Living the Torah Cycle with the Besht

What is this course?

You're warmly invited to join us for a year of spiritual growth with our cohort community. We will spend our monthly sessions together learning, discussing and practicing based on teachings from the Ba'al Shem Tov (aka the Besht), on each weekly Torah portion. These teachings and practices will focus on healing, self-awareness, self-development, creativity, and our relationships with self, other and Divine Source. The Besht was a profoundly radical mystic, and the founder of the revolutionary Chasidic movement, which has transformed the lives of millions of people. He was a truly multifaceted person: educator, shaman, healer, story-teller, musician, and Divine channel. Our monthly handout will contain one key teaching and meditative or creative practice on each of the four Torah portions of the approaching month. In each session, we will explore three of these teachings and practices, leaving one to be enjoyed either on your own or with an optional chevrutah (partner), or a chaburah (small group). Folks who choose to opt into chevrutot or chaburot will be matched up according to their preferences and degree of commitment. Throughout the cohort, participants will be encouraged to explore: 1) How can we best integrate the teachings and practices into our daily lives? 2) How might we best share them with others, who may benefit from them? All texts are provided in Hebrew and English translation. This course is open to novices and advanced learners of all backgrounds and orientations. HOW IT WORKS The course consists of twelve facilitated monthly sessions of 2 hours each, augmented by optional additional meetings between participants. Each session includes: 1) Text study, discussion, meditative or creative practices and exercises. 2) A printable handout of the relevant texts, provided in full translation. 3) The recording of each session, sent out afterward to enjoy at your convenience. ​ There will also be a WhatsApp group for sharing and supporting one another on this journey. DATES AND TIMES Sundays at 9am Pacific / 12pm Eastern / 5pm UK / 7pm Israel and the relevant hours in your time zones, for 2 hours each time. Dates: Sept 1 Sept 22 Oct 27 Nov 24 Dec 22 Jan 26 Feb 23 Mar 23 Apr 27 May 18 Jun 15 Jul 20 Participants will be sent the recordings after each session. The cost of the year-long cohort program is $400 for all twelve sessions. Please contact R' Daniel if you would like to request subsidized registration.