The Torah in Modern Life

Interview with Rabbi Chase Taub

• Mike Tyson spoke about epistemic trust and being good to someone in their hour of need.

• The host introduces Rabbi Chase Taub, who is a rabbi and Instagram influencer.

• The host promotes his YouTube channel and his sponsor, Ena Tax Advisors.

• Rabbi Chase Taub is from Cedarhurst and is a neighbor of the host.

• They discuss other Jewish podcasters and personalities who live in the same area.

• Rabbi Chase Taub is often mistaken for a mental health professional, but he is not.

• He wrote an advice column for Army magazine for eight years but feels it was counterproductive.

• People often assume that his insights come from a secular source rather than Torah.

• The host discovered Rabbi Chase Taub's content on TikTok and was immediately hooked.

• They discuss the importance of emotional connection with children.

• The host talks about his own struggles with religion and how Rabbi Chase Taub's insights resonated with him.

• The host and Rabbi Chase Taub discuss the importance of being open to evolving and allowing things to happen.The Relevance of Torah in Modern Life

• Torah and psychology have similar principles, but people often assume that the latter is secular and the former is not.

• The depth of Torah encompasses all aspects of human life and is not just a set of rules to follow.

• People may assume that secular sources are more relevant to their individual experiences because their religious education did not resonate with them.

• People need to feel an emotional connection to agree with something, but religious education often focuses on logic rather than emotion.

• Torah speaks to the internal person and is relevant to modern life, but it needs to be decoded to understand its relevance fully.

• Misinformation and misunderstanding about the fundamentals of Torah can lead to incorrect interpretations.

• The role of a rabbi is to bridge the connection between God and the people, but some people may be given the title of rabbi without the necessary education and understanding.

• The hierarchy system in Judaism may lead to a dilution of the teachings if the rabbis are not getting the teachings correct.

• Disillusionment with Yiddish kite may stem from a lack of emotional connection and understanding of how Torah applies to individual experiences.

• Torah offers a personal narrative in the first three verses of Genesis, which can be extrapolated to understand the entirety of Torah.

• Torah is written in code, and it needs to be decoded to understand its relevance to modern life.

• Torah principles are already present in psychology books and other secular sources, but people may not realize it because they assume that Torah is not relevant to their individual experiences.Empowering Leadership and Building Epistemic Trust

• The negative experience with a person in authority can turn a person off, even on a subtle level, if the person is not teaching with compassion.

• Empowering teachers, especially parents, is important in building leadership, and parents are the primary teachers.

• Parents represent Yiddishkite, and their actions and behaviors impact their children's associations with God and religion.

• Leadership, whether it's a teacher, rabbi, or parent, needs to connect with compassion on a more personal level.

• Disenfranchised people who grew up in Yeshiva systems have negative associations with the term "Rabbi" due to their experiences with educators who lacked sensitivity, compassion, and connection.

• Epistemic trust means that a child believes that if a person tells them something, it is reasonable to expect that it's true.

• Children need to feel safe with their parents and teachers to receive guidance and direction.

• The first step in establishing epistemic trust is to establish a personal relationship of someone who is caring for the child and involved in their life.

• The Exodus experience was the basis for establishing a relationship with Hashem and building epistemic trust.

• Divine punishment can undermine the idea that Judaism is for the individual's benefit and lead to fear of upsetting Hashem.

• The concept of punishment and reward needs a nuanced understanding to avoid creating a juvenile understanding of God and religion.

• Building epistemic trust is important to recognize traumas and bad things that happen in life, and to understand that God only wants good for us.Building Epistemic Trust in God

• The speaker discusses the issue of red light tickets and questions if they are really for safety or just a way for the government to make money.

• Disincentivizing behavior through punishment can lead to negative responses such as hyper vigilance or not caring when caught.

• To influence a child's behavior, it must be done in the context of a caring relationship and the parent must truly care about the value they are trying to impart.

• Punishment should not be the main emphasis in a relationship with God as it does not create a compelling motivation without epistemic trust.

• Epistemic trust is the trust that comes from experience and knowledge of a being or entity.

• Recovering addicts are an example of people who have epistemic trust in God despite going through hardships and challenges.

• Some people may have a sensitive soul and find embodiment itself traumatizing.

• Building epistemic trust with God requires a personal relationship and experiences that show His goodness and Providence.

• It is important to be honest with oneself when considering the behaviors of a child and whether they are truly undesirable or just personal preferences.

• Becoming a parent is a selfless act and is not meant for personal preferences to be catered to.

• Reward and punishment are principles in Torah, but punishment should not be the defining aspect of the relationship with God.

• To build epistemic trust in God, focus on personal experiences and the goodness and Providence of God rather than punishment.