Ep 233: Habits of a Whole Heart with Arnie Herz and guest Rabbi Levi Paltiel P2 on hmTv

Habits of a Whole Heart (Ep. 233, Part 2)

In Part Two of Habits of a Whole Heart on hmTv, host Arnie Herz continues his heartfelt dialogue with Rabbi Levi Paltiel about the inner essence of Judaism and the practical ways it transforms daily life.

Together, they explore how mitzvot like tefillin and Shabbat can shift from feeling like obligations to becoming sources of freedom, energy, and deeper purpose. Rabbi Levi shares parables from Chassidic teachings and family stories—like the “horse and rider” metaphor—that illuminate the eternal struggle between the godly soul and the animal soul, and how even small steps of connection can unlock tremendous growth.

As the High Holidays approach, Arnie and Rabbi Levi discuss what it means to awaken to your core essence, discover the soul beyond the mind, and embrace the truth that God never gives us a challenge we cannot handle.

This powerful episode is a reminder that Judaism isn’t something imposed from the outside—it’s a gift waiting to be awakened from within, guiding us to live with wholeness, joy, and purpose.

Transcript

Ep 233 — Habits of a Whole Heart

Host: Arnie Herz
Guest: Rabbi Levi Paltiel (Part 2)
Series: Humanity Matters TV (hmTv)

[Intro music]

ARNIE HERZ:
Hi, my name is Arnie Herz and welcome to the podcast Habits of a Whole Heart, part of the Humanity Matters series on HMTV. I’m very happy to have my friend, Rabbi Levi Paltiel, back with us for a second episode. The first one was incredibly rich, and now we’re going to dive a little more deeply into some of these issues. Levi, thanks for staying for Episode Two.

RABBI LEVI PALTIEL:
My pleasure. The first one was a lot of fun—I’m looking forward to this one.

ARNIE:
You ended Episode One with a profound statement about the essence of Judaism: real Judaism emerges from within—it’s not something imposed from outside with a pile of obligations. When you connect to that inner truth, mitzvot become expressions of your core self—freeing, not burdensome. Fair?

RABBI LEVI:
Exactly. And that connects to something you taught me when you first rediscovered Judaism: spirituality and physicality don’t actually stand apart; they work hand in hand. If Judaism is about who I am, there’s no part of me I need to throw out—eating, dressing well, living in this world—these, too, can be part of serving God. Same Source, one whole heart.

ARNIE:
Totally. Take something I started almost twenty years ago: putting on tefillin daily. If you don’t know the deeper meaning, it’s just another obligation—wrap the arm, set the head-piece, say the words—one more thing in a busy life. But when I learned that I have a godly soul—and tefillin is like an extension cord that brings Divine energy into my mind and actions—it became a meditation. I imagine that light flowing through head and arm, infusing purpose into my day. That practice doesn’t shackle me; it frees me to fulfill my higher purpose.

RABBI LEVI:
And you’ve been doing that for two decades. I remember when you first started keeping Shabbat—what flipped the switch?

ARNIE:
For 56 years I was sure I couldn’t keep Shabbat and live effectively. Too much happens on Saturdays—kids, work, life. Then we tried it incrementally: first a Friday-night dinner with no phones; then no phones till morning; then synagogue on Saturday. And then your brother-in-law, the Chabad rabbi in Newark, suggested one tiny step: “Just leave the bathroom light on so you won’t flip the switch.” I tried that, kept messing up, and finally thought, “This is ridiculous. I’m either doing this or I’m not.” We kept a full Shabbat—and it was transformative. Now I can’t imagine how I lived without it. Shabbat became 25 hours of freedom—from phone, news, doing. It transformed not only the day, but the whole week.

RABBI LEVI:
And I’d say that tiny step mattered. People often say, “If I can’t do it all, why do anything?” My answer: start anywhere. Skip carrying that everyday pen on Shabbat. Say one blessing. One act plugs you into holiness—and it grows from there.

ARNIE:
That’s what I love about the Chabad and the Rebbe’s approach: focus on where you can connect. There’s no such thing as a “bad Jew.” Every person—Jew and non-Jew—is a precious light created for a needed purpose. Even a single mitzvah can be more momentous than a lifetime of routine. Start small; the “dopamine” of godly connection is real—and healthily addictive.

RABBI LEVI:
And you don’t need perfect understanding to start. I’ve put tefillin on thousands of people. I’ve never had someone regret it afterwards. Even those with no background sometimes tear up when we say the Shema. That’s a soul experience—not just an intellectual one. Use the mind, yes—but also allow yourself the experience that sits beyond the mind.

ARNIE:
Right. Most of us make the mind our god: “Does it make sense? Is it pleasant?” We get trapped in that loop—limited by mental processing and our pleasure-pain calculus. But as Einstein showed, even time and space are relative. Our senses take in a sliver of reality. There’s more. Shabbat, tefillin—these open a window to the transcendent.

RABBI LEVI:
Even science admits there’s an underlying unity—it relies on consistent truths across time and space. But the truth behind the data is still more than the data. Judaism invites us to taste that deeper layer.

ARNIE:
Let’s talk souls—the Tanya’s two-soul model. There’s the “animal” or human soul, and the godly soul. Two drives in one person. How do they relate—and which one is the real deal?

RABBI LEVI:
We all recognize both parts. One seeks mission, meaning, being needed; the other seeks comfort, survival, immediate pleasure. With God in the picture, they’re not enemies—they’re a team. The godly soul provides direction; the animal soul provides horsepower. A mashal: anything you want to do now but will regret later—that’s the animal soul. Anything you resist now but will be grateful for later—that’s the godly soul.

Picture a person leading a horse to a fork. Left path is smooth for ten feet, then turns to mud. Right path is muddy at the start, then opens into a beautiful road. The horse—eyes down—veers left. The rider—eyes up—guides right. The wise move serves both rider and horse in the end.

ARNIE:
So the strength we need—spiritually and practically—isn’t about conquering the world; it’s about directing ourselves. Mastering impulses, choosing long-term good over short-term itch. That’s success on every level.

RABBI LEVI:
My grandfather, Rabbi Zman Schmukler, told me a story from his yeshiva days. They were each given a horse on a Manhattan outing. His was huge—and decided to head straight into a lake. He panicked, fought it, and finally pulled it away. Two takeaways he always repeated:

1. If you have a struggle, it means you also have the strength to meet it—because your life depends on it.
2. God gives each person the horse they can handle. Your challenge is tailored to your capacity.

ARNIE:
Beautiful. And that brings us to a close—how did this go so fast again? As we approach the High Holidays, this is a wake-up call: your life has purpose, your struggles are matched to your strength, and Judaism lives within you to free and elevate you. Use these weeks as a springboard to a more meaningful life.

RABBI LEVI:
Amen. And to everyone celebrating—Shanah Tovah! A good, sweet year. Be the CEO of your life. Build the beauty only you can build.

ARNIE:
Thank you, Rabbi Levi Paltiel, for your wisdom and friendship. This closes Episode 233 of Habits of a Whole Heart on HMTV. Please tune in to this and all episodes on hmtv.com—you’ll also find us on YouTube, Apple, and all podcast platforms. Thank you, and have a great day.

[Outro music]