We all like to believe we think for ourselves. But Parshat Shelach tells a deeper story — a cautionary tale about the power of influence.

Twelve spies enter the Land of Israel. Ten return filled with fear, persuading the nation to turn back. Two remain strong — but lose the battle for public opinion. The people are blinded by influence.

Pirkei Avot teaches that influence shapes everything: who we listen to, who we trust, and who we allow to shape our thinking. But it also challenges us to lead with integrity — to stand firm even when the crowd pulls us elsewhere.

This shiur explores the balance between humility and leadership, independence and openness. How we guard ourselves from destructive influence — and how we become a source of strength for others.

Because influence isn’t only what we absorb. It’s who we become.

#PowerOfInfluence #PersonalGrowth #LeadershipAndIntegrity #JewishWisdom #PirkeiAvot #ParshaInsights #IndependentThinking #TorahForLife

Israel’s war on Iran is an historic moment for the Jewish state and the free world. The stakes could not be higher. Iran was weeks away from building nuclear weapons. That’s not a theory. It’s a fact — confirmed by the International Atomic Energy Agency.

According to recent IAEA reports, Iran had accumulated enough 60% enriched uranium to build up to 10 nuclear bombs — and had already begun implosion tests used to detonate nuclear weapons. The Institute for Science and International Security called it a “1-minute-to-midnight” scenario.

And so, Israel struck. To prevent genocide. To protect the Jewish people. To stop another Holocaust.

In this urgent message, Chief Rabbi Dr Warren Goldstein explains:

• How close Iran was to building nuclear weapons
• What makes Israel’s strike not only justified, but necessary
• Why world leaders failed to act — and how Israel acted alone
• How South Africa’s government has given cover to Iran’s nuclear program
• Why the world owes Israel a debt of gratitude

From biblical prophecy to current geopolitics — this is one of the most important moments in Jewish history.

Listen now and share this message widely.

In a world that constantly reminds us of what we lack — where happiness is confused with consumption — how do we find a sense of abundance and contentment?

In this week’s parsha, Beha’alotcha, we uncover one of the Torah’s most powerful insights into the psychology of discontent — and how to overcome it. Drawing from Pirkei Avot, this shiur explores the difference between gratitude and complaining, scarcity and abundance — and how that difference shapes our entire experience of life.

The Jewish people complain about the manna in the desert. They say they miss the food in Egypt. It’s one of the most striking moments of ingratitude in the Torah.

But this shiur goes deeper than moral judgment — it explores the root cause.

Pirkei Avot teaches us that contentment and gratitude begin with ayin tovah — a good eye. A mindset that sees abundance. The result is a life shaped by generosity. We explore how prayer and kindness build this mindset. How ambition and discontent must be held in balance. And how faith in Hashem’s provision can transform how we see the world.

This is the root of gratitude. And it changes everything.

#TorahForLife #SpiritualStrength #InnerGrowth #ParshaWisdom #AyinTovah