"If you don't respect intimacy, you're going to abuse somebody." So true, thank you for saying it as it is

I am Protestant by parental design and i never grasped the views and translations the same way that Rabbi Manis translates the world and how we are. I've gotten more out of his lessons with 10 videos than i ever did in church. Thank you.

I love how quickly you answered the splendidly shallow "Isn't that sexist?" question our sick culture always throws at this. No hesitation! "Yes. If respecting the differences is sexist, absolutely."

The more the world becomes crazy more of us who never care about G-d are now caring. As an ex atheist I never though that I would ever listen to a Rabbi in my life. And here I am.

"You make conversation when you have nothing to say" Wow, I felt that.

as a person who view small talk as painful as getting your teeth pulled, I agree with this man.

As i remember, right here in America, there was a time that men did not shake a women's hand. If a man and women approached, you shook the man's, and nodded and acknowledged the woman. This seems to have gone away this century.

"you make conversation when you have nothing to say". Spot on. Beautiful talk 👍

_"Is that sexist?"_ _"Yes."_ Rabbi Chad Friedman

I work in an office with lots of new professional clients coming in. They always reach out to shake hands. As a Muslim women who wears head scarf, I politely decline, but I also put my palm under my collar bone and say " nice to meet you". And I find people are very accepting of this alternative gesture.

I find long time married couples holding hands the sweetest thing, also there is a way of saying something without saying anything by sending flowers.

Shaking hands means...I come in peace, and I have nothing in my hands...I am unarmed. If someone refuses to shake your hand...they are on the defense...and should be viewed as a potential threat. This is basic primitive unspoken human communication.

I like this man already before the 1:00 minute time stamp. That honest “yes” was powerful.

I love this topic. You made it so clear.

two women might make conversation because they feel more comfortable with each other...and maybe two men will too...I would feel uncomfortable conversing with a man...but what the Rabbi says is so true...flirting can get people into trouble and misunderstandings happen...and someone gets hurt...

I swear, the amount of things I've always known by intuition without ever having been told, taught, but, still doubted...only for some wise Rabbi to so solemnly confirm after all these years.

So much truth in this short video! Thank you for the thought provoking content!

I think, Rabbi Friedman, you gave the group a more comprehensive talk than they thought you might. It's refreshing, no matter how many talks I see you giving.

Fantastic clarity. I had to re-watch this one because for some reason my guitar keeps ringing every time the Rabbi was talking. That's never happened before, but watching the video the second time I realized that this truth and understanding is what is lacking in our modern culture. I feel it and live in it. I hope we can get it back.

Irony is: Don't make conversation Me: Immediately scrolls down to post a comment in the conversation. What he says doesn't just apply to intimacy It also applies to intimate thoughts and protecting mental health. Hence the Echochambers & Gaslighting Marathons & depression.

It all makes sense to me now. I go to this yoga studio and have shaken hands with a couple of girls and wonder why there is this invisible field of animosity between me and them. I am always learning. The handshake was less than a second long. I thought I had the right intentions but now I know better. I should completely respect the opposite sexes space. Thank you for your insight!

Me as a Latin American 🤭 where in our culture we tend to greet male and females with kisses on the cheek 💋 In our culture it could be considered rude not to. Love the Rabbi tho

This makes sense to me. I have made conversation with “the woman” and I couldn’t stand it.

To everyone not enjoying Shabbat, have a spectacular Saturday, with family and friends.

I deliberately shake hands too long. I love the awkwardness it creates. There's a hint of innocence that resides in that moment.

Thank you for the enlightening message of wisdom Rabbi. Shalom!

Hand shakes are an art. I respect a good handshake paired with eye contact. A limp hand from someone with their head turned the other way is unforgettable. Should be reserved for business only.

Thank you

Agreed...through the palms of the hand there is energy transference...sharing feeling of intimacy, attraction...even repulsion Muslim woman are taught against shaking of hands...form of protection It can cause 'problems' for one or both parties

Some deep wisdom here. I really enjoyed this.

Thank you rabbi

Well explained. I wish all people could speak as succinctly and as clearly as this. Alas, most are not gifted with clarity of speech or even clarity of thought. Misunderstandings arise and etc.

This is Torah wisdom, been around for thousands of years, well articulated by the Rabbi.

Thank you for that audio. As a Christian I can say that never has a priest in my faith so eloquently laid out a simple matter of inter relationships. It is clear now that the Jewish faith and practicing followers will be immune to the moral collapse of the west and the insane alphabet peoples prognostications. Subscribed and will listen more. Thanks again. My morning is better for having listened. DG

Shabbat Shalom to all, including your family and friends, who will enjoy being "intimate" with Hashem on this Yom tov.

Thank you Rabbi.

Very interesting. Thank you for making me see it from another angle. Regards from Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain, Daniel.

Very wise.

Many years ago, I was on a plane sitting next to a man on my left who was studying law. We talked about his journey through learning logic, and now I find that this is extremely relevant in my life, having been deprived of justice for so long. B'ezrat HaShem, I can get the legal help I need.

I never thought I'd be listening to a rabbi giving such practical wisdom

I'm a Catholic woman and do not shake hands with men either. Makes my husband happy :)

I want to know how you have these conversations and people remain so calm

I glad to thank God there is someone wisdom with right teaching It's true that's the reality.

Thank you for your guidance 🙏🏻 Please create an Audiobook on Audible also, it would be of great help.

Mr. Friedman this was very good. I always think I am smart, and I know I am :) because I feel I already knew this. However thank you for clarifying and articulate it. The knowledge has now moved from my unconscious to the conscious part of my brain. Great insight. You Rabbis Rock. Cheers

It surprises me that the rabbi doesn’t have a more nuanced understanding of sexual abuse and even #metoo. Saying that #metoo has to do with “free love” as opposed to real intimacy feels like nonsense. Sexual abuse is always about power- the perpetrator is not looking for intimacy.

I'm a Young Blk male from the Bronx This man is wise. When he said, "I don't see you as j'ish" just a friend. I've been saying this for a long time, I have many friends like him... But I can never cross interact my friend groups. I've had both groups tell me the same thing "you're different" and I'm like no I'm not, you just refuse to cross the street to talk to them.

I appreciate the part about shaking hands.

Gratitude. Shalom.

I too grew up in a culture where we dont talk too freely with the opposite sex. I always thought of it as a respectful cultural aspect. If there 8s something important to be said, it is different

תודה רבה

Thanks Rabbi

This is the most common sense advice that I have heard in years- miss you, Jeff Nachman-

👏🏾❤️Respect Intimacy.

I don't need to know Rabbi Manis to be his friend. I like his beard and his funny hat, and I find it enjoyable to listen to him so this is more than enough for me. Rabbi, this is the first time I come across you. We don't have to be friends but let's be friendly!

Good advise Rabbi!

You are always so on point. The subject is the mitzvah of marriage, engagement rings, the wedding night and Jewish babies. The subject is not the super bowl, apple sauce , yoga times and all other manner of small talk. Peace and love to you Rabbi Manis !

It's always interesting when you share a "hot topic".

Thank u for sharing.

Very insightful

I'm a dutch atheist and... I found myself listening to this, because I've been discovering the manosphere

He speaks out of common sense. It's very refreshing.

Spot on....

Hi five! that will set the tone professionally. Clear the air with childhood practices. We never truly lose our inner child so why waste it when everyone is already misinterpreting a simple handshake?

I'm not a Jew but most of what he's saying is correct.

I like his words

I never offer my hand to a woman to shake, but if she offers her hand to me I will shake it. I prefer to not shake hands with anyone; I spent time in a Buddhist monastery in Nepal and got used to bowing slightly with my hands together at the center of my chest, as the common greeting. That’s the way I greet people, and usually they seem to think I’m at least slightly weird.

I love how religious people are able to twist the plain meaning of things like, "Don't make conversation with the woman" to mean "don’t objectify women." What a stretch!

Thank you Rabbi, Shalom

Atleast now I don't have to worry about not being able to talk to girls.

This guy's very straightforward and honest.

As a Muslim, the people of the book (christians and jews) resemble in practice in many ways. A real christian, a real jew and a real Muslim are very much alike and co-exist in peace. However, few fake pretenders use religion for their own gains and powers

Physical contact is intimate, even the shaking of hands. Thank you for acknowledging this Rabbi Friedman. You have spoken previous about the reality/materiality (?) of even thoughts and words, where even another person's thoughts can be experience as being intimate and intrusive of the integrity of ones personal space - i.e. as communicated with a look or even verbally (i.e. compliments, can be uncomfortably intimate and instrusive). If one expresses such discomforts one is labelled "frigid", which is not true, but i do feel uncomfortable when people do not acknowledge & respect my personal physical boundaries. Shalom ♡

He is very good and soooo right.

Thank you! I had wondered why.

Wonderful

“You can’t fool Mother Nature” 🎯💯✊🏽

Good points here

The majority of people don’t even wash their hands after the bathroom and then they are on their sweaty phones all day so that’s why I don’t shake hands anymore.

Fascinating

Much respect from your Muslim brother...... WOW this hit me hard

I really appreciate this perspective, as my new room mates girlfriend made sure to shake my hand when she met me, and I could not look and talk to her because she was sending signals of attraction to me afterwards which was uncomfortable, especially when I looked at my room mate and he had squated down making himself look small when she talked to me. I am in the belief that men of business or practical matter cannot have intellectual conversations when in the presence of a woman. Not that she isn't capable of intellectual thought, but that unless she is of age where attraction is void, the men would be influenced by emotion, and there is no room for emotion in business

That was really interesting!

This guy is on point!

As a former hardcore atheist myself I'm so eager to see how the world responds to when religious leaders and wise man like mr Friedman here start to take advantage of the Internet and remind us all why we use to care about these traditions or, in other words, "how we got here". I'm not saying not change anything. But before you do, look at, and understand what your ancestors built. That's why I'm trying to learn with an open mind from all the major religions as much as I can.

Omg “if sexist means recognizing the differences between sexes,” I’ve said that myself!!

There was a man that attended my congregation for a while and went around hugging everyone as a greeting. I saw that he was genuinely trying to be nice, but he was giving full-on frontal tight hugs with women, chest to chest. One day at church, he tried greeting me with his arms stretched out very wide, expecting a hug, and I shook my head and said, "Sorry, I only shake hands." His eyes got very big, like he finally realized that maybe he was making people uncomfortable, and I was the first one to assert my boundaries. I gave him a light handshake and walked away. On the flipside, sometimes men in my congregation will come up to my husband, while I am standing right next to him, and they will shake his hand and converse with him, like I am not even there. I am perplexed by this behavior, but maybe they just don't have anything to say, so they don't say it. I don't know, a simple hello isn't having a conversation though, it's an awknowledgement.

BLESS YOUR HEART 💙THANK YOU 🤍🌹

Thanks for referencing Mother Nature. In India we call her Bhoomi Devi.

That's why I hate shaking hands with people I don't know that well.

Really interesting history on the hand shake! I didn’t know that.

Interesting

Sanity and common sense are reintroducing themselves back into the world. Amazing.

Refreshing.

I wonder how many people watching this have said to their black friend "I don't even think of you as black". "you have plenty of faults but I look beyond the color of your skin!" (7:00)

Very interesting.

100% correct I have been doing this call my life . The funny part women will think why is hes not trying to talk to me. Plus is a power stiff from the men to the woman . If a woman wants to talk she will let u know it .

Problem is what if no one has anything to say.. No one would make conversation with anyone else, ever

He has a GREAT point!!

This is why it's a good idea to have respect for religious traditions. For those with little or no self-control or discipline, these ideas would be beneficial to practice. They're all-encompassing and keep you out of trouble. But if you're capable of recognizing and maintaining boundaries on your own and keeping your impulses under control, then you don't need all these stringent restrictions on yourself. It takes patience, understanding, and intelligence but it's perfectly within reason for people to adapt their behavior to any situation based on the circumstances around them. But these ideas are still good ones to follow as a general rule of thumb.