You're warmly invited to join us for a year of spiritual growth through the entire Torah cycle.
We will spend our sessions together learning, discussing and practicing based on teachings from the Ba'al Shem Tov (aka the Besht), on each weekly Torah portion.
These teachings and practices will focus on healing, self-awareness, self-development, creativity, and our relationships with self, other and Divine Source.
The Besht was a profoundly radical mystic, and the founder of the revolutionary Chasidic movement, which has transformed the lives of millions of people. He was a truly multifaceted person: educator, shaman, healer, story-teller, musician, and Divine channel.
The handout for each session contains one key teaching and meditative or creative practice on four or five Torah portions.
In each session, we explore three of these teachings and practices, leaving one to be enjoyed either on your own or with an optional chevrutah (partner), or a chaburah (small group).
Throughout the course, participants will be encouraged to explore:
1) How can we best integrate the teachings and practices into our daily lives?
2) How might we best share them with others, who may benefit from them?
All texts are provided with clear line-by-line translations, and no prior knowledge or experience with the subject matter is necessary. This course is open to novices and advanced learners of all backgrounds and levels.
How does it work?
The course consists of 12 recorded sessions of 2 hours each, which participants can watch at your own convenience.
Our meditative practices and exercises include visualizations, body scans, spiritual writing and drawing.
All texts are provided with clear line-by-line translations, and no prior knowledge or experience with the subject matter is necessary.
Participants receive:
1) Video recordings of each session to enjoy at your own convenience.
2) Printable handouts of sources, including the prayers themselves and commentaries on them, provided in full translation with introductory comments and guiding questions.
3) Clear instructions for guided practices or exercises for every single Torah portion, based on the texts provided.
Testimonials
"Learning with Rav Daniel is a wonderful experience. In his classes he brings an extraordinary range of texts from our tradition and makes them meaningful for our lives today. His deep personal integrity, wisdom and spirituality constantly inspire me to walk the Jewish spiritual path and help me with my own awakening and development."
- Rabbi Danny Newman, Founding Partner, HaMakom
"When learning with Rav Daniel, I feel the inner peace and joy that comes with learning from a teacher who is scholarly, spiritual, and down-to-earth. I have also gleaned extremely useful tools in learning how to approach Jewish texts and tradition and how to bring meditative spiritual practice into my life, all in a loving and open-minded way."
- Shira Sacks
“I just completed Rabbi Daniel Silverstein’s class Deepening Your Shabbat Prayer Practice. What a magnificent experience! It was filled with treasures from Hasidic masters and Kabbalah—many brand new to me. I appreciated the time given for sharing and practice throughout the classes and the enthusiasm of class members to express themselves thru words, poems, art and music. A special bonding happened among us with great appreciation for other’s reflections.”
- Cathy Ostroff