Torah from the Mystical Mountain

Rivky Kaplan
  • 0.0 (0)
  • Judaism
  • Updated Weekly

Torah from the Mystical Mountain is a weekly podcast from Tzfat, for my fellow travelers—Jewish women journeying through life together. This podcast is an invitation to pull up a chair at our weekly, live shiur, where we learn a Sicha from the Lubavitcher Rebbe and explore it in the context of the journeys we’re each on. This is text-based Torah study meeting sisterhood, connection, and the work of making Torah real in our lives.

Episodes

  1. Jun 7

    From Korban Todah to Bikkurim: Experiential Gratitude in The Torah

    This week, we explore the Korban Todah and Bikkurim, exploring how the Torah informs, and invites us into gratitude. Beginning with the thanksgiving offering brought after experiencing salvation, we examine why gratitude in Torah is rarely practiced alone. The Korban Todah required a feast, guests, bread, and community. Torah invites us to connect through our gratitude. From there, we turn to the mitzvah of Bikkurim, the first fruits carried to the Beit HaMikdash with song, ceremony, and a retelling of the Jewish story. The farmer doesn't simply offer fruit; he recounts the journey from exile to redemption, recognizing that every blessing rests upon generations of Divine kindness. Drawing on the Rebbe's teaching, we discover that Bikkurim is about far more than fruit. The Jewish people themselves are called Hashem's first. Every Jew is a form of Bikkurim, belonging before Hashem, and carrying an essential bond with Him that precedes everything else. A conversation about gratitude, memory, belonging, and what it means to live with the awareness that all we have, and ultimately all we are, comes directly from Hashem. I’d love to hear how this episode landed for you, and what you’re taking from it. About Rivky: Rivky Kaplan is a Chabad Shlucha in the mystical city of Tzfat with her husband Rabbi Chaim and is blessed to have her children, and grandchildren, close by. An educator at heart, she teaches both locally and on the international stage, known for her ability to draw audiences into rich, text-based conversations that feel both timeless and deeply personal. Rivky has specialized training in Taharat Hamishpacha and fertility. She is the creative vision behind Otzar HaTaharah, Mikvah Chana's groundbreaking visitor's center. To learn more visit HaTaharah.org To get in touch, email Rivky at Rivky@hataharah.org This episode was produced by Rivka Mazal Tauber. She can be reached at Hello@rivkamazal.com

    1h 14m

  2. May 26

    Raising Up The Inner Flame

    In this class, we explore Parshat Behaalotecha and the deeper message the Menorah illuminates. The seven branches of the Menorah represent seven different paths of serving Hashem, each unique expressions of the Jewish soul that nevertheless face toward one center and work together to spread light outward into the world. The class focuses on Aaron HaKohen as ohev et habriyot u’mekarvan laTorah, someone who loves people and brings them close to Torah, and explores how one brings another Jew closer to Torah through love, trust, and inner integrity rather than compromise or fear. Through the halachic details of preparing and lighting the Menorah, we examine what it means to influence others from a place of holiness, how to remain aligned while helping others grow, and why no person is ever too far away to reignite their inner flame. A conversation about light, leadership, unity, and the sacred responsibility of helping souls burn brighter. A PDF of the class can be found here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_aJA10n7SGWuuIJOBKYI3GSZeLzJFSQU/view/ I’d love to hear how this episode landed for you, and what you’re taking from it. About Rivky: Rivky Kaplan is a Chabad Shlucha in the mystical city of Tzfat with her husband Rabbi Chaim and is blessed to have her children, and grandchildren, close by. An educator at heart, she teaches both locally and on the international stage, known for her ability to draw audiences into rich, text-based conversations that feel both timeless and deeply personal. Rivky has specialized training in Taharat Hamishpacha and fertility. She is the creative vision behind Otzar HaTaharah, Mikvah Chana's groundbreaking visitor's center. To learn more visit HaTaharah.org To get in touch, email Rivky at Rivky@hataharah.org This episode was produced by Rivka Mazal Tauber. She can be reached at Hello@rivkamazal.com

    1h 10m

  3. May 19

    Marriage Tips from Mount Sinai | Shavuot 

    In this pre-Shavuot class, we explore “marriage tips from Mount Sinai” — what the relationship between Hashem and Bnei Yisrael teaches about boundaries, trust, and intimacy. Through the boundaries around Har Sinai, the counting of the Omer, and the preparation for Matan Torah, we examine how mitzvot create connection rather than distance, why trust is more transformative than fear, and what it means to show up fully and honestly in relationship. The class also explores the trust embedded within halachic life, the importance of transmitting Yiddishkeit through love and confidence, and the idea that Hashem desires not perfection, but presence. A conversation about Torah as relationship, about becoming vessels for connection, and about preparing ourselves to receive the Torah with openness, dignity, and joy. I’d love to hear how this episode landed for you, and what you’re taking from it. About Rivky: Rivky Kaplan is a Chabad Shlucha in the mystical city of Tzfat with her husband Rabbi Chaim and is blessed to have her children, and grandchildren, close by. An educator at heart, she teaches both locally and on the international stage, known for her ability to draw audiences into rich, text-based conversations that feel both timeless and deeply personal. Rivky has specialized training in Taharat Hamishpacha and fertility. She is the creative vision behind Otzar HaTaharah, Mikvah Chana's groundbreaking visitor's center. To learn more visit HaTaharah.org To get in touch, email Rivky at Rivky@hataharah.org This episode was produced by Rivka Mazal Tauber. She can be reached at Hello@rivkamazal.com

    1h 14m

  4. May 14

    The People Around You are Shaping You | Parshat Bamidbar 

    The Torah cares deeply about who and what surrounds us.  In this class, we explore why Parashat Bamidbar is always read before Shavuot and what the arrangement of the tribes around the Mishkan teaches about human influence. We explore a Sicha of the Lubavitcher Rebbe that examines the progression from simply being near conflict to becoming internally shaped by it, and eventually participating in it ourselves. Yet alongside the challenges, we uncover a deeper truth: positive influence is even more powerful than negative influence: Torah, closeness to holiness, and communities built around peace have the ability to transform people from the inside out. A PDF of the sicha can be found here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hCTIs49BRD0JtiIlWY5YDjdpL9WNnmM5/view?usp=sharing This class allows the Project Likkutei Sichos cycle, which is currently in its 7 years as it works towards completing the 39 volumes of the Rebbe’s Likkutei Sichos. You can learn more about the project and see additional resources (including english/hebrew translation) for learning the Sicha in this class here: https://projectlikkuteisichos.org/chelek-27-kedoshim-sicha-1/  I’d love to hear how this episode landed for you, and what you’re taking from it. About Rivky: Rivky Kaplan is a Chabad Shlucha in the mystical city of Tzfat with her husband Rabbi Chaim and is blessed to have her children, and grandchildren, close by. An educator at heart, she teaches both locally and on the international stage, known for her ability to draw audiences into rich, text-based conversations that feel both timeless and deeply personal. Rivky has specialized training in Taharat Hamishpacha and fertility. She is the creative vision behind Otzar HaTaharah, Mikvah Chana's groundbreaking visitor's center. To learn more visit HaTaharah.org To get in touch, email Rivky at Rivky@hataharah.org This episode was produced by Rivka Mazal Tauber. She can be reached at Hello@rivkamazal.com

    1h 11m

  5. May 5

    What Will We Eat? The Power of a Real Question | Parshat Behar

    In Parshat Behar, the Torah asks: "What will we eat in the seventh year?" This Sicha challenges the assumption that this is a question of doubt, and instead, through Rashi and Parshat Bo, reframes it as a wise question. We explore Shmita as the Avodah of releasing control, the deeper meaning of the blessing of the sixth year, and the parallel to our own moment in history: the “sixth year,” a sixth millennium, marked by both exertion and effort, yet still, we continue to trust the promise the unfolding redemption. A conversation about what it means to ask, to trust, and to keep going:  even when we don’t yet see how it will be sustained. A PDF of the sicha can be found here: A PDF of the sicha can be found by clicking here. This class allows the Project Likkutei Sichos cycle, which is currently in its 7 years as it works towards completing the 39 volumes of the Rebbe’s Likkutei Sichos. You can learn more about the project and see additional resources (including english/hebrew translation) for learning the Sicha in this class here. I’d love to hear how this episode landed for you, and what you’re taking from it. About Rivky: Rivky Kaplan is a Chabad Shlucha in the mystical city of Tzfat with her husband Rabbi Chaim and is blessed to have her children, and grandchildren, close by. An educator at heart, she teaches both locally and on the international stage, known for her ability to draw audiences into rich, text-based conversations that feel both timeless and deeply personal. Rivky has specialized training in Taharat Hamishpacha and fertility. She is the creative vision behind Otzar HaTaharah, Mikvah Chana's groundbreaking visitor's center. To learn more visit HaTaharah.org To get in touch, email Rivky at Rivky@hataharah.org This episode was produced by Rivka Mazal Tauber. She can be reached at Hello@rivkamazal.com

    1h 11m

  6. Apr 28

    Holding the Process: Three Ways We Grow | Parshat Emor

    This week’s episode explores the halachic and inner work of Sefirat HaOmer through the lens of Parshat Emor. We look at the difference between the Omer offering and the Shtei HaLechem, and the three ways the commentators understand their relationship. From there, the Rebbe opens it up into something much deeper: three distinct pathways in avodat Hashem. From the early, vulnerable stages of growth… To a more grounded, resilient relationship with our work… To a place where we’re no longer just avoiding what’s wrong, but actively bringing something new and alive into our service of G-d. Woven throughout is the journey from barley to wheat, from the animal soul to becoming our highest self, and what it means to refine, not reject, who we are. Today’s episode is dedicated by Chaya Mushka Hleap in memory & for the Aliyat Neshama of my dear aunt “Tia Marta Perl - Lustgarten” Maitel Bas Tzvi Hirsh, ז״ל who passed away (ע״ה) at age 95 in Miami on 9th of Iyar, 5786. She was a mother, grandmother & aunt to so many. We will miss her dearly!  A PDF of the sicha can be found here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/19co2QSrYEt9tdzgv37OudE57uTNDd724/view?usp=sharing  This class allows the Project Likkutei Sichos cycle, which is currently in its 7 years as it works towards completing the 39 volumes of the Rebbe’s Likkutei Sichos. You can learn more about the project and see additional resources (including english/hebrew translation) for learning the Sicha in this class here: https://projectlikkuteisichos.org/chelek-32-emor-sicha-2/  I’d love to hear how this episode landed for you, and what you’re taking from it. About Rivky: Rivky Kaplan is a Chabad Shlucha in the mystical city of Tzfat with her husband Rabbi Chaim and is blessed to have her children, and grandchildren, close by. An educator at heart, she teaches both locally and on the international stage, known for her ability to draw audiences into rich, text-based conversations that feel both timeless and deeply personal. Rivky has specialized training in Taharat Hamishpacha and fertility. She is the creative vision behind Otzar HaTaharah, Mikvah Chana's groundbreaking visitor's center. To learn more visit HaTaharah.org To get in touch, email Rivky at Rivky@hataharah.org This episode was produced by Rivka Mazal Tauber. She can be reached at Hello@rivkamazal.com

    1h 15m

  7. Apr 22

    Get Yourself Out of the Way When Giving Advice | Parshat Kedoshim

    What does it really mean to place a “stumbling block before the blind”? In this episode, we step into a sicha on the verse “V’lifnei iver lo titen michshol” and Rashi’s striking expansion: the Torah is not only speaking about physical blindness, but about the far subtler reality of situational blindness: moments when a person cannot see clearly and turns to another for guidance. This conversation opens into a broader exploration of Ahavat Yisrael, self-awareness, and the demanding work of removing ourselves from the center when we show up for another person, as teachers, friends, and guides. What does it look like to truly see someone else?   And what would it mean to offer help without inserting ourselves into the exchange? A PDF of the sicha can be found here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/19co2QSrYEt9tdzgv37OudE57uTNDd724/view?usp=sharing  This class allows the Project Likkutei Sichos cycle, which is currently in its 7 years as it works towards completing the 39 volumes of the Rebbe’s Likkutei Sichos. You can learn more about the project and see additional resources (including english/hebrew translation) for learning the Sicha in this class here: https://projectlikkuteisichos.org/chelek-27-kedoshim-sicha-1/  I’d love to hear how this episode landed for you, and what you’re taking from it. About Rivky: Rivky Kaplan is a Chabad Shlucha in the mystical city of Tzfat with her husband Rabbi Chaim and is blessed to have her children, and grandchildren, close by. An educator at heart, she teaches both locally and on the international stage, known for her ability to draw audiences into rich, text-based conversations that feel both timeless and deeply personal. Rivky has specialized training in Taharat Hamishpacha and fertility. She is the creative vision behind Otzar HaTaharah, Mikvah Chana's groundbreaking visitor's center. To learn more visit HaTaharah.org To get in touch, email Rivky at Rivky@hataharah.org This episode was produced by Rivka Mazal Tauber. She can be reached at Hello@rivkamazal.com

    1h 20m

  8. Mar 24

    Men are from Matzah, Women are from Wine | Pesach

    As Pesach approaches, this episode allows us to prepare for the Seder night. Drawing on a Sicha of the Lubavitcher Rebbe on the four languages of Geulah, we reimagine the four cups of wine as an inner journey through the Four Imaot: Sarah, Rivka, Rachel, and Leah. Each of them offers a distinct pathway into freedom, relationship, and gratitude at the Seder.  This is an invitation to arrive at the Seder with intention, access the strengths we’ve inherited, and step into Pesach as a lived experience of redemption. If you would like to explore the ideas from this class in the text, here is a link to the Sicha of the Rebbe that this class draws on. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yQVGVHokGd5PcPmgdoxqYELd2px37rZa/view  I’d love to hear how this episode landed for you, and what you’re taking into Pesach.  About Rivky: Rivky Kaplan is a Chabad Shlucha in the mystical city of Tzfat with her husband Rabbi Chaim and is blessed to have her children, and grandchildren, close by. An educator at heart, she teaches both locally and on the international stage, known for her ability to draw audiences into rich, text-based conversations that feel both timeless and deeply personal. Rivky has specialized training in Taharat Hamishpacha and fertility. She is the creative vision behind Otzar HaTaharah, Mikvah Chana's groundbreaking visitor's center. To learn more visit HaTaharah.org To get in touch, email Rivky at Rivky@hataharah.org This episode was produced by Rivka Mazal Tauber. She can be reached at Hello@rivkamazal.com

    57 min

  9. Mar 20

    It’s Yours to Take | Beis Nissan

    In this class, we explore a sicha connected to the Rebbe Rashab, in honor of his passing on Beis Nissan. We look at the founding of Tomchei Temimim as a moment that reshaped how Chassidus is learned and lived. At the heart of the conversation is a subtle but transformative idea: Torah is not only something we are given, but something we are invited to take. Together, we reflect on what it means to move from passive learning into active ownership—and how that shift allows Torah to become truly our own. This is an invitation to step into the learning, and to begin making it yours. A PDF of the sicha can be found here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1plf-Vz1QQP6yWU7JOetzlurHZGBLnih2  This class follows the Project Likkutei Sichos cycle, which is currently in its 7th year as it works towards completing the 39 volumes of the Lubavitcher Rebbe’s Likkutei Sichos. You can learn more about the project and see additional resources (including English/Hebrew translation) for learning the Sicha in this class her https://projectlikkuteisichos.org/chelek-27-beis-nissan/  I’d love to hear how this episode landed for you, and what you’re taking from it. About Rivky: Rivky Kaplan is a Chabad Shlucha in the mystical city of Tzfat with her husband Rabbi Chaim and is blessed to have her children, and grandchildren, close by. An educator at heart, she teaches both locally and on the international stage, known for her ability to draw audiences into rich, text-based conversations that feel both timeless and deeply personal. Rivky has specialized training in Taharat Hamishpacha and fertility. She is the creative vision behind Otzar HaTaharah, Mikvah Chana's groundbreaking visitor's center. To learn more visit HaTaharah.org To get in touch, email Rivky at Rivky@hataharah.org This episode was produced by Rivka Mazal Tauber. She can be reached at Hello@rivkamazal.com

    1h 17m
  • 9 Episodes

About

Torah from the Mystical Mountain is a weekly podcast from Tzfat, for my fellow travelers—Jewish women journeying through life together. This podcast is an invitation to pull up a chair at our weekly, live shiur, where we learn a Sicha from the Lubavitcher Rebbe and explore it in the context of the journeys we’re each on. This is text-based Torah study meeting sisterhood, connection, and the work of making Torah real in our lives.

Information

You Might Also Like