#50 The Reasons for Mitzvos, according to the Rambam
Should we look for reasons for God’s mitzvos? The Rambam says we should, and himself did so at length. But he also says that God’s wisdom is inscrutable and that we humans can’t understand His motivations. The resolution of this contradiction opens up a world of depth to the Torah and shows how the reasons […]
#49 Eretz Yisrael, according to the Rambam
What is so special about Eretz Yisrael? What makes it holy? Its people, says the Rambam. Those who serve Hashem should live together and form a society suffused with His knowledge and worship – that’s what makes a land holy. For this episode’s sources, click here Sponsored by R’ Zeev Shub in memory of his […]
#48 The Messiah and the Messianic Era
The Rambam’s twelfth principle of faith involves believing in and hoping for the arrival of both a person and an era. Messiah, scion of King David, will restore the great dynasty to its original glory, and also usher in an era of peace, prosperity and independence, when people will focus exclusively on knowing Hashem. Learn […]
#47 What is Chanukah? The Danger of a False Dawn
Chanukah reclaims the true light for the descendants of Shem. The Greek descendants of Yefes and their darkness were vanquished; the Menorah and its miraculous light symbolize the return of prophetic clarity. But did we truly reclaim the original light? Prophecy didn’t return and the Shechinah didn’t dwell in the Temple; true redemption is still […]
#46 Light and Darkness: Chanukah, Adam and the Greeks
Chanukah reclaims the original holiday of light established by the first man, Adam. When evil got mixed with goodness, darkness got mixed with light. Man lost his ability to see clearly: the pure, primordial light was hidden away. He thought that he would die in darkness, the days getting progressively shorter until all would fade […]
#45 Hebrew, Greek, and the 70 Languages
Perception shapes language – how we think influences how we talk. Accordingly, Chazal considered Hebrew and Greek antithetical; the “Holy Tongue” is a verb-centered language and reflects a dynamic world of Godly action, while the “Beauty of Yefes” is focused on the visual and reflects a static world of objects in space. Please take a […]
#44 Holy Names and their Uses
Are there really words that have magical powers? Explore the lost art of how to use the secret names of Hashem, the subject of extensive discussion by the Mekubalim – and also of Rambam’s scornful dismissal. For this episode’s sources, click here Please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts. […]
#43 Angels and Angelology, an introduction
What are angels and what is their function? According to Rambam, they are immaterial, disembodied intellect; Raavad and others consider them to be composed of rarefied matter that sometimes becomes visible to humans. These mysterious divines that fill the Torah’s pages are the intermediaries of the transcendent God, agents through which He interacts with the […]
#42 Love of God, according to the Mekubalim
The Mekubalim teach that God is unified with His attributes. His creation is unified as well, and the entire historical process is but the demonstration of this grand unity. The mitzvah of loving Hashem is to experience and live with this unity – to partake of and to further this great cosmic project. For this […]
#41 Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov, Pillars of the World
Why are the stories of a father, his son and his grandson so central to the Torah? Come see how the three forefathers found and founded the knowledge of Hashem, each in their own way; how this knowledge became the subject of the history of their descendants, the Jewish nation; and how the key to […]