We're always thinking about who we are - good, bad, healthy, unhealthy, broken, whole - and how great we may or may not be able to become. Can we really succeed in every area of life, or are we meant to struggle with only partial success?
From where can we derive true wisdom about these questions?
Today's Hayom Yom points us in the direction of some answers.
A straightforward, logical approach to understanding what the Rebbe seems to have wanted from us when he said the famous sicha of Chof-Ches Nissan, 5751 - based entirely on the words of the sicha.
As described in the previous episode, I was BH the winner of the first ever Chassidus Applied essay contest, winning $10,000 with my essay entitled Getting Past Depression by Getting Past Yourself, based on a maamar of the Mitteler Rebbe.
This episode is the recording of 22-year-old me presenting the essay at the JLI Sinai Scholars Symposium at the University of Pennsylvania that year.
You can read the actual essay here:
https://www.chassidusapplied.com/essay/getting-past-depression-by-getting-past-yourself/
I hope you find these explanations practical and transformative! Please consider sharing this content with someone who can use a boost out of feeling down and into lasting simcha.
—
👉 For more from me, visit AryehGurewitz.com
Exactly ten years ago today, I was blessed with an unforgettable moment in my life. To celebrate this special anniversary, I share the behind-the-scenes story of how I won first place in the very first MyLife: Chassidus Applied essay contest, hosted by Rabbi Simon Jacobson and the Meaningful Life Center.
It’s not just a story about me winning. It’s a story about battling through emotional challenges through the guidance of Chassidus, and thereby learning how to help others do the same.
You’ll hear:
The personal struggle I was going through that year in Yeshiva
How I stumbled on a maamar that felt like it was written just for me
The person who inspired me to write and really try to win
The powerful reaction people have had to the essay over the years
How the $10,000 prize was not just a nice luxury, but actually helped my continued growth as a Jew
How this moment gave me the first public sign that I could share Chassidus in a way that really helps people
Resources Mentioned:
📄 Read the full essay: “Getting Past Depression by Getting Past Yourself”
📺 Rabbi Simon Jacobson’s Chassidus Applied program
🎧 Coming soon: a bonus episode with the recording of 22-year-old me presenting the essay live at the JLI Sinai Scholars Symposium shortly after the essay contest.
Thank You for Listening!
If this episode inspired you, please share it with someone who’s working through their own challenges. May Hashem bless you with clarity, growth, and real simcha.
—
👉 For more from me, visit AryehGurewitz.com
In this special Purim episode of Success for Jewish Men, we explore one of the most life-changing shifts in perspective—seeing your life as part of a grander story about you and Hashem - and feeling that consistently, even when Hashem's Presence is hidden.
The Megillah is unique among the books of Tanach. Hashem’s name isn’t mentioned even once. To an outsider, it might not even seem like a story about Hashem at all. And yet, we read the Megillah knowing it’s a story of miracles, Hashgacha Pratis, and Hashem’s perfect orchestration.
The truth is, our lives are no different. We may not have prophetic narration explaining exactly how Hashem is involved, but that doesn’t mean He isn’t directing every single moment.
In this episode, we explore:
🔹 Why the Megillah is the perfect parallel to our own lives
🔹 How to shift from "Where is Hashem?" to "I see Hashem everywhere"
🔹 The Baal Shem Tov’s fundamental teaching on Hashgacha Pratis—how every single detail is divinely orchestrated
🔹 The long-term plan of history—how your life is part of Hashem’s ultimate story leading to Moshiach
We tend to look at life and ask why challenges are happening and where it's all going. The way the Purim story is written (with ruach hakodesh) emphasizes to us that Hashem has a plan, and even though that plan unfolds slowly over time, He is with us every step of the way.
Listen now to strengthen your awareness of Hashgacha Pratis, make real connection with Hashem a part of your daily life, and enter Purim with a deeper appreciation of its message.
Wishing you a Freilichen Purim—one filled with clarity, joy, and the recognition of Hashem’s presence in every detail of your life!
—
👉 For more from me, visit AryehGurewitz.com
In this episode of Success for Jewish Men, we dive into a crucial but often misunderstood topic: the role of simcha (joy) in our lives—not as an optional extra, but as a necessity for our Avodas Hashem, our relationships, and our financial success.
Too often, we think happiness is something we’ll experience after we’ve solved our challenges—after our Parnassah is flowing, after our marriage is perfect, after we’ve "figured it all out." But the Alter Rebbe in Tanya flips this thinking on its head: Simcha isn’t the result of success—it’s the prerequisite.
Using the metaphor of a wrestling match, the Alter Rebbe teaches us that no matter how strong we are spiritually or mentally, if we come into the fight weighed down by sadness and worry, we will lose. To win in our inner battles, to step into our full potential, we need energy, enthusiasm, and readiness to do whatever it takes—which all come from Simcha.
This episode explores:
🔹 Why the Baal Shem Tov made simcha a central theme of Chassidus
🔹 How the "American" pursuit of happiness differs from the Tanya's perspective
🔹 A mindset shift that can unlock new possibilities in your parnassah, marriage, and spiritual life
🔹 The secret behind Simcha Poretz Geder—how true joy shatters limitations
If you’re ready to stop waiting for happiness and start using it as a tool for real success, this episode is a must-listen.
Listen now and start implementing these shifts today!
—
👉 For more from me, visit AryehGurewitz.com
In this episode of Success for Jewish Men, we explore simple, powerful, yet often-overlooked lessons from the Rebbe and the Rebbetzin’s marriage — lessons that can truly transform our homes.
Their connection, their shared purpose, and their profound respect for each other give us a clear picture of what marriage can look like when the Nefesh HaBahamis isn't getting in the way. And while their level is far beyond what we even aspire to reach, that doesn't mean we can't learn from their greatness and grow in that direction. The shifts proposed in this episode can help you become a better husband, strengthen your marriage, and create a life with less struggle, more flow, and more success.
Give it a listen and be ready to implement what you learn!
__
Thanks for listening to the podcast! For more from me, visit my website:
In one of the final sichos the Rebbe edited so far, the Rebbe described how the day of the Rebbetzin's passing - 22 Shevat, 5748 (1988) - marked the beginning of the third segment of the Dor HaShevii (the generation of Chassidim tasked with finally bringing the Geulah).
What is the relevance of this information, and with what mindset should we approach the fact that we live in this unique time?
Find out in this Moshiach shiur. (Recorded 22 Shevat, 5778.)
In my recent conversation with Rabbi Josh Zebberman (see last podcast episode), we discussed the value of learning a hard part of a maamar and asking... "Who cares?!"
In this Moshiach shiur given way back in 2017, I had done exactly that, with regard to the beginning of the Rebbe's first maamar, Basi Legani 5711, where the Rebbe explains the meaning of ikar shechina.
This, and many other very deep and vitally important teachings of the Rebbe, are packed into this crash course on Moshiach.
A bunch of years ago, Rabbi Josh Zebberman was one of my first chevrusas in yeshiva, and one of the first maamarim we learned together was a Basi Legani.
Now, he's a marriage counselor who utilizes Solution-Focused Brief Therapy to help couples restore positivity and happiness to their relationship. And of course you know a bit about me and my coaching.
In honor of Yud Shevat, we sat down for a conversation about the Rebbe's first maamar, Basi Legani 5711, and what insights about marriage we can glean from it.
Enjoy the episode, and listen in for our difference of opinion about "solving the problems" in our marriages!
To learn more about Rabbi Josh and his services, you can visit his website: RabbiJoshZebberman.com.
And for more from me, you can visit AryehGurewitz.com.
In this episode of Success for Jewish Men, I share a concise yet life-changing teaching from the Rebbe—one that’s so simple that we could totally miss it (even if we've learned the sicha), yet potent enough that it can guide you to a new vision of literally every area of your life.
Based on the Rebbe's words, we now have an authentically Torah-based visualization technique that can help us break free from our habitual patterns and step into the lives we're meant to live. And this is without having to do hisbonenus on Seder Hishtalshelus (even though that's a good thing to do, too).
This technique isn’t just theoretical—it’s an actionable framework for personal growth, relationship success, financial breakthroughs, and more elevated avodas Hashem. And the best part? It may just be the Rebbe's key to bringing Moshiach.
By the way, listen until to the end of the episode for a special offer for those who would like my help getting started with this technique.
In this farbrengen, we had a deep discussion of two of my favorite sichos from the Rebbe:
One of them calls upon us to experience gashmiyus as an extension of our ruchniyus, as the Mitteler Rebbe did, and by using the Mitteler Rebbe's maamarim as a tool to elevate ourselves to this state.
The other, said by the Rebbe a few months later, calls upon us to try to be ashirim, starting with spiritual wealth and then flowing into literal, financial success - which we intend to use to facilitate even greater spiritual success.
Do you see the connection?
Understanding and applying these ideas can change both your spiritual life and your financial life!
Recorded on Yud Kislev 5785. Thank you to Rabbi Sharon Weiss and Living Chassidus for arranging the farbrengen!
What does Hashem have in mind for you to do for your parnassah?
Did He think about that when He designed you, or is it too mundane for Him to take interest in?
Maybe just have Bitachon and it won't matter so much?
It may seem ironic at first glance, but the clearest answer I've found to date about how to choose your job from a Torah perspective is actually in the Shaar HaBitachon.
It's time to start choosing our jobs and businesses the Shaar HaBitachon way.
__
For more from me, check out my website:
Do you have kids in yeshiva or another kind of Jewish elementary school?
This episode will help you make sure they're succeeding and having a great experience!
I was interviewed by educator and parenting coach Boruch Menashe Adlin on his podcast: "Parenting - Not What You Expected."
We discussed empowering mindsets, simple but essential practical tips, and how to start setting up your kids for success from as early as age three.
The Rebbe taught us that every improvement (or, chas v'shalom, the opposite) in a child's chinuch may have a major effect for a long time to come. That means that it's not a stretch for many children's lives to be made better by this podcast!
Take a listen and see if there's room to help your kids benefit.
You want it.
You really want it.
But are you fully committed to it?
Yom Kippur always makes me think of this distinction.
Get clear on the difference between the two - and how crucial it is in every area of your life - in this episode.
Kabbalas Ol Malchus Shamayim is a cornerstone of the Rebbe's teachings.
Get it right, and we'll be on track for a lot of spiritual success, which will flow into success in every area.
Get it wrong, and ... well, unfortunately there are quite a few very religious Jews - and formerly religious Jews - who have suffered from that.
In this episode, I suggest an approach to Kabbalas Ol that will make it much more pleasant, and one that we can actually implement simply and successfully.
What makes it different? The fact that it is aligned with another core teaching of the Rebbe - that every Jew already, intrinsically wants to fulfill all the mitzvos.
In this shiur that I gave a while back, we learn inside a short piece of a deeply transformative sicha (Parshas Vaeschanan/Shabbos Nachamu 5751).
In it, the Rebbe lays out a new, super-powerful path in Avodas Hashem that has the power to bring us to remarkable shleimus in Torah, Avodah, and Gemilus Chasadim - or, in other words, in every aspect of our lives.
What is this technique?
To "gaze at" the Third Beis HaMikdash and the final Geulah. In other words, not to simply think about them casually, but to visualize them and deeply connect mentally and emotionally to that vision.
Not a technique you'll find in the self-help books!
Listen to the shiur for all the details about this amazing teaching of the Rebbe and my take on how to apply it!
Emotions are not formed by situations.
They're formed by how we interpret situations.
If we want to be happy people, we will want to learn the skill of interpreting even our most painful situations in a positive way.
We see this way of thinking in the Rebbe's teachings about the Three Weeks - from the 17th of Tammuz being called "Tov Tammuz" to the idea that the Third Beis HaMikdash is the culmination of a process, not merely a replacement for what was lost.
Being a victim of circumstance is NEVER an effective way to live. The opposite - taking ownership - is ALWAYS an infinitely better way.
This simple distinction can be an absolute game-changer in many areas of our lives.
In honor of the Frierdieker Rebbe's Chassidim and their absolute refusal to be "victims" of the communist regime, let's take a look at how this distinction can be applied to the challenges we face in chinuch today.
This quick shiur summarizes the Rebbe's famous maamar one "ois" at a time, before focusing on making very clear the practical takeaways from the very tricky ending of the maamar.
Recorded 7 Adar, 5778.
Please forgive the audio quality. We think the content quality will make up for it!
Summary sheet given out at the time of the shiur:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DwGVDzjLtriDiDd3qHSVZ5jahZDYVQYJ/view?usp=sharing