YY Jacobson: 'Jews were chosen to hold onto the frequency of redemptive consciousness' [18 Questions, 40 Mystics]
July 28, 2026
AI Summary
5 min read'Jews were chosen to hold onto the frequency of redemptive consciousness'
The word "God" used to make Rabbi YY Jacobson's heart contract. It was associated with pain, tyranny, tragedy—the Holocaust, October 7th, innocent babies dying. Yet here he is, one of the most prominent teachers of Jewish mysticism alive, sitting at the feet of the Lubavitcher Rebbe as a child, later serving as one of his oral scribes. The dissonance between the God of his trauma and the God of the mystics—Maimonides describing a love that surpasses any human crush, an ecstasy that seizes you—became the central question of his life. His answer is not an explanation. It is a surrender that comes from strength, not weakness.
The spiritual physics of reality
Jewish mysticism, Jacobson explains, is not a scholastic subject you master once. It is "the inner meaning and purpose of life"—the spiritual physics of the universe and the human psyche. Science advances our outer world: medicine, technology, cosmology. But without equal advancement in spiritual consciousness, a "horrible dissonance" emerges between the outer and the inner. That dissonance, he argues, is the source of modern anxiety.
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What you'll learn
- 1 Timestamped Navigation Outline
- 2 (00:00) **Sponsor Message & Introduction** - Ad for Magen David Adom and a brief promotion for Talmud Daily
- 3 (04:06) **What Is Jewish Mysticism?** - YY Jacobson defines Jewish mysticism as "the spiritual physics of the universe and of the human psyche"
- 4 (06:19) **The Origin Story: Growing Up at the Rebbe's Feet** - Jacobson describes his immersion in mysticism from childhood through serving as an oral scribe for the Lubavitcher Rebbe
- 5 (09:04) **Should All Jews Be Mystics?** - The ultimate goal is for every person to become a channel of divine energy, a form of prophecy
- 6 (10:47) **The Painful Question of God** - Jacobson shares his personal struggle with the concept of God, initially associated with pain and trauma
- 7 (13:54) **Surrender Without Apathy** - The answer to suffering is not intellectual explanation but mature surrender that still feels pain and fights injustice
+ Full timestamped outline available in the app
Show Notes
In this insightful conversation, Rabbi YY Jacobson presents Jewish mysticism as a dynamic framework for consciousness and connection rather than abstract theology. He passionately and clearly illustrates how faith and, ultimately, surrender can redefine how we see ourselves, our pain, and the world around us.
Before the Lubavitcher Rabbi’s passing, Rabbi Jacobson served as one of his oral scribes. As a close disciple of the Rabbi, he developed a strong foundation in the world of Chassidut [Hasidism] and Jewish mysticism. Now, Rabbi Jacobson is a world-renowned speaker and scholar.
He now joins us to answer eighteen questions with Rabbi Dr. Benji Levy on Jewish mysticism including how Torah is the map of reality, how spirituality should inform your relationships, and the function of humility in religious growth.
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?
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