 09Jerusalem LightsThe All Too Human Craving to ComplainThe Annexation Question and the Book of Numbers: Do Jewish Lives in the Land of Israel Matter?
The Torah portion Behalotcha read this week in the Diaspora features an incident that shares a theme with the portion of Shelach, read this week in Israel: rebellion against the Land of Israel and a lack of faith in G-d’s promise that Israel can enter the Land and prosper…yet love and devotion to Hashem shines through as well. Rabbi Chaim Richman and Jim Long closely examine a thread that connects between these Torah portions and the burning issues of t...
2020-06-1058 minJerusalem LightsThe Media, Anarchy, and the Innocents Caught In-BetweenPriestly Blessing of Peace for a World Gone Mad: Torah Presents Hashem’s Vision for A Just and Loving Society
As both peaceful as well as violent demonstrations, marches and incidents of looting and killing have plagued American cities, this week's edition of the Jerusalem Lights Podcast focuses on the Torah's concepts of society to be founded on justice for all, compassion, acts of kindness, and above all, the value of peace, as Hashem's greatest blessings for humanity...but as in every area of human endeavor, it is up to us to make the right decisions. Jim Long...
2020-06-0359 minJerusalem LightsMount Sinai, the Gift of the Torah, and the Nations of the WorldNews Flash: G-d Gave Israel the Torah at Sinai Because He Loves This World…and He Loves Man
This week, with the completion of the counting of the Omer, we welcome the Festival of Shavuot, anniversary of the Giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai. This week’s Jerusalem Lights Podcast is a veritable Shavuot primer, as our hosts explore many layers and levels of the multifaceted festival and open new dimensions for us on this eminently important time, a time of joyous renewal for all who love Hashem, Jew and Gentile alike. Jim Long and Rabbi Rich...
2020-05-271h 05Jerusalem LightsShavuot: Universal Spiritual Rectification of Torah ObservanceIs Torah for everyone, or only for Israel? What does the festival of Shavuot mean for the spiritual seekers of the nations of the world?
The Jerusalem Lights podcast celebrates the holy city this week, in honor of Jerusalem Day (the 28th day of the Hebrew month of Iyar), which will take place this year on Friday May 22nd. Jerusalem Day marks the day on which Jerusalem was liberated and unified during the Six Day War of 1967, and this year marks the 53rdanniversary. Our hosts reflect upon the spiritual power and preeminence of this special city and i...
2020-05-201h 04Jerusalem LightsThe Land of Israel and the Secret of the Sabbatical YearThe Unbreakable Connection of the People of Israel with the Land of Israel: One Living Unit…and a Message for the World
We bid farewell to the book of Vayikra (Leviticus) as the cycle of this third book of the Torah draws to a close this week with the reading of its two final Torah portions, Behar and Bechukotei. Jim Long and Rabbi Chaim Richman focus on the commandment of the Sabbatical and Jubilee years, an amazing bisect of time and space that demonstrates holiness on even the most physical level of earthiness. Our hosts explore the id...
2020-05-131h 09Jerusalem LightsParashat Emor: Overcoming the Illusion of DeathThe Kohanim and the Calendar: Striving Towards an Elevated Perception of Reality
This week’s Jerusalem Lights podcast celebrates Pesach Sheni (14 Iyar – May 8), the Biblical ‘Second Passover.’ What is the story behind this elusive, unsung day, and what are its messages for us today? Jim Long and Rabbi Chaim Richman discuss the amazing background of this day, and the eternal life lessons that it brings us. This week’s Torah portion of parashat Emor focuses on the ‘kohanim’ who serve in the Holy Temple and their mandate to live on a heightened level of awareness. Our hosts offer their th...
2020-05-061h 04Jerusalem LightsParashat Tazria and the Sublime Holiness of WomenThe Divine, Prophetic Trajectory of the Month of Iyar, the Month of Healing
The Jerusalem Lights podcast welcomes the new month of Iyar, anniversary of the building of the First Temple, and wondrous month of healing. Perfect timing for Israel Independence Day and, we pray, progress towards the world’s healing from COVID-19. Rabbi Chaim Richman an co-host Jim Long share powerful and penetrating insights regarding the Torah’s empowerment and celebration of the sanctity and stature of Womanhood, as well as the elusive concept of the spiritual illness of tzarat, in this week’s double Torah readin...
2020-04-231h 06Jerusalem LightsPassover in the Time of Corona: Faith, Freedom and HealingTemple Offerings and the Sanctity of Human Life
The Passover Challenge: Rise Up and Destroy the World’s Idolatry
Parashat Tzav ('Command') is a call to recognize the sanctity of human life as Jews all over the world are prepare for the holiday of Passover, the festival of faith and healing. Faith and healing are exactly what our whole world needs while the global battle against Corona accelerates and unifies all people...though we be apart. Rabbi Chaim Richman and Jim Long discuss the universal spiritual significance of Passover in the time of Corona. In the depth...
2020-04-011h 09Jerusalem LightsNisan, the Month of Past and Future RedemptionThe Book of Leviticus, the Divine Service, and the Temple Offerings: Heart of the Torah
With the arrival of the month of Nisan, time of Redemption, the people of Israel begin to read the third book of the Bible, Leviticus, called 'the heart of the Torah.' How do we understand the korbanot, the Temple offerings, which seem so difficult to relate to in our modern world? Rabbi Chaim Richman and Jim Long discuss the meaning and significance of the Temple offerings in the shadow of a world paralyzed by the Corona virus, which is now keeping n...
2020-03-251h 02Jerusalem LightsPurim, Corona virus and the Hidden Presence of G-d in Our LivesLiving in a World of Spiritual Imbalance: King Without a Crown
Recorded on Purim day, this week's episode of the Jerusalem Lights podcast looks at the universal life lessons of Purim. And is there a connection between the hidden presence of G-d in the Purim story, and this week's Torah portion of parashat Ki Tisa, which prominently features the Golden Calf? Parashat Ki Tisa also coincides with the special Shabbat of parashat Para, with its additional Torah reading from Numbers 19 -- the Red Heifer. What is the connection between the calf and the mysterious red heifer? Join...
2020-03-101h 03Jerusalem LightsParashat Terumah: The Divine Call To Build a Sanctuary for G-d In This WorldParashat Terumah is the moment G-d has been waiting for…’And they shall make for Me a Sanctuary, and I will dwell among them’ (Ex. 25:8). It’s the secret of the Tabernacle/Holy Temple, G-d’s dream of being welcomed into this world. It is also destined and prophesized to become the ‘house of prayer for all nations’ (Isaiah 56:7)…and in that vision of the future world, the Torah, housed within the Ark of the Covenant, resonates from Jerusalem and broadcasts light from Jerusalem to all the world. It's Torah for Everyone. What does it mean for each and every human bein...
2020-02-271h 02Jerusalem LightsThe Meaning of a True Religious ExperienceIn this edition of the Jerusalem Lights Podcast, hosts Rabbi Chaim Richman and Jim Long examine the Jewish concept of a true religious experience, for both Jews and Gentiles, and explore the true meaning of freedom. Does Torah observance play a role in addressing the existential angst of the universal human condition? Or is it all rote and ritual? Tune in to the Jerusalem Lights podcast for astounding Torah truths. It's Torah for Everyone!
2020-02-2755 minJerusalem LightsYou Don't Have To Be Jewish To Love G-d, Torah and IsraelWelcome to the dynamic new "Jerusalem Lights" podcast! Rabbi Chaim Richman in Jerusalem teams up with long-time friend, author and filmmaker Jim Long in Arkansas. In this first episode, our hosts discuss their mutually shared vision of a global Torah revolution as foreseen by the prophets of Israel. Jim recounts gripping details about how he, as a non-Jew, came to be committed to Torah and the belief in the One G-d of Israel. Rabbi Chaim Richman, founder of Jerusalem Lights, shares his passion for bringing the light of Torah to everyone, and shares insights in this week's Torah portion o...
2020-02-2551 min