Caller: "I never met my father..."

A 21-year-old caller has never met or spoken to his father. After discovering that a rabbi whose online classes he follows is married to his half sister, he wonders whether reaching out could eventually bring him closer to the father he has wanted a relationship with for years. But could making contact bring healing or create painful family drama? During this special Thursday Night Call-In Show with Jeff Garlin, Rabbi Shais Taub uncovers the deeper longing beneath the caller’s question and offers a powerful perspective on absent fathers, breaking generational cycles, developing a personal relationship with God, and becoming the father you never had. ▶️ *An excerpt from: Thursday Night Call-In Show (Aug 6, 2026) with Special Co-Host Jeff Garlin* https://youtube.com/live/Q1nXPdQ3ucs 00:00 – Introduction & Caller's Situation 01:28 – The Dilemma: Reaching Out vs. Family Drama 01:50 – Unpacking the Backstory 03:25 – Understanding the "Father Void" 05:15 – Becoming a "Cycle Breaker" 07:22 – Projection, Nostalgia, and Emotional Significance 11:18 – Analyzing the Real Motivation 12:25 – Managing Expectations & Potential Family Tension 14:48 – Spiritual Connection & Filling the Void 16:40 – Defining True Fatherhood #AbsentFather #BreakingGenerationalCycles #FatherWound #EmotionalHealing #RabbiShaisTaub --- *For more classes from Rabbi Shais Taub:* 🌐 *Website:* https://www.soulwords.org/ *Follow Rabbi Shais Taub:* 📸 *Instagram:* https://www.instagram.com/rabbi_shais_taub 🎥 *TikTok:* https://www.tiktok.com/@rabbi_shais_taub 🐦 *X (Twitter):* https://www.x.com/ShaisTaub 📘 *Facebook:* https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61573478244968 💼 *LinkedIn:* https://www.linkedin.com/in/shais-taub-81a95466/ 🎧 *Listen to the SoulWords Podcast:* 🎵 *Spotify:* https://open.spotify.com/show/51E7XHWFDbZCGJQz7CoAZP 🍏 *Apple Podcasts:* https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/soulwords-full-libr… *Support Our Work:* 💳 *Donate:* https://www.soulwords.org/donate/ 💰 *PayPal:* https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/soulwordspayments 💵 *CashApp:* https://cash.app/$soulwords 🪙 *Venmo:* https://venmo.com/u/soulwords *About SoulWords:* SoulWords is a virtual community hosted by Rabbi Shais Taub, where people come together to explore the spiritual insights of Torah and discover their unique purpose. This platform is here to facilitate your spiritual growth by sharing the mystical teachings of Judaism in contemporary language—making deep wisdom accessible and relevant to your life.