This book by Prof. Daniel Boyarin explores the popular topic of the parting of ways between Christianity and Judaism. Only instead of tracing the historical circumstances of how the Synagogue and Church slowly drifted apart, he proposes a completely different outlook on how it really happened. I was deeply intrigued...
Professor Pinchas Shir joins Dr. Cyndi Parker in dialogue about food and the Bible. What was the Israelite diet like? How does food shape cultural identity? Where do we go to look at food issues (hint: it's practically on every page!)? How did the Israelites think about animals...
The passage called Mishpatim in Torah begins with laws about slaves and slavery. It’s not an easy topic to discuss in America. Colonial slavery most people are familiar with in America, was truly brutal, unjust, and inhumane. The mistreatment of slaves in America in the not-so-distant past still has...
Are you familiar with the Jewish calendar? The National Library of Israel presents an educational video that delves into the intriguing history of this calendar. By exploring their extensive collection of old and rare texts, the video offers a unique opportunity to understand the establishment, evolution, and eventual standardization of...
Strack (1848-1922) was a Professor of the Old Testament at the University of Berlin. His classic introduction to Rabbinic literature was revised and updated by Gunter Stemberger, an established expert on Rabbinic history and literature. This book is the only comprehensive one-volume introduction to the subject that I know. I...
This is a shiur, a recording of short thematic live and interactive teaching (broken up into 3 segments, about 50 minutes long in total). The lesson surveys the commandments and customs of the Festival of Tabernacles and examines some ancient texts that possibly reflect on the Sukkot customs practiced during...
In Numbers 17:7, Torah says that a cloud of God’s glory appeared all around them. God spoke to them, hiramu mitoch haedah “Get away from the midst of the assembly.” And God continued, va’akhaleh otam ke’raga “I will consume them in one moment,” or literally, “I...
Delve into the profound significance of how we misuse our speech with these series of interactive devotional discussions. Join me and the live audience as we embark on a journey through the Jewish practice of Heshbon Nefesh (searching one's heart). In these lessons, we seek to examine our...
You may have heard it said that “God tests but does not tempt.” Such conviction is usually based on a well-known verse: “No one, when tempted, should say, ‘I am being tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted by evil and he himself tempts no one” (James 1:13...
