The Chavrusa with Rabbi Levi

ABA

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Judaism
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Chavrusa (or Chavruta) is the traditional Jewish method of paired or small-group study, especially of Talmud, where partners analyze and debate texts together, a practice deeply integrated within Chabad philosophy and activities to foster deep learning and connection to Torah. Join Rabbi Levi Farkash as he holds Chavursa sessions as he invites you to pull up a seat and listen in.

16h ago

Episode 24| Rosh Hashana Prep|The Four Levels Of Spirtual Growth

The Four Crowns: From Personal Refinement to Real Impact Here's a question: You commit to spiritual growth. You go deep. You feel it. But then what? How does it actually change the way you live?* In this episode, we explore the Tzemach Tzedek's teaching of the four crowns—a map of the spiritual journey from Elul through the High Holidays and into the year ahead. Rabbi Levi walks us through kingship, priesthood, Torah, and the crown that supersedes them all. But the real insight isn't just personal transformation. It's about what happens when you take everything you've refined and refined and refined—and then give it away. What you'll take from this: • Why Rosh Hashanah isn't about feeling inspired—it's about accepting an obligation, even when it doesn't feel warm • The gap between *doing* God's will and *becoming* someone who wants to—and how Yom Kippur closes it • Why connecting your intellect to Torah is the only way to touch the infinite • The one thing that makes all three crowns matter: taking them out into the world • A practical way to think about the next eleven months after Tishrei ends *What would change if your spiritual work wasn't just about who you become, but about who others become because of you?* This season, prepare not just to feel better—prepare to give something real to the people around you.
Aug 6

Episode 23|You Can't Delegate Your Heart: The Difference Between Walking and Cleaving

Going Through the Motions vs. Being Fully There There's a difference between doing something and being in it. You can perform all the right actions—show up, go through the steps, check the boxes—and still miss the whole point. This week, we explore what that difference is, and why it matters for everything you care about. We start with a Talmudic story about Reb Chiyya, who didn't just organize Torah education in Israel—he personally caught deer, prepared parchment, and taught children himself. He could've delegated. Instead, he understood something about how real change happens. Then we look at what the Torah actually means when it tells us to "cleave" to God, not just "walk" in His ways. And we hear from a shepherd whose heartfelt prayer was worth more than technique. The question becomes: When you take on something that matters—a spiritual practice, a teaching, a mission for your family or community—are you showing up as yourself, or just going through the motions? What you'll take from this:• The cost of personal investment—and why delegation alone won't work when the mission is real• The gap between outer action and inner attachment (and why both matter)• How passion and presence change what gets transmitted to others• The shepherd's prayer: why God values the heart over technique• One practical practice for this week: wherever you're engaged, ask yourself if you're there Reflect: What's one area of your avodah (spiritual work) where you've been present, and one where you've been phoning it in? What would change if you actually showed up for the second one? Enter to win $100 for your 2026 Soul Mission Trip with Rabbi Levi Farkash. $100 will be given to the lucky winner towards the purchase of Judaica while in Crown Heights. Enter here: For sponsorship and dedication opportunities email ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠rabbi.levi@chabaddowntownbellevue.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Rabbi Levi Farkash at: https://www.facebook.com/Chabaddowntownbellevue
Jul 30

Episode 22|If It's Already Promised, Why Do Anything?| The Rebbe Resolves the Paradox

God promises to bless you anyway—so why does the Torah say "if you will listen"? This week, we sit with a verse that seems to contradict itself, and discover what it actually means to receive blessing from God's essence. The Essence: When God blesses us through His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, that blessing is infinite, unconditional, beyond anything we could earn. But God doesn't give it as a free handout. Why? Because a gift you didn't work for leaves you feeling hollow—what the Talmud calls "bread of shame." The Rebbe shows us that our effort isn't about impressing God; it's about creating a vessel capable of receiving His highest gifts. And here's what cuts deepest: the real work isn't understanding which mitzvahs matter most. It's doing *all* of them—even the ones we don't relate to, even the ones that don't move us—simply because we love God and He asked. What We Learn: • Why spiritual darkness (exile) is actually your greatest opportunity for connection • The difference between head mitzvahs and heel mitzvahs—and why making that distinction misses the point • How a marriage teaches us what God is looking for in our service • What it means to be "self-nullified"—and why that's the real blessing • Why "because I asked you" is the deepest expression of love The Question: Is there a mitzvah you've sidelined because it doesn't inspire you? What would change if you did it anyway—purely because you love God? Your Action Today: Find one mitzvah you've been neglecting and do it. Not for the feeling. For Him. For sponsorship and dedication opportunities email ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠rabbi.levi@chabaddowntownbellevue.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Rabbi Levi Farkash at: https://www.facebook.com/Chabaddowntownbellevue
Jul 9

Episode 21|Why Forced Change Never Lasts |What Ezra Knew

Why does the change you fight hardest for disappear the fastest? Yehoshua entered the land with the Aron, the shofar, and open miracles — the walls of Jericho fell, and the land dropped into our hands "like a ripe fruit." Yet the Rambam rules that this holiness vanished with the Babylonian exile. Ezra returned with a battered generation, missing the Aron, missing the fire from heaven — and his sanctification is binding to this day. In this episode of Havruta we learn the Rebbe's stunning resolution: conquest overpowers, but chazakah transforms — and only what the other side comes to own can last forever. In this shiur: The Rambam's puzzle: why the first kedusha was voided and the second is eternal (Hilchos Terumos)Why the Rebbe insists on the Rambam's negative wording — "not through conquest"The first Luchos, the Golden Calf, and why revelation with fanfare snaps backCyrus, Ezra, and the moment "even his enemies made peace with him"The Alter Rebbe's letter from prison — and what it teaches about spreading ChassidusThe avodah: raising children and students who choose Yiddishkeit as their own acquisitionAsk yourself this week: where am I conquering the people I love, when I should be settling? If this shiur moved you, share it with one person you learn with — that's what a havruta is. Subscribe so you never miss a week, and l'chaim. --- For sponsorship and dedication opportunities email ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠rabbi.levi@chabaddowntownbellevue.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Rabbi Levi Farkash at: https://www.facebook.com/Chabaddowntownbellevue
Jun 25

Episode 20|The Secret to Lasting Change | The Lesson of Pinchas

The Secret to Lasting Change | The Lesson of Pinchas Why do some moments of inspiration change us forever, while others fade within days? In this episode of Chavruta with Rabbi Levi Farkash, we explore one of the Rebbe's most practical insights through the story of Pinchas. Both Moshe and Pinchas saved the Jewish people from destruction. Yet Pinchas alone received an eternal covenant of peace. Why? The Rebbe explains that Moshe primarily brought holiness from above through Torah and prayer, while Pinchas inspired the people themselves to change from within. That inner transformation created a lasting impact. In this episode, we explore: The difference between inspiration and transformationWhy external motivation often fadesHow lasting spiritual growth is builtWhat Pinchas teaches us about changing ourselves—and the world As you listen, ask yourself: Where in your life are you relying on inspiration? And where is Hashem asking you to build lasting change through action. --- For sponsorship and dedication opportunities email ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠rabbi.levi@chabaddowntownbellevue.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Rabbi Levi Farkash at: https://www.facebook.com/Chabaddowntownbellevue
Jun 18

Episode 19|Lead with Your Heart | The Rebbe's Lesson on Leadership

Lead with Your Heart | The Rebbe's Lesson on Leadership As we approach Gimmel Tammuz, we explore a profound teaching of the Lubavitcher Rebbe on the meaning of leadership. Why is the number 32 significant? Because 32 is the numerical value of lev — heart. Drawing from Chassidus, Tanya, Rambam, and the teachings of the Rebbe, we discover why a Jewish leader is compared to the heart of the body. Just as the heart continuously gives life to every limb, a true leader is constantly connected to the needs, struggles, and growth of those around him. In this episode: Why the Rebbe is called the heart of the generationWhat real leadership looks likeWhy sensitivity is a strength, not a weaknessHow every one of us can become a source of life and inspiration to others👉 As you listen, ask yourself: Who in your life needs more of your heart? And how can you become a greater source of life, encouragement, and support for those around you? --- For sponsorship and dedication opportunities email ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠rabbi.levi@chabaddowntownbellevue.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Rabbi Levi Farkash at: https://www.facebook.com/Chabaddowntownbellevue
Jun 11

Episode 18|There's No Such Thing as "I Can't"| The Hidden Lessons of the Spies

Episode 18|There's No Such Thing as "I Can't"| The Hidden Lessons of the Spies --- This weeks episode is sponsored by Aaron Ben Avraham Ha Kohen in honor of Malka Leah Bat Me'atsai for a Refuah Shleimah. ---------- The story of the spies is often remembered as a story about fear. But according to the Rebbe, their real mistake was much deeper. The spies did exactly what Moshe asked them to do: they investigated the land and reported the facts. The problem began when they drew their own conclusion: "We cannot do it." In this episode of Havruta, we explore a powerful principle of Jewish life: If Hashem gives a person a mission, then He also gives them the ability to accomplish it. Together we discuss: Why the parsha is called ShelachThe true mistake of the spiesWhy Hashem never asks the impossibleHow to overcome the feeling that you're not capable👉 As you listen, ask yourself: Where have you already decided that spiritual growth isn't for you? And what if your only limitation is the conclusion you've accepted? For sponsorship and dedication opportunities email ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠rabbi.levi@chabaddowntownbellevue.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Rabbi Levi Farkash at: https://www.facebook.com/Chabaddowntownbellevue
Jun 5

Episode 17|The Torah That Goes Straight to the Soul

The Torah That Goes Straight to the Soul | The Secret of the Manna In this episode of Chavrusa, we explore one of the most fascinating miracles in the Torah: the manna that sustained the Jewish people in the desert. The sages teach that the manna wasn't just miraculous food. It carried a spiritual quality that affected every person who ate it, creating a greater receptivity to Torah and godliness. Drawing from the teachings of the Rebbe, we discover a powerful parallel between the manna, Shabbos, and Chassidus. Some forms of Torah require effort, analysis, and intellectual struggle. But some teachings go directly to the soul. In this episode we discuss: Why the manna is called "bread from heaven"How the manna prepared the Jewish people for TorahThe connection between Shabbos and spiritual awarenessWhy Chassidus can impact every Jew, regardless of background or level of observance👉 As you listen, ask yourself: What part of Judaism inspires your mind?And what part speaks directly to your soul? For sponsorship and dedication opportunities email ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠rabbi.levi@chabaddowntownbellevue.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Rabbi Levi Farkash at: https://www.facebook.com/Chabaddowntownbellevue

Chavrusa (or Chavruta) is the traditional Jewish method of paired or small-group study, especially of Talmud, where partners analyze and debate texts together, a practice deeply integrated within Chabad philosophy and activities to foster deep learning and connection to Torah. Join Rabbi Levi Farkash as he holds Chavursa sessions as he invites you to pull up a seat and listen in.

Creator

ABA
Years Active

2026
Episodes

24
Rating

Clean
Copyright

© ABA
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The Chavrusa with Rabbi Levi