Torah Cafe: Recent Episodes
Zalman Gordon
A discussion on a topic from the week's Parsha covering many important parts of Judaism that are not regularly addressed.
According to our tradition, the Erev Rav (Mixed Multitude) were a group of non-Jews who accompanied Israel out of Egypt and caused problems for them during their travels through the desert.. Why were they? Why did they join Israel when they left Egypt? What happened to them?
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One of the most important works in Judaism is the Shulchan Aruch, often called the Code of Jewish Law. Since the Shulchan Aruch was printed in the 16th century it has become the primary source for Jewish law. What is unique about the Shulchan Aruch? Why is it so important to Jewish law?
A fascinating discussion about the Shulchan Aruch, how it was written and why it is so important to Jews.
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The Jewish family has been one of the key pillars of Judaism. Jews retained and valued the nuclear family unit along with the extended family even when many around them lost it.
A fascinating discussion about the role of family in Judaism and particularly, the role of fathers.
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Jews have been persecuted for most of our 3,000 year history. Some Jews responded to anti-Jewish persecution by attempting to assimilate or follow the dictates of those who hate them. Most Jews have responded by displaying pride in their Judaism and in their identity.
A fascinating discussion about Jewish pride and its importance as part of a response to antisemitism.
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The Torah has various rules and laws for owning slaves. Throughout the early part of Jewish history, Jews owned slaves. Does Judaism allow for slavery? Is it ever okay for one human to own another?
Since the Era of Enlightenment and particularly since the end of the Civil War in the United States, slavery has been viewed as a horrible institution and contrary to human rights and human dignity. How can we reconcile Judaism's approach to slavery with our modern understanding of the evil of slavery?
A fascinating discussion about Judaism and slavery.
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For the first 2,000 years or so of Judaism, Jews were mostly agrarian farmers. Many of the commandments of the Torah involve farming and agriculture particularly in the land of Israel. There are rules about how and when to plant and harvest, tithes, gifts for the poor and gifts for G-d.
Most Jews left farming about 1,300 years ago but there have been repeated attempts to return Jews to the farm in the years since.
A fascinating class about the history and laws of Jewish farming.
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When someone is wronged, it is human nature to feel resentment towards the person who wronged them. Is it okay to feel resentment? Can we do something to express that resentment? Or should we just turn the other cheek?
A fascinating discussion about the Jewish view of resentment.
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One of the most amazing events in Jewish history was the miraculous fall of Sennacherib and his massive armies at the gates of Jerusalem. This story is told in detail three times in Tanach (more than any other event) and mentioned countless times as well.
A class about this incredible Passover miracle.
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The Haggadah, the book that we use for our Passover Seder is one of the oldest and probably the most widely used Jewish book. It has been printed thousands of times with thousands of commentaries.
A fascinating discussion about the Haggadah, it's history and how we got the Haggadah that we use today.
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The Torah prohibits a Jew from owning Chametz on Passover. A common workaround to that prohibition is for Jews to sell their Chametz to a non-Jew before Passover and then purchase it back from them after Passover. A fascinating discussion about selling our Chametz over Passover!Sell your Chametz today (by Sunday, April 21 at noon) at jccmb.com/sellchametz--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/zalman-gordon/support
One of the earliest works of Kabbalah is the Sefer Yetzirah - The Book of Formation, a very short book that describes the mystical building blocks of creation. The Talmud describes how the book was used by scholars to create a person.
A fascinating discussion about Sefer Yetzirah, its history, its impact and its teachings.
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Solar Eclipses are a natural phenomena that fascinated people back in ancient times. With over 3,000 years of history, our people have lived through hundreds of solar eclipses. What do our Jewish traditions teach about a Solar Eclipse?
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Today, we have a set Jewish calendar that has been in use for the past 1700 years. However, for the first 1600 years or so of Judaism, we used a variable calendar that was updated monthly based on sightings of the new moon and calculations made by the Sanhedrin, the Supreme Council of Judaism.
A fascinating class about Kiddush Hachodesh, the system used for the ancient Jewish calendar.
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We have recently seen a huge increase in expressions of the world's greatest hatred antisemitism. Why do people hate Jews? Why has it persisted over so much time, through so many places and cultures? What can we as Jews do about it?
A fascinating discussion about the Purim festival and the lessons we can learn from the Purim story to help us respond to antisemitism today.
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When we look around us, we see so many things going wrong in our own lives, people around us and the world on a whole. There seems to be endless violence, wars, corruption, disease, crime, natural disasters. G-d's world appears to be unjust and full of problems.
Why did G-d create a world with so many problems? Why didn't he create a more perfect world where everyone got along and did the right thing, where nature was less destructive?
A fascinating Purim related discussion about why G-d made our world imperfect and what we can do about it.
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Chareidim is a term often used for a segment of the Jewish community that live in their own communities and forgo some western cultural norms. They are often misunderstood, derided and called offensive names such Ultra-Orthodox.
Who are the Chareidim? What are their communities like? How do they live? And why they are widely misunderstood?
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Shabbat, is one of the central parts of Judaism. From Judaism's earliest days, Jews stopped work on Friday before sundown and didn't resume working until after dark on Saturday. Observing Shabbat was not always easy for Jews. Often Jews found themselves in places that expected them to work on Shabbat. A fascinating discussion about how Jews struggled to observe Shabbat in many times and places throughout our long history particularly here in the United States. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/zalman-gordon/support
One of the basic Kosher laws is a prohibition of not mixing milk and meat. As a result, Kosher kitchen must have separate ovens, pots, pans and dishes for milk and meat.A fascinating discussion about the kosher rules of not mixing milk and meat and how they impact our kosher kitchens.--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/zalman-gordon/support
One of the most important periods in Jewish history was the period of the geonim (600-1000 C.E.). During this period, Jewish life was centered in Babylon where there were two great Yeshivot (schools). The heads of these schools were called Ge'onim, The Ge'onim were effectively the leaders of world Jewry during this period.
A fascinating discussion about the Ge'onim and the Ge'onic period.
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In Judaism we believe that every person is entrusted with a life-mission by G-d. How can you find your life's mission? How do you know if you are on the right track?
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Jewish communities throughout history have always had their own court systems called Beth Din (or Batei Din) for Jewish ritual, family and legal purposes. These courts often served in parallel to local Christian, Muslim or secular courts.
Today, there is a developed system of Batei Din in Israel, the US and other countries with Jewish community that serves the Jewish community in parallel to the secular court system.
A fascinating discussion about the Beth Din, the Jewish Court system, how it works and their relationship with our secular court system.
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Judaism began when Israel stood at Mount Sinai and heard the Ten Commandments. Moses climbed to the top of Mount Sinai where G-d taught him all the commandments and gave him the Torah. Mount Sinai is also the spot of an earlier revelation to Moses and a later revelation to Elijah the Prophet. Where is Mount Sinai? Why was it chosen as the place for Judaism to begin? Is it a holy spot in Judaism?
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Jews have lived in Yemen for well over 2,000 years until they were almost all forced to flee to Israel in 1949-1950. The Yemenite Jews who were somewhat isolated from other Jewish communities developed their own unique Jewish customs and traditions.
A fascinating discussion about the Jews of Yemen.
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A central Chassidic teaching is that our thoughts control our destiny. When we think positively, it makes good things happen to us. But how do we get ourselves to think positively? Are we expected to be naive and ignore the challenges that we face?
A fascinating discussion about thinking positively, how to get ourselves to think good and how that will impact what happens to us.
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Jewish sources speak extensively about evil angels and spirits that exist in our universe and sometimes impact humans. Do Jews believe in demons? What are demons? How can they impact us? Should we be afraid of them?
A fascinating class about the Jewish belief in demons
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Overcoming challenges and hardships is central to the Jewish ethos. Before Judaism began, our ancestors worked hard as slaves in Egypt preparing our people for a history filled with challenges and hardship. Why did G-d make life so hard? Why do we have to face so many challenges and hardships?
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Special episode with guest speaker Rabbi Mendel Mintz
In 1967, just before the outbreak of the Six Day War, the Rebbe started a Tefillin campaign, to encourage all Jewish men to wrap tefillin every day. In the years since, millions of Jewish men have been stopped on the streets by Chabad students and were asked to put on Tefillin. Many put on Tefillin while visiting the Western Wall.
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Jewish history is over 3,000 years old and therefore often confusing. For much of our history, Jewish scholars divided our history into broad historical periods. Understanding these historical periods is the key to understanding Jewish history.
Listen to fascinating overview of the primary periods of Jewish History
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The Big Chanukah Riddle, best known as "The Question of the Bet Yosef" is probably the most famous and most discussed question in all of Jewish literature. It has been discussed by countless scholars since it was first raised for the wider public by Rav Yosef Kairo in the 16th Century. More than 1,000 known answers have been given for this riddle.
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Honoring and respecting parents is one of the most important commandments in the Torah. It is included as one of the Ten Commandments. Why is honoring parents so important in Judaism? How do we honor our parents? What is the difference between honor and respect? Do we need to honor parents who have harmed us?
A fascinating discussion about the Mitzvot of honoring and respecting parents.
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Kosher butchers don't usually sell the animal hindquarters but are they kosher? It's complicated. Here's why
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Rabbi Moshe Schreiber, better known by the name of his book, Chasm Sofer, was a Hungarian Rabbi in the late 18th and early 19th century whose brilliance and leadership helped shape religious Judaism in modern times.
Confronted with the early attempts at religious reformation, modernity and secularism in central Europe, Rabbi Moshe Schreiber, became the leading Jewish religious figure of his day navigating the complexities of preserving Judaism in the face of its many challenges.
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With so many things today demanding our attention and so many things to do, how can we stay on top of our time without getting overwhelmed or frustrated?
Jews have always been high achievers. We have an old Jewish technique to allow us to maximize our time without stressing.
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he Torah tells us about ancient cities of Sodom and Gomorrah that stood where what is now the Dead Sea. The people of these cities were evil so G-d destroyed the cities in the days of Abraham almost 4,000 years ago.
A fascinating discussion about the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, their destruction and the implications for us today.
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As a young man our ancestors Abraham discovered G-d through his own philosophical investigation. This week we will follow Abraham's analisis to answer the most fundamental questions of Judaism; how do we know there is a G-d and that he created us? We will also take a look at the big question of who created G-d.
A fascinating discussion addressing the big questions about G-d and creation.
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Adam & Eve, the first humans initially had two children Cain and Abel. When Cain was jealous of his brother, he killed him. This first story of sibling rivalry, of jealousy, of murder and of repentance is one of the first and most dramatic stories in the Torah with countless important lessons for our lives.
Listen to the fascinating story of Cain and Abel.
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One of the central roles of the High Holidays Service is the Chazzan, the cantor who leads the prayers singing melodies and tunes to the words of the prayers. Chazzanim (cantors) have been part of Jewish liturgy from the earliest times and many of the tunes have been used for hundreds of years or longer.
A fascinating discussion about Chazanim and Chazzanut - Cantors and the history of Cantorial music.
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It is a fundamental Jewish belief that G-d created us. But why? Why did he create the universe? What did he expect to get out of creating us?
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One of the central parts of Jewish services in the synagogue is when the Torah scroll is taken out of the ark, placed on the Bima. Various men are called up to say blessings and then the Torah is read.
Learn all about the Torah reading in the synagogue.
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People often think of G-d in the Torah as being angry, vengeful and punishing. The Torah tells us of the plagues brought against the Egyptians and others who disobeyed him. The Torah warns a number of times of punishments that we will get for not listening to G-d's instructions.
Is G-d vengeful and angry? How does that fit with the description of a loving and caring G-d?
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What happens when a spouse disappears and cannot be traced. Could they have died without anyone knowing? Could they be alive but have taken on a new identity? What should the remaining spouse do? Are they still married? Are they widowed?
The question of a missing spouse, called Agunah, has been one of the most troubling scenarios that Jewish scholars grappled with throughout Jewish history, becoming the most extensive and complex field of Jewish law.
A fascinating discussion about the Agunah problem and its evolution to a new Agunah problem that we face today.
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One of the more intriguing mitzvahs in the Torah is the ceremony of the eglah arufah (decapitated calf), performed in ancient Israel when a murdered stranger was found out in the field and the killer was unknown.
A fascinating discussion about the Eglah Arufa ceremony, why and how it was performed and how it impacts us today!
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The Torah says that for fish to be Kosher they have to have fins and scales but what exactly are the scales that make a fish Kosher? Do fish that drop their scales or have a handful of scales count as kosher? What about fillet where the skin has been removed? How can we know if the fillet is kosher?
A fascinating discussion about what makes fish kosher and how we can identify kosher fish.
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Ever wonder if we really exist or perhaps we are just figments of someone else's imagination?
Chassidus (Jewish mysticism) teaches that indeed we are simply figments of G-d's imagination.
Discover how we know we are figments of G-d's imagination and what that means for us.
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One of the central parts of Judaism is the Holy Temple in Jerusalem where our ancestors brought sacrifices and served G-d fulfilling many of the commandments. Our second Temple was destroyed almost 2,000 years ago. Since the destruction of the Second Temple, we have prayed, hoped and waited for the building of a Third Temple. We firmly believe the Third Temple will be built in the same spot in Jerusalem in the future and we will once again serve G-d there.
A fascinating discussion about the Third Temple, what it will look like, when and how it will be built and why we are certain that it will happen.
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One of the most important prophets of the Jewish people was Yeshayahu ben Amotz - Isaiah who served as the spiritual leader of our people during the Assyrian invasions of Israel and some of the most traumatic times our people experienced. His prophecies were immortalized in the book that bears his name.
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Should there be limits on people's ability to purchase and safely use weapons? Should we have the freedom to arm ourselves as we feel necessary to protect our family and property?
A fascinating discussion about the Jewish view on the gun control / gun rights debate.
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At a young age we discover that life just isn't fair. If we believe that our universe and our lives are controlled by G-d then why does G-d make life so unfair? Some people do really well, some struggle. Often our challenges are due to circumstances beyond our control. Can't G-d level the playing field?
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In 1946-1947, a group of a few thousand Chassidic Jews escaped from the Soviet Union to the West in one of the most daring escapes of the 20th century. This is an attempt to retell this story that has never been fully told before, with only bits and pieces shared in various historical personal accounts.
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Tzaddikim means righteous people. What exactly are Tzaddikim? How does one become a Tzaddik? What is the role of a Tzaddik? Is it possible for people to rise above the ordinary and achieve a unique relationship with G-d?
A fascinating discussion about the Jewish belief in Tzaddikim.
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Yiddish was the spoken language of most European Jews (Ashkenazim) and their descendants for almost 1,000 years. Why did European Jews start speaking Yiddish? How did the Yiddish language evolve? Where is Yiddish still spoken today?
A discussion about the origins and evolution of Yiddish.
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The daily manna was among the most mysterious events that our ancestors experienced while travelling through the desert after having left Egypt. This strange food fell daily and became their primary source of food throughout their 40 years in the desert.
What exactly was the Manna? How was it prepared and eaten? What did it taste like? Why did G-d choose to send Manna?
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Many Jewish women always keep their hair covered by wearing a wig or sheitel. Why do Jewish women cover their hair? When did this rule begin? When did they start wearing wigs? What is the point of wearing a wig that can often look better than their real hair?
A fascinating discussion about why Jewish women wear wigs.
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The Torah is the basic book and teachings of Judaism. Without it, there would be no Judaism. We believe that the Torah was given to us by G-d and contains G-d's instructions for us. How do we know that the Torah is true and its instructions are G-d's instructions?
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In Jewish belief, every word in the Torah is exact but be spelled perfectly in the Torah scroll. If one letter is missing or wrong, the whole Torah is not Kosher. Yet the Torah itself has multiple misspelled words that are read differently than they are spelled.
If every word of the Torah is exact, why does the Torah have words that are misspelled?
A fascinating discussion about the phenomena of misspelled words in the Torah and the Tanach (Jewish Scriptures).
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Jews have lived in Morocco since the time of the destruction of the Temple in 70 CE. At one point the Moroccan Jewish community numbers more than 250,000 people and today more than 1 million Jews have Moroccan ancestry making it one of the largest Jewish communities with its own distinct customs and culture.
A fascinating discussion about the Jews of Morocco.
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The Torah lists many harsh punishments for transgressing various commandments. Among the punishments are capital punishment carried out in various different methods including stoning and burning. The Torah also mandates lashes for other transgressions.
Though all of the Torah's capital punishments or corporal punishments have been discontinued over 2,000 years ago and are therefore not carried out by Jews today, the question still remains; why are the Torah's punishments so harsh? Isn't G-d loving, caring and forgiving even to sinners?
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The Mishneh Torah, the largest and most important work of the Rambam - Maimonides, is the most comprehensive encyclopedia of Jewish law.
A fascinating discussion about the Mishneh Torah, its centrality to Jewish knowledge, how it was written and how one can read through the entire work following a three year Rambam study cycle.
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The Torah tells us that humans were created in the image of G-d. Yet, one of the fundamental beliefs in Judaism is that G-d has no image. How then can we be in the image of G-d?
A discussion about the age old question as we discover some of the many answers our sages have given over thousands of years.
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On Passover we celebrate our ancestor's freedom from Egyptian slavery. Today we live in a free country. Yet are we truly free? We may be free from slavery and political oppression but are really free to be ourselves? Could we be enslaved by other internal or external forces?
A fascinating discussion about freedom and how we can become truly free.
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We all recognize the flat cracker like Matzah but surprisingly, for almost 3,000 years of Jewish history until about 300 years ago, Matzahs looked very different from the flat Matzah cracker that we know so well.
What was the original Matzah like? Why did it change after 3,000 years? How did Matzah become a flat cracker?
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Over 3,000 years ago our ancestors led by Joshua entered the Land of Israel and settled it. Years later, they were expelled from the land and forced to live in the diaspora. Yet Jews continuously returned to the Land of Israel from the four corners of the earth visiting the Holy Places and attempting to settle the land.
A fascinating discussion about the 2,500 year Jewish Aliya - travel to and settling the Land of Israel
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Jews have lived in Persia (Iran) for more than 2500 years and played a central role in its long history including the story of Purim that took place there. While most Jews have left Iran in recent decades, thousands of Jews continue to live there today.
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From the earliest times, music played a central role in Judaism. It was used extensively in the Holy Temple and later in Synagogue liturgy and at important lifecycle and community events.
A discussion about the role of music in Judaism and why traditional synagogues today generally do not employ musical instruments.
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The Holy Temple in Jerusalem was once one of the wealthiest places in the world with special utensils and furniture made of gold along with stores of gold and other precious metals. What happened to the artifacts from the Holy Temple when it was destroyed? Where did they go? Can we find them today?
A fascinating discussion about what happened to the artifacts of the Holy Temple!
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Labor and trade unions have been around from the earliest times. In recent history, they have become a central part of the modern industrial and commercial world but their roles and rules of organizing and bargaining rights have been fraught with debate and contention.
What does Jewish law and ethics say about unions and collective bargaining rights?
A discussion about Jewish ethic of labor unions, collective bargaining and strikes.
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Jews gathered in Yeshivas throughout our history to study the Torah. The Beis Medrash, the study hall, is the central location in every Yeshiva but also found in all Jewish communities throughout our history.
A fascinating discussion about how Yeshivas developed over our long history and what it is like to go to a Yeshiva today.
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A Rebbe is a unique Jewish leader distinct from a rabbi. What is a Rebbe? What is their role? What makes the Rebbe unique? Are there many Rebbes or is there just one Rebbe? How does one become a Rebbe?
A fascinating discussion about the meaning of a Rebbe
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Every month, we gather and say a blessing and prayers thanking G-d for the moon. The blessing is a very special moment with many unique and unusual prayers included.
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One of the hallmarks of the Jewish dress code is that men cover their heads, usually with a Kippah or Yarmulke. Why do Jewish men cover their heads? Why do we use a Kippah? Must it be worn all the time or just in the synagogue? Why don't women wear a Kippah too.
A fascinating discussion about the Kippah and Yarmulke.
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The Dead Sea Scrolls, possibly the greatest discovery in Jewish history, were largely preserved scrolls from the late Second Temples period (2000 years ago) that were discovered near the Dead Sea about 80 years ago.
The Dead Sea scrolls describe the lives of the people who wrote them and lived with them as well as a number of parts of the Tanach (Jewish Scriptures)
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For the first 1,000 years of Judaism, the Torah was only available in Hebrew. However, in the thousands of years since, the Torah was translated into Greek, Aramaic, Latin and eventually hundreds of other languages.
Some translations were done by Jews, many were done by non-Jews. Some translations were accurate while others corrupted the text. Some translations were seen by Jews as a major accomplishment while others were seen as a tragedy.
A fascinating discussion about the long and complex history of translating the Torah.
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The Star of David is widely recognized as the symbol of Judaism and the Jewish people. Where did the Star of David come from? What is its significance? When did it become a Jewish symbol? Does it hold mystical powers?
A fascinating discussion about the mystery of the Star of David!
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Two of the greatest ancient civilizations were the Jews and the Greeks. After the Greek conquest of the Persian Empire, Jews and Greeks lived together all around the Middle East and beyond.
The two great civilizations with their respective beliefs, traditions and wisdom influenced each other greatly but also clashed. The most notable clash was the banning of Judaism in the Seleucid Greek Kingdom around 200 BCE that led to the rebellion led by the Maccabees.
A fascinating discussion about the great clash between the ancient Jewish and Greek civilizations.
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One of the most important books of Jewish mysticism is called the Tanya. The primary theme of the Tanya is that every person has two souls inside them that battle each other constantly.
A fascinating discussion about the Tanya's teachings of the battle of the two souls inside every person.
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One of the greatest riddles in history is the strange contradiction between Jewish and Greek sources over the length of the Persian Empire. While Jewish biblical and rabbinic sources speak of a short empire that lasted about 50 years, Greek sources put the Persian Empire as lasting over 200 years.
This riddle has troubled historians for hundreds of years with various theories put forth to resolve it but still remains largely unresolved today.
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The Jewish people in ancient times were split into 12 tribes descending from the 12 sons of Jacob. Each tribe has unique features and roles in Jewish history.
A discussion about the 12 tribes, their histories, uniqueness and if we can know which of the tribes we come from today.
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When the majority of Jews in the world were mostly assimilated by the mid 20th century, many observant Jews worked to build their own enclaves where they could build traditional observant Jewish communities.
The Rebbe who led the Chabad movement, took a different approach. He encouraged his followers to build communities for unaffiliated Jews and slowly bring each of them back to their Jewish heritage.
The fascinating story of how the Rebbe refused to give up on a single Jew leading to him sending thousands of emissaries to reach each and every Jew.
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Jews pray three times each day with additional prayer for special occasions. Some of the prayers are quite long and can be confusing to follow.
An overview of the structure of our daily prayers and how they work.
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One of the most challenging stories in the Torah is the Akeida when G-d commanded Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac.
This story raises some strong ethical questions. How could G-d ask for human sacrifice? How can Abraham agree to do it without questioning?
A fascinating discussion of the story of the Akeida and the ethical lessons we learn from it.
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The story of our people began when G-d made a covenant with Abraham telling him that his descendants will be slaves but with then leave with great wealth. He promised to give his descendants the Land of Canaan. This covenant is known as the Brit Bein Habetarim - Covenant Between the Pieces.
A fascinating discussion about the original covenant between Abraham and G-d.
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The Torah gives us ages for many Biblical figures. In the first few chapters, people live over 900 years. For the rest of the Torah it's common for people to live well over 100 years.
Are those ages really true? Could people really live that long? If they did, what changed? Why do we not live as long today?
Every day of sukkot we march around the Bima (podium) in the center of the synagogue with our Lulav. On Simchat Torah, we dance around the Bima with the Torah scrolls. What is the significance of circling the Bima and why do we circle the Bima on Sukkot and Simchat Torah.
Join us this Sunday for a delicious breakfast in the JCC Sukkah and a fascinating discussion about the customs of circling the Bima on Sukkot and Simchat Torah
In ancient Israel, every seven years, the entire nation of Israel would gather in the Temple where the Torah was read by the king or leader in an event called Hakhel - gathering. Today, with the Temple no longer standing, the original event no longer takes place, yet we gather together to recommit together to the Torah.
A class about this ancient event and how it is still relevant today.
One of the most notable prayers on Yom Kippur is the Yizkor Memorial Prayer where we mention the names of our parents and relatives who have died. Why is the Yizkor prayer so important? What does it signify?
A fascinating class about the origins, meaning and impact of the Yizkor Memorial Prayer.
The Torah commands us that every seven years at the end of the Shemitah (Sabbatical) year, all loans must be absolved and the creditor is forbidden from collecting those loans.
More than a thousand years later, the sage Hillel found a legal loophole called Pruzbul to allow creditors to collect their loan after the Shemitah year had passed.
What is the Pruzbul and how does it work? What is the point of a commandment if we have a loophole to get around it? Is G-d happy when we find loopholes to avoid his commandments? Even if it's legal, is it in the spirit of the Torah?
A class about the 'Absolving of Loans' and the Pruzbul loophole.
Books have always been a central part of Judaism starting from our first book, the Torah. While many Torah books were written over our long history, the real growth of Jewish books came with the invention of printing in the 15th Century. Printing allowed for Jewish books to be spread quickly and cheaply across the Jewish world. A fascinating discussion about the history of Jewish printing and Jewish Books.
Why does G-d allow for good people to suffer? Is he able to stop suffering? Do people who suffer deserve what is happening to them?
The question of "Why do bad things happen" has been asked by people in every culture and every time in history. What is the Jewish response to this age old question?
One of the most curious rules of the Torah is the Yibum and Chalitzah. When a married man dies without children, the widow must either marry his brother in through the Yibum process or perform a Chalitzah ceremony with the brother.
A fascinating discussion about these unusual commandments.
Sir Moses Montefiore was probably the most prominent and most impactful Jew in the 19th Century. His legacy lives on in the hundreds of synagogues, schools, Jewish hospitals, nursing homes and cemeteries and other Jewish organizations that bear his name more than a hundred years after his death.
Who was Sir Moses Montefiore? What was his impact? Why was he so venerated by Jews around the world?
Prayer is central to Judaism. We pray 3 times a day with special prayers for special occasions and lots of other prayers to be said at various times. Does G-d really need our prayers? Doesn't he know what we want without us telling him? Can't he just give us everything we need to start with? What is the purpose of prayer?
A fascinating discussion about the deeper meaning of prayer in Judaism.
One of the great tragedies to befall our people is the expulsion of the Jews from Spain in 1492. It marked the end of over 1,000 years of the Jewish community there and the beginning of many trials and challenges for the exiles.
We believe that we all have an obligation to not only do good ourselves but also to ensure that others do good. We are expected to make a positive impact on those around us. How can we effectively influence people?
Learn about the Torah's teachings on how to effectively influence people.
Our people first entered the land of Israel over 3,300 years ago. Yet over the years they were expelled or persecuted and forced to leave. As long as we have been away from the Land of Israel, our people have always yearned and attempted to return.
The current Yishuv - Jewish settlement can be traced to a number of major Aliyot - Group Immigrations over the past 500 years.
A fascinating discussion about the movement to settle the Land of Israel
The Kotel, the Western Wall of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem is the holiest place Jews are allowed to go to today. People come from around the world to the plaza in front of the Kotel to pray and talk to G-d.
Learn about the history of the Kotel and what it means for Jews today.
One of the biggest cultural differences between Jewish traditions and our modern western culture is the interaction between men and women. Jewish traditions put strong limits on interactions and physical touch between men and women.
A discussion about the Jewish traditions on interactions between men and women.
Racism, has been a feature of our culture and world for the past 200 years, Particular groups or races believed themselves to be superior to others while they believed other races to be inferior. Races led to horrible tragedies from the Holocaust to the Rwandan genocide as well as to to pervasive persecution and inequality from Aparteid in South Africa to Jim Crom in the South.
What does Judaism say about racism? Do we see any meaningful difference between races and ethnic groups?
A minyan made up of ten Jewish adult men is necessary for many of the synagogue prayers such as the Kaddish, repetition of the amida and to read the Torah.
What is a Minyan? Why does it require 10 Jewish adult men and why is it necessary for certain parts of the synagogue prayer?
The Menorah has long been one of the most central symbols of Judaism. The original Menorah was a pure gold, 7 branched candelabra that stood in the Holy Temple.
A discussion about what the original Menorah looked like, how it was made, what happened to it and the big debate over the shape of its branches.
Historically, Jews would make brisket to eat on the Jewish festivals. Why brisket? Surprisingly, it is not only a great choice for a holiday dinner, there is an important history behind it.
The Midrash is a central part of Judaism and Jewish teachings but what exactly is the Midrash? Is the midrash a single book, collection of books or genre of scholarship? Is the Midrash stories or law? Are all its stories true? Who wrote the Midrash? How did it develop?
A fascinating class all about the Midrash!
For more than 150 years society has debated over two economic structures "socialism" where the government manages the economy to ensure every gets an equitable part and "capitalism" where individual citizens manage the economy in a free market with only general regulatory oversight by the government.
Which of the two systems does the Torah prefer? What would the ideal Jewish economic structure look like?
A fascinating discussion about the Jewish perspective on this important debate.
One of the most complex and controversial commandments regarding food (kosher) is not to eat Chadash (new grain) and to only eat Yashan (old Grain)
What exactly is the commandment and is it relevant for us today?
Learn about the mitzvah of Chadash and the big controversy over whether we should be concerned about it today.
Yechezkel was one of our great prophets from the late Biblical Period and author of the Book of Ezekiel, one of the books of Tanach. The visions of Yechezkel were full of esoteric experiences, warnings about the destruction of the Temple and descriptions of redemption.
The Torah commands us to protect ourselves, guard our health and avoid doing anything that will harm us.
A discussion about the Torah's rules for health and safety.
G-d inflicted Ten Plagues on the Egyptians so that they will let his people go. Kabbalah teaches that the plagues were not random but each had a very particular purpose and goal.
A discussion about the mystical meaning of the Ten Plagues
In addition to the reading from the Torah in the synagogue every Shabbat and holiday, we also read a Haftorah from one of the books of our Prophets. When did the Haftorah start? Why do we do it? How do we choose the Haftorah each week?
A fascinating discussion about the Haftorah.
We all love watching sunset, but when exactly is the sunset, the moment when day switches to night?
This question is very relevant in Judaism since Shabbat and Jewish holidays begin at sunset. Time is a central pillar in Judaism. Shabbat and Jewish holidays begin and end at certain times. Many commandments must be fulfilled on specific days, at specific times or during the day or night. Jewish scholars have analyzed time and debated classifying days, nights and other moments for over 3,000 years,
A discussion about Zemanim - Time in Judaism
Jews have lived in Ukraine for over 2,000 years making it one of the oldest continuous Jewish communities in the word . For the past 500 years, Ukraine had one of the largest Jewish communities in the world and remains so today. Ukraine has also seen some of the worst anti-Semitic atrocities in our history.
Hamantash is a delicious pastry with filling that we eat on Purim. Not only is the Hamantash delicious, it has a unique mystical significance that ties in with a lesser known Purim food, the Krepel.
A talk about the Purim holiday with a fascinating discussion about the mystical significance of the Hamantash.
Through the Torah and Jewish prayers we use human terminology when referring to G-d including gender (usually male), body parts (hands, eye, ears, nose, feet), feelings (angry, happy, sad, merciful, kind) and actions (speaking, smelling, hitting, touching). Yet Judaism believes that G-d is beyond any human description. How can we use human terminology for G-d while believing he is beyond human description?
Hillel the Elder who lived just over 2,000 years ago was one of the most influential Jewish scholars and leaders in history. Hillel was President of the Sanhedrin Supreme Council of Judaism) during the reign of Herod and founder of Beit Hillel, one of two prominent academies in Jerusalem during late Temple period
Jewish law places limits on how far we can travel on Shabbat even when walking by foot. We are also given ways to extend those limits.
A discussion about travelling on Shabbat.
Rabbi Moshe ben Nachman of Girona, Spain, known as Ramban or Nachmaines was one of the greatest Jewish leaders, scholars and thinkers in our history. In the 13th century, he served as the chief rabbi of Girona as well as the most important rabbi of Aragon and the Iberian Peninsula.
Rabbi Moshe ben Nachman wrote extensively making a major impact on Jewish thought, commentary, law and mysticism. Perhaps he is most renowned for the debate he was forced to have with Christian scholars about Judaism.
The Choshen - Breastplate was a special garment worn by the High Priest when the Holy Temple stood with 12 precious stones engraved with the names of Israel. The Choshen had miraculous powers. The Jews would use the Choshen to ask G-d questions that they had.
A fascinating discussion about the amazing Choshen and its miraculous powers.
We know we should be giving charity but how much should we give? Are we giving enough? Perhaps we are giving too much! Can we really help everyone who needs it?
A discussion about the parameters of giving in Judaism where we will talk about whom we should give and how much we should give.
In addition to the birthdays that most people celebrate, we also have Jewish birthdays. What is a Jewish birthday? What does it mean? How do we celebrate?
A discussion about the significance of our Jewish birthday.
Philosophers and physicists have always wondered if there are other realities beyond our own that we are unaware of and cannot reach. People have imagined and fantasize about what such parallel universes would look like.
A discussion about the Jewish belief in parallel universes and what we believe they are like.
While most of the world is starting their new year in the Gregorian Calendar, we Jews use an entirely different Jewish calendar whose dates only sync with the Gregorian calendar periodically.
Where does the Jewish calendar come from? How is it calculated? How does it work? When does the Jewish calendar sync with the Gregorian Calendar?
Napoleon introduced French revolutionary values to all of Europe as his armies marched across the continent. Among those was his treatment of the Jews. To many Jews, Napoleon was a savior to others he was a villain.
A fascinating discussion about Napoleon's complex relationship with the Jews of Europe and his impact that is still felt today.
Much of the Torah is stories about our early history. Many of the stories are very down to earth and relatable but some of them seem unrealistic with the events unnatural.
Do Jews believe that all the stories of the Torah are true? Could some stories be metaphors?
Ezra was a Jewish leader who lived over 2300 years ago yet made a greater impact on Judaism than anyone other than Moses.
A discussion about Ezra, the great Jewish leader who transformed Judaism
Oil is central to the Chanukah celebration. We are celebrating how the oil of the Menorah in the Temple was only enough to last one day but miraculously lasted eight days. Many light their Menorah with oil candles while we eat oily foods such as latkes and donuts. Why is oil so important to the Chanukah story?
A fascinating discussion about oil, its unique role in Judaism and lessons we can take from oil.
For thousands of years, Jews have been exiled from their land and forced to wander from land to land living under the rule of other people who were often hostile to them.
A discussion about the story of the Jewish exile, why we have wandered for so long and what we have achieved during our exile.
In early medieval times a kingdom emerged in Southern Ukraine where the royal family and many aristocrats converted to Judaism. While this Jewish led kingdom of Khazaria was short lived, its existence has fascinated Jews from the time the kingdom came into existence until today. It even gave birth to the notorious Khazar conspiracy theory claiming Ashkenazic Jewry descends from Khazars.
Most Jewish families have unique Jewish sounding family names. Where do those family names come from? When did we start using Jewish family names? Can we tell from our family name where we came from or who our ancestors are?
One of the core Jewish beliefs (and perhaps most challenging) is that all who died will come back to life in a future time. Why do we believe in resurrection? Who will come back to life? How will we all come back to life? What will it be like?
A discussion about the important Jewish belief in resurrection.
What is the process of making Kosher wine? What makes wine non-Kosher? Why do some only drink wine that is Mevushal? A fascinating discussion about what makes wine kosher
Jewish traditions tell us of 70 nations who speak 70 languages. Who are those 70 nations? What are the 70 languages? How did they form? What relationship do they have to modern nations and languages?
Learn about the historic 70 nations and what they mean to us today.
Simchat Torah is the most joyous day in the Jewish calendar when we celebrate the completion of the Torah by dancing in the synagogue with the Torah scrolls. When did we start celebrating Simchat Torah? Why do we celebrate by dancing with the Torah scrolls?
A fascinating discussion about the celebration of Simchat Torah
The Torah commands us to hold 4 kinds of plants together on the festival of Sukkot. How do we identify them? What do we do with them? What is the significance?
A fascinating discussion about the story behind the Lulav and Etrog that we shake on Sukkot.
One of the strangest (and for many problematic) customs is Kapparot. In its traditional form, Kapparot is when people swing chickens around their heads and then slaughter them as a form of atonement (Kappara) before Yom Kippur.
Many people find the tradition of Kapparot very disturbing. Where did this strange custom come from? Why is it done? How does Judaism allow the chicken to suffer and be killed because of our sins?
A fascinating and illuminating discussion about the strange tradition of Kapparot.
One of the most fascinating and most challenging stories in the Torah is the story of creation found at the very beginning. The story is the basis of the most fundamental belief in Judaism; that we were created by G-d. Yet not only are there so many details that do not match modern science, many of the details don't make sense at face value and contradict each other.
The year of 5782 which will be a Shemitta year, the seventh year in a seven year cycle. The Shemitta year is a holy year when farmers cannot work the land in Israel and certain loans are absolved.
We often think of G-d as punishing us whenever we do something wrong. But is that really true? Does every bad person get punished? Why do good people seem to get punished too? Is G-d really vengeful that he punishes us for every infraction?
A fascinating discussion about the Jewish belief in punishment.
One of the most fascinating Mitzvot (Commandments) in the Torah is the Command of Shiluch Hakan, sending a bird away from her nest.
For much of our history, Jews have lived among other nations and often faced discrimination and persecution. As a result, we developed a history of Jewish diplomacy known in Yiddish as Shtadlonus (Jewish lobbying) with Jews who represented their community before kings, princes and nobles often called court Jews.
A fascinating discussion about the history of Jewish diplomacy and lobbying.
Many Western nations have welfare programs to help those in need. What is the Jewish view on government handouts? Should our government be handing out money or other forms of support to people in need? Should there be any limits or conditions to such handouts?
A discussion on the Jewish view of government welfare.
One of the most notable and tragic events in our history was the killing of ten great Jewish leaders by the Romans in a tragedy known as the Asara Harugei Malchut - The Ten Martyrs.
Learn about the tragic story of the Ten Martyrs, the historical background and the controversy around its historical accuracy.
The first major fall of Jerusalem was at the hands of the Babylonian Emperor Nebuchadnezzar about 2,500 years ago. When Jerusalem was captured, Nebuchadnezzar destroyed the first Temple built by King Solomon and exiled the people to Babylon.
Learn about the story of the fall of Jerusalem to Nebuchadnezzar based on the story of the prophet Jerimiah who witnessed the destruction.
After leading the People of Israel for 40 years, G-d told Moses and Aaron that they will die in the desert and not get to lead the people into the Promised Land. However, the Torah does not make it clear what they did wrong to deserve such a harsh punishment.
Some resolutions to the big riddle of of why Moses and Aaron did not enter the Promised Land
People often make commitments that they have no intention of keeping or sometimes circumstances change and keeping a commitment is no longer realistic. How important is it to always keep your commitment? Under what circumstances can you break a commitment?
A fascinating discussion about the ethics of keeping your commitment.
One of the greatest tragedies to befall our people prior to the Holocaust was the Crusades who destroyed countless thriving Jewish communities as they marched across Europe. Listen to the tragic story of the Crusades and the horrific destruction that they caused.
In 1927, the previous Rebbe, Yosef Yitzchak Schneerson of Lubavitch was arrested in the Soviet Union for his work in keeping Judaism alive in the Soviet Union. After almost four weeks in prison, he was miraculously released and shortly after allowed to leave the Soviet Union.
Listen to the story of the arrest and imprisonment of the Rebbe.
Our kitchen and our diets have evolved dramatically from the days when the only appliance in the kitchen was an oven and grocery stores only carries flour, sugar, oil and salt. As our food preparation and consumption evolved, the kosher kitchen evolved with it.
A talk about the basics of a kosher kitchen, what makes it kosher and how to balance the milk and meat in the kitchen.
The Rebbe was one of the most influential leaders and greatest Jewish teachers in history. The Rebbe inspired millions with life changing teachings to change their communities and the world around them.
Discover 5 life-changing teachings of the Rebbe.
Central to Jewish life and practice today is the 'Rabbi'. Did Judaism always have rabbis? Was Moses a rabbi? When did rabbis begin and how did the position evolve? What is the role of a rabbi? Are there different types and status among rabbis?
Learn about what makes someone a rabbi, what the rabbi's role is and how the position evolved over the past 3,000 years.
King Saul was the first King of Israel who reigned almost 3,000 years ago. He began his short reign as a promising monarch who united Israel into a functioning kingdom but things quickly went sour.
Moses led the 12 tribes of Israel out of Egypt and to the promised land. But over 2,500 years ago, 10 of the tribes were exiled from Israel leaving only 2 tribes behind in Israel.
Where did the 10 tribes go? What happened to them? Where are they today?
Karma is a popular Hindu belief that every action has a direct consequence, which will come to fruition and impact us in either this life or a future life.
Does Judaism believe in Karma? Do we believe that all actions have direct consequences on our lives? Do we believe that we can see things that happen to us through the lens of our previous actions?
A discussion of the Jewish perspective on the principle of Karma.
A central Jewish belief is that G-d communicated his instructions to us through the Torah. But does G-d really speak to people? What is talking to G-d like? How does someone know if G-d is talking to them? Does G-d speak to people today?
A discussion talk about the Jewish belief in G-d communicating with humans and how it works.
The festival of Shavuot marks the date when G-d 'gave' our ancestors the Torah at Mt. Sinai. What exactly does 'Giving the Torah' mean? What happened? What did we receive? How did it happen?
A discussion of the full story of the giving of the Torah, how it happened and what it means.
The first book of our Oral Torah is the Mishnah which stands at the center of all Jewish law and teachings and is one of the most important texts in Judaism.
A discussion about who wrote the Mishnah, how it was written, what it contains and how it is studied today.
There has been much debate recently about the impact of offensive speech particularly on social media. Should we allow people to write and say things that offend others? Should we block people from such offensive speech or even "cancel" them?
A fascinating discussion about the Jewish ethics of curtailing offensive speech.
Our society is being torn apart over what many perceive as inherent biases built into our culture and institutions. The complaints and demand for change are premised on the expectation of equality for all that has become a bedrock principle in our society.
But should all people really be equal? Is it true that all people were created equal?
A fascinating discussion about the Jewish perspective on equality and what the ideal society should look like according to our Jewish values.
Have you heard of the Trolley Dilemma? Imagine there was a trolley heading down the tracks and five people were stuck on the tracks with no time to stop the trolley or save them. However, you could press a button that will send the trolley down a different track where only one person will be killed. What do you do?
While this case is theoretical, there are many practical implications to the question of saving lifes. Many of these issues have come up during the pandemic. Should we shut down or stay open? What level of risks are acceptable? How do we balance immediate risk with long term risk?
Learn about the Torah value of preserving a life and how to balance conflicting life-threatening needs such as the Trolley dilemma and its implications today with the pandemic.
How much should we be paying in taxes? Are we paying too much? Too little? Is our tax system fair? What would a fair tax system look like?
Tax policy can be complicated and often a source of political friction in society. We Jews have had to deal with tax policy in our communities for thousands of years. What do Jewish teachings say about tax policy? Who should pay? How much is the ideal amount?
A fascinating discussion about the Jewish perspective on tax policy.
Of the many laws of Judaism, about one fifth involves the laws of Tumah & Taharah; a complex set of laws that are largely no longer observed.
Learn about this fascinating missing part of Judaism, where we explore why it is no longer observed and what it means to us today.
On Passover Eve at the seder we eat Matzah. It is the only mitzvah we have where we are commanded to eat something in particular. Our traditions teach that Matzah has great power to impact our physical and spiritual wellbeing.
Learn about the great spiritual power of Matzah and how it can impact our wellbeing.
At the Seder on Passover, we drink 4 cups of wine as a symbol of our freedom. We also fill a fifth cup but do not drink it. That cup is called Elijah cup dedicated to the prophet Elijah who lived over 2700 years ago. Jewish traditions say that Elijah, now an angel visits every seder.
A talk about the Seder and Elijah's unique role at the Seder
In Judaism, we believe that everyone has a soul. What is a soul? What does the soul look like? What is the soul made of? Where is the soul before we are born and after we die? Do animals have souls?
Learn about the Jewish belief in souls!
For over 800 years, two Temples stood on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. We've been praying for close to 2,000 years to rebuild the Temple. What stops us from rebuilding the Temple in Jerusalem today. Is it only geo-political concerns or are the other reasons we have not begun to build the Temple?
Learn about one of the most famous prophets in Judaism is the prophet Elijah who lived during the First Temple period. He is not only known for his exploits in his lifetime but also for his unusual death and for his continual reappearance throughout history.
Einstein refused to believe that there was randomness in quantum mechanics because G-d would not play dice with the universe. But does he?
While Judaism believes in Providence, the name of the festival of Purim means 'lottery'. Throwing dice of lotteries have special significance in our relationship with G-d.
A talk about Purim and the unique gambling relationship we have with G-d.
The Torah commands us to remember what nation of Amalek did to us and to destroy them. Who is Amalek? What must we remember? How and why must we destroy them?
Learn about this strange and challenging commandment and a discussion of how G-d can ask us to destroy a nation.
What are the rules for Kosher milk or milk products? Is all milk Kosher? Are the kinds of milk, cheese or other dairy products that are not Kosher?
A discussion about Chalav Nochri, Chalav Yisrael and what makes milk Kosher.
Medicine has always been a very Jewish profession. Some of our most famous Jewish leaders were also doctors such as Maimonides. A talk about Judaism's view of medicine and the history of it's practice in the Jewish community.
For thousands of years, Jewish men have worn Tefillin, black leather boxes and straps when they pray on a weekday as prescribed four times in the Torah. What exactly are these Tefillin? How are they made? Why do we wear them? And why are they not usually worn by women?
A fascinating discussion about the Tefillin, their significance and a demonstration of how they are made.
Pronouncing God's name can be confusing. Sometimes we say Hashem sometimes we switch his name, sometimes we mispronounce it. Writing God can also be confusing. Many write G-d or misspell his names. Why is God's name so confusing?
Learn about God's different names and why we often avoid writing or pronouncing them correctly
We have always been called 'the People of the book'. Throughout history, Jews have always have a love affair with books, building and retaining large libraries, printing and distributing large numbers of books even a personal library in every Jewish home.
TLearn about the history of Jewish books and how our people became so obsessed with the printed (or written) word.
Our people have gone through many ups and downs over our very long history. At times we were threatened by people who hated us and sought to destroy us. Today though, the main threat to our survival comes from Jews blending into society and losing their Jewish identity.
What is the key to Jewish survival? How can we ensure our people will continue to thrive despite the lure of assimilation? How can we best make sure the next generation will continue the legacy and tradition of our ancestors to keep our nation alive?
For much of history people wondered if there were extraterrestrial beings living on other planets. Our imagination has dreamed of what these creatures might look like and how they might live. In recent times we've spent billions of dollars searching for these extraterrestrial beings.
What does Judaism say about Aliens? Could they exist? Do they exist? Should we spend time and money looking for them? If they do exist, are they intelligent? Could they be Jewish?
One of the most fascinating and challenging personalities in Tanach (Scripture) is Job, the successful and happy G-d fearing man who had many tragedies happen to him and then wonder why G-d was making him suffer. Job and his friends had deep discussions trying to understand what was happening to him.
Learn about the story of Job and the fascinating philosophical discussions he had about why good people suffer.
Jews have always been a very clean people. We were so hygienic that when plague struck our gentile neighbors, we were often spared the worst of it. This led to us being blamed for the plague as happened when Black Death struck Europe in the 14th Century. Where did the Jewish value of cleanliness come from long before society around us had any concept of proper hygiene?
A fascinating discussion about Jewish hygiene long before we had any understanding of bacteria viruses or modern biology.
Jews started as a people with the Exodus from Egypt and entering the Promised Land. Where did we come from before that? The Torah tells of our ancestors Abraham & Sarah were Hebrews but where did they come from? Who were the original Hebrews and where did their Hebrew language come from?
A fascinating discussion about the origins of the Jewish people and where our ancestors came from.
The Jewish people are generally split between Ashkenazi and Sephardi communities who have various customs, foods and cultures. When and how did the two groups split? What are the differences between the two groups? What about Jewish communities that do not fit into either group?
Learn about the history of the Ashkenazi and Sephardi Jewish communities.
In 1796 a small book was published in Belarus called Lekutei Amarim. Over time the book became known as the Tanya. In the past 200+ years since the printing, the Tanya has been printed thousands of times and changed the lives of millions becoming one of the most influential Jewish books of all time.
What is the Book of Tanya about? Why is it life changing?
Learn about the book of Tanya, it's most important points and why the book has changed the lives of so many.
Do we believe there is an end of time? What will happen to us? What will our world look like? What will happen after the End of Time?
A fascinating discussion about the Jewish belief in the End of Times and what will happen then.
The prophet Isaiah said that G-d has made Jewish people a 'Light to the Nations'. What does it mean to be a 'Light to the Nations'? What does that mission entail? How do we light up other nations?
A discussion about the festival of Chanukah and the Jewish role to humanity, to 'Light up the Nations'.
Some 2300 years ago a Jewish group of rebels led by the Maccabees rose up against the Syrian Greek empire. They fought for Judaism against the enforcement of Hellenist culture in the land of Israel. We celebrate their victory every year on Chanukah.
The key battle between Judaism and Hellenism has continued. We continue to struggle with Hellenism and every Chanukah renew our efforts to overcome the challenges Hellenism poses to Judaism. Learn about the Chanukah battles still being waged today.
he Torah describes many great miracles that happened thousands of years ago such as the ten plagues, the splitting of the sea, fall of manna, revelation at Sinai.
Why don't miracles happen anymore? Why don't we seen them? Discover how miracles work and why we don't see them anymore.
When Jewihs children turn 12 or 13 they celebrate their Bar Mitzvah or Bat Mitzvah.
What is a Bar Mitzvah or Bat Mitzvah? Why does it happen at 12 or 13 years old? What does the ceremony entail? What needs to be done to become a Bar Mitzvah or Bat Mitzvah?
Learn about the Bar Mitzvah and the Bat Mitzvah, its traditions and its true meaning in Judaism.
A Jewish funeral simple, quick but very important. Its general format has not changed for over four thousand years. Traditionally, Jews hold the funeral within 24 hours of passing Before the funeral can take place, the body of the deceased must be prepared for burial in accordance with Jewish tradition.
Yet receiving a proper funeral and burial has always been the single greatest end of life wish among our ancestors with many going to great lengths to ensure they are buried Jewishly. Attending the funeral has also been a central Jewish value with family, friends and community dropping all their plans for the day to attend the funeral.
Why such a hasty and simple but crucially important funeral? listen to a crucial discussion on this important topic. While not a pleasant topic to discuss, we will all have to face it and when we do, we need to know what our Jewish traditions are.
In recent years, society has debated the roles of gender in society and the rights and treatment of transgender. What does Judaism say about gender roles in society and transgender rights?
Learn about the Jewish perspective on gender roles and transgender rights.
Often people say it is never okay to lie but is that true? Should you lie to your spouse when the truth would offend them? Should you lie to a friend when the truth will hurt? Should you lie when the truth will be very costly?
Judaism takes a very nuanced approach when it come to telling the truth. A fascinating discussion about the Jewish value of truth and under what circumstances it is okay to lie.
The Eruv, has been an important part of Jewish communities for thousands of years. It involves creating a virtual wall around a community that according to Jewish law will allow people within the wall to carry things on the streets on the Shabbat. Dozens of Eruvs have been built in the US, many of them controversial.
A discussion of what the Eruv entails, how it works and how to build a communal Eruv.
70 years ago after the Holocaust had destroyed 1/3 of world Jewry and American Jews assimilating rapidly, the future of Judaims looked bleak.
Starting in 1950, the Rebbe built a movement of Jewish revival that succeeded in turning the tide of assimilation and changed the landscape of Judaism to become the thriving growing community it is today.
Discover how the Rebbe built a movement that would revive Judaism across the world.
In 1760 with the beginning of the Industrial revolution, the world began to change in ways it it had never changed before. Over the past 200 years, our world has advanced so far that our lives are in no way similar to the pre-technology lives we lived 250 years ago.
What does the Torah say about the greatest developments in history? Is there any spiritual meaning to it?
Discover some fascinating predictions and the amazing spiritual meaning behind the technological revolution.
When a loved one; a parent, relative or friend dies, we miss them and want to find ways to connect to them. In Jewish traditions we have many ways to continue connecting with our loved ones even after they die.
Learn about our relationship with our loved ones after death and the various Jewish traditions and teachings on how we can still connect with them.
Predicting the future is a big business. Media, financial experts, political consultants, sport commentators all try to predict what will happen. From the earliest times, people have used astrology as one of the chief methods of predicting the future and understanding the past and present.
Does Judaism recognize astrology? Is there any truth to its predictions? Does Jewish law allow Jews to dabble in astrology?
A discussion about astrology in Torah, Jewish history and Jewish law.
One of the greatest Jewish prophets was Elisha, the successor of Elijah who was given 'double the spirit' that Elijah had. Elisha lived in a challenging time for Jews when they were led by the wicked king Ahab and his dynasty.
A discussion about the prophet Elisha and his fascinating story.
More than 1300 years ago, Arab armies swept out of the Arabian desert under the banner of the new religion of Islam to conquer much of the civilized world including most major Jewish communities. Since that time, large Jewish communities have lived in Arab and Muslim lands and had to contend with Islamic beliefs and Arabs who claimed to be descendant from Isaac's brother Ismael. Today, the Arab and Muslim world has become the center of modern antisemitism and the greatest threat to the Jewish state of Israel.
What does Judaism says about Islam and the Arab world, Are Arabs indeed our bothers? Are Islamic values closer to Judaism than Christian ones? What does this mean for the modern contentious Jewish-Arab relationship?
Who is Jewish? One of the big questions that have faced the Jewish community in recent decades is figuring out who should be considered Jewish and a member of our people.
Should we be inclusive or exclusive? Should we accept anyone who feels Jewish? People born to a Jewish mother? Jewish father? Adopted by Jewish parents? Can people convert to Judaism? What should such a conversion entail? What about people who believe they have Jewish ancestry or their parents practiced certain Jewish customs?
A talk about this very controversial and sensitive topic of what makes someone Jewish
Many Jews feel uncomfortable with the claim that Jews are chosen? Isn't that elitist? Is it racist? Should the belief in being chosen lead to antisemitism, giving non Jews a good reason to dislike Jews?
Do Jews really believe that we are the Chosen People? If yes, what are we chosen for?
Understand the Jewish belief in being the Chosen People and what it means.
In modern times Human Rights is the foundation of our morality and ethics. We have enshrined many rights into our Constitution with the Bill of Rights. The concept of human rights is thought to have originated with 17th century philosophers like John Locke.
Judaism has been around for thousands of years before the concept of Human Rights became widespread. Do Jewish teachings agree with Human Rights? Can Human Rights be found in the Torah?
What do our Jewish traditions say about using mind-altering drugs such as marijuana for recreational purposes. What about heavier drugs like cocaine or heroin?
Does Judaism forbid using mind-altering drugs? Is it encouraged? How do mind altering drugs differ from alcohol which plays a central role in Jewish rituals such as Kiddush?
Learn about the Jewish view on recreational drug use.
While we often complain about rain, we also know that rain is essential for our survival, without it we have a drought. Rain has had an important place in Judaism not just for its importance for survival but in its unique religious significance and relationship with the Land of Israel.
Learn about the significance of rain in Judaism.
The seven day festival of Sukkot is the festival of joy! What does it mean to be happy? How can we make ourselves happier even when we have so many reasons to be unhappy? Why is Sukkot the festival for joy?
Learn about happiness and its importance in Judaism,
The central theme of Yom Kippur is a Day of Atonement and Forgiveness. On Yom Kippur, our sages say we must do Teshuvah (usually translated as repentance) to obtain forgiveness.
What is Teshuvah? How is Teshuvah done? Why is Teshuvah necessary to obtain forgiveness? What if we have nothing in particular that we regret over the past year, do we still need forgiveness?
Learn about Teshuvah and the Jewish perspective on forgiveness.
Every year on Yom Kippur we read the book of Jonah about the prophet Jonah who tried to escape God by fleeing to Tarshish rather than fulfill his mission to warn the city of Ninveh that they would be destroyed.
Listen to the fascinating story of Jonah, why he tried to escape and what Jonah's story means to each of us.
Rosh Hashanah is celebrated as the Jewish New Year but though it is a New Year, we do not make any wild parties or celebrate. It's not that Jews don't celebrate, we have other holidays when we party like Simchat Torah and Purim. Why then don't we party on Rosh Hashanah? Instead we spend much of the day praying in the synagogue.
A discussion about the Jewish New Year, what it means and why it is so serious.
Tashlich is the little understood but widely observed ceremony we do near water on Rosh Hashanah.
Learn about the Tashlich ceremony, what it actual is about, as well as its history and customs.
On a Saturday night a week or so before Rosh Hashanah, we go to the synagogue at midnight to recite the special prayers of Selichot. Every morning after that until Rosh Hashanah, we get up early to recite the Selichot.
What are Selichot? What is unique about the prayers? Who wrote them? Why are they recited at unusual times?
One of the most influential Jeiwsh leaders in history was Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi (b. 1745), known best as the founder of the Chabad movement and author of the mystical classic Tanya. Rabbi Shneur Zalman was one of the wisest Jewish scholars of all time and a charismatic leader whose movement changed the face of Jewish life in Europe in his day despite ongoing challenges he faced from his many detractors.
Learn about Rabbi Schneur Zalman, his fascinating life story and the lasting impact he made of Jewish life we know today.
How do you measure things? Feet, gallons & pounds? Meters, liters and kilograms? Judaism has its own measurement system.
Many rules in Judaism require specific weights, lengths or volumes. Torah includes a full system of measurements for all of Jewish law. Many of those measurements are based on the human body similar to the 'foot' that we use in the 'US customary system'. To accurately use those measurements today, we need to be certain that humans have not changed in size over time, but have they?
Learn about Jewish measurements and the great debate over whether humans have grown over time.
AI (artificial intelligence) has greatly advanced in recent years. Today, robots can perform many human functions even better than people can. While robots are still not indistinguishable in all ways, that day is not too far off. Could an AI-powered robot might someday be considered a human according to Jewish law? Could it be counted for a minyan?
Learn about the history of robots and other human-like creations in Judaism and their status under Jewish law.
One of the central commandments in Judaism is to place a Mezuzah on our doorposts. A detailed discussion all about the Mezuzah, how it is made, where it is placed and why we Jews consider the Mezuzah part of our home security system.
Finding the 'right one' can be very challenging and daunting. Some find them immediately while others struggle waiting many years to find the right one or cycle through many partners whom they thought was the right one.
What does Judaism say about finding your spouse? Is your spouse, your soulmate? Is finding a spouse our own choice or is it destined by G-d? Is there only one person out there for each one of us?
Whether you have happily found your soulmate or you are still searching learn the Jewish perspective on marriage and finding your soulmate.
For 1600 years, Judaism was controlled by the Sanhedrin or Supreme Council until it was disbanded about 1700 years ago. What was the Sanhedrin? How did they function? Why did it disband? And why don't we recreate the Sanhedrin?
Learn about the ancient Sanhedrin and its role in Judaism.
King Solomon was one of the most unique leaders of our people and full of contradictions. The wisest of all men who make grave mistakes, the most powerful king who could not control his own home, celebrated for his righteousness yet struggled to do the right thing.
Discover the fascinating and strange story of King Solomon.
For more than 2,000 years, there has been constant hatred directed at the Jewish people. At times that hatred was religious (hatred of Judaism), at times it was cultural (hatred of Jewish culture) and sometimes nationalistic (hatred of the Jewish people). The hatred transcends time and place and was expressed by ancient Greeks, Romans and Persians, Christians, Muslims, Europeans, Arabs and even Japanese.
What is the cause of this hatred? How can we combat it? Will we ever be able to end the near universal hatred of Jews?
A discussion about the history of anti-Jewish hatred and what we believe is the cause for it.
Jerusalem is the most important city in Judaism. It was the capital of Israel for close to 3,000 years, the home to the Holy Temple and we face Jerusalem when we pray
Learn about Jerusalem: its history, spiritual significance and place in Judaism.
The Thirteen Attributes of Mercy are a collection of thirteen words or phrases that God taught Moses to invoke God's mercy whenever we are in need.
Learn about the Thirteen attributes of Mercy, what they mean and what they represent.
Synagogues as we know them did not exist in the days of Moses. How did they begin? Why did Jews start building synagogues to pray in?
A discussion about the history and development of the synagogue and its role as a Jewish place for prayer.
The Temple Mount, the site of the two ancient Temple in Jerusalem is Judaism's holiest site. How was the Temple Mount chosen as G-d's special spot on earth? What is the history behind it?
Our Temple was destroyed almost 2,000 years ago yet we still consider the spot very holy. What is it's current status in Judaism? Do we allow or encourage Jews to go up on the mountain today? Should we allow non Jews to go up? And should we make any attempt to rebuild our holy Temple?
Learn about the history of the Temple mount, its status today and the Jewish quest to rebuild the Temple.
One of the greatest Jewish tragedies of all times was the Jewish-Roman War in 66-70CE. In that brutal war, one million Jews were killed, Jerusalem was leveled and the Holy Temple was destroyed. The war led to the exile of our people when most of us were forced out of Israel to wonder from land to land.
While there are many accounts of this war, figuring out what actually happened is difficult given the contradictions and the knowledge that the most important account was largely falsified. Listen to the fascinating story of this important historical event.
The Shema Yisrael is a section of the Torah that is the most important prayer in Judaism, and includes the most important beliefs in Jewish faith and many of our central commandments. We recite the prayer twice daily.
Shema has become so central to the Jewish people that it is the climax of the final Ne’ilah prayer of Yom Kippur, and is traditionally a Jew’s last words on earth.
A talk about the Shema, its meaning and its significance.
Often our society has a negative look on age, seeing youth as an asset. Judaism sees youth as a liability and age as an asset. Learn why Judaism and the Torah put a premium on age.
People often use the English word Bible where referring to our Torah. But is the Torah really the same as the Bible? While there are parts of the Christian Bible that are clearly not part of our Torah, what about the "Old Testament"?
Learn about the differences between the Torah and the Bible.
The most complicated part of Kosher laws is the process of preparing Kosher meat from slaughter to checking for disease to cutting out forbidden parts and draining the blood. While in earlier times, our grandparents did most of this themselves, today it is all prepared in the factory so Kosher meat consumers are often oblivious to the complex preparation process.
Learn about the entire process of preparing Kosher meat with all the details.
Our society today is grappling with the role of law enforcement and community safety. Is law enforcement today effective? Do law enforcement representatives use more force than necessary? Are there safer ways to keep the peace without harming others than current law enforcement practices? How can we keep society safe from harmful elements while avoiding the use of force that can unnecessarily harm both criminals and innocent victims.
A discussion about the role of law enforcement and community safety in Judaism.
The prophet Jeremiah was one of the most important figures in Jewish history. He lived at the very end of the first Jewish kingdom and witnessed the destruction of Jerusalem and the holy Temple. He spent most of his days warning his people of the impeding catastrophe and imploring them to change their ways.
A fascinating discussion of Jeremiah the prophet, and the tragic story of his people.
Sacrifice was practiced by Jews from the days of Moses for over 1300 years while the temples stood in Jerusalem. Since the destruction of the Temple in 70 CE we stopped offering sacrifices. Does Judaism today still believe in sacrifice? Why was it practiced in Judaism for so long?
Learn about sacrifice in Judaism including why it was practiced for so long, why we no longer practice sacrifice and what the purpose of it was.
After the death of Moses, his disciple Joshua, led Israel across the Jordan into the Promised Land leading the conquest of the land from the Canaanites and then dividing the land among the twelve tribes.
Learn about the story of Joshua and Israel's conquest of the Promised Land.
One of the strangest commandments in the Torah is the Red Cow. When someone with a dead corpse, they may not enter the Temple in Jerusalem or eat sacrificial meat until they are sprinkled with spring water mixed with ashes from a red cow.
The Red Cow commandment is so strange that King Solomon wrote he can understand every commandment except this one.
A discussion about this strange Mitzvah and its significance.
There is a special blessing that the Torah tells us should be used by Kohanim, the priests descending from Aaron (Moses' brother) to bless the people. Thiss Sunday to learn about this blessing, its great power particularly for dreams, the special hand motions that go with it and the riddle of why it's not done the way it is supposed to be done.
Shabtai Tzvi proclaimed himself as Moshiach in the early 1600's splitting world Jewry between his earnest supporters and opponents. As his popularity grew among Jews, Christians and Muslims he at one point appeared unstoppable until he converted to Islam and the Jewish community rejected him.
Listen to the unbelievable story of this charismatic impostor who convinced so many and made such a great impact on our history.
At the center of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem stood a golden box called the Ark of the Covenant. Inside the Ark sat the tablets the Moses had brought down from Mt. Sinai and the original Torah scroll written by Moses.
The Ark was central to Jewish worship throughout the time we had it and was at times taken out of the Temple for unique events. It disappeared before the destruction of the Temple in 421 BCE and has been a mystery since.
A fascinating discussion about the Ark of the Covenant and its history.
Anger is a challenging and problematic emotion that many feel at challenging times. Anger can be harmful to the person feeling the emotion and to others around them leading them to do and say things they later regret.
Conquering anger is a challenge for everyone but particularly for people who struggle with constant anger outbursts. Judaism sees conquering anger as one of the most important goals in character building.
Discover the powerful Jewish teachings on conquering anger.
The Hebrew scriptures includes 24 books that Jews consider holy. What are those 24 books? How are they organized?
For thousands of years Jews have prayed at the graves of our deceased loved ones and Tzaddikim (saintly individuals). But why do we pray at graves when we always pray directly to G-d without any intermediaries?
What is the special significance to pray at graves and why has it been so important to most Jewish communities throughout history?
A discussion about the Jewish tradition to visit and pray at graves.
Do you need a label to be Jewish?
Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, Reconstructionist; where did all these labels come from? How did Judaism become so fragmented? Were we better off for over 3,000 years before these groups were created?
Join us to learn the fascinating story of how Judaism fragmented over the past 150 years and the battles waged that split Jewish communities into warring camps. Together, we will look at the impact of that fragmentation on Jewish life and what we can do to reverse the divisions still apparent today.
Deborah who lived more than 3,000 years ago was one of our 7 prophetesses mentioned in scripture. She was one of the few female Jewish leaders in ancient times.
The fascinating tale of Deborah and the beautiful poem that she composed.
The Great assembly or Knesset Hagedolah was a group of Jewish scholars and leaders led by Ezra that made a number of important contributions to Judaism and Jewish practice at the beginning of the Second Temple period. Among the achievements are canonizing the Tanach (holy scripture), composing prayers and blessing and creating the synagogue.
Learn about the Men of the Great Assembly and their impact on Judaism
Sexuality drives some of the most powerful feelings and experiences that humans have. Sexuality is both a primitive human instinct as well as the glue that joins two loving souls. Often sexual experiences can be powerfully positive while just as often they can be destructive and terribly harmful. Our society today grapples with the inherit contradictions in sexual relationships and experience.
A frank and open discussion about the Jewish view of sexuality and how Judaism allows us to harness the positive power while avoiding the dangers of sexuality.
We count a new Jewish year number every year starting a new year on Rosh Hashanah How did we get to that number? Jewish tradition tells us that our Jewish year number is the number of years from Creation but have we really been counting since creation? Moses, the Torah and our people began more than 2,000 years after the counting began.
A discussion about the Jewish year counting and how we got to our current Jewish year number (class from 2018).
Samson was a Shofet, leader of Israel in the Shoftim period when Israel first settled in the land of Israel. He was best known for his superhuman strength and mighty feats in battle with the Philistines. He was later betrayed by his wife Delilah who shared the secret of his superhuman strength with the Philistines.
Discover the fascinating story of Samson.
One of the greatest Jewish figures in our history was Rabbi Moshe Ben Maimon known as Rambam of Maimonides who lived in the 12th in Egypt. This Sunday will be the 813th anniversary of his passing.
Discover the fascinating story of Maimonides, his impact on Judaism and the way he singlehandedly organized the Torah.
The Torah we were given includes two parts. The Written Torah and the Oral Torah. We consider the Oral Torah to be the primary source of all our laws and rules in Judaism?
What exactly is the Oral Torah? How do we know it is true and was transmitted accurately over the many generations?
A discussion about the Oral Torah, what exactly it is and how we know it to be true.
Rashi, a 12th century scholar from France was one of the greatest Jewish scholars of all times. Best know for his commentaries on the Torah and Talmud that have become the standard commentaries on those central Jewish text
Learn about Rashi, his life story and the great impact he made on Jewish scholarship and Judaism.
Tithing or separating a tenth of one's earnings for charity originates in Judaism where it is known as Maaser Kesafim and has since been adopted by other religions built from Judaism.
When did we start tithing? Why do we tithe? What kind of earnings should be tithed? Where should the tithes go?
A discussion of Ma'aser Kesafim - Tithing in Judaism
Modern medicine has given us the power to extend lives even when the individual is not expected to recover and may be in extreme pain or not responsive. At what point can we stop offering live saving treatment that is just temporarily extending the suffering? Can we do anything to make them die sooner and end their suffering?
End of life care is relevant to all of us who have had loved ones that have faced or likely will face End-of Life care dilemmas. We ourselves may need to deal with them one day. Unfortunately, it is hard to make the right ethical decisions while sick or while caring for a loved one.
Learn about the Jewish perspective on End-of-Life treatment to get a better understanding of our Jewish ethics and how they contrast with prevalent medical ethics and practices.
Do Jews have martyrs? There are religions in which it's a great thing to die for your faith, and doing so makes you a saint or gets you a ticket to paradise.
What is the Jewish view? Millions of Jews have died for being Jewish but is it a central value in Judaism? Are martyrs heros? Do they get a ticket to paradise? Is Jew person supposed to die for their beliefs?
What is the Jewish view on martyrdom?
The ethics of capital punishment has been hotly debated for decades with our Governor recently taking a strong position against capital punishment. Throughout this debate, the perspective of Judaism has been brought up repeatably by both side including by the Eighth Circuit in 1988 Hayes V. Lockhart case.
What does Judaism in fact say about the death penalty? On which side of the debate does Judaism fall?
One of the biggest cultural debates in the past century has been over abortion. Does allowing abortions protect a women's right to choose or does prohibiting abortions protect the fetus's right to live? What about abortion in cases of rape, teen mother, when the child poses a health threat to the mother or when the child is handicapped?
What does the Torah say about abortions and the arguments on both sides?
Vaccines have been administered across the world for decades as a way of building immunity to viral infections. While vaccines have limited the spread of disease and saved millions of lives, in recent years certain groups have organized against vaccines.
Does Jewish law and values encourage vaccines? Should we require everyone to get vaccinated? What should we do when people refuse to vaccinate their children?
Animal Sacrifices were a central part of Jewish practice when our Temple stood in Jerusalem. Though we no longer practice sacrifice since we have no Temple, we still study the rules of the sacrifices and pray for the temple to be rebuilt and for sacrifice to be restored.
Learn about the different types of sacrifices, the process of offering a sacrifice and the logistics of how large amounts of sacrifices were offered in Temple.
The greatest miracle in our history and the greatest event in the Exodus from Egypt was the splitting of the Red Sea when the Children of Israel crossed the Sea while the Egyptians who followed them into the sea drowned.
We celebrate the great miracle of the splitting of the sea on the holiday of the 7th day of Passover, the anniversary of the great event.
Learn about the great miracle of the Splitting of the Sea and what is means for us today.
While we never imagined that we would experience the total shutdown of society due to a virus, our ancestors have dealt with plagues of different forms repeatedly throughout our more than 3,000 years of history.
Learn how our ancestors responded to plague and how we can learn from them to alleviate our own challenges in dealing with the Novel Cornavirus today!
In ancient Hebrew, letters and numbers are interchangeable. Words can be written in number format and numbers are written with letters. Every word has a number value and certain numbers have unique meaning.
The system of Hebrew numerology is called Gematria. Learn about Gematria and other Jewish codes.
Esther was the unlikely heroine of the Purim story. She used her forced marriage to the Persian Emperor and position as queen Persia to save her people from annihilation.
Listen to the full story of Esther, her background, ascendance as queen, her role in the Purim story and her impact on Jews in the Persian Empire.
One of the unique rituals practiced in the Holy Temple in Jerusalem was the twice daily offering of incense. The incense had a unique recipe that was used only in the Temple and was the most sought after ritual in the Temple given the great power and blessings ascribed to it. .
Learn all about the Ketoret (incense) in the Holy Temple, how it was made, the blessings is contains and how we can invoke its great blessings today.
Techelet was a blue dye made from a creature called Chilazon that the Torah commands us to use in making Tzitzit strings worn on four cornered garments such as a Tallit. It was also used in the temple for the priestly garments.
More than 1,500 years ago we lost the techelet and therefore no longer dye out tzitzit blue. Can the Techelet and the Chilazon it comes from be found today using Torah sources, archaeology and knowledge of biology and ancient dying techniques?
A fascinating journey of how different scholars and researches attempted to find the mystery Techelet over the past century.
Many ancient societies worried about the evil eye that could somehow harm them or their families? In Jewish Ashkenazi culture, we used terms like keinahora to ward off the 'evil eye'.
Do Jews believe in the evil eye? If yes, what exactly is it? What are its powers? And how do we avoid the harm coming from the evil eye?
G-d is often referred to in scripture and our prayers in masculine form or as our Father. But is G-d really masculine? Is G-d not beyond gender? Could G-d be female? Both genders?
A fascinating discussion about G-d and gender.
Over the years Jews have developed many unique Jewish foods. The Jewish diaspora has been spread out across many different lands. Some foods are unique to specific communities while others are universal used by all Jewish communities. Many foods developed from local cuisine where Jews lived while others were made for holidays or as part of specific Jewish laws.
A fascinating discussion about Jewish cuisine.
Today, many are concerned with the ethical treatment of animals as pets, in commercial farming, in medical testing and other fields. What rights do animals have in Judaism? How should we be treating animals? Is killing for food okay? Killing for sport? Tests that cause animals pain? Are all animals the same?
In 2003, the human genome project decoded the entire human DNA sequence. As a result, we can now easily read and match any person's DNA quickly and easily. Today, many services provide DNA testing to match people to unknown relatives and match them to ancestral groupings.
Many people discovered through DNA testing that they had Jewish ancestry or that they were closely related to other Jews. Is the DNA test able to establish someone's Jewish status? Can we use it to rediscover Jews who's ancestors assimilated?
A discussion about DNA in Halacha (Jewish Law) and using DNA to determine family and Jewish status.
One of the oldest - and for a long time the largest - Jewish communities in the world is the Jewish community of Babylon in modern day Iraq. Jews lived in Babylon continuously for over 2.500 including a long period where they had a Jewish autonomous state led by their own Jewish King.
Babylon was also a center of Jewish scholarship most notable for the Babylonian Talmud, the central work of Judaism that was composed there in the Fifth Century.
A fascinating overview of the history of the Jewish community of Babylon.
Gambling, betting and lotteries are all old forms of entertainments that have been around for thousands of years. Some societies, frowned on financial risk games while other's encouraged it. What does Judaism say about gambling? Is it permitted? If yes, under what circumstances?
A fascinating discussion about the Jewish view on gambling and other games of financial risk.
Chanukah is a festival of light. Every night we light one more candle in the Menorah to commemorate that miracle of light that occurred over 2,000 years ago. What is the meaning of light? Why do we light candles for eight days adding a candle each night?
Jewish mysticism tells us that the Chanukah lights are very powerful and give us the ability to light up the darkness in our own lives.
What is the meaning of dreams? What causes them? Are they just our imagination gone wild or it there a deeper meaning to dreams? Can dreams guide us or help us know what will happen to us?
Learn what Kabbalah, our Jewish mystical teachings say regarding dreams.
Perhaps the most significant and memorialized of our Matriarchs is Jacob's favorite wife Rachel known in Yiddish as Mama Rochel. After waiting for many years to have children, Rachel died during the childbirth of her second son Benjamin. She was the only Matriarch not buried in Hebrew, instead her tomb is in Bethlehem.
Rachel's unique role as the mother of our people, has made a tradition for Jews to go to her tomb and ask her to pray for us whenever we are in trouble.
Many of our early ancestors including Abraham and Sara, Isaac and Rebecca and Jacob and Rachel suffered with infertility. Today, we have modern medical solutions including in vitro fertilization that allows for couples that would otherwise be infertile to have children. What is the Jewish perspective on infertility? Why does G-d give some people children and not others? Should those who are infertile, spare all expense and effort to have children? Does Jewish law allow infertility treatments? The Jewish perspective on infertility and infertility treatments.
Pidyon Haben (lit. Redemption of the Son) is a unique ceremony performed on first born sons when they are 30 days old. The ceremony is not performed for all firstborn sons so it is not all that common. At the Pidyon Haben, the son is given to a Kohen and the father then exchanges the son for 5 silver shekels. Learn more about how this unusual ceremony is performed and its special significance.
Central to Shabbat observance are the Kiddush and Havdallah ceremonies performed at the beginning and end of Shabbat with a cup of wine. What do the ceremonies entail? Why are they performed? What is the deeper meaning behind them? A fascinating discussion about Kiddush and Havdallah.
What do Jews believe? While Judaism is very broad, the basic beliefs are organized by Maimonides into 13 principles that are considered the basics of Jewish belief. A conversation about the 13 principles that every Jew must know.
Halacha is the Hebrew term for Jewish law. Judaism has details laws and rules covering every part of our lives including Jewish rituals as well as how we treat others.
Who decides Halacha? Who makes up the rules? What happens when rabbis can't agree on what a rule should be? What happens when rules get outdated and need to be changed?
A fascinating discussion about Halacha and how it is decided.
Shabbat candles are lit by Jewish women and girls (or men), 18 minutes before sunset on Friday afternoon and on the eve of Jewish holidays. Why do women light Shabbat candles? What are their significance? How is it done?
Learn about Shabbat candles and the blessings they bring to our home and to our life.
Today many struggle with stress and anxiety worrying about everything in their lives. Judaism teaches us that we can overcome our worries with Bitachon, trust in G-d. An inspiring discussion about Bitachon and how we can use it to ensure we never worry.
Some people have done some really bad things causing terrible harm to others. Are these people inherently bad? Is it possible for a person to be inherently bad or does everyone have some good? Should we always give everyone another chance or are there some actions beyond which one can never change?
A discussion about the Jewish perspective on evil and how bad people can become.
Being Jewish not only includes many rituals and rules of conduct but can also be very expensive. Being a member of a Jewish community usually includes expensive dues while the costs of Jewish education can be prohibitive. Even following specific rituals like eating Kosher meat, purchasing Shemura Matzah for Passover, making a Bris or Bar/Bat Mitzvah can be very expensive.
When is money so central in Judaism? Should we really be charging for Jewish services and membership? Is there a way to take (at least some) of the expense out of Judaism?
A fascinating discussion about the role of money in Judaism.
When electrical grid where built in cities and our homes filled with electrical lighting and appliances, Jews were faced with the question of whether electricity could be used on Shabbat. Though the Torah does not mention electricity and it was virtually unknown for thousands of years, Jewish scholars unanimously concluded that electricity should not be used on Shabbat. But why?
Learn about the rules of electricity on Shabbat and how it fits into our ancient rules of the Torah from over 3,000 years ago.
The Talmud, also called Gemora or Shas is the giant but difficult comprehensive work of Jewish rules and teachings that is the most important work in Judaism. Yet the Talmud remains a mystery for most given its immense size and complex discussions in Aramaic.
Who wrote the Talmud? What is in it? Why is it so central to Judaism? Why is it so complex and difficult?
The Kohanim or Cohens are a unique Jewish family that in ancient times served in the Temple in Jerusalem. They have many privileges as well as laws and responsibilities in Jewish tradition.
What is the Kohanic family? Why are they different? Can we accurately recognize them today? What are the special rules that apply to them?
Many mega Churches believe in Prosperity Theology; if they do the right thing, G-d will make them rich and healthy. Wealthy spiritual leaders justify their immense wealth as reward from G-d. They believe that those who are not wealthy and successful must not be following G-d's will.
Do Jews believe in Prosperity Theology? Do we believe that G-d want those who follow his will to be successful and wealthy? Do we believe that poor or sick people are not following G-d's will? Is there any correlation between material success and spirituality?
Discover the Jewish belief in the correlation between material success and spirituality
Whenever we turn on the TV or open a newspaper, we are inundated with stories of public officials who were caught up in scandals.
- Should we care?
- Are public officials always expected to make ethical decisions?
- Do they serve as our role models?
- Should bad actions lead to punishment or firing of public officials?
- Should we just leave them alone to do their jobs?
- Do the details of the scandal matter?
A fascinating (politics free) discussion about the Jewish perspective on scandals involving public officials.
Since Charles Darwin published the Origin of the Species more than 150 years ago, Jews (as other religions) have struggled to reconcile the theories of evolution with the traditional Jewish views of creation.
A discussion of the Jewish perspective on the ongoing debate between Creationism and Evolution.
Historically Jews have always been recognized as a smart people and a people of knowledge. Key to that knowledge was the lifelong quest for study in Jewish life throughout our history. When most of our neighbors were still illiterate, our ancestors were studying daily.
What is the secret to the Jewish passion for study and knowledge?
According to the teachings of the Zohar and Kabbalah, every day of Sukkot another one of our Jewish biblical figures joins us in spirit in the Sukkah.
A discussion about the Ushpizin, the mystery Sukkot guest, why they come, the significance of each one and how they impact us.
One of the most central prayers on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur is the Aleuni prayer that is also recited at the end of each daily prayer. This ancient prayer expresses some of the most important principals of Judaism but has also drawn the ire of other religions who found the prayer offensive.
Learn about the Aleinu prayer, its history and the controversies surrounding the prayer.
Blowing the Shofar is the most central Mitzvah on Rosh Hashanah. Why do we blow a Shofar, an instrument that has only one note and cannot play a tune?
The Written Torah consist of Five Books split into 54 parshas (portions), 669 paragraphs, 5,845 verses, 79,976 words and 304,805 letters all contained within the Torah scroll.
A full overview of the Torah with all of it's books and parshas explained.
The Torah prohibits us from wearing clothing that are mixed with wool and linen, called shatnez.
Why does the Torah prohibit wearing shatnez? Are clothing made with wool and linen today? How do you know if your clothing has wool and linen?
Free choice is fundamental to Judaism and essential to the entire structure of society. But how do we understand that in a world where everything works on the laws of physics and with a belief in G-d who is total control of our world and knows how we will behave
An analysis of the paradox of free choice and the philosophical dilemmas surrounding it that our ancestors have grappled with for thousands of years.
Having a democratically elected government that is answerable to people in free and fair elections, is a key principal in the United States constitution and central to the modern nothion of freedom and liberty. Does Judaism advocate for democratically elected government?
When Jews lived in Israel as an independent nation, we were mostly ruled by monarchs. Is monarchy, the Torah's preferred form of government? Are there other forms of government that the Torah would advocate for?
A fascinating discussion about the ideal Jewish government and how Judaism views democracy.
When we think of kosher we often thing of rules about preparing meat, fowl fish and other animal products. What about fruit and vegetables? Are there Kosher rules for them? Are all fruits and vegetables automatically kosher? A discussion about the rules of Kosher for fruits and vegetables.
The Torah warns us time and again to keep away from idol worship. The Jews were told that when they enter the Promised Land they must destroy all idols, altars and temples and obliterate any trace of idol worship from the land.
Why is Judaism so intolerant? Shouldn't we respect other beliefs and cultures even if we think they are wrong? A discussion on the Jewish view of idolatry and tolerance for other religions and beliefs.
About 60 years after the destruction of the second temple, the Jews in Israel rebelled against the Roman Empire led by a charismatic leader and warrior Shimon Bar Kuziba also known as Bar Kochba. While the rebellion succeeded at first, the Romans crushed the rebellion, devastating Israel and destroying Beitar where Bar Kochba and his men took their last stand.
It can be confusing. Some Jews pronounce the word Shabbat while others say Shabbos, some say Bat Mitzvah while others say Bas Mitzvah, some say Matzah while other says Matzo. Which pronunciation is correct?
Over the years different Jewish communities have varied in how they pronounce Hebrew. How did these differences come about? How many different pronunciations of Hebrew are there? Who is closest to the original?
G-d promised the Land of Israel as a gift to his Chosen People, the People of Israel. While the general geographic location of the Promised Land is clear, the exact location is not clear at all.
Where are ancient Israel's borders? Are those the same as the borders promised by G-d? Do they match the borders of modern Israel? Do we even know for certain where ancient Israel was?
Judaism rejected Christianity from from its earliest days almost 2,000 years ago. Yet, Jews have lived as a minority in Christian lands for over 1,000 years. We've had to contend with a hostile Christian majority that for hundreds of years that persecuted us while trying to persuade us to convert to their religion. Yet Jews always rejected Christianity.
What is the Jewish view of Christianity? How did we as Jews respond to the beliefs, rites and celebrations of Christianity? How has our relationship with Christianity changed today when Christians have become tolerant and even supportive of Jews and Judaism?
Almost 2500 years ago, we were exiled from our land, the Land of Israel for the first time. Since then, a majority of Jews have lived as minorities in other countries outside the Land of Israel. Yet wherever we lived, we were always accused of being outsiders and having dual loyalty, a charge we often suffered from greatly.
Where should a Jew's loyalty lie, with Israel or their home country? Are we first Jews or first citizens of our country?
Daniel, is a book in Tanach (the Jewish scriptures) about Daniel, a Jewish leader who interpreted strange dreams for the Babylonian emperors and then had dreams of his own predicting the future.
A fascinating overview of the most difficult and cryptic book in Tanach predicting the future.
The Kaddish prayer is one of the most important and well known Jewish prayers. However, Kaddish can be confusing, there are many different types of Kaddish said on different occasions and at different point during the prayer. Some Kaddish are said only by the cantor while others are said by mourners.
A fascinating discussion about the Kaddish prayer, it's history, connection with death and clarity on where and when each kaddish is said.
When the Children of Israel left Egypt over 3,000 years ago, they were split into 12 tribes. When they entered the land of Israel, each tribe settled in a different are. While the tribal identity remained for hundreds of years, over time, most Jews lost their tribal identity.
What was the significance of the 12 tribes of Israel? How did their history and stories differ? How did we lose the tribal identity? Can we know today which tribe we are from?
Ruth was a Moabite princess who followed her poor mother-in-law Naomi to convert to Judaism in the only detailed conversion mentioned in scripture. Eventually she married Bo'az, a Jewish leader becoming the grandmother of King David.
The fascinating story of Ruth and how she converted to Judaism.
What is the Jewish belief about heaven and hell? Do they exist? If yes, what are they like? What happens to us after we die? Should we be afraid of going to hell when we die? Should we hope to go to heaven?
A fascinating discussion about the Jewish view on Heaven & Hell
The Jewish people have dominated finance wherever they lived for thousands of years building complex financial instruments long before most people could read or do basic arithmetic. The Jews dominated finance though the Torah forbade us from lending with interest, the most common form of finance. How did Jews succeed in finance while avoiding loans with interest?
A fascinating discussion about the Jewish financial system.
Many religious Jewish men have beards. In most Jewish communities throughout history, Jewish men generally had beards. Why have Jewish men grown beards? Does Jewish law allow shaving? Does it allow beard trimming? Why do many religious Jewish men and even rabbis not have beards?
A fascinating discussion about the role of beards in Judaism.
Do we believe that there is such a thing as Satan? If yes, what is Satan? Is G-d responsible for the bad things that happen to us? Do evil forces such as Satan exist? If they do, do they work for G-d or against G-d?
All about the Jewish belief in Satan and G-d's role in evil.
One of the best known poems from the haggdah that is read at the Seder on Passover is Dayeinu - It would have been enough. This is possibly one of the oldest known Jewish poems and one of the most powerful about the many miracles and favors G-d did to us over the Exodus.
All about the poem Dayeinu, where it came from and it's deeper hidden meanings.
Before eating bread, Jewish law requires us to wash our hands in a special way using a large cup or container. What is the reason for this rule? Where did it come from? How is it done?
A fascinating discussion about the rule of washing our hands before we eat bread.
What happens to our soul when we die? Can a soul come back down to earth an inhabit a new body? Could we be souls that were on earth previously in another body? Does Judaism believe in reincarnation?
Learn about the Jewish understanding of where our soul comes from and where it goes when we die.
Alcohol consumption is a central part of almost every culture yet excessive alcohol has been the cause for much harm in most. Many religions prohibit alcohol consumption due to the harm it can cause.
Jews traditionally drank alcohol regularly in many Jewish ceremonies such as kiddush, havdallah and the Passover seder yet they tented to be less susceptible to alcoholism. What is the Jewish position on alcohol? Why is it so central to so many Jewish ceremonies and what does Judaism say about excessive drinking?
The Purim story tells us of an early attempt to destroy our people that failed. Since the original Purim countless others have tried to destroy us, yet we are still here! History has shown our people to be indestructible. But why?