Michael Franco

Parashat Terumah 2022: Imitatio Dei

In this week's podcast, we discuss mirror neurons, imitatio Dei, and interactions of adults and babies. We tie all these together into the concept of holiness within spacetime as this holiness manifests in the Ark of the Covenant and shabbat.

Parashat Yitro 2022: Loving the Particular

In this week's podcast, we ask the question of how we can learn to love God and the totality of our lives despite all the particulars of life. We demonstrate that the spiritual transformation of Yitro is a blueprint for the answer to this question.

Parashat Bo 2022: Surrender to Freedom

What drives alcoholics to drink? What does AA have to teach us about a healthy relationship with God? This week's Parasha brings all of this together beautifully.

Parashat Vayiggash 2021: Collecting Your Sparks

In this week's podcast, we introduce the central figure of Hassidut, the Baal Shem Tob. We notice how Hassidut's idea of tiqqun, cosmic redemption, plays itself out in the life of Yehudah.

Rationalism vs. Mysticism Episode 9: Kabbalah Part 2: The Sefirot

In this class, we give a history and excursus of the Sefirot, the mysterious 'divine emanations' that are so central to the study and practice of Kabbalah. We learn of 4 different schools of thought surrounding these Sefirot and we delve into the profound associations of each.

Parashat Vayesheb 2021: I Have a Dream

In this podcast, we draw inspiration from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous "I Have a Dream" speech, delivered in 1963. We learn why Yoseph was not met with approval when he had some dreams of his own; we derive the lessons this great leader learned to make him into the man he soon became.

Rationalism vs. Mysticism Episode 8: Kabbalah Part 1

In this podcast, we begin with an exploration of Masekhet Hagigah 14b, which discusses the story of "the four who entered the 'pardes,'" along with the story's context. We then give an introduction to Kabbalah by presenting 5 models of Kabbalistic thought. We will continue the discussion of Kabbalah in our next podcast.

Rationalism vs. Mysticism Episode 7: The Science of the Mystical

In this podcast, we begin with a poem by Thich Nhat Hanh, describing the duality of mystical consciousness. We move into a discussion of time alteration during the mystical experience based on quotes from a physicist and a guru. Finally, we conclude with quotes from Haidt's The Happiness Hypothesis and Pollan's How to Change your Mind that elucidate some of the neuroscience behind mystical experiences.

Rationalism vs. Mysticism Episode 6: The Shadow Element

In this week's class, we learn the importance of acceptance of the "shadow element" in attaining enlightenment. We draw upon sources including the Talmud, Jalal-al-Din Rumi, and Carl Jung.

Rationalism vs. Mysticism Episode 5

In this episode, we explore sources ranging from HaRambam to Alan Watts, Freud, and more. All of these sources combine to comment about the quality of mystical experience.