Introduction and Host Welcome

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Jason: Thank you for listening and welcome to the podcast. I am your host, Jason McConnell. It's tough living in this world. The enemy works hard to destroy our peace and disrupt our joy. If only we could live in a way that could help us keep lasting pleasure in our lives, no matter what was going on. What if I told you there was and it was rooted in gratitude? I am very excited to welcome my guest, Bracha Goetz psychology and pre-med at Harvard and has gone on to. 45 books, almost all of them children's books. Each one of her works has a very special focus on gratitude, and I'm excited to have a conversation with her about gratitude. In the pleasure letter. You can visit her website https://growingimpactpublications.com. There is a wealth of information there. Multimedia books, workshop, the Impact Today podcast, and I'll make sure I have links to the website in the show notes as well as the podcast and your social media.

So please [00:01:00] welcome Bracha as we get started talking about living a joyful life.

Guest Introduction: Bracha Goetz

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Jason: So welcome Baka. Thank you.

Bracha: That was beautiful. Thank you.

Jason: I'm so glad I was worried. I was gonna say your name wrong. Did I get your name right?

Bracha: A little bit. Okay. The last name is just, even though there's an O in it, it's just gets.

Jason: Gets, oh my

Bracha: yeah. With no big deal. No big deal at all. Yeah.

Jason: That's welcome.

Discussing Proverbs: 31:25

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Jason: Well, great, great to have you here as I, I like to get started with my favorite, with your favorite Bible verse. Uh, what you sent me was Proverbs 31 25. Helps. The listeners get to know you a little. Um, I believe it's she is clothed with strength and dignity and she laughs without fear of the future. Um, tell us how that speaks to you.

Bracha: Oh, it speaks to [00:02:00] me. It's, it's actually the. The Proverbs 31, that chapter is, um, it's a song. It's a song that the men sing on Friday night dinner to honor all the women at the table. It's like, it's, it's a, and every, every line in that chapter. It begins with a different letter of the Hebrew alphabet. So it's really special and each, almost every line is a different woman in the Torah.

That's why that's chosen to honor women. So

in, in, in the bible, in the, in the, in the, um, Hebrew Bible. So that, that, um, that. Particular, those particular lines describe Ellie Sheva, the wife [00:03:00] of Aaron. And, um, it describes her joy in life and also that she's joyful about the future and, well, it's a strength and honor.

Strength and honor are her clothing. I relate to that because I feel that that's. That's now what clothes my life and, and, and now I'm joyful about the future. And I wasn't always like that. So all of that is a huge change in my life that I'm really grateful for.

Jason: That's wonderful. You, you, I can't imagine you ever not being joyful. You're, you're such a, such a wonderful person.

Bracha: Oh, thank you so much. But that's it. It, it, it really was. I went through, I went through time, a period in life when I didn't even wanna live and when I had no morals left and nothing mattered in life. [00:04:00] So I'm really grateful for the changes that happened.

Jason: That's wonderful.

Bracha's Journey to Joy and Faith

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Jason: Um, as I mentioned in the introduction, you are Harvard educated, you've also written 45 books, and I believe you said all but one are children's books. Um, that's, I mean, that's an imp. Impressive pedigree. What brought you from psychology and pre-med to being this talented author?

Bracha: Uh, well, I, I see it as totally related because my books are filled with psychology and many of my books are about public health. Really, I love to teach children about eating healthfully. Like one of my books, let's Stay Healthy is about. Eating healthfully. Why it's important I explain to children why is it important to exercise and eat, eat the food that God has made for us.

[00:05:00] And why is it important to, um, take care of our bodies, to use good hygiene and to sleep enough? I, I explain all of these things in really simple terms, so. That's how I put my, my love of science into some of my books. I have. I also have books, um, about protecting children from abuse. I explain to children.

Um, those are some of my most popular books and I have books about explaining disabilities to children, um, because usually children with disabilities are the loneliest children and. And, and, and, and children that don't have um, disabilities, they just were never explained how to interact and how to be more inclusive of children with disabilities.

So I explain these types of things in the book, um, [00:06:00] and. Oh yeah. Books about swimming safely. I, I, so a number of my books also deal with my background in medicine and, um, definitely every book is about psychology and, and my, yeah, and my, and my goal was to write the books I wished I had as a child so that children from the beginning of life could understand about.

How to be grateful and how to develop happiness skills as early in life as possible.

Jason: Yeah, we're gonna, we're gonna talk about the pleasure ladder and, and gratitude and, and you, you bake that into all of your books, uh, at some, to some degree, right?

Bracha: Yes, exactly.

Jason: wonderful. That's wonderful. So you're, you're in my ministry mission first as well. Um, you're my first Jewish guest and I, I'm so thrilled to have you here to speak to the listeners from your perspective. Um, what was, what I thought was interesting is when we talked, uh, [00:07:00] in our, in our pre-interview or pre-interview call, there we go, words. Um, you and I had kind of a similar start. We both kind of were raised in a home that was, wasn't really rooted in any kind of faith. Um, so I, you know, I, I don't think we got to talk about it.

I'd love to hear your story, if you've got time, how you went to, from that to finding your roots and your faith in Judaism.

Bracha: Exactly. I was born Jewish. But it was, it was more of a cultural thing and I didn't feel, I didn't know about the spirituality and I, and that created a hole inside of me and I had no idea what was missing from my life. But that was really the only thing missing. I didn't understand the purpose of life. I didn't know what we were here for.

It's hard to believe, but I, that's what got me on my search. It's actually why I ended [00:08:00] up at Harvard, because I was searching for wisdom and I figured, okay, I'm just, I started studying everything. That's why I ended up doing well in high school and like my parents were like going to Harvard or like, didn't fit with anything of that.

They were used to, but I, I, I felt I wanna go to the ultimate place to learn about wisdom and I figured that was it. But I even took courses at the Harvard Divinity School, but it was all like intellectual. It wasn't spiritual. None of that was filling me up. I ended up actually, um, my one book for adults is called, it's my memoir, the story of How I became Religious and.

It, it's, it's taken from my actual diary entries, which later became a journal and letters I filled in the missing pieces. And so you can actually see I, [00:09:00] I start developing, um, food addictions and then how I healed from it and when I healed from it, when I became religious. I didn't understand why did I no longer have these addictions when I became religious?

What did one thing have to do with the other? Yeah. So that's the premise of the whole, when I put the book together through putting the book together, I actually had the epiphany at the end of the book as I'm writing it, as I'm compiling it now, I understand. It's a hunger. There's a genuine hunger and some people don't have it.

Some people can live their whole lives and they don't feel that hunger of their soul. It's a genuine soul hunger, and we try desperately to fill it with external things. That's addictions. We're trying to fill up that, [00:10:00] that emptiness. But it in it, it just makes it get deeper and deeper. It's a bottomless pit because it's not a physical hole.

It's a spiritual hole. So nothing physical can fill it up until I found what truly fills fills that emptiness, and that is gratitude and that is understanding. That there's an ultimate goodness in this world. There's, there's a God in this world with ultimate goodness, and that we are also ultimately good, good inside of us.

We are all connected to God. We're all really a peace. The same soul. So when, when I got to that point, everything changed. When I, um, [00:11:00] the story is that after my first year of medical school when I was really suffering terribly with these food addictions, I, I had a six week break after my first year of med school, and I went to Israel for the summer.

And I ended up not returning, not going back to medical school. I ended up like, you, like immersing myself in spirituality and it filled me up. I, I no longer wanted to continue in my past life and go back. I lived in Israel for 10 years and I met my husband there. We started our family there. And, um, I changed my whole life around and it wasn't even a hard struggle because it filled me with happiness.

Jason: That's

wonderful. I love that story and that.

The Pleasure Ladder: An Overview

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Jason: Kind of moves us into, you know, what I'm really excited about in, in this [00:12:00] topic of gratitude and the pleasure ladder. So, uh, I had never heard of this before. You, you had sent me some material on it. Uh, a picture that you had designed or a graph, a graphic, I guess you could call it. But at a 30,000 foot view at a high level, what is the pleasure letter?

Bracha: Yes. Thank you so much. I am loving, spreading this. It's, it's not well known at all, but this is what I learned that summer and it changed my life. So this is based on ancient, ancient from the Kabbalah. It's ancient mystical wisdom in, in the teachings, but it's total totally universal teachings. Um, the pleasure ladder.

Um, I first learned about it from a rabbi that summer, rabbi, um, rabbi, no, Noah Weinberg, who's no longer alive, but the pleasure letter has five levels, [00:13:00] and it corresponds, I realize later to our five fingers because it shows us that. We have the power within our own hands to bring pleasure into our lives.

Lasting pleasure at any moment. This is so empowering, um, because when a person has an addiction, or let's say even depression, anxiety, what they feel is cut off, they feel alienated, disconnected. Pleasure comes from connection. Um. And it's, it's the joy we get when we appreciate life. So the five levels, they correspond to our five fingers, but they also correspond to the five levels of the human soul.

And the lowest level of the soul is the part that's attached to our body. So. [00:14:00] This level experiences pleasure from all the sensual pleasures in this world that God gave us all the natural pleasures, for instance, um, all the natural foods, um, spending time in nature, moving like swimming, gardening, dancing.

Our bodies were designed to move, um, music all, there's all these natural pleasures that, that God put in this world for us to enjoy. And when we enjoy them with gratitude, that changes everything. Then it's no longer that selfish sense of addiction and I can't get enough food and I just gotta stuff it.

No, when we expect, like I, I love the example of an orange. It's so simple, but like an orange, it's, [00:15:00] it's individually packaged and the wrapper, it keeps the sweet juiciness in for months. And like all fruit, they're green at first and they're hidden. They're camouflaged in the leaves, and then they become bright and beautiful when they become their most vivid color.

They're red, I'm ready. That's how they call to us with their beautiful color. So they're a pleasure to look at. They smell beautiful. Then they, the sweet juiciness, they taste delicious and, and they're delicious and nutritious 'cause all of God's food. Is is not just delicious, but it helps our bodies also.

And, and then when we finish the orange, we're left with the seeds and the seeds can become more orange trees. They're meant to go back into the earth, become [00:16:00] more orange trees, infinite, more oranges. So you see that what God gives us. Our gifts filled with intelligence and loving kindness. So when we experience these gifts, that's just one example of one tiny gift and orange, and our world is abundantly filled with so many gifts from God.

Then when we experience them with gratitude. It changes everything and we're filled with lasting pleasure and connection. And that's just the lowest level.

Jason: Yeah. And that's, that's, uh, you know, that goes to the latter. You had, you'll forgive by, by Hebrews. Terrible, but I, I think it was NEH

Bracha: Yes.

Jason: the first run and.

Bracha: Yes,

Jason: I love to look stuff up. It it, you know, I, I found it in Deuteronomy six five. You shall love your Lord God with all your heart, with all your soul, the fesh,

and with all your might. So this, I mean [00:17:00] this, this word represents soul, but it's, it's got a, a contextual meaning as well. It's like, like the living being, the self, the appetite, and so on. I noticed that about all of these rungs, they have some sort of a meaning that ties back to the soul,

um, back to, you know, to, to some part of God obviously.

And I just, I mean the, it blew my mind to try to pull it together in my own, my own thoughts,

uh, how this all ties together. So that, that was interesting. That was interesting. Yep.

Bracha: So great. Exactly. Yeah. That's it.

Exploring the Levels of the Pleasure Ladder

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Bracha: So that's the lowest level of the soul. The part, the ne is attached to the body. And then when we go up to the next level. Um, that level is called love, which is so interesting because love does not seem to be a thing we could just bring into our lives whenever we want, that we have the power to [00:18:00] bring love in.

It seems to be dependent on somebody else. So the ancient definition of love here is appreciating the virtues in another. And that we could do at any moment we a person, A person could do it in jail. A person, a prisoner could, um, just think about their grandmother that once did a kindness for them and be uplifted with this warm emotional feeling of love.

It's by and be inspired to be a better person. You can bring love into your life at any moment, and the person doesn't have to physically be there. We can fill ourselves up with love by appreciating other people.

Jason: And that one, that one is, is Ruach,

I

Bracha: Yes,

Jason: I'm trying to hear, but that, that I think more, more literally [00:19:00] means wind or breath,

Bracha: yes. The Spirit.

Jason: yet the spirit as in Genesis one, two.

Bracha: Yes, exactly. It's appreciating the spirit of another being. Exactly. That's exactly what it is. And that's what God blew into us. That's spirit. The spirit of God is in all of us. Exactly. So when we appreciate how another being reflects God's essence, then we can appreciate them.

That is exactly what love is about and each level up the pleasure ladder brings a greater connection. A more lasting pleasure and we are emulating God as we go up higher levels of appreciating God as we go up the pleasure ladder. Yeah,

Jason: So, so we're g you know, gratitude for the, for the physical beauty. The wonderful things in this world and, you know, [00:20:00] gratitude for the spirit of others, for the spirit of God.

Um, then we move to level three

in Nema,

Bracha: Yes. Amazing. Amazing.

Jason: which is also kind of means to breathe or breathed into.

Bracha: Yes. Yes.

Jason: reference.

Uh, but tell, tell us about that level, that third level.

Bracha: Exactly. I'm so impressed. Yes. Yeah, it's, it's the level of. Doing good and meaningful things and, and the body, we relate to it like, um, the senses or the limbs. And then, um, the level of love is in the heart and the level of, um. Nma of the level of meaning is in the brain, and it's, it's, it's when we create meaning do good and meaningful things.

I, I, I was on another show and when I got to this level, the host said that he was [00:21:00] feeling miserable. And he bought a whole pizza pie. He's sitting alone in his apartment. He had two slices, and he's about to eat the whole pie by himself. There's a knock on his door and his neighbor needs his help for two minutes.

He helps his neighbor move furniture, whatever. He comes back and he doesn't need the pie anymore. Why doesn't he need that pizza pie anymore?

Jason: He served, he was in service to somebody else. Yeah.

And so you, you, you, in psychology, you probably know the hedonic treadmill,

Bracha: the The what? Say it

Jason: the, the hedonic treadmill

Bracha: Oh, okay.

Jason: hedonic ab adapt. So this is, this is some obscure reference I found. It's really stuck in my brain, but it's this idea that. Um, everyone has a happiness set point, a baseline of level of happiness or unhappiness. And as things happen in life, you, your happiness will spike or dip, you know, loss of a loved one. It goes down, you buy a new car, it [00:22:00] goes up, but at some point, hedonic adaptation happens and you go back to that set point.

Bracha: Yes.

Jason: And people get in the spiral where they do things to, to spike their happiness and they get pulled back and

spike.

One of the things that I read was that one of the ways to improve your happiness setpoint is service to others.

Bracha: yes,

Jason: So it, you

The Spiritual Connection of Happiness Practices

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Jason: know, it all ties back to, you know, back to here, you know, in service to others.

Bracha: Exactly. You're gonna see, like when we ever, we talk about helping people to be happier, we'll tell them to do all these things, spend time in nature, exercise, spend time with other people, volunteer. But now you see in this. Pleasure ladder. They're all there. And now you see, you can see so clearly that this is all filling ourselves up spiritually.

It's all a spiritual thing, which people don't realize that spending time in nature exercising. It's all, when we, when we, when we. [00:23:00] Tie it, connect it with gratitude, then it becomes a spiritual experience. It changes the whole thing. Exactly. And what you were saying about the happiness setpoint, they've done studies where a person that won the lottery goes way up and a person that like, God forbid they become paralyzed and they go way down.

They, like you said, they go back to the same. Happiness set points Six months later, they're at the same level they were at before. These changes happen in their lives. But those that take on a gratitude practice, six weeks later, six months later, they're, they become actually at a higher set point of gratitude that actually changes a person spiritually.

So that's, it's an amazing thing. Yeah.

Volunteering and Personal Fulfillment

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Jason: I love, I love to talk about, like, one of the first things that I did when I, when I joined [00:24:00] my church and, and joined the faith and, you know, we had this, um, it was a, um, a fall festival. It was kinda like a trunk or treat. We had, you know, things for the kids and, and we, we usually do street tacos and, you know, I, I signed up to volunteer and my, my job was literally handing people. Street tacos, like I'm just giving

them food. That's all I did. I had so much fun.

Bracha: Yes.

Jason: gratifying. Just, I mean, you know, handing somebody a taco, that was all

I did. But, but it was fun.

Bracha: Yeah. Yeah,

yeah, exactly.

Jason: on me.

Bracha: Amazing, amazing.

Jason: so one, one of the things that I realized when I, oh, sorry. Go ahead.

Bracha: No, I was gonna say it drew you in.

Yes,

exactly.

The Depth of Hebrew Language and Spirituality

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Jason: One of the things, because I, I'm, I'm a very curious person. Um, I, you know, I try to, to research this a little bit. When I got to this level three, when I got to hamma, I'm sitting here going, well, all of these words kind of mean solar spirit. A

couple of them refer to WinDor breath, and, and it made me realize that he, [00:25:00] the Hebrew language is very, very nuanced and, and contextual. And it, it's, it's kinda like, you know, if you, if you're out there, you're gonna try to study this stuff, understand that, that it's, it's very, uh, symbolic in many ways. It's very contextual, it's very deep, and it, and it, you'll get a lot more richness out of your studies if you go back to some of the roots of the, the languages.

And, and that's true for the New Testament with Greek. Um, but very, very true for the Hebrew and the, the Aramaic, um, parts of it. But anyways, I just wanted to throw that in there.

Bracha: I'm so deeply impressed you, you, you really are a lover of learning. It is so beautiful. So yes, there is no language like the Hebrew language. It's unbelievable. I'm studying it a lot right now. Since my husband and I have moved back to Israel, I'm really learning conversational Hebrew. It's, and I'm loving it more and more because, um, the words are not haphazard.

There's like a [00:26:00] meaning to every word and every letter. Um, there's, it's just the most fascinating language. So yes, I, I encourage everybody to study it. And when you read the Bible in Hebrew. It's on a whole nother level. Exactly,

yes.

Exploring Higher Levels of Creativity

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Jason: All right, so let, let's do level. I think it was level two Chaya rep representing, I think, believe

creativity. Tell us about that one.

Bracha: Yes. So that is the next to the highest level. So above doing good and meaningful things, this is amazing. What brings even more pleasure than that doing. Good, good, helpful, creative things.

Then you're putting a unique part of yourself into the world. Like anybody could stuff the envelopes, but it still makes you feel good to do that.

But when you put a unique part of yourself, like doing this podcast, oh my gosh. I mean, when you are creating this, when you're in the, [00:27:00] when you're in the creative zone, you don't feel like eating or sleeping, and you're like, beyond time, like you don't even notice. It's the most, it's such a high to be on.

And again, because we're emulating, God, it's, it's such a high and this is such a high level of God creation. So it's just an awesome place to be, to be on that level of creativity. And when you do it with gratitude, oh my gosh, it complete, it gets your ego out of it. If your ego is out of the picture and you're doing, and you, then it's just flowing through you.

God's ideas are just flowing through the flow of creativity. You don't have that writer's block 'cause it's not about you. You are not gonna fail. It's not no longer about you. It's just [00:28:00] you are helping to bring God's wisdom into the world. It's such a joy. It completely changes the creative process.

Jason: It's in that word, you know, go back to the words that that Chaya, it kind of embodies kind of a state of being alive it in the preservation of life. And I found it in, I think it was Genesis five three when it talks about, and it was another places, but specifically when it talks about, you know, Adam had lived and they used the word Chaya there 130 years. So it's this, it's this existence. It is, you know, when you're in that creative zone, you, you are existing as God intended you. Is is the way I interpret it.

Bracha: Yes, exactly. You are giving. You're bringing more life into the world. That's it. That's what, well, I say it in Hebrew, I say Haya is bring, and it's amazing that you could say it. Many people that aren't Jewish can't make that ha sound, but you could. So [00:29:00] that's amazing. So like that's what we say. It's bringing life.

It's and, and, and, and again, we're just, we're just. Doing God's will. That's what we're doing when we're doing this because we can't create life. No, but, but it's flowing through us. That, and, and that's the highest level, is recognizing that's the level of transcendence. And, and I'll say the Hebrew word is, is oneness.

It's unity. It's recognizing that. Everything and all of us we're all connected and we're all connected to the same source energy, God's energy that is flowing through all of us. So when we say there's nothing new under the sun, I mean everything is from God, but you know, we could. [00:30:00] We could bring out different nuances of it, like you've expressed, um, make beautiful paintings that, that bring out the messages of how awesome this world is.

And, and again, si there've been scientific studies to show that that state of awe and wonder, that state of transcendence, that highest level. Um, it's the state in which the most, uh, chemicals, natural chemicals are created in our body that fight off disease. So it's also when our, we're in our healthiest state, when we're in that state of awe and wonder about God's world.

Jason: That's awesome. And you know, I, I like in at least the, the second to highest maybe, uh, the, those moments. Creativity doesn't have to be a painting or a sculpture. You know, there, there are moments where you know, you're having a difficult conversation and then you just [00:31:00] know what to say. You just know how to interact with that other person, and I, that is, that is definitely a God moment for me

when that happens.

Bracha: Beautiful. That inspiration. It's coming straight from God. Exactly. All my books were written. In that flow state. That's it. Usually in the, usually I go to sleep, I have no idea, and I wake up in the morning and I'm scribbling on my pad. 'cause God is sending exactly how to write the book. You know, like I have to catch all the raindrops coming down.

Right. Then it's, it's, yeah.

Jason: That's wonderful.

Addressing Misconceptions About Judaism

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Jason: So I, I, I do have a friend of mine who's also a listener who had I, I was so excited I was sharing that I have this wonderful guest coming on, you know, my first Jewish guest. Um, she had asked if you mind if I ask you a few questions

about Judaism specifically.

Bracha: How Awesome. Thank you.

Jason: uh, her first question was, what, what do people get wrong about Judaism?

Bracha: Wow. [00:32:00] Wow, there's so much of that in the world right now, you know, with all the antisemitism. Oh my gosh,

that is such a beautiful question. Oh my goodness. This is a funny story. Um, I was in this group, uh, the, a neighborhood group. It was actually online, it was during the pandemic, um, with a multicultural group and um, end of one zoom call.

Um, a lady who wasn't Jewish said, uh uh, uh oh yeah. Oh, there were many black people on the call. And then the Jewish people, it was mainly black and Jewish. And, and, and I was mentioning how, you know, there was a, a lot of. Persecution of the black people in America, but it, it wasn't like extermination, like for Jewish people.

That's the [00:33:00] difference. And, and, and then she said, well, that's true, but, but why are the Jewish people so successful with money? And why are they so rich? And just then it ended the, the, the whole program ended and ended on that note. And everybody was like shocked. It was, seemed like. Oh, everyone has like this idea of Jewish people being into money and wealthy and everything.

So like it ended and then we started on the ne like a month later when we all met again. Everyone was all riled up from that ending. It was like a very strange ending. And at the next meeting it began and the lady said she got to explain herself. 'cause everyone thought it was like an antisemitic thing.

And she goes. Oh no, I didn't mean it like that. I meant to say, even though throughout history people have tried to exterminate the Jewish people, they always seem to rise to the [00:34:00] top again. Like it's like so amazing. What I meant to say is the Jewish people seem to have a special blessing in their lives.

It's, it's like a, the people have a special blessing and it like turned everything around. Um, it, it, she was ch changing, like this anti-Semitic trope into a beautiful way to view that. I, I, I, I thought that was fantastic.

Jason: And I think that's at the heart of antisemitism is this idea that, you know, all Jewish people are rich, um, because they extort other people and they

rise to power and take over government. It's, it's very, very disgusting and

Yeah.

there is a lot going on. That's that I think, I mean, it's, it's, I feel like it should be common sense that it's obviously. Uh, misleading information about, about the Jewish people. Um, and, and I think people misunderstand that just because somebody is Jewish does not mean, as you mentioned at the beginning of this, doesn't necessarily mean they're, they're religiously Jewish.

There, there's an

Bracha: Oh yes,

Jason: [00:35:00] component too,

Bracha: absolutely. And I'll I'll say one more thing too. Uh, 'cause it's such a great question. Many people think the whole line about being the chosen people is like kind of obnoxious and like, oh, we think we're special. But the way we view it is that we have a responsibility. We're chosen to have a certain responsibility, and that is to shine God's light in the world.

That that's our responsibility and, and also. UDDI is the Jewish, is the Hebrew word for Jewish people, uddi, and at the essence at the core of that word, uddi, is hood hod. It means gratitude. Our main mission, this is what I believe and that's why I am spending my life doing this now. Our main mission is to spread gratitude in the world.

To have gratitude to God [00:36:00] is really what our purpose is.

Jason: And the second question is kind of similar. It's, you know, what are some common misconceptions, and I

think she might've meant about the faith itself.

Bracha: yes.

Jason: um, what was the view of women in modern society according to Judaism today?

Bracha: I, I, I feel that the, the view of women is, is, is exactly expressed in that line that we said at the beginning, strength and honor and joy. I. That is how I see my role as a Jewish woman. Um,

Jason: wonderful. I like that. Yep. And then the last question she had, what are traditions that have stood the test of time?

Bracha: that's the amazing thing. That the traditions have stood, the test of time is absolutely incredible. I mean, we're doing things that were done thousands of years ago. We're still doing them. And all these, they're called commandments. I call them [00:37:00] guidelines like the 10 Commandments, you know? But based on the 10 Commandments, the Jewish people believe that there's.

A whole lot more spreading out beyond those 10 Commandments. But they come from those Central 10 Commandments. They branch out from those 10 commandments and all of them, every single one of them are different gratitude practices. Every single one of them. And they're all different ways of expressing gratitude to God.

And, and you know what? Everybody's got different favorite, they, we call them mitzvahs, but everybody you've heard of a Bar mitzvah, they're all called mitzvahs. These, these guidelines that we do, and they are all designed to spread more joy and gratitude in the world. Every single one of them.

Jason: That's wonderful. I love it. Um, that was the end of the question. Thank you for, for humoring me on [00:38:00] that.

Final Thoughts and Gratitude

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Jason: before I wrap this up, do you have any final words for the listeners? I.

Bracha: I am just so happy that you've been open to having me here. It's a Christian show and I love, I love speaking to Christian audiences and I speak to Muslim audiences, Hindu, Buddhist, and atheist. You know, because. This is what we're here for and we're all connected. And I feel that these kind of shows, that's what's so wonderful about a podcast.

I'm a kind of person that doesn't like to talk about superficial things, and I, we, we just get together and we go right to the most meaningful things in life. So I, I, I'm, I'm, I'm so grateful to you for just letting me be a guest here. Thank you.

Jason: Oh, well thank you. Special thanks to you for being, for being here and having this conversation, uh, on a Christian podcast. You know, IIII love, I love the, our Jewish friends, our Jewish family. I think we have a [00:39:00] lot in common. Uh, you know, we, we, we pray the same God.

Um, you know, there, there's where we, where we shift is what. What happens, you know, around Jesus of time and uh, um, but I don't think that's anything that, that, would keep, that should keep Jewish people and Christian people from, from having fellowship. so, you know, that's, that's my thoughts on it.

I'm trying to articulate it. It is just not coming the right way. But, but I do appreciate you being

Bracha: Beautifully. Beautiful.

Jason: Thank you. So if you're out there listening, be sure to visit her website growing impact publications.com. Check out her children's books. They sound wonderful. Um, I kind of wanna go buy some for our, for our church. Um, and, and just to, you know, because we were talking about Judaism, her books are not Jewish specific. Uh, they're, they're more general gratitude, general teachings. Um, you know that there may be some, some faith. Uh, connections there, but I, I think for the most part, it's meant to be for everyone. Right?

Bracha: Oh, I wanna say that some [00:40:00] books are specifically Jewish and then now we've developed a Universal, you'll see it under Universal Books on my website. Also. People can download the Pleasure Ladder there, but um, for. I think it's, oh, it used to be free and now it's a dollar because some people started hacking into the website, so now we had to make it a dollar to stop that.

But anyway, but there's a universal section and those books are designed for everybody and

Jason: Okay. Okay. I'm glad I asked. I'm glad I cleared that up. But,

uh, but yeah, visitor website, growing impact publications.com, uh, link links are on the website. Um, as long, sorry, the links to the website are in her, in the show notes along with her podcast, social media, all that good stuff. If I could just speak with it, that's great.

Please support this. Yeah, no problem. Please support this amazing guest. Um, thank you again. And, and God bless B braca

Bracha: thank you. God bless you.

Jason: and for the rest of the listeners. Until next time, keep loving [00:41:00] your neighbors, dive into God's word daily and may the Lord bless you and keep you and fill you with his peace. Take care.

God bless, and we'll see you in the next episode.