TINW Torah Study: Recent Episodes
Jennifer Jaech & Tara Keiter & Biblical Origins
A Reform exploration of Torah, ancient wisdom and modern scholarship by Rabbi Jennifer Jaech of Temple Israel of Northern Westchester in Croton-on-Hudson, NY. This podcast offers a (typically) 5 minute summary, created and presented by Tara Keiter. Sometimes we have guest leaders but this is, mostly, Rabbi Jaech's class.
Rabbi Jaech explained to us that there is a difference between liturgy and prayer: liturgy is meant to meet the needs of the community, while prayer is an outpouring of the heart that meets personal needs. This week we continued the Hannah story—the story of a woman who poured out her heart in prayer.
The text of this podcast is available on our blog.
If you like this podcast, you might enjoy the book Biblical Origins: The Political Intent of the Bible's Writers, by renowned Bible scholar Dr. S. David Sperling.
This week we took a closer look at the Hannah story. Our story tells us about Hannah's family, which consists of the husband Elkanah, his two wives Hannah and Peninnah, and the sons and daughters borne by Peninnah. Hannah bore no children. The text tells us that when Hannah is crying and unwilling to eat because she is bereft at being barren, Elkanah says to Hannah, “Why are you so sad? Am I not more devoted to you than ten sons?” Elkanah is basically telling Hannah to get over it; he is deaf to Hannah’s grief. At this time of year, when we are supposed to think about our interactions with other people, we can pause and think about Elkanah’s reaction to Hannah. He may have done the best that he could do. But maybe Hannah just needed to be listened to and given a nice hug.
The text of this podcast is available on our blog.
If you like this podcast, you might enjoy the book Biblical Origins: The Political Intent of the Bible's Writers, by renowned Bible scholar Dr. S. David Sperling.
Some might call Rosh Hashanah the birthday of the world, and a common phrase heard at this time is HaYom Harat Olam, which is frequently translated as “today the world is born.” But Rabbi Jaech told us that a better translation is “today the world is conceived.” Childbirth is a time of unknown potential. But the time of conception contains even more unknown potential! Is it a boy or a girl? Which parent will the baby’s feature more closely resemble? Conception is the time of the greatest possibility. And, as we come closer to Rosh Hashanah, we may revel in the possibility that the new year brings.
The text of this podcast is available on our blog.
If you like this podcast, you might enjoy the book Biblical Origins: The Political Intent of the Bible's Writers, by renowned Bible scholar Dr. S. David Sperling.
I, Tara Keiter, guest led Torah Study today and presented a wonderful book by Professor Stephen Prothero. In it, he compares the 8 great religions of the world. I have summarized my presented summary, so this is just a taste of what you might find in the book. If you are interested in learning more, you can peruse his books at https://www.amazon.com/s?i=stripbooks&rh=p_27%3AStephen+Prothero&s=relevancerank&text=Stephen+Prothero&ref=dp_byline_sr_book_1
The text of this podcast is available on our blog.
If you like this podcast, you might enjoy the book Biblical Origins: The Political Intent of the Bible's Writers, by renowned Bible scholar Dr. S. David Sperling.
When the Israelites were traveling through the wilderness, they were a cohesive group which was always close to God. In Deuteronomy, they are about to enter the larger territory of the Promised Land, and the people will spread out. This part of the journey confronts the reality of secular living. The Torah anticipates that people need a way to connect. The synagogue today is our modern version of how we connect with the sacred and with the community. Our connection to the Jewish community continues with the rituals we observe, such as observing the High Holidays.
The text of this podcast is available on our blog.
If you like this podcast, you might enjoy the book Biblical Origins: The Political Intent of the Bible's Writers, by renowned Bible scholar Dr. S. David Sperling.
This week's session offers an excerpt from Biblical Origins: The Political Intent of the Bible's Writers. We will learn background about our patriarch Abraham.
The text of this podcast is available on our blog.
If you like this podcast, you might enjoy the book Biblical Origins: The Political Intent of the Bible's Writers, by renowned Bible scholar Dr. S. David Sperling.
This week's session offers an excerpt from Biblical Origins: The Political Intent of the Bible's Writers.We will learn that the Exodus tradition of the Bible provides us with a compelling narrative; arguably one of the most compelling narratives in the western world. The Egyptian servitude traditions lead naturally to the triumphant conquest traditions.
The text of this podcast is available on our blog.
If you like this podcast, you might enjoy the book Biblical Origins: The Political Intent of the Bible's Writers, by renowned Bible scholar Dr. S. David Sperling.
Rabbi Wendy Pein led us in an overview of the book of Deuteronomy which, she pointed out, almost all of our everyday religion comes from.
The text of this podcast is available on our blog.
If you like this podcast, you might enjoy the book Biblical Origins: The Political Intent of the Bible's Writers, by renowned Bible scholar Dr. S. David Sperling.
Guest-leader Rabbi Wendy Pein shared with us information about haftarah portions in general and detail about this week's haftarah portion, which comes from the book of Jeremiah.
The text of this podcast is available on our blog.
If you like this podcast, you might enjoy the book Biblical Origins: The Political Intent of the Bible's Writers, by renowned Bible scholar Dr. S. David Sperling.
Following our study of the Joseph and Solomon stories by Rabbi Jaech, this week we took a look at what scholars know about Jeroboam I, the first king of the northern kingdom of Israel. The information presented was excerpted from Biblical Origins: The Political Intent of the Bible’s Writers by David Sperling and Tara Keiter.
The text of this podcast is available on our blog.
If you like this podcast, you might enjoy the book Biblical Origins: The Political Intent of the Bible's Writers, by renowned Bible scholar Dr. S. David Sperling.
This week we conclude our deep dive into the Solomon narrative. The writers who preserved our ancient text knew that the time of Solomon was a golden age, and they knew it came to an end. In the form of a promise of retribution by God, and in the form of prophecy, the Bible offers two possible reasons for its ending. We should note that it is a whole lot easier to be correct about a threat, or about a prophecy, when it is written after the fact.
The text of this podcast is available on our blog.
If you like this podcast, you might enjoy the book Biblical Origins: The Political Intent of the Bible's Writers, by renowned Bible scholar Dr. S. David Sperling.
King David is considered by many to be the greatest king in Jewish history; prominent Jewish leaders and intellectuals throughout history have claimed descent from his line. But, although he had time to build a palace for himself, David did not build the Temple to God—Solomon did.
Thank you to Messages of Christ, a site created by members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, for this beautiful video rendering:
https://www.google.com/search?q=video+of+king+solomon%27s+temple&oq=video+of+king+solomon%27s+temple&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOTIHCAEQIRigATIKCAIQIRgWGB0YHtIBCTE1ODc3ajFqN6gCALACAA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:92a4dbe9,vid:y2tha7ogpec
The text of this podcast is available on our blog.
If you like this podcast, you might enjoy the book Biblical Origins: The Political Intent of the Bible's Writers, by renowned Bible scholar Dr. S. David Sperling.
This week, our Scholar-in-Residence, Professor David Sperling, led our group in a discussion of the Afterlife of King Solomon. The books of Proverbs, Qohelet, and the Song of Songs, are known as Wisdom Literature and are attributed to King Solomon, although they were probably written centuries later. But such was the reputation of Solomon that attributing it to Solomon might have given the texts more weight.
The text of this podcast is available on our blog.
If you like this podcast, you might enjoy the book Biblical Origins: The Political Intent of the Bible's Writers, by renowned Bible scholar Dr. S. David Sperling.
When the loosely banded tribes of people who became the Israelites demanded that the prophet Samuel find them a king, Samuel warned that a king would force the people to work for him, and a king would impose taxes. As we continued our look at King Solomon, we find that Samuel's prophecy came true. Solomon imposed forced labor on the Israelites. But what is remembered of Solomon's reign is that it was an idyllic time to be an Israelite. This week, we took a closer look.
The text of this podcast is available on our blog.
If you like this podcast, you might enjoy the book Biblical Origins: The Political Intent of the Bible's Writers, by renowned Bible scholar Dr. S. David Sperling.
The focus of our session today is the attribute for which Solomon will most often be recalled: his wisdom. The narrative tells us that, in a dream, God asked Solomon what he wanted. Solomon could have requested riches, or a long life, or to have his enemies vanquished, or any number of other goodies. But Solomon instead requested the wisdom to rule the people of his kingdom. And we learn about the first time his wisdom is put to the test!
The text of this podcast is available on our blog.
If you like this podcast, you might enjoy the book Biblical Origins: The Political Intent of the Bible's Writers, by renowned Bible scholar Dr. S. David Sperling.
This week we hosted a special Ask the Rabbis session, where our panel of rabbis answered a wide range of interesting questions. This episode is significantly longer than usual, but we hope you will find something of interest.
The text of this podcast is available on our blog.
If you like this podcast, you might enjoy the book Biblical Origins: The Political Intent of the Bible's Writers, by renowned Bible scholar Dr. S. David Sperling.
The passages we have been reading in the Bible over the past few weeks are unlike any impression we might have of a typical Bible reading. They are more like the 1969 Mario Puzo book The Godfather, which was made into a 1972 movie co-written and directed by Francis Ford Coppola. The palace intrigue of the houses of both David and Solomon may leave our minds reeling. Our guest leader this week, Rabbi Janet Roberts, pointed out that human beings can be messy. We can, at the same time, encompass both beauty and ugliness.
Last call for submissions to our Ask the Rabbis session. Please submit your questions at https://www.tinw.org/event/ask-the-rabbis.html. Responses will be recorded in the May 27th podcast.
The text of this podcast is available on our blog.
If you like this podcast, you might enjoy the book Biblical Origins: The Political Intent of the Bible's Writers, by renowned Bible scholar Dr. S. David Sperling.
This week we dig deeper into the steps Solomon needed to make to secure his throne. The Bible’s writers, who are supporters of Solomon, clean up any political discomfort we might feel by claiming this was the hand of God controlling history, and it was God who wanted Solomon to be the next king!
Please email your Ask the Rabbis questions to Tara Keiter, at tkeiter@me.com, and we will present them to Rabbis Jaech, Pein and Sperling. Their responses will be posted in the May 27th podcast.
The text of this podcast is available on our blog.
If you like this podcast, you might enjoy the book Biblical Origins: The Political Intent of the Bible's Writers, by renowned Bible scholar Dr. S. David Sperling.
The palace intrigue of the heroes of our religion can be disturbing to readers. David is shown to be a flawed hero. Like his father, the stories we will read about Solomon can sometimes be disturbing. But the writers tell us that God selected these flawed men. We should remember that when we read the passages that say, “God said…” they are written by human hands. Rabbi Jaech would not say that she knows God’s mind today. Likewise, the ancient writers did not actually know what God thought. What is written is the point of view that the writer wanted to get across.
May 27 Ask the Rabbis session: Do you have questions about Judaism, or about religion in general, that you have always wanted to ask? This is your opportunity! Although you are welcome to attend our session via Zoom, you do not need to attend to send in your question. Please email your questions to me, Tara Keiter, at tkeiter@me.com and we will present them to Rabbis Jaech, Pein and Sperling. Their responses will be recorded in that week’s podcast.
The text of this podcast is available on our blog.
If you like this podcast, you might enjoy the book Biblical Origins: The Political Intent of the Bible's Writers, by renowned Bible scholar Dr. S. David Sperling.
With the upcoming coronation of King Charles III, we see a man who patiently waited in the wings for 70 years, until his mother’s death this past September. There was no question that, assuming he outlived his mother, Charles would become king. There was no palace intrigue or concern about fratricide or patricide so that someone else could assume the throne. But that was not always the case. History is riddled with examples of murder in the name of seizing power. And David himself usurped the throne from Saul. In this episode we look at the politics behind jockeying for power.
Click here to listen to a Prague Philharmonic presentation of Zadok the Priest: https://archive.org/details/HandelZadokThePriestpraguePhil
Send your Ask the Rabbis questions to Tara Keiter at tkeiter@me.com.
The text of this podcast is available on our blog.
If you like this podcast, you might enjoy the book Biblical Origins: The Political Intent of the Bible's Writers, by renowned Bible scholar Dr. S. David Sperling.
The steps that David took to bed Bathsheba were underhanded, leading the prophet Nathan to rebuke David and to declare that, “the sword shall never depart from your house . . . I will make a calamity rise against you from within your own house” (2 Samuel 12:10-11). This week we looked at the birth of Solomon and the power plays that went behind his rise in succession.
Note: On May 27 we are hosting an Ask the Rabbis session. Do you have questions about Judaism, or about religion in general, that you have always wanted to ask? This is your opportunity! Please email your questions to at tkeiter@me.com, and we will present them to Rabbis Jaech, Pein and Sperling.
The text of this podcast is available on our blog.
If you like this podcast, you might enjoy the book Biblical Origins: The Political Intent of the Bible's Writers, by renowned Bible scholar Dr. S. David Sperling.
Our Torah Study today, guest-led by Rabbi Janet Roberts, focused on a later David story. The details of this particular tradition are disturbing, and show us how our biblical heroes are deeply flawed humans. But, perhaps because of this, we can relate to them and see reality in them.
The text of this podcast is available on our blog.
If you like this podcast, you might enjoy the book Biblical Origins: The Political Intent of the Bible's Writers, by renowned Bible scholar Dr. S. David Sperling.
Right now, Jews around the world are eating matzah as they celebrate Passover. Included in the text we read at Passover are passages about covenants, or promises, we make with God and what is expected in return. Knowing that members of our community fall on a wide spectrum of beliefs when it comes to tradition and ceremony, and even in the belief in God, our Torah Study leader, Gerry Peet, pondered how we are bound together as a community. How do we say, yes this is what I believe, and yes this is what you believe; and together we form this one community.
The text of this podcast is available on our blog.
If you like this podcast, you might enjoy the book Biblical Origins: The Political Intent of the Bible's Writers, by renowned Bible scholar Dr. S. David Sperling.
The human spirit is strong. It is not uncommon for people to say, after a bad experience, that we don’t regret what happened; everything has a purpose, and it was all for the good. As the Joseph narrative comes to its conclusion, we see that it could have been hard for Joseph to let go of a desire for revenge. But this story represents a radical acceptance by Joseph that what happened is exactly as it should be. This type of acceptance can also be a way to bring peace into life.
The text of this podcast is available on our blog.
If you like this podcast, you might enjoy the book Biblical Origins: The Political Intent of the Bible's Writers, by renowned Bible scholar Dr. S. David Sperling.
Although Jews do not have a clear concept of an afterlife, or a heaven like Christians do, there is a tradition of a shadowy realm that a person continues to exist in after death. It is nice to think that, after we die, we will be together with loved ones.
The text of this podcast is available on our blog.
If you like this podcast, you might enjoy the book Biblical Origins: The Political Intent of the Bible's Writers, by renowned Bible scholar Dr. S. David Sperling.
In a continuation of our deep dive into the Joseph narrative, we look at the passages know as the Blessings of Jacob—which seem to be words to Jacob's son, but are more likely words about the history and politics of the twelves tribes of the Israelites. Human behavior has not changed very much over the millennia, and just as our political landscape today is rife with tribal politics, so are the passages of the Torah.
The text of this podcast is available on our blog.
If you like this podcast, you might enjoy the book Biblical Origins: The Political Intent of the Bible's Writers, by renowned Bible scholar Dr. S. David Sperling.
Rabbi Janet Roberts led our group in looking at the role of Joseph in Egypt. As readers today, we may think that Joseph is acting like an American, 19th century robber baron, who made himself rich through ruthless business dealings. Or we may think that Joseph was proactive in adopting a feudal system that resulted in lives begin saved. Whether we, as modern readers, like what Joseph did or not, the fact is that the story was kept in our Bible. And Joseph is OUR guy!
The text of this podcast is available on our blog.
If you like this podcast, you might enjoy the book Biblical Origins: The Political Intent of the Bible's Writers, by renowned Bible scholar Dr. S. David Sperling.
As we see around the world today, living in exile is an ongoing and painful part of the human condition. Many of us have parents or grandparents who emigrated to America from Europe/Eurasia before or during World War II. Recently at our synagogue, Ukrainian immigrants have shared their experiences of leaving their homeland. They are people facing a traumatic experience. An experience with which our ancient writers were well aware.
The text of this podcast is available on our blog.
If you like this podcast, you might enjoy the book Biblical Origins: The Political Intent of the Bible's Writers, by renowned Bible scholar Dr. S. David Sperling.
This week, we returned to the Joseph story. Even though his brothers treated him abysmally when he was young, Joseph is able to come to terms with the past mistreatment and leave his childhood trauma behind. We need to understand the past, but we should not dwell on it. Only through understanding can we move toward achieving peace.
The text of this podcast is available on our blog.
If you like this podcast, you might enjoy the book Biblical Origins: The Political Intent of the Bible's Writers, by renowned Bible scholar Dr. S. David Sperling.
A person, man or woman, cannot stay in power unless they make strong alliances with other men and women who support the situation. It may have been easier for a man to have that kind of support. However, history shows that there have been extraordinary women who have been able to rise to the top of what has traditionally be considered a male realm. This week, Professor David Sperling led us on a survey of some of these remarkable women.
The text of this podcast is available on our blog.
If you like this podcast, you might enjoy the book Biblical Origins: The Political Intent of the Bible's Writers, by renowned Bible scholar Dr. S. David Sperling.
Rabbi Janet Roberts led our group in a study of the political implications of the Joseph narrative, which may be more than a compelling story about siblings. This could instead be a story about the ancient tribes of people who were drawn together by Saul as a defensive mechanism against enemies: people who came to form the Israelite people. According to the ancient rabbis, Judah, the brother who all Jews are named for, is the brother who takes responsibility for all his brothers, he acts heroically, and he shows anger when his family is threatened. That is the type of leader, and ancestry, of which we Jews, descendants of Judah, can feel proud.
The text of this podcast is available on our blog.
If you like this podcast, you might enjoy the book Biblical Origins: The Political Intent of the Bible's Writers, by renowned Bible scholar Dr. S. David Sperling.
As modern readers we know that the past is never completely the past. When we gather at holidays times, we fall into old, established patterns. Joseph and his brothers did not have good relations when Joseph was young, and his brothers were heartless when they threw Joseph into a pit and then sold him into slavery. Joseph does not immediately trust his brothers. Could we do any better when confronted with someone who had transgressed against us in such a way?
The text of this podcast is available on our blog.
If you like this podcast, you might enjoy the book Biblical Origins: The Political Intent of the Bible's Writers, by renowned Bible scholar Dr. S. David Sperling.
For the 20 years that Joseph resided in Egypt and climbed the ladder to prominence, we do not hear about Jacob’s father or his brothers. We do not know if the brothers thought about him or about what they did to him. This week, Rabbi Jaech led us in an exploration of the wide range of emotions that Joseph, Joseph’s brothers, and Jacob experience.
The text of this podcast is available on our blog.
If you like this podcast, you might enjoy the book Biblical Origins: The Political Intent of the Bible's Writers, by renowned Bible scholar Dr. S. David Sperling.
A 2013 survey by the Pew Research Center found that the intermarriage rate among all American Jews was 58%, and among non-Orthodox American Jews was 71%. Since the mid-1980s, the Reform Jewish Movement has been welcoming of interfaith families. This week we looked at the interfaith marriages of two of our most important biblical heroes: Joseph and Moses. And we looked at how the ancient Rabbis spun those ancient stories to tell the narrative they wanted to tell.
The text of this podcast is available on our blog.
If you like this podcast, you might enjoy the book Biblical Origins: The Political Intent of the Bible's Writers, by renowned Bible scholar Dr. S. David Sperling.
Guest leader, Rabbi Janet Roberts, continued our exploration of the Joseph story by comparing it to another biblical tale: the story of Daniel. While sharing a lot of similarities, unlike the Joseph story, the Daniel story emphasizes that Daniel stayed true to his roots. The Joseph story may remind us of our own lives in America today. As Reform Jews, we may feel a pull toward the dominant culture. Each of us must decide how we adapt. How far are we willing to go toward assimilation, and where do we draw the line and say ‘No, this is important to me as a Jew.’
The text of this podcast is available on our blog.
If you like this podcast, you might enjoy the book Biblical Origins: The Political Intent of the Bible's Writers, by renowned Bible scholar Dr. S. David Sperling.
In biblical times, interpreters of dreams were consulted because people believed their dreams contained omens about the future. Even today, people do not like to live with uncertainty, which is one reason that some homes keep cable news on all day long. People are hoping to gather as much information as possible in order to feel some sense of control. But in reality, we often have no control over what the future will bring.
The text of this podcast is available on our blog.
If you like this podcast, you might enjoy the book Biblical Origins: The Political Intent of the Bible's Writers, by renowned Bible scholar Dr. S. David Sperling.
The story of Joseph includes a scene where his boss's wife tries to seduce him, but he rebuffs her advances. Manufacturing a story of rape, the wife manages to have Joseph thrown into prison. From this low, Joseph will rise in prominence, eventually becoming second only to Pharaoh in Egypt. This story was inspired by an older, Egyptian story with a similar scene of attempted seduction, followed by a rise to great heights in Egypt.
The text of this podcast is available on our blog.
If you like this podcast, you might enjoy the book Biblical Origins: The Political Intent of the Bible's Writers, by renowned Bible scholar Dr. S. David Sperling.
We have not had a deep dive into the Joseph story in several years, so Rabbi Jaech thought the time was right! At 13 chapters, Joseph’s story is the most complete literary narrative in the Bible. Like so many other biblical tales, although this can be viewed as a story about family dynamics, it is also a stand-in for the larger concerns of the ancient Israelites. Note: Torah Study member Lauren pointed out that this story is an illustration of family estrangement, which can be difficult especially at holiday-time. Wherever you are, we hope that you will share your holidays with loved ones.
The text of this podcast is available on our blog.
If you like this podcast, you might enjoy the book Biblical Origins: The Political Intent of the Bible's Writers, by renowned Bible scholar Dr. S. David Sperling.
The New Testament book of Revelation is a frightening story about the End of Days; also known as The Apocalypse. But that story has its origin in older stories from the Hebrew Bible that remind the audience of bad times. A power of religion is that, even in bad times, it brings us rays of light that we will prevail. As we light the Hanukkah candles, our guest leader today, Rabbi Janet Roberts, reminds us that the candles are also rays of light that remind us that we will prevail. Happy Hanukkah to All!
The text of this podcast is available on our blog.
If you like this podcast, you might enjoy the book Biblical Origins: The Political Intent of the Bible's Writers, by renowned Bible scholar Dr. S. David Sperling.
At Temple Israel of Northern Westchester, we do not insist that the text in the Bible should direct our way of thinking today, or that it is in line with our modern values. We recognize that the text can run from sublime to abhorrent, and it is up to us to determine what, if anything, is meaningful to us today.
The text of this podcast is available on our blog.
If you like this podcast, you might enjoy the book Biblical Origins: The Political Intent of the Bible's Writers, by renowned Bible scholar Dr. S. David Sperling.
The stories in the Torah may seem to be stories about families, but they are actually political and polemical stories. They are used as arguments against what other people are doing in their worship. When we hear disparaging stories of people who worship differently than we do, we should carefully consider whether there might be an ulterior motive. This week, with thanks to Dr. Erin Darby of the University of Tennessee, we take a close look at differences between practices of the people from the northern kingdom of Israel vs. those of people from the southern kingdom of Judah—and how those differences are recorded in our Bible.
The text of this podcast is available on our blog.
If you like this podcast, you might enjoy the book Biblical Origins: The Political Intent of the Bible's Writers, by renowned Bible scholar Dr. S. David Sperling.
He had a dream; a stairway was set on the ground and its top reached to the sky, and angels of God were going up and down on it. (Genesis 28: 12)
This week our guest-leader, Rabbi Janet Roberts led us in an exploration of angels in the Hebrew Bible.
The text of this podcast is available on our blog.
If you like this podcast, you might enjoy the book Biblical Origins: The Political Intent of the Bible's Writers, by renowned Bible scholar Dr. S. David Sperling.
This week we looked at the story of David & Bathsheba. Some people may remember Bathsheba as an innocent woman, lusted after by David. But today we story we read about her role in gas-lighting David while on his deathbed. She proves herself to be a powerful woman who knows how to play at palace intrigue. Our ancient texts are rich and full of surprising stories for us to ponder and debate—warts and all!
The text of this podcast is available on our blog.
If you like this podcast, you might enjoy the book Biblical Origins: The Political Intent of the Bible's Writers, by renowned Bible scholar Dr. S. David Sperling.
Bible scholar James Kugel (born: 1945) says of the biblical tales: ". . . if they were written down in the Bible, it was not so as to record what has occurred in some distant past, but 'for our instruction, so that . . . we might learn some vital lesson for our lives." This is an understanding of the biblical tales which Paul, founder of Christianity, understood, as did the Jewish medieval sage Rashi—and as does Rabbi Jaech today.
The text of this podcast is available on our blog.
If you like this podcast, you might enjoy the book Biblical Origins: The Political Intent of the Bible's Writers, by renowned Bible scholar Dr. S. David Sperling.
All of humanity suffers, but hope can help keep humans strong. Many biblical stories tell us that perhaps there is a purpose for suffering, and that our suffering may be a path to something better.
The text of this podcast is available on our blog.
If you like this podcast, you might enjoy the book Biblical Origins: The Political Intent of the Bible's Writers, by renowned Bible scholar Dr. S. David Sperling.
Does it make a difference if we think of God as a bearded man on a throne, or as a nurturing woman? This week our guest Torah Study leader, Rabbi Janet Roberts, showed us passages where the gender of God is ambiguous or—using a term in use today—genderfluid.
If you like this podcast, you might also enjoy Biblical Origins: The Political Intent of the Bible's Writers, by renowned Bible scholar Dr. S. David Sperling.
The stories we tell reflect an understanding of the world we live in, and the way we tell the story reflects something about ourselves and our audience. We might imagine writing the story of our own life, and the aspects we might highlight, at the age of 20 vs. 40 vs. 60 vs. 80. The same is true of the writers of the Bible.
If you like this podcast, you might also enjoy Biblical Origins: The Political Intent of the Bible's Writers, by renowned Bible scholar Dr. S. David Sperling.
Enjoy life while we have it,
and don’t deny yourself pleasure.
Know that some pleasures will have consequences,
but life is to be enjoyed and lived fully!
(a lesson of Ecclesiastes 11:8; paraphrased by Rabbi Jaech)
If you like this podcast, you might also enjoy Biblical Origins: The Political Intent of the Bible's Writers, by renowned Bible scholar Dr. S. David Sperling.
Professor David Sperling guest-led our session today and showed us how the text of the Bible changed with the times: From polytheism to monotheism. From strength in military might to strength in studying Torah and following God's laws.
If you like this podcast, you might also enjoy Biblical Origins: The Political Intent of the Bible's Writers, by renowned Bible scholar Dr. S. David Sperling.
The book of Jonah—which is the haftarah reading for Yom Kippur—is one of the books found in The Prophets, but it stands apart from the other prophetic writings: The book of Jonah is written as a narrative story, and not as a harangue. Also unusual is the fact that Jonah is given a mission to save gentiles from the wrath of God, not Jews. This week we review the book of Jonah and the lessons we can learn from it.
Rabbi Janet Roberts guest-led our group in a discussion about the ancient legal system of the Israelites, and how the system survived even after the Israelites no longer ruled their own land. This system provided the foundation for the Rabbinic Judaism we practice today, and for judicial review in American constitutional history.
We may all be familiar with a line from the Passover Haggadah that says, "My father was a wandering Aramean." This week we learned who the Arameans were, and who it might have been referring to: the patriarch Jacob? Or perhaps his father-in-law, Laban.
In our sacred text it is written that "There shall be no man’s item on a woman, and a man shall not wear a woman’s garment" (Deuteronomy 22:5). Well . . . why not? The passage has been debated over the centuries and been given a wide spectrum of interpretations. Rabbi Jaech looks at what it might have meant over the years, and what—if anything—it could mean to us today.
(Sorry - hiccup with new audio edited software.)
When we read the biblical text we will inevitably come across passages that shock our modern sensibilities. We read texts that encourage violence against others —all in the name of God! Fortunately, our religion is not based on biblical teachings; instead, it is based upon the teachings of the Rabbis who understood that the religion needed to change with the times in order to be relevant.
When we read the biblical text we will inevitably come across passages that shock our modern sensibilities. We read texts that encourage violence against others —all in the name of God! Fortunately, our religion is not based on biblical teachings; instead it is based upon the teachings of the Rabbis who understood that the religion needed to change with the times in order to be relevant.
We continue our "Summer of Sperling" series by reading from Professor David Sperling's forthcoming book, Biblical Origins: The Political Intent of the Bible's Writers. Chapter 3 is titled Sacred Scripture and the Prophet Isaiah. We expect the book to be available for purchase in the next couple of weeks.
We continue our “Summer of Sperling” series by reading from Professor David Sperling’s forthcoming book, Biblical Origins: The Political Intent of the Bible’s Writers. Chapter 2 is titled Scholarly Study of the Bible. We expect the book to be available for purchase in the next couple of weeks.
We continue with our “Summer of Sperling” series with something new: for the past four years I have been in the enviable position of working with our Scholar-in-Residence, Professor David Sperling, on an update of his 1998 text The Original Torah: The Political Intent of the Bible’s Writers. Many readers of that text, including Professor Sperling’s graduate students, came to the text already having a certain level of proficiency and familiarity with the material that lay readers likely did not have. This updated and expanded revision makes the material accessible to a much wider audience. We expect the book to be available for purchase in the next couple of weeks. In the meantime, we hope you enjoy this peek at the first chapter!
Tisha B'Av will be remembered next Saturday night. In honor of the holiday, and as part of our Summer of Sperling series, we revisited a session led by our Scholar-in-Residence, Professor David Sperling, to look at catastrophes in Jewish history and how we remember them.
Our "Summer of Sperling" continues with revisiting the session of our Scholar-in-Residence, David Sperling, from December 25, 2021. Because this session was led on Christmas, Professor Sperling led our group in a discussion of what classical Jewish sources have to say about Jesus.
Our "Summer of Sperling" continues with revisiting the session of our Scholar-in-Residence, David Sperling, from November 28, 2020. We will focus on contractions, or inconsistencies in the biblical text. In particular, we focus on the stories about our patriarch Jacob. Why did he leave home? What was going on at Bethel? Did his family hail from Beersheba in the 18th century, or is there more to the story?
Summer of Sperling - lesson #1
While Rabbi Jaech is on her summertime professional development program, we will revisit sessions that have been led by our Scholar-in-Residence, David Sperling. Follow is from Feb 20, 2016.
God spoke "plainly and not in riddles" to Moses. He also gave inspiration to other prophets, but those prophets would have to work harder to divine the true meaning of the messages. Why did this interaction between humans and God stop? According to the earliest rabbis, the answers to life's questions can be found by studying the words of Torah, day and night.
This week, our Scholar-In-Residence, Professor David Sperling, led our group in a discussion of the Shema. We learned that imploring our god for protection was not unique to the Israelites, and we learned that there was dissent among Jews about what should be included in this prayer that has remained a cornerstone of our religion.
Miriam is often acknowledged as the older sister of Moses. But closer inspection of the biblical text calls that relationship into question, and hint that Miriam might have been a highly regarded leader of the ancient Israelite community, who became relegated to the lesser role of "sister" in order to minimize her status.
The background of characters with what could be described as super-human abilities is often attributed to a liaison between a god and a human—typically a male god and a female human. This is true in the Bible just as it is true in Greek mythology. Why do we need to attribute these special characteristics to something other than just human ability? Maybe humans really ARE special, just as they are!
The issue of Gun Control is echoed in the issues of Weapons Control that our ancient sages have long grappled with. By reading their text, we can see how they struggled with weapons and how their presence should be regulated in society, just as we do. We may also find compelling arguments that help us to form our own conclusions.
The Bible has several curses/warnings that, if the Israelites don't adhere to God's laws, calamity will befall them and they will be forced to resort to cannibalism. This is a great threat for Jews to use against other Jews. But what happens when this type of text falls into other hands? This week we looked at how Christian commentators of the Middle Ages used these biblical tales against the Jews.
In this particularly division time in our country, Rabbi Janet Roberts led our group in a discussion about what the ancient rabbis had to say about the power of words, and how words can cause irreparable harm.
Biblical lines that do not follow a usual pattern are ripe for interpretation. In this week's Torah Portion, a man who got into trouble in the Torah is not mentioned by name—but his mother is. Female characters are often given short shrift in the Torah, but not this one! This week we delve into what that might have meant about this particular character.
This week's Torah Portion contains the phrase, "Love your neighbor like yourself." This simple line has become one of the principle laws of Judaism, as is pointed out by sages as prominent as Hillel, Akiva and even Jesus Christ! And these are the words that are above the ark in our own sanctuary. This week we take a look at what the phrase truly means.
Last week the Jewish world paused for Holocaust Remembrance Day, or Yom HaShoah. Rabbi Jaech discussed with us the different ways we, has human beings, try to grapple with such an atrocity. And the fact that, sometimes, silence is all that humans can handle.
Rabbi Janet Roberts led our group in a discussion about how the Bible, written thousands of years ago, remains the basis for opinion rendered today about legal or ethical considerations.
From an April 9 session led jointly by Professor David Sperling and Rabbi Jaech, we look at the origins of the festival of Passover and how the universal story of liberation from bondage continues to have relevance today!
The Bible is a misogynistic text. This week we looked at ancient texts from other cultures that were similarly misogynistic—it was a cultural norm. In the Western world today we like to think that we have moved beyond that. But have we really? And what can we do to do better?
Most traditional Jews will not eat pork, a dietary prohibition that can be found in the book of Leviticus. And even some non-religious Jews, who might eat lobster or shrimp, will not eat pork. Why is the prohibition against eating pork one that has endured for so many Jewish people?
Ivan Boesky. Michael Milken. Bernie Madoff. These Jewish people became fabulously wealthy and were known for their philanthropic donations—and they fell hard from their rarefied positions when the crimes behind their financial successes were revealed. What do we think about people who made their money in dubious ways, and then use those funds to try to gain favor? This week Rabbi Jaech led us on an exploration of what Jewish wisdom has to say about donations that may have come from dubious sources.
The Hasidic movement was started in what is now Ukraine. Urkraine has a long, rich, and varied history of Jewry. This week, Rabbi Janet Roberts led us on an exploration of origins of the Hasidic movement.
Biblical tales of ruling Israelite queens tell us about unsavory, dangerous women. However, it is possible that these ruling women were actually very capable leaders. Today we learned about a 1st century BCE Judean queen who may have been an example of a successful woman leader.
The Torah tell us, in no uncertain terms, that working and/or kindling a fire on shabbat is a violation of God's law that is punishable by death! But shabbat is also supposed to be a time when we celebrate and honor God. How can you celebrate and honor God if you are sitting in the dark and have no food—or only cold food—to eat?
Reading about the anger displayed by both God and Moses in the Golden Calf episode, Rabbi Jaech reflected on the anger we have been seeing across America today and looked for words of wisdom from our ancient sages about anger.
Rabbi Janet Roberts led us in an exploration of Jewish law in regards to organ donation.
This week's Torah portion goes into great deal about the portable sanctuary that was carried by the Israelites as they wandered in the wilderness for forty years in the 13th century BCE. But scholars have determined that, while the setting of the story was the 13th century, it was actually written no earlier than the 6th century BCE. The writers were trying to make a point about the portability of the sanctuary. With the help of research from Rabbi Isaac S.D. Sassoon, we delve into what that could have been.
The world can be a scary place. It could also be scary in biblical times, and our ancient sages debated what responses are appropriate when a person is concerned for their personal safety. They even went so far as to say, "If someone comes to kill you, rise and kill him first." This week we discussed measures of protection, some of which have been instituted by our own congregation in an effort to keep members safe.
The god in the Hebrew Bible can be scary who demands blind obedience to His laws. But the Judaism we practice today is based upon rabbinic teachings, not Torah law, and free will of people is acknowledged. The god of the rabbis is a mensch.
This week's Torah portion includes the phrase, "a darkness that can be touched." As this pandemic lingers, Rabbi Jaech found these words to be apt as many people struggle with isolation and loneliness. This week we explored the wisdom of the sages about dark times.
Inspired by research from Dutch scholar Karel van der Toorn, Rabbi Jaech led us on an exploration of New Year observations in and around the ancient Near East.
This week our Torah Study session fell on Christmas morning, so our scholar-in-residence, Professor David Sperling, led us in a look at what classical Jewish sources had to say about Jesus.
Public reading of passages from the Torah date back at least to the 1st century, but likely is hundreds of years older than that. The pandemic may have upended how some synagogues offer their public readings right now. Rabbi Janet Roberts led our group in a discussion of what we know about public readings of the Torah and what we might think about them today.
Our sacred text is grounded in human experience. For most of our history, Jews have lived in exile. The biblical tales of many of our heroes show weathering the trauma of exile and, ultimately, thriving. These stories provide hope for us and for a better future.
Today, Jews are in control of the State of Israel. But for much of the history of the Jewish people, we have not been the ones in control of our own land. We have been subject to outside forces that have shaped our story. As Hanukkah comes to an end, today in Torah Study Rabbi Jaech led us in an exploration of the political forces that shaped our Hanukkah celebration. (Session inspired by analysis from Professor Lawrence M. Wills of Boston University.)
This week Rabbi Janet Roberts led us in a discussion about the intermingling of holidays and religions by looking at a feast held in the book of Genesis where Hebrews and Egyptians dined together while still remaining separate. At this holiday season, each of us will make choices about intermingling of holidays and religions - and that is ok!
Jacob, the 2nd born son of Isaac and Rebekah, made some questionable choices as a young man, going so far as to deceive his father as he was lying on his deathbed. But the deceiver would soon become the deceived! Rabbi Jaech reminds us that deception is a human foible and, particularly at this time when deception seems to be the norm, we all need to be careful about the information we take in.