Episodes

On January 2, 2023, during Monday Night Football, an NFL player - Damar Hamlin - suffered a cardiac arrest which brought the entire game of football, the stadium, and most of the country to a standstill. In this week's episode of The Torah Sparks Podcast we talk about the power of unity as well as three life-lessons that we can learn from the Damar Hamlin story. Check out the Torah Sparks website at https://www.torahsparks.com/ for the latest podcasts and weekly blog posts. If you enjoy this con...

Listen to a powerful story about a father's constant encouragement to his son and learn a valuable lesson for how to overcome the Yetzer Harah. Check out the Torah Sparks website at https://www.torahsparks.com/ for the latest podcasts and weekly blog posts. If you enjoy this content, please share with your friends, family, and neighbors. Be sure to leave a rating and write a review! NEW: Please subscribe to my new YouTube Channel (Rabbi Ori Strum) where I'll be posting meaningful videos: https:/...

Ironically, the smallest state - Rhode Island - officially has the longest name: Rhode Island and Providence Plantation. In this week's episode of The Torah Sparks Podcast, we discuss the incredible lesson learned from this random bit of information and we discover that the secret to the greatness of the Jewish people is their smallness. Check out the Torah Sparks website at https://www.torahsparks.com/ for the latest podcasts and weekly blog posts. If you enjoy this content, please share with y...

Have you ever been cut off while driving? It's not fun, and naturally, we tend to feel anger and frustration. But what if we reframe our minds and think that this person is not really cutting me off, rather G-d is cutting on action and testing us to see how we react and respond? Interesting. In this week's episode of The Torah Sparks Podcast we discuss the idea of anger and the idea of not taking mental shortcuts. Check out the Torah Sparks website at https://www.torahsparks.com/ for the latest ...

"Respect is Earned When No One is Looking" is the meaningful quote found on one of my tennis armbands. Many years prior to the manufacturing of this armband, though, Yaakov Avinu fought a battle when no one was looking, and he gained a tremendous amount of respect from that battle. Tune in to this week's episode of The Torah Sparks Podcast to find out more about the importance of fighting and working hard even when no one is looking. Check out the Torah Sparks website at https://www.torahsparks....

Have you ever wondered why the Claw Game at amusement parks are always filled with stuffed animals? Simple answer. Because no one ever wins. In this week's episode of The Torah Sparks Podcast, we reveal a secret for how to boost your chances of winning the Claw Game and we see how Yaakov Avinu tapped into this simple, yet brilliant, way of life. Check out the Torah Sparks website at https://www.torahsparks.com/ for the latest podcasts and weekly blog posts. If you enjoy this content, please shar...

RUUUUUUUNN! This word is usually associated with online deals that you don't want to miss. But if you think about it, this word is very much associated with Parshas Toldos. Rivka had two children inside of her, each one running in their own direction. In this week's episode of The Torah Sparks Podcast, we discuss an incredible Rashi in 25:22, and bring out a valuable lesson for our Divine service. Check out the Torah Sparks website at https://www.torahsparks.com/ for the latest podcasts and week...

Backbones, worms, pencils, and more. In this week's episode of The Torah Sparks Podcast we attempt to connect all of these seemingly separate ideas, and emerge with a meaningful lesson to help us in our everyday lives. Check out the Torah Sparks website at https://www.torahsparks.com/ for the latest podcasts and weekly blog posts. If you enjoy this content, please share with your friends, family, and neighbors. Be sure to leave a rating and write a review! My book "Ready. Set. Grow." is availabl...

The Proof of the Pudding is in the Eating. I'm sure you never heard this phrase before, even though this is actually the original phrase, as opposed to the more well-known, the "Proof is in the Pudding." In any case, in this week's episode of The Torah Sparks Podcast we discuss the great Abraham and how he passed the ultimate test given to him by G-d. We also talk about what in the world the "Proof is in the Pudding" has to do with yiddishkeit. I'll give you a hint: Everything! Check out the To...

Darwin spoke about humans and monkeys in a book called "The Descent of Man." In this week's episode of The Torah Sparks Podcast, we talk about the Torah's approach to life using the concept of, "The Ascent of Man." Check out the Torah Sparks website at https://www.torahsparks.com/ for the latest podcasts and weekly blog posts. If you enjoy this content, please share with your friends, family, and neighbors. Be sure to leave a rating and write a review! My book "Ready. Set. Grow." is available at...

Toddlers are notorious for saying, "Myself!" They love trying to do tasks all by themselves, with no help. It's cute and all, and even healthy for a toddler to behave this way. But grown adults who constantly live with a "Myself!" mentality, not seeking help or assistance from others, are setting themselves up for failure. In this week's episode of The Torah Sparks Podcast, we discuss the idea that true success comes from teamwork and how haughtiness steers a person far away from real success. C...

Besides for the words ex nihilo and firmament , my next favorite English-translated word in the book of Genesis (also, a great word) is luminaries . In this week's episode of The Torah Sparks Podcast, we discuss a masterful idea from the Ibn Ezra who explains how the moon is indeed "larger" than the stars, contrary to what astronomers like yourself might have thought. Check out the Torah Sparks website at https://www.torahsparks.com/ for the latest podcasts and weekly blog posts. If you enjoy th...

Did you know that the first person convicted of speeding was driving a whopping 8 mph? Times have surely changed! Like everything, though, there is an important lesson to be gleaned from this, and it connects with the Song of Haazinu and the upcoming holiday of Sukkos. Check out the Torah Sparks website at https://www.torahsparks.com/ for the latest podcasts and weekly blog posts. If you enjoy this content, please share with your friends, family, and neighbors. Be sure to leave a rating and writ...

What is The Greatest City in America? Is this even a fair question? Tune in to this week's episode of The Torah Sparks Podcast to find out the truth about Teshuva and how Hashem's love for us is as real as real gets. Check out the Torah Sparks website at https://www.torahsparks.com/ for the latest podcasts and weekly blog posts. If you enjoy this content, please share with your friends, family, and neighbors. Be sure to leave a rating and write a review! My book "Ready. Set. Grow." is available ...

In this week's episode of The Torah Sparks Podcast, we discuss how an experience of writer's block actually gave the writer inspiration of what to write about. We also talk about the significance of the number 458 and 581 and their connection with Rosh Hashanah. Check it out. This is an episode you do not want to miss. Check out the Torah Sparks website at https://www.torahsparks.com/ for the latest podcasts and weekly blog posts. If you enjoy this content, please share with your friends, family...

There is an oft quoted saying, "Don't tell Hashem how big your problems are, rather, tell your problems how big Hashem is." How in the world does this idea connect to the Mitzvah of Bikkurim? And furthermore, how does the fact that Roomba gets stuck connect to all of this? Check out the Torah Sparks website at https://www.torahsparks.com/ for the latest podcasts and weekly blog posts. If you enjoy this content, please share with your friends, family, and neighbors. Be sure to leave a rating and ...

What is the fastest way to visit the Great Wall of China, the Statue of Liberty, and the Burj Khalifa all in the same day? All you need to do is take three steps back and three steps forward. If you are unclear what this means, I recommend you check out this week's version of the Torah Sparks Podcast where we discuss an invaluable message taught to us from the Yetzer Harah himself. Check out the Torah Sparks website at https://www.torahsparks.com/ for the latest podcasts and weekly blog posts. I...

Everyone has a light switch in their home that is mysterious; the members of the house have no idea what it controls. In this week's episode of The Torah Sparks Podcast, we talk about the unsolved mystery of the dead corpse found between two cities, and how, behind this backdrop of negativity, we see the beauty and value for life. Check out the Torah Sparks website at https://www.torahsparks.com/ for the latest podcasts and weekly blog posts. If you enjoy this content, please share with your fri...

We can clean messages from anyone. Even from a little girl at the Baltimore Zoo? Yes, even from a little girl at the Baltimore Zoo. In this episode of The Torah Sparks Podcast, we explore the fundamental idea of realizing that there is no one and nothing that is "bigger" than Hashem. This should give us tremendous feelings of comfort in our Divine service. Check out the Torah Sparks website at https://www.torahsparks.com/ for the latest podcasts and weekly blog posts. If you enjoy this content, ...

What is heavier, a pound of bricks or a pound of feathers? You've probably heard this question before. Even if you've heard the answer before, you probably have not heard why this connects with Parshas Eikev. Tune in to this week's episode of The Torah Sparks Podcast to find out more. Check out the Torah Sparks website at https://www.torahsparks.com/ for the latest podcasts and weekly blog posts. If you enjoy this content, please share with your friends, family, and neighbors. Be sure to leave a...

What happened to the most stunning painting ever painted atop of Mt. Everest? What does this have to do with Shema Yisroel? And how does this all connect to Shabbos Nachamu and the idea of consolation? Tune in to this week's episode of The Torah Sparks Podcast to find out more! Check out the Torah Sparks website at https://www.torahsparks.com/ for the latest podcasts and weekly blog posts. If you enjoy this content, please share with your friends, family, and neighbors. Be sure to leave a rating...

There's a technical term for everything. Even for "getting used to the dark"? Yes. It's called "dark adaptation." In this week's episode of The Torah Sparks Podcast, we discuss the importance of not getting used to the darkness of galus, exile, but still being able to be a source of light amidst the darkness. Check out the Torah Sparks website at https://www.torahsparks.com/ for the latest podcasts and weekly blog posts. If you enjoy this content, please share with your friends, family, and neig...

Can you really be called Mr. Macho if you scream every time you hear a creaking noise in your home? Tune in to this week's episode of The Torah Sparks Podcast to hear about the spiritual power of hypervigilance and how we can use this psychological phenomenon to deal with the constant movements of our lives. Check out the Torah Sparks website at https://www.torahsparks.com/ for the latest podcasts and weekly blog posts. If you enjoy this content, please share with your friends, family, and neigh...

For all those who don't know, sailing is a real sport, and it may not always be as chilled as it looks. In this week's episode of The Torah Sparks Podcast, we discuss an epic story of a sail boat capsizing and its connection to Parshas Pinchos, in particular, to the power of women as depicted from the daughters of Tzlofchod. Check out the Torah Sparks website at https://www.torahsparks.com/ for the latest podcasts and weekly blog posts. If you enjoy this content, please share with your friends, ...