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Rabbi YY Jacobson - Are We Bolstering Unhealthy Egos?

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Author: Rabbi YY Jacobson
Categories: Religion
Tags: religion
Views: 2 · Last viewed: 2026-10-16 08:50 UTC

Short Summary

Main recommendation: Recognize yourself as a channel of Hashem rather than focusing on humbling your ego by dwelling on your wretchedness and nothingness, because the speaker argues the latter leaves people stuck while the former empowers them. The speaker responds to an audience member (identified as 'Rabbi Waiwa' in the transcript, likely the host) who suggested the course should concentrate on nullifying the ego through awareness of human frailty, and argues that the deeper message is about discovering one's divine channel status.

Key Points

  • The critic argues that most people have egos and will misapply teachings about nullifying the ego to justify their own agendas, such as a husband telling his wife "God is telling you to do this."
  • The speaker counters that people who discover they are channels of Hashem typically gain a deeper sense of their power, depth, goodness, and self-control, not a bigger ego.
  • According to the speaker, people who feel like nothing often react with anger, lose control, detach from life, or run away because they do not realize who they are.
  • The speaker acknowledges that humility and awareness of vulnerabilities and frailties are important, but says they are not sufficient on their own.
  • The speaker says that being a channel of Hashem lets a person be humble while still being able to apologize and admit mistakes without feeling stuck.

Details Worth Noting

  • Concrete instructions: The transcript gives no explicit step-by-step method. The actionable guidance is conceptual: understand yourself as a channel of Hashem, and use that understanding to be humble, apologize or admit mistakes, serve God, learn Torah, do mitzvahs, and bring light into your life and the world.
  • The speaker relates this to trauma and childhood stories, saying a person can feel "stuck" in them until they realize they are a channel of Hashem.
  • The speaker reports from personal teaching experience that this framing is psychologically, emotionally, and spiritually more helpful for people than a focus on nothingness.
  • The critic's concern is framed as a risk of misuse: teachings about divine channeling can be turned into justifications for controlling others.

Bottom Line

The speaker holds that understanding oneself as a channel of Hashem is a healthier foundation for humility and action than focusing on one's nothingness, while acknowledging the risk that such ideas can be misused to bolster ego.