{"podcast":{"title":"18 Questions, 40 Mystics","slug":"18-questions-40-mystics-6941776","podcast_index_feed_id":6941776,"rss_url":"https://www.spreaker.com/show/6208531/episodes/feed","website_url":"https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18-questions-40-mystics--6208531","image_url":"https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/b4ae1d53dbc2329c37294f3435a41ca4.jpg","author":"18Forty","episode_count":80,"summary":"18 Questions, 40 Mystics is a new podcast and video series by 18Forty and Share interviewing the leading rabbis, teachers, kabbalists, and artists immersed in the world of Jewish mysticism. Join Rabbi Benji Levy as he asks 18 of the most existential questions to 40 mystics from around the world. If you are looking to dive into the world of spirituality, inspiration, and pnimiyut , then this is the podcast for you. Have questions or comments? Shoot us an email at info@18forty.org.","last_synced_at":null,"page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/18-questions-40-mystics-6941776"},"episode":{"title":"Zevi Slavin: ‘To be a mystic is to be human at its most raw’","slug":"zevi-slavin-to-be-a-mystic-is-to-be-human-at-its-most-raw","published_at":"2025-12-22T11:00:09+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/18-questions-40-mystics-6941776/zevi-slavin-to-be-a-mystic-is-to-be-human-at-its-most-raw","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/18-questions-40-mystics-6941776","url":"https://www.spreaker.com/episode/zevi-slavin-to-be-a-mystic-is-to-be-human-at-its-most-raw--69154112","audio_url":"https://api.spreaker.com/download/episode/69154112/zevi_slavin_mp3_for_audio_podcasting.mp3","summary":"As a Chabad Hassid, Zevi Slavin’s formative years were spent immersed in the rich traditions of Chassidus and Kabbalah. This upbringing provided him with a unique lens through which he continues to learn, study and connect with others. Drawing on his background, Slavin created “ Seekers of Unity ,” a Youtube channel dedicated to exploring the philosophy and history of mysticism across diverse traditions. He founded this channel with the goal of forming a community focused on creating a more intimate world, together. Now, he joins us to answer 18 questions on Jewish mysticism, including people’s inherent divinity, tapping into the potential of modernity, and the perpetual experience of Har Sinai. Here are our questions: What is Jewish mysticism? How were you introduced to Jewish mysticism? In an ideal world, would all Jews be mystics? What do you think of when you think of God? What is the purpose of the Jewish people? How does prayer work? What is the goal of Torah study? Does Jewish mysticism view men and women the same? Should Judaism be hard or easy? Why did God create the world? Can humans do something that is against God’s will? What do you think of when you think about Moshiach? Is the State of Israel part of the final redemption? What is the greatest challenge facing the world today? How has modernity changed Jewish mysticism? What differentiates Jewish mysticism from the mysticism of other religions? Does one need to be religious to study Jewish mysticism? Can mysticism be dangerous? How has Jewish mysticism affected your relationships with yourself and with others? What is a Jewish teaching that you always take with you?","meta_description":"As a Chabad Hassid, Zevi Slavin’s formative years were spent immersed in the rich traditions of Chassidus and Kabbalah. This upbringing provided him with…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":3020,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/18-questions-40-mystics-6941776/episodes/zevi-slavin-to-be-a-mystic-is-to-be-human-at-its-most-raw/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/18-questions-40-mystics-6941776/zevi-slavin-to-be-a-mystic-is-to-be-human-at-its-most-raw.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}