Personal agency speaks to the most critical questions a person can ask: how much control do I really have over my own life? Do I see myself as a helpless victim of circumstances, or as an empowered agent capable of shaping who I become and how I live?

The way we answer these questions determines how we approach every challenge, every choice, and every day of our lives.

In this talk on Parshat Va'eira, Chief Rabbi Dr. Warren Goldstein explores the Torah's revolutionary concept of personal agency through one of the most dramatic confrontations in history: the battle of wills between Pharaoh and God.

As the plagues unfold, the Torah reveals a profound truth about free choice. For the first time, Pharaoh's heart is hardened, not by stubbornness, but by God Himself. Why would God take away a person's free will? And what does that teach us about the value, fragility, and responsibility of choice?

Drawing on the Rambam's teachings in Hilchot Teshuvah and a foundational Mishnah in Pirkei Avot (Chapter 3, Mishnah 19), the Chief explains why free will is described not as a right, but as permission granted. God, the ultimate power, steps back and entrusts human beings with the ability to choose, and therefore with accountability for their actions.

While much of life is outside our control, the Torah insists that the moral choices we make remain fully ours. We are not defined by what happens to us, but by how we respond.

Pirkei Avot is not a book of abstract philosophy. It is a guide to personal transformation. Its message is clear: belief in personal agency moves us from passivity to responsibility, from excuses to growth, from resignation to hope.

This is a teaching about freedom, accountability, the power of change, and why true liberation begins not with circumstances, but with choice.

Key Insights

• Free will is not automatic, it is permission granted by God.

• With freedom comes accountability, responsibility, and moral weight.

• Pharaoh's loss of free will reveals how precious choice truly is.

• Much of life is beyond our control, but our moral responses are not.

• The Torah rejects victimhood and affirms personal agency.

• Belief in free will is the foundation of growth, repentance, and change.

• True freedom is the belief that a better tomorrow is possible.

Subtle, because it lives in the inner world, often invisible to others. Powerful, because it can change your life.

Responsibility is, by definition, a heavy and demanding burden, but knowing how to harness its power will uplift your relationships, family, work and the trajectory of your personal growth.

In Parshat Shemot, we meet Moshe Rabbeinu at the very beginning of his journey toward leadership. Before he speaks to Pharaoh, before miracles, before authority, Moses repeatedly steps forward when others step back, intervening in injustice, defending the vulnerable, and acting when "there is no one else."

Yet when Hashem calls upon him to lead the Jewish people, Moshe hesitates.

Why would someone who takes responsibility so instinctively resist leadership?

Drawing on Pirkei Avot and the teachings of our Sages, Chief Rabbi Dr. Warren Goldstein explores a profound distinction: the difference between doing a task and carrying the mental load - the inner responsibility for whether something truly succeeds or fails.

Our Sages teach that the first place where there is "no one else" is within ourselves. Responsibility begins internally, long before it becomes visible leadership.

This talk offers a Torah framework for understanding leadership, self-mastery, and the quiet inner work that precedes all meaningful responsibility.

Key Ideas

• Responsibility is defined by the mental load, not by visible action
• The first place where there is "no one else" is within oneself
• Torah leadership flows from the inside out
• Moshe's reluctance was humility, not avoidance
• Responsibility must be taken leshem shamayim

We are living through turbulent and confusing times. Much of what we see is filtered through politics and headlines. Hanukkah offers a completely different paradigm to make sense of everything.

In this talk, Chief Rabbi Warren Goldstein asks a foundational question: what is Hanukkah really about? The Gemara speaks about the miracle of the oil, but why would our Sages establish a new festival for all generations on that basis alone, especially in light of the many miracles recorded in Jewish history and even in the Beit HaMikdash itself?

Tracing the story of Greek oppression and the spiritual assault on Torah, mitzvot, and Jewish identity, the shiur draws a crucial distinction between Purim and Hanukkah, as explained by the Levush and developed further by the Maharal. Purim was a battle for Jewish physical survival. Hanukkah was a battle for Judaism itself.

Through Pirkei Avot 1:4 and the life of Yossi ben Yoezer, the Chief reveals why Hanukkah begins in the home, why the symbol is light, and why Torah learning is not only information but a worldview that shapes how we see reality. Hanukkah remains a paradigm for every generation facing an attack on Jewish values.

• Hanukkah is a paradigm for interpreting turbulent times through a Torah lens.

• The miracle of the oil is not the full reason for the festival. It is the symbol of its essence.

• Purim was a physical threat to the Jewish people. Hanukkah was a spiritual threat to Judaism.

• A spiritual assault on Torah is an existential threat to Jewish existence (Maharal).

• The menorah represents the light of Torah values that illuminate life and history.

• Pirkei Avot 1:4 and Yossi ben Yoezer offer a blueprint for spiritual resistance that begins in the home.

Difficult relationships and conflict are woven into so many social dynamics - within family, friendship, work community and society - causing tension, distance and pain.

Can these relationships be repaired? Can resentments and divisions be overcome?

In this talk on the Parsha of Vayeishev, Chief Rabbi Dr Warren Goldstein explores the roots of conflict through the story of Yosef and his brothers. Drawing on Pirkei Avot and the classical commentaries, the Chief explains that conflict does not begin with an event. It begins within us: in jealousy, ego, resentment, competitiveness, the desire to be noticed, the need to be right.

Our Sages teach that the path to peace begins with inner work: learning to see others with generosity, patience, and compassion; recognising the image of God in every person; and mastering the emotional impulses that push us toward anger or division. Peace is not avoidance. It is spiritual strength. It is the courage to rise above instinct and choose connection.

Key Insights

• Conflict begins inside us, before it ever appears between us.

• The story of Yosef and his brothers reveals how jealousy, ego, and resentment distort how we see one another.

• Pirkei Avot teaches that peace is built through inner work, not external control.

• Seeing the image of God in others changes how we relate, respond, and repair.

• Peace requires emotional mastery and the courage to rise above instinct.

• The Torah's model of peace begins with responsibility: I must work on me.

• Healing relationships begins with the heart, not the argument.

Fear is an intensely powerful and natural human emotion. It takes many forms. Fear of harm or failure or disapproval, fear of loss or rejection.

These fears can be debilitating obstacles to our success and growth, and to fulfilling our potential.

And yet sometimes fear is an entirely appropriate response to real threats. Sometimes it warns and protects us.

Where is the balance? And how do we rise above our fears so that we can truly flourish?

In this talk on Parshat Vayishlach, Chief Rabbi Dr Warren Goldstein explores Yaakov's encounter with Esav as the Torah's model for facing fear with clarity, dignity, and faith.

When the Torah says "Yaakov was very afraid," the danger was real, and so was his fear.

But the Torah uses this moment to reveal a deep truth: there is a way to face fear without being ruled by it.

Yaakov responds with strategy, strength, and faith, and through his example, the Torah shows us the difference between fear that protects us and fear that holds us back.

Our Sages teach that courage is not the absence of fear, but the mastery of it. Prayer becomes the training ground for trust. And the soul - light, strong, and purposeful - has the power to rise above the inertia and hesitation that come from the body.

This is a talk about fear, faith, and the quiet heroism of self-mastery. It is about discovering the courage that is already within us, and learning how to bring it forward.

Key Insights

• Fear is natural. The question is how do we face it.

• Yaakov's response: gifts, preparing for battle, prayer.

• Prayer trains us in trust. Pirkei Avot teaches faith through action.

• "Who is brave? One who conquers their inclination" (Pirkei Avot 4:1).

• Fear and laziness come from the body; courage comes from the neshama.

• "Be brave as a lion" - the Torah's call to spiritual courage (5:23).

• The Shulchan Aruch teaches: rise like a lion to serve Hashem. Lead the day.

• True bravery is overcoming inappropriate fear through self-mastery.

A few days ago I had the privilege of speaking to more than 100,000 South Africans in the National Day of Prayer at FNB Stadium.

The moment reveals something profound about the soul of the real South Africa.

What I experienced was profoundly moving: the warmth of the crowd, the shared spirit of prayer, and the deep sense of unity that filled the stadium.

And I felt something else: the genuine love and respect towards the South African Jewish community. Because we stand for the same values: faith, family, moral clarity, compassion, community.

What happened in the stadium is a small part of something much larger. It reflects the real spirit of this country.

National surveys from the Social Research Foundation, under the leadership of Dr Frans Cronje, show that the overwhelming majority of South Africans share the very values that build thriving societies. Values that are also at the heart of Jewish life, and at the heart of the free world.

In my address, I spoke of our shared biblical heritage: the words of Isaiah, the Psalms, and the covenantal promise to Abraham: "Those who bless you will be blessed." The crowd immediately recognised and embraced these verses. Their response was powerful and heartfelt. This is a message of hope, dignity, unity and of the powerful future we can build when we stand together.

• South Africa is united by shared moral values: faith, family, community, and compassion.

• The warmth toward the Jewish community reflects a deep national bond.

• Biblical values remain alive in the hearts of millions of South Africans.

• National surveys confirm: the majority of South Africans aspire to moderation, respect, and moral clarity.

• The Day of Prayer reveals the true spirit of the nation. It is far stronger than politics or division.

• Our shared values form the foundation for South Africa's future.

• When people of faith stand together, they can shape a new national destiny.

There is a deep psychological need to find paradise - a state of bliss without stress, duty or struggle. Entire industries are built around that longing: leisure, entertainment, escape.

Perhaps it is a yearning for the Garden of Eden we once had, and then lost. We have been searching for paradise ever since.

But what are we really seeking? And are we looking in the right place?

In this talk on Parshat Vayeitzei, Chief Rabbi Dr Warren Goldstein explores Jacob's dream - a ladder planted on the earth, reaching into the heavens - and reveals the Torah's model for finding the paradise we seek.

Drawing on Pirkei Avot (2:17), "All your deeds should be for the sake of heaven," and the Rambam's introduction to Pirkei Avot, Chief Rabbi Warren Goldstein shows how Jacob's dream becomes a blueprint for daily life. Yaakov was about to begin an ordinary journey: earning a living, building a family, working in the marketplace. God shows him the ladder to teach him: what looks mundane can be connected to heaven.

Viktor Frankl taught that the deepest human need is not pleasure but meaning.

The Torah taught this centuries earlier: paradise is not escape. It is purpose. It is living with direction, holiness, and connection to something higher.

Key Insights

• We're all searching for paradise, but often looking in the wrong place.

• Jacob's ladder shows that ordinary actions can connect earth to heaven.

• "All your deeds should be for the sake of heaven" - Pirkei Avot 2:17.

• The mundane can be part of a divine mission.

• "God is in this place, and I didn't know."

• Meaning, not pleasure, is the deepest human need.

• The Shechinah rests with those who live for the sake of heaven.

Life is short.

The average human lifespan of 4000 weeks is, as Oliver Burkeman says, "absurdly, terrifyingly, insultingly short". No increased productivity or efficiency can escape the limits of our mortality.

How do we live with this? How do we confront the fact that our time is finite, and that nothing we do can change that?

To explore this question, Chief Rabbi Dr Warren Goldstein contrasts Oliver Burkeman's book Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals, with the Torah's much deeper framework for understanding time itself.

In this talk on Parshat Toldot, we examine the encounter between Yaakov and Esav as a case study in how human beings respond to mortality. Esav declares, "I am going to die. Of what use is the birthright to me?" His philosophy is simple: if everything ends, then only the present matters.

But the Torah offers a radically different view.

Pirkei Avot teaches that "this world is a prozdor - a corridor - before the next," we discover that the way out of the 4,000 weeks is not by stretching them, but by using them to reach something beyond: eternity.

Time is the most precious resource we possess. It is life itself. There is much to be done. And the task is impossible to finish. Yet our lives do not need to be tragic. They can be heroic.

This is a lesson about time, purpose, mortality - and the heroic dignity of the human condition.

Key Insights:

• Life is about 4,000 weeks - and we cannot escape that limit.

• Esav's mistake: "I am going to die. What use is the birthright to me?"

• This world is a prozdor leading to Olam Haba - Pirkei Avot 4:21.

• The way out of the 4,000 weeks is through them and toward eternity.

• "If not now, when?" Rashi teaches: if I don't do it here, I cannot do it there.

• Time becomes meaningful when it becomes eternal.

• Priority is the essence of Torah time management.

• We are born in the middle of things, we die in the middle of things.

• We are mortal, but also heroic - limited beings with access to infinity.