Sarah Yehudit Schneider: ‘Jewish mysticism is not so different from any mysticism’

Sarah Yehudit Schneider believes meditation is the entryway to understanding mysticism. She highlights that traditional Kabbalah often focuses on mystical realms associated with the masculine, and in her current work, she is actively exploring and articulating the Kabbalah of the feminine. Sarah Yehudit Schneider is the founding director of A Still Small Voice, a correspondence school that provides weekly teachings in Jewish wisdom to subscribers around the world. She is the author of several books, most recently Dark Matters of the Soul: The Kabbalah of Shame (2024). Here, she joins us to answer 18 questions on Jewish mysticism, including growth through joy in the Messianic era and how to reconcile God’s all-knowingness with free will.Here are our questions: What is Jewish mysticism?How were you introduced to Jewish mysticism?In an ideal world, would all Jews be mystics?What do you think of when you think of God?What is the purpose of the Jewish people?How does prayer work?What is the goal of Torah study?Does Jewish mysticism view men and women the same?Should Judaism be hard or easy?Why did God create the world? Can humans do something that is against God’s will?What do you think of when you think about Moshiach?Is the State of Israel part of the final redemption?What is the greatest challenge facing the world today?How has modernity changed Jewish mysticism?What differentiates Jewish mysticism from the mysticism of other religions? Does one need to be religious to study Jewish mysticism?Can mysticism be dangerous?How has Jewish mysticism affected your relationships with yourself and with others?What is a Jewish teaching that you always take with you?

Rav Joey Rosenfeld’s entryway into mystical thought began with the writings of Franz Kafka and Albert Camus. Discussing Jewish mysticism with Rav Joey is not just a conversation about ancient texts and ideas, but it is a journey into the soul, wherein he describes how mystical principles can transform relationships, heal trauma, and guide us in a modern world. Rav Joey Rosenfeld is a practicing psychotherapist in the field of addiction, focusing on the interface between philosophy, spirituality, and psychology. He regularly gives shiurim on Jewish philosophy, Kabbalah, and the inner workings of the human soul.Here, he sits down to discuss 18 questions on Jewish mysticism, including the various dimensions of redemption and the paradoxical nature of God. Here are our 18 questions: What is Jewish mysticism?How were you introduced to Jewish mysticism?In an ideal world, would all Jews be mystics?What do you think of when you think of God?What is the purpose of the Jewish people?How does prayer work?What is the goal of Torah study?Does Jewish mysticism view men and women the same?Should Judaism be hard or easy?Why did God create the world? Can humans do something that is against God’s will?What do you think of when you think about Moshiach?Is the State of Israel part of the final redemption?What is the greatest challenge facing the world today?How has modernity changed Jewish mysticism?What differentiates Jewish mysticism from the mysticism of other religions? Does one need to be religious to study Jewish mysticism?Can mysticism be dangerous?How has Jewish mysticism affected your relationships with yourself and with others?What is a Jewish teaching that you always take with you?

Join Rabbi Benji Levy as he asks 18 existential questions to 40 mystics from around the world.Series launches Monday, Dec. 8.Visit 40mystics.com to learn more.A partnership between Share and 18Forty.

Do you have more hope or fear for Israel and the Jewish People?We asked this question to 40 Israeli Thinkers over the last year. For the first time, come behind the scenes to Sruli Fruchter's favorite answers and the secret behind the question.Here are our top 5 answers from:5. Gadi Taub4. Shani Taragin3. Rachelle Fraenkel2. Yossi Klein Halevi1.  Anshel Pfeffer18Forty launched its new website! This is your address for today’s biggest Jewish questions. Please enjoy rummaging through our trove of podcasts, essays, videos, and more. Happy searching!

Do you think peace between Israelis and Palestinians will happen within your lifetime?We asked this question to 40 Israeli Thinkers over the last year. For the first time, come behind the scenes to Sruli Fruchter's favorite answers and the secret behind the question.Here are our top 5 answers from:6. Yakov Nagen5. Netta Barak Corren4. Mikhael Manekin3. Nechumi Yaffe2. Rula Daood1. Yoav Heller18Forty launched its new website! This is your address for today’s biggest Jewish questions. Please enjoy rummaging through our trove of podcasts, essays, videos, and more. Happy searching!

What is the most legitimate criticism leveled against Israel today?We asked this question to 40 Israeli Thinkers over the last year. For the first time, come behind the scenes to Sruli Fruchter's favorite answers and the secret behind the question.Here are our top 5 answers from:5. Benny Morris4. Uri Zaki3. Einat Wilf2. Yishai Fleisher1. Michael Oren18Forty launched its new website! This is your address for today’s biggest Jewish questions. Please enjoy rummaging through our trove of podcasts, essays, videos, and more. Happy searching!

What has been Israel's greatest success, and greatest mistake, in its war against Hamas?We asked this question to 40 Israeli Thinkers over the last year. For the first time, come behind the scenes to Sruli Fruchter's favorite answers and the secret behind the question.Here are our top 6 answers from:6. Fleur Hasan-Nahoum5. Haviv Rettig-Gur4. Yaakov Katz3. Michael Melchior2. Micah Goodman1. Mosheh Lichtenstein18Forty launched its new website! This is your address for today’s biggest Jewish questions. Please enjoy rummaging through our trove of podcasts, essays, videos, and more. Happy searching!

As an Israeli, and as a Jew, how are you feeling at this moment in Israeli history?We asked this question to 40 Israeli Thinkers over the last year. For the first time, come behind the scenes to Sruli Fruchter's favorite answers and the secret behind the question.Here are our top 5 answers from:5. Natan Sharansky4. Netta Barrak Corren3. Yossi Klein Halevi2. Rachelle Fraenkel1. Khitam Abu Bader18Forty launched its new website! This is your address for today’s biggest Jewish questions. Please enjoy rummaging through our trove of podcasts, essays, videos, and more. Happy searching!

Israel is a heroic country, Michael Oren believes—but he concedes that it is a flawed heroic country.Michael Oren—our 40th Israeli thinker—served as Israeli ambassador to the U.S. from 2009-2013 under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, while former U.S. President Barack Obama was in office. A diplomat, writer, historian, veteran, and political thinker, Michael worked extensively in all fields of defending the Jewish state. He is the bestselling and award-winning author of several fiction and non-fiction books, including Ally: My Journey Across the American-Israeli Divide and Six Days of War: June 1967 and the Making of the Modern Middle East. Michael is working on a book on October 7. Now, this unapologetic Israel advocate joins us to answer 18 questions on the war in Gaza, the IDF's morality, and satanic accusations against Jews.This interview was recorded on July 10.

Micah Goodman doesn't think Palestinian-Israeli peace will happen within his lifetime. But he's still a hopeful person.Named by the Jerusalem Post as one of the 50 most influential Jews, Micah is a public intellectual, writer, and author whose voice is central to the moral, political, and religious debates raging within Israel.He is the author of several best-selling books — including The Wondering Jew, Catch 67, The Dream of the Kuzari, and The Last Words of Moses — and co-host of the popular Israeli podcast Mifleget Hamachshavot.Now, he joins us to answer 18 questions on criticizing Israel, resettling Gaza, and Jewish democracy.This interview was recorded on July 6.