Rav Yaakov Hillel on the Yamim Tovim
This series presents Rav Yaakov Hillel shlita, Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivat Chevrat Ahavat Shalom in Jerusalem, on the theme of the Jewish festivals. Rav Hillel is one of the leading mekubalim of our generation, a posek and prolific author known for teaching authentic Kabbalah within its proper framework of mussar and yiras Shamayim. Here he turns that depth toward the Yamim Tovim, drawing out what each festival is meant to accomplish in the soul of the one who observes it.
The title — the power of the festivals — captures his approach. Rav Hillel treats the moadim not as commemorations of the past but as recurring spiritual opportunities, windows in the year when specific forces are accessible and specific growth is possible. His shiurim ask what a festival is for, what it awakens, and how a person can take hold of it, rather than simply recounting its history and its mitzvos.
Depth made reachable
Across this collection, Rav Hillel moves through the cycle of the year — the Yamim Tovim and their inner meaning — weaving together the words of Chazal, the Rishonim, and the deeper wisdom he is known for. What could be forbidding in other hands is kept grounded: he consistently ties the loftiest ideas back to avodas Hashem and practical observance, so a listener comes away not only impressed but instructed in how to keep the festival with more intention.
For a family, the value is in transforming the familiar. The same Pesach, the same Sukkos, the same Shavuos return every year, and it is easy for them to become routine. Shiurim like these restore their weight, giving parents language and depth to bring to the Yom Tov table so that children absorb not just what is done but why it matters. That is the enduring gift of learning the festivals from a master.
Kabbalah kept in its place
Rav Hillel is well known for insisting that the inner dimensions of Torah rest on a foundation of yiras Shamayim and mastery of the revealed Torah first. That principle shapes even his shiurim on the festivals: the deeper meanings he draws out are never offered as a shortcut around observance but as its crown, reached by those who keep the mitzvos and refine their character. It is depth with guardrails, which is part of why his teaching is so trusted.
For a listener, that balance is reassuring. There is a great deal of loose talk about mysticism in the wider world, and a teacher of Rav Hillel's stature offers the opposite — the real thing, presented responsibly, tied at every turn to how a Jew is meant to live. A family can learn the festivals from him and come away with genuine spiritual depth that never loosens its grip on practical avodas Hashem.
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At a glance
Key takeaways
- Rav Yaakov Hillel shlita is Rosh Yeshiva of Ahavat Shalom in Jerusalem and a leading mekubal of our generation.
- This series presents his shiurim on the inner meaning and spiritual power of the Yamim Tovim.
- He treats the festivals as recurring opportunities for growth, not only commemorations of history.
- He keeps deep ideas grounded in mussar, yiras Shamayim, and practical observance.
- Search FilteredTube for kosher, approved Torah video — the catalog grows every day.