We all know that we're supposed to be nice to each other. In fact, we're supposed to get along with people that upset us. If we can't do that, we'll never get past the problems that led to the destruction of the Second Temple. But that is a whole lot easier said than done.

Fortunately, Rabbi Eitan Kupietzky has a single bit of key advice to help us with this problem.

Rabbi Eitan Kupietzky is managing director of the Gimmel Foundation, a nonprofit organization established in 1980. The foundation administers after-school clubs and camps in the south of Israel for needy children through a unique program of informal education specially developed by the Gimmel Foundation.

Rav Kupietzky is also strategic advisor to contemporary, ground-breaking and innovative Rabbinic authorities and institutions including: Rav Yosef Zvi Rimon's Sulamot - Halacha Education Center, the Puah Institute, and Rav Uri Sherki's Brit Olam. Rav Kupietzky has published numerous articles in leading Halachic journals covering topics in Science, Medicine, Technology, and Psychology.

You can learn more about the Gimmel Foundation and help support their work here: https://www.gimmelfoundation.org/

I've been looking for inspiration. That's part of the goal of this podcast. How do we capture inspiration and bottle it?

"That kind of inspiration is beautiful but it doesn't last," says Rabbi David Katz. Well, what kind does? How can we connect the heart and the mind in our religious lives?

Rabbi Katz tells us how to begin. First things first: don't downplay the importance of some ice cream at a Howard Johnson's in the 1980's. It can come in handy.

Rabbi David Katz is the Dean of Michlelet Mevaseret Yerushalayim (MMY) and has been with MMY since its inception 23 years ago. He studied at Yeshiva University in New York and Yeshivat Torat Moshe in Jerusalem. Rabbi Katz is an extremely popular teacher and has lectured extensively not only in seminary, but with teenagers and adults alike in communities and summer camps throughout the United States, the United Kingdom, South Africa and Australia. Originally from Teaneck, New Jersey, Rabbi Katz made aliya in 1989, is a father of 6 and proud grandfather of 6, and presently lives with his family in Ramat Bet Shemesh.

In this episode, I asked Rabbi Bergman for a bit of advice in what remains a consistently difficult part of Jewish life: davening. How can we get good at prayer? You may recall that Rabbi Aryeh Lebowitz gave us an excellent and useful bit of guidance in our very first episode. We are revisiting the question now and Rabbi Bergman gives us a bit of help that works not only in davening but, in fact, in a wide variety of challenging tasks. Take a few minutes to listen.

Rabbi Sammy Bergman is the rabbi of the Young Israel of Fort Lee, a rebbe at TABC and Heichal HaTorah, and a good friend.