Joseph Cox Show: Recent Episodes
Joseph Cox
The first three blessings of the Amidah shatter the wall between man and G-d. This podcast shows you how Hashem Him/Herself gives us the tools to reach out not just once, but many times a day. Consider these ideas as you pray - especially if you are leading the communal repetition of the prayer.
Thank you for listening...
For more of my writing, explore my divrai Torah and books.
Note: the name of G-d was recorded while I was davening privately and I received Rabbinic permission to use it in this context.
Photo by Levi Meir Clancy on Unsplash
This is my first attempt at a meditation. It might be too complex - not leaving enough up to the mind of the listener to decode and fill in. Let me know how it feels/impacts.
Are you interested in exploring Godly Meditation? It is intended to help you to follow in the path of the Creator and thus lead a life of greater fulfillment.
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Is there mental illness in the Torah/Bible? Does the text hint at causes and solutions? This podcast reveals the beginnings of new answers to these questions. Over the coming months and years, I expect these initial concepts to yield fruit that will enable a fundamentally new and powerful appreciation for the lessons of the Torah.
Please, have a listen, share your feedback, and let me know what you think!
Photo by Steffen Lemmerzahl on Unsplash
The Torah's meaning is not meant to be obscure to us. Even the Chukim are not meant to be difficult to understand. In this episode, I argue that it is all quite simple and we can grasp it - today.
Why do we bother with the Seder? Is it just about preserving our people? Or is there something more?
Image By Gilabrand at en.wikipedia, CC BY 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=12468657
How can we reach towards holiness in a world so full of loss, slavery and destruction?
Photo by Sunguk Kim on Unsplash
It might seem nonsensical in our modern age, but Tazria provides a beautiful illustration of the positive potential of shame.
Photo by @felipepelaquim on Unsplash
Are the Jewish people defined by oppression? Are we meant to be defined by oppression? Listen to find out more.
What can we Torah tell us about fashion? And what can fashion tell us about Torah? More, it turns out, that you might think...
What do Kissing and Korbanot have in common? They're both gross, and they can both express true love...
Photo by Strvnge Films on Unsplash
Purim, Vayikra & Ukraine: the future is ours to determine
Photo by Ganna Aibetova on Unsplash
Every year, for the past 27 years, I’ve written a Yom Kippur Greeting. My greeting for this year is recorded here.
For the text, visit http://www.josephcox.com/yk27.
Image from Steven Weeks on Unsplash
This is a discussion about Yom Kippur, the Akeidah and the challenges of the divine perspective. It is dedicated to the memory of Bettye Jean Hylton.
Photo by Louis Maniquet on Unsplash
I'm recording this just as reports of mass casualties pour in from Kabul Airport.
Same image policy as last time.
An unscripted episode on moral obligation and entanglements. Let me know what you think!
Photo is from Unsplash - I'm not sure the photographer would want to be associated with this podcast given the present climate, so I used it based on Unsplash terms, without securing any permissions (or in this case, credit).
Before WWII we had Kindertransport. Today British soldiers just watch as mothers try to throw their infant children over the razorwire fences...
This week is an experiment in storytelling. Tell me (honestly, please) what you think. Are you intrigued? Do you want to hear more? Is it gripping or annoying. Did I overdo or undo parts of it. etc... Thanks!
The Music and Sound Effects (with an exception or two created by me) are from Artlist.io. The image is by Bowcek Josemar on Unsplash
In this week's dvar Torah I discuss the legacy of Serach and how it explains the Torah reading of Pinchas.
Photo by Robert Bye on Unsplash
In this episode, I walk through the parables of Bilaam to understand his amazing powers of spiritual manipulation.'
Photo by Daniel Fazio on Unsplash
This Torah reading tells the story of the people's reemergence into the world - and the place they are meant to occupy in that world.
Photo by Alex He on Unsplash
I learned a lot writing this week's dvar Torah. It was surprising and rewarding. After finishing it, I dedicated it to the memory of my friend, Tzvi Epstein. He died months ago, but as you'll see he lives on in this Torah reading.
Please, take the time to read or listen - I think you too will find it a rewarding trip through the Torah.
Shabbat Shalom!
Joseph Cox
Photo by Vera De on Unsplash
I think this week's Torah portion is about a fundamental question: are Jews grasshoppers or trees? Hit play to learn more!
Photo by Timothy Dykes on Unsplash
This episode explores the lessons of Menucha and Ta'avah - comfort and the human impulse to undermine it.
Photo by Elisa Stone on Unsplash
This episode explores the Torah's obsession with family and what it can teach us today. I also explain Sotah. Note, this is an explanation of Sotah, not an argument for Sotah. Also, when I refer to Torah, I'm referring strictly to the emphasis in Chumash - not the broader oral Torah.
Photo by Lavi Perchik on Unsplash
This is a story I wrote a few years ago for Shavuot.
Photo from Vitalie Sitnic on Unsplash
This week's podcast has both a dvar Torah on Bamidbar and the lessons of war and a reading of an op-ed I wrote about the riots in Israel.
In this podcast, I use the parshiot of Behar-Bechukotai to explore the boundaries of responsibility and trust. This was inspired by a week of conversation about the tragedy at Mount Meron.
Photo by Wolfgang Hasselmann on Unsplash
In this episode we wade into the challenges presented by these Torah readings. At the end, to lighten the mood, I read one of my stories :)
This week I share a speech I had the honor of giving in my synagogue. I also add a bit more material on related subjects.
Photo by Taylor Brandon on Unsplash
This episode analyzes - through story and commodity pricing - the meaning of the omer, kashrut and the deaths of Nadav and Avihu.
This week's (brief) Dvar Torah focuses on what we can learn from the role of the Kohanim.
Ever wonder why the offerings in Vayikra/Leviticus are what they are? Well this episode might just answer your questions...
The face of G-d, a divine river, foreshadowing and more! Dip into the ancillary parts of this Torah portion to discover how and why the relationship of the Jewish people and G-d is fundamentally transformed.
This episode is about Ki Tisa. It is also the speech I delivered the Shabbat before my mother passed away.
p.s. I'll probably issue another episode later in the week - there are elements of the parsha that I want to fill in.
Are the messages of Purim still relevant in a Jewish world that is no longer in exile? To find out, let's contrast the geopolitical messages of the Megillah and the Torah portion of Tetzaveh – this week’s reading.
The Mishkan may seem dry to you, but for me it is one of the most interesting parts of the Torah. There is just so much going on. This year I take it further - much further - than I ever have before. I think you'll enjoy listening, I certainly enjoyed thinking, writing and recording!
This week, I use a core section of the Nicomacean ethics to understand the complexities of Parshat Mishpatim.
Was the giving of the Ten Commandments a highlight of Jewish history- or a letdown? This episode explores both ideas.
This week, I look at the crossing of the sea from both the Egyptian and Jewish perspective.
Photo by Robin Canfield on Unsplash
What is the purpose of an economy? Here's a Torah-based approach to that question.
Photo by Shalitha Dissanayaka on Unsplash
This Torah podcast focuses on Parshat Bo and the paradox of dedicating your future in order to realize it.
Photo by Bill Fairs on Unsplash
In this podcast we explore the central question of Va'eira: How can the G-d of creation and holiness enslave the people and bring the plagues?
This week, I have my normal set of divrai Torah - but folded into it is my speech for my daughter's Bat Mitzvah.
Image: Fresco from Dura Europos synagogue
This week's episode focuses on the Torah reading of Vayechi - when Yaacov/Jacob gives his final blessings.
Photo by Ekaterina Shakharova
In this format change, the Joseph Cox show explores the weekly Torah portion (other episodes will go back to current events). This week is all about dreams, reality and economics.
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I tend to avoid minefield issues. However, people have asked me to comment on the situation in the US. Rather than engaging in ideological trench warfare (which tends to cost society bitterly while helping nobody actually win anything) I try to come at things from a different perspective.
In this podcast, I draw parallels from the Jewish exodus from Egyptian slavery and the African American exodus from southern slavery. My focus is less on the Exodus itself and more on G-d's attempts to raise an enslaved people up - and where those attempts succeeded and failed.
I'm no expert on African American culture. As I say in the podcast, I can't even claim some of my best friends are black. But perhaps this analysis still has something to offer. I look forward to your feedback!
We need to rescue our economies. Another stimulus won't do it. Here's a better (and simpler) idea...
“What the hell am I doing here?” I ask myself. I’d been a beat cop two weeks ago, handling domestic violence complaints and investigating property damage. But now? Now, it is 2:30 in the morning and I’m playing a critical part in the most important war in human history...
Tzarat (Biblical Leprosy) isn't corona, but corona puts us at risk of the very condition Tzarat was meant to treat. Enjoy!
This week, we try to find the biggest news that has nothing to do with Corona. It is harder than it seems...
Music is from Stinger https://freesound.org/people/SoundFlakes/sounds/413732/
More influential people than I have realized the danger of the road we are on. I think the insanity will end.
Music is from Stinger https://freesound.org/people/SoundFlakes/sounds/413732/
I'm a corona heretic. Here's why.
Note, this was adapted from a video.
Music is from Stinger https://freesound.org/people/SoundFlakes/sounds/413732/
In lieu of the dvar Torah (sermon) in Shul (synagogue), I've got this: Corona and the Golden Calf...
Music is from Stinger https://freesound.org/people/SoundFlakes/sounds/413732/
Is corona a punishment from G-d or mother Gaia? Candidate Everyone has a few serious ideas.
Music is from Stinger https://freesound.org/people/SoundFlakes/sounds/413732/
This weekly update touches on the corona virus, locust swarms, a few elections and, well, what I believe is the world's largest condom and baby formula company.
Music is from Stinger https://freesound.org/people/SoundFlakes/sounds/413732/
What would CandidateEveryone do about Coronavirus? Listen and find out!
Music is from Stinger https://freesound.org/people/SoundFlakes/sounds/413732/
It has been eleven months since my mother passed away. In Judaism, 11 months is the length of time that we say Kaddish - or the prayer of mourning.
By way of commemoration of this time, I have produced a special episode. Instead of focusing on the work on Candidate Everyone, I share one of my mother's works with you.
Please, have a listen. She was a woman who had a great deal to offer.
This Torah podcast talks about how a society can establish - and preserve - the rule of law.
Enjoy and have a great Sabbath!
Music is from Stinger https://freesound.org/people/SoundFlakes/sounds/413732/
Okay, this is where everybody gets fed up with me and stops listening. But hey, we Jews just celebrated Tu B'shvat - so I might as well share my thoughts on climate change...
Music is from Stinger https://freesound.org/people/SoundFlakes/sounds/413732/
In this podcast we cover Mormon banking, the State of the Union, Chinese mind control and, well, the sad case of a Mr. Michael Bloomberg.
Enjoy!
Music is from Stinger https://freesound.org/people/SoundFlakes/sounds/413732/
I am so delighted to announce my first election victory - pending official results, of course...
Music is from Stinger https://freesound.org/people/SoundFlakes/sounds/413732/ and Unicornaphobist https://freesound.org/people/Unicornaphobist/sounds/398193/
This week I get back to trying to be funny. Oh, and we discuss peanut allergies, impeachment, the Wuhan virus and the brains of a she-goat.
Enjoy!
Music is from Stinger https://freesound.org/people/SoundFlakes/sounds/413732/
The sad smell of lost opportunities...
Intro music from: https://freesound.org/s/181899/
Okay, this one isn't funny. But what can you do when you've got a helicopter crash and a plague to deal with? Oh well... you might hate me after listening to it - but maybe you'll enjoy it nonetheless.
I talk about the killing of the Basij commander and the recent elections in Taiwan and what they (might) mean in the big picture.
Thanks for listening!
Music is from Stinger https://freesound.org/people/SoundFlakes/sounds/413732/
In this episode (which tries to be funny) we cover a campaign trip, my eventual impeachment, paying with your hand and, well, goat sacrifice.
Enjoy and have a great week!
Music is from Stinger https://freesound.org/people/SoundFlakes/sounds/413732/ and Unicornaphobist https://freesound.org/people/Unicornaphobist/sounds/398193/
No ideology is objectively good. So I might as well share mine. You can judge whether it is incompatible with yours! This week - the Burning Bush.
A listener asked me to go into more depth on some issues. Rather than deaden the fun of the general podcast, I decided to do some ad-hoc episodes on those subjects and just publish them as I had the opportunity. I'll call them "Briefings." This is the first one, about Iran. Let me know what you think...
In this episode, I not only go back to my old mic... I lay out a grand conspiracy encompassing Ukraine, Trump, Biden, Russia, Iran and, yes, Ghana.
You can't claim you didn't ask for it.
Oh, and I talk about the college debt crises and read chapter 1 of the surprisingly named "Candidate Everyone".
Enjoy!
Music is from Stinger https://freesound.org/people/SoundFlakes/sounds/413732/ and Unicornaphobist https://freesound.org/people/Unicornaphobist/sounds/398193/
In this episode we have a change of format. I cover more news, with less in the way of stories. Open it up to discover my cousin's take on Jew Hatred, my take on the future of Carlos Ghosn and what I think the US should do with Iran.
Music is from Frankum https://freesound.org/s/268798/ and Stinger https://freesound.org/people/SoundFlakes/sounds/413732/ and Unicornaphobist https://freesound.org/people/Unicornaphobist/sounds/398193/ all via FreeSound.
This episode isn't as funny as some earlier ones, but what do you expect me to do with a mass bombing in Somalia? It does, however, get back to policy...
Music is from Frankum https://freesound.org/s/268798/ and Stinger https://freesound.org/people/SoundFlakes/sounds/413732/ and Unicornaphobist https://freesound.org/people/Unicornaphobist/sounds/398193/ all via FreeSound.
The latest Candidate Everyone is up! In this episode, I get interviewed, discuss Brexit and read Pete and the Felon... Music is from Frankum https://freesound.org/s/268798/ and Stinger https://freesound.org/people/SoundFlakes/sounds/413732/ both via FreeSound.
In this episode, I discuss extra-judicial killings and the barcode. I also read one of my most popular stories, Mulualem, about an Ethiopian-Israeli youth who connects with his history and his future... Music is from Frankum https://freesound.org/s/268798/ and Stinger https://freesound.org/people/SoundFlakes/sounds/413732/ both via FreeSound.
This week we talk impeachment, Taiwan, interviews and healthcare.
Music is from Frankum https://freesound.org/s/268798/ and Stinger https://freesound.org/people/SoundFlakes/sounds/413732/ both via FreeSound.
Candidate Everyone reviews the campaign, covers some recent news and digs deep into policy.
Candidate Everyone announces his candidacy, talks about current events and reads a story! Enjoy!