Ari Fuld on the Holidays

Why does Sukkot, of all the Jewish holidays, carry a specific commandment to be happy? What are we supposed to learn by leaving the security of our homes and living in a fragile hut? And if our money, homes, careers and plans can disappear in an instant, where does real happiness come from? Ari Fuld explains why Sukkot strips away our false sense of control and forces us to confront what truly matters.

Yom Kippur forces us to ask a difficult question: Do our beliefs shape our opinions, or do our opinions reshape our beliefs? Through the Akeidah and Avraham’s defining trait of chesed, Ari explores objective morality, self-control, and the need to measure ourselves against something higher than ourselves.

Where is Rosh Hashanah mentioned in the Torah? Where does the name Rosh Hashanah come from? And how did it become Judgment Day?

We really gave God a run for His money when He was trying to get us out of Egypt, and Moshe Rabbeinu certainly felt it as well.

Where are the miracles of Purim? Why is Purim such a strange holiday?

The war or the oil?

Ari talks about the transition from sadness to joy.

Why does the Torah single out Sukkot as zman simchateinu, the time of our joy? What is joyful about leaving the security of our homes to live in a fragile sukkah? And what can the sin of the spies teach us about the balance between trusting God and taking responsibility for our own lives? Ari Fuld explains how Sukkot teaches us where real security, gratitude, and happiness come from.

Ari talks about the holidays of Shavuot and Yom Kippur, the Shofar that connects the two holidays, and the indigenous people of the Land of Israel.

The spiritual meaning of Chanukah

Ari Fuld discusses Tisha B'Av and the Beit HaMikdash

Ari talks about his army experience and the message of Yom HaZikaron to students of Yeshivat Migdal HaTorah, on Israel's Memorial Day.

Ari talks about Yom Hashoah, the Holocaust and the lessons that apply to today.

What are we celebrating on Passover and what are the lessons to be learned?

Ari talks about the real message of Purim