Political tensions, anxiety, and loneliness are on the rise,

but problems like these aren't new, and the solutions don't have to be either.

For thousands of years, societies have asked questions about how to live, thrive, and love.

And it was spiritual traditions that offered wisdom and tools to help people find their way.

Tools that science is now discovering offer real benefits. Join me, Dave

Desteno, to explore how we can all use this wisdom, whatever our beliefs. Listen to how God

works from PRX, wherever you listen to podcasts. Shalom! Hi, everyone. It's Rabbi Shira. We're

taking a little break here on Chutzpad, but we wanted to revisit one of our favorite episodes in the meantime. Enjoy, and please stay in touch. Keep your life questions coming and we'll answer them after the new year. Email us at chutzpad at gmail.com. And, of course, if you have a second to show your love and support for the show, please consider making a donation. We rely on support from you, our listeners, to make the show. A link to donate is in the episode notes and at chutzpah.com. Tudah and on to the show. Hello, and welcome to chutzpahd. Real life lived better, where each week we apply Jewish tradition and the skeletons in our closets to answer a letter sent by you, the listener, about an issue that is live in your life. I'm Rabbi Shira Stutman. And I'm

Hannah Rosen. So Hannah, today we're going to be hearing from a listener who has a secret that

they're trying to figure out whether or not to tell. So I think it's only fair if we begin with me

asking you to reveal a long-held secret. So on behalf- That was good, Rabbi Shira. Thank you. That was good.

You even kept your voice like, real like, this is just logic. I'm just doing logic here. So obviously,

what's your longest, deeply, most deeply held secret? Not telling you. I'm not telling you my

secret. Anyway, let me ask you a different question then. Like, how did you feel when I asked you

to tell your secret? It's like a thrilling and scared thing, because secrets are one of those things,

especially when a rabbi asks you,

because you feel, I mean, it's like, that's what a confessional booth is. You feel burden.

Secrets are inherently burdensome. There are secrets that people take to their death.

Secrets are heavy. And so religion has devised a space for you, a small space.

I mean, maybe the confessional booth is the original safe space where you're supposed to have

this person on whom you put your secret as perhaps a first step to moving beyond the pain of holding onto a secret. Because isn't it,

I don't know what's true in your rabbi experience. Is there ever time when someone cleanly

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