Jews Did it First: Recent Episodes
Rabbi Yossi Madvig
The main thrust of this podcast is to shed light on a phenomenon that I’ve noticed over the course of the last decade or so. Very often I come across something in Jewish literature that is clearly an antecedent of some modern day cultural, legal or religious concept.The second will be counter-missionary claims. I think it’s very important that Jews know how to respond to missionary claims. I also hope this will strengthen non-Jews' respect for why Jews believe what we believe and not seeing us as some sort of backwater yokels who have just never heard of the “wonderful good news” as it were.
Did the Talmudic sages have special insight into the womb beyond medical science? And what does the last day of Chanukah teach us?
Is the Loch Ness monster Jewish? And why does Jacob go around kissing people in the Bible?
More fascinating signs that the mysteries so often associated with the East and the occult are really rooted in Jewish philosophy.
Also, lessons from Coronavirus!
What are the true origins of Rip Van Winkle and what can Purim teach us about the coronavirus?
Does the American revolution have roots in the events of Chanukah? And what does Chanukah teach us in 2018?
Who were the first pilgrims? And how do we respond to tragedy like we saw in Pittsburgh?
Where did Mary Shelley really get the idea for her famous Frankenstein novel? And now that the Jewish holidays are over, what do we do now?
Ever wonder where certain words come from? Some of them have surprising origins. Let's explore some.
Let's wrap up the discussion of women's rights with a few legal documents that secure the rights of women in a highly patriarchal society. Plus a lesson in education!
Benjamin Franklin once wrote, “…in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” And will the messiah have leprosy? We’ll take a quick look at how different levels of interpretation work.
Is there a secret Jewish history behind Valentine’s Day? Is a pierced G-d/Messiah figure mentioned in the prophets? And is your body really a Temple?
Sorry for the strange voice, I'm a bit under the weather this week :-(
Is Judaism the source of Eastern mystical religions? Will the Messiah replace the law? And is G-d’s law supposed to make sense?
It’s black history month, so let’s talk about black Jews and multiculturalism. Plus the countown to the messianic age and a closer look at the 10 commandments.
Who really discovered Halley’s comet? Does Isaiah discus the birth of the messiah and claim him to be G-d, Himself? And why did the sea split for the Jews?
Does the Torah talk about what science considers prehistoric geology? Why don't Jews have a king nowadays? And ... locusts?
Were ancient Jews the first to accurately determine the amount of stars in the universe? Is the trinity mentioned in the Jewish Bible? And what can we learn about the 10 plagues.
Were the Jews the first PR firm for physicians? Have Jews been unable to atone for their sins in the last 2000 years? And how to be both in and out of this world!
Where and when do New Year's resolutions originate? Did King David predict the crucifixion almost 1000 before it happened? And what can our forefather Jacob teach us about living a happy life?
Are Jews responsible for the holiday season? Will the Messiah be born on in the West Bank? And what's the best way to speak truth to power?
Happy Chanukah! We'll take a look at some inventions by Jews as well as missionaries :-P Plus, a lesson from the oil of Chanukah.
Is there a moral flaw in the criminal justice system? Plus we'll look at another bogus messianic prophecy. Finallly, we'll talk about loooooooooovvvvveeee.
Did Jews invent Thanksgiving? Maybe missionaries are right about something and a Jewish take on getting hitched!
We discuss the Jewish source of two everyday phrases and well as delve into the meaning of one of Christian missionary's favorite "proof texts".
We'll see what the Jewish source is for one of the most popular Greek gods (and Disney character :-P). In addition we'll wrap up our discussion of Isaiah 53 with an interesting thought experiment. Plus, the beauty of having guests!
I'll take you through a journey through time and we'll learn about an obscure Jewish text that will absolutely amaze you. Plus, we'll get technical with Isaiah 53 and learn how to do the right thing!
Who am I? Why did I make this podcast and what purpose does it serve? Find out before you listen to the other episodes to help you get some context.
We'll explore the earliest recorded findings of the age old golden rule and find out where it originates ... and where it doesn't! Also, we'll delve into the king of all missionary texts, Isaiah 53.