Spiritual roots of alienation & angst | Franz Kafka Yahrzeit TRIBUTE

Description

The spiritual roots of alienation, existential angst, and the sensitive soul are explored in this special Franz Franz Kafka yahrzeit tribute hosted by Rabbi Shais Taub and Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin, joined by political commentator Bruce Backman. *EMERGENCY RELIEF FOR THE REITER FAMILY:* Our community is heartbroken by the tragic passing of Devora Leah Reiter ע"ה, a 47-year-old mother of nine children who spent her life helping others. Please open your heart to this urgent cause. 100% goes directly to the family: https://charidy.com/reiterfamilyfund/taub *ABOUT THIS VIDEO:* Live from the SoulWords House on Rosh Chodesh Sivan, Rabbi Shais Taub, Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin, and Bruce Backman come together for a raw and wide-ranging conversation honoring the yahrzeit of Franz Kafka. Why does Kafka continue to speak so powerfully to the Jewish soul? What is the spiritual root of alienation? Why do sensitive souls often feel like strangers in the world? And what happens when Kafka’s writings are read through the lens of Torah and Chassidus? *לעילוי נשמת אנשיל בן חנוך* * [00:00:00] – Opening remarks and the urgent mission for the Reiter Family Fund * [00:01:45] – Why we commemorate the yahrzeits of secular Jews * [00:05:24] – Kafka, suffering, and addiction theology * [00:08:39] – The Trial as a metaphor for navigating life without a manual * [00:12:31] – Why our generation is doing emotional and spiritual work previous generations often could not * [00:16:29] – The deeply Jewish experience of being troubled by reality * [00:18:36] – Kafka’s *Das Kreisel* ("The Top") and the danger of obsessive self-analysis * [00:23:54] – The divine soul trapped in a physical body * [00:33:54] – Kafka’s private writings on Moses and human limitation * [00:38:11] – “An infinite amount of hope—just not for us” and Kafka’s unsettling view of redemption * [00:43:36] – Gershom Scholem on Kafka, faith, and nihilism * [00:55:58] – Sensitive souls in a world that punishes awkwardness * [01:03:04] – The Torah’s shocking ending and humanity’s final spiritual task --- *For more classes from Rabbi Shais Taub:* 🌐 *Website:* https://www.soulwords.org/ *Follow Rabbi Shais Taub:* 📸 *Instagram:* https://www.instagram.com/rabbi_shais_taub 🎥 *TikTok:* https://www.tiktok.com/@rabbi_shais_taub 🐦 *X (Twitter):* https://www.x.com/ShaisTaub 📘 *Facebook:* https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61573478244968 💼 *LinkedIn:* https://www.linkedin.com/in/shais-taub-81a95466/ 🎧 *Listen to the SoulWords Podcast:* 🎵 *Spotify:* https://open.spotify.com/show/51E7XHWFDbZCGJQz7CoAZP 🍏 *Apple Podcasts:* https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/soulwords-full-library/id1450892501 *About SoulWords:* SoulWords is a virtual community hosted by Rabbi Shais Taub, where people come together to explore the spiritual insights of Torah and discover their unique purpose. This platform is here to facilitate your spiritual growth by sharing the mystical teachings of Judaism in contemporary language—making deep wisdom accessible and relevant to your life.