18Forty Podcast

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Zohar Atkins, Rabbi and philosopher, about the role that philosophy – particularly rationalist philosophy – plays in Judaism.

Zohar is a profound and poetic thinker who tries to lead an examined Jewish life. Despite being a philosopher, he is an advocate of doing, not just thinking. He takes the idea of there being 70 faces of the Torah to heart, endorsing philosophical pluralism in relation to Judaism.

• How do philosophy and the Torah interact?
• Does the Torah espouse any one true philosophy, or is it open to multiple philosophical interpretations?
• What role in Jewish life can rationalism play, and what role should it play?

Tune in to hear a conversation about philosophy and Judaism.References:

References: 

Dialogues of Plato by Plato

The Kuzari by Rabbi Yehuda Halevi

Slate Star Codex

LessWrong

@ZoharAtkinsZohar is the founder of Etz Hasadeh, a fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute of North America, and a popular public thinker. Zohar holds a Dphil in theology from Oxford, where he was a Rhodes scholar, and rabbinic ordination from the Jewish Theological Seminary. Zohar is the author of An Ethical and Theological Appropriation of Heidegger’s Critique of Modernity (Palgrave Macmillan, 2018), Nineveh (2019), a collection of poems, and thinks aloud about a daily question at What is Called Thinking. Zohar writes a much-loved and deeply contemplative column on the Parsha at Etz Hasadeh.

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This episode is brought to you by Simchat Torah Challenge, a Jewish communal project inspiring tens of thousands of Jews of all backgrounds to read the weekly parsha. The weekly English-language email newsletter and website bring Torah and insights from trusted sources. Join for free at SimchatTorahChallenge.org

In this special Simchas Torah episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we speak with Rachel Goldberg-Polin and Jon Polin—parents of murdered hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Hashem yikkom damo—about their relationship to Torah. 

For two years, we’ve been struggling with the paradox of how Simchas Torah has become eternally intertwined with October 7. So, at Koren’s celebration of Rabbi Sacks’s Humash, we could think of no two better people to talk to. In this episode we discuss:

• How can we find redemption specifically within our exile? 
• How can we move on when we’ve been permanently broken? 
• How can we work to live our lives through the lens of Torah? 

Tune in to hear a conversation about how Torah gives us strength and hope in even the darkest times. 

Interview was held on Sept. 8 and begins at 18:26. 

References:

18Forty Podcast: “Chaim Saiman: Is Talmud the Jewish Constitution?”

“The Inverted Halakhah of Simhat Torah” by Chaim Saiman

Parshat Beha'alotcha

Ezekiel 37

Genesis 32:27

The Koren Shalem Humash

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As a hint at our next new series, we want to share with you our 2023 episode with Moshe Koppel—a computer scientist and Talmud scholar—about Torah and its intersection with artificial intelligence.

In a world in which technology puts vast libraries of Torah at our fingertips, we are tasked with thinking more deeply about what essentially human abilities we bring to the enterprise of Torah and tefillah. In this episode we discuss:

• What computer-based innovations are on the horizon in the realm of Torah study?
• Will AI ever be able to reliably answer our halachic questions?
• Will advances in technology drastically change the experience of Shabbos observance?

Tune in to hear a conversation about how AI has the potential to make our Jewish lives richer—if we use it wisely.

Interview begins at 18:21.

Dr. Moshe Koppel is a computer scientist, Talmud scholar, and political activist. Moshe is a professor of computer science at Bar-Ilan University, and a prolific author of academic articles and books on Jewish thought, computer science, economics, political science, and other disciplines. He is the founding director of Kohelet, a conservative-libertarian think tank in Israel, and he advises members of the Knesset on legislative matters. Dr. Koppel is the author of three sharply thought books on Jewish thought and previously joined 18Forty to talk about Halacha as Language.

References:

“Funes the Memorious” by Jorge Luis Borges

The Mind of a Mnemonist by A.R. Luria

Surfaces and Essences: Analogy as the Fuel and Fire of Thinking by Douglas R. Hofstadter & Emmanuel Sander

Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid by Douglas R. Hofstadter

Meta-Halakhah: Logic, Intuition, and the Unfolding of Jewish Law by Moshe Koppel

2001: A Space Odyssey

DICTA: Analytical tools for Hebrew texts

“Digital Discourse and the Democratization of Jewish Learning” by Zev Eleff

Tzidkat HaTzadik: 211 by Tzadok HaKohen of Lublin

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This series is sponsored by Mira and Daniel Stokar.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, recorded live at Stern College, we speak with Rabbi Moshe Benovitz, director of NCSY Kollel, about what makes religious change real and sustainable.

In this episode we discuss:

—What is the difference between behavior modification and personality development?
—How does one translate yeshiva skills to a life of kedusha? 
—What is the value of being less emotionally reactive to criticism?

Tune in to hear a conversation about how we might do teshuva that lasts throughout the year and beyond.

Interview begins at 16:00.

Rabbi Moshe Benovitz has been the director of NCSY Kollel for over two decades. David Bashevkin considers him the “Lorne Michaels” of Jewish education. 

References:

Resisei Layla 50

Mishnah Kelim 17

Saturday Night Live

Mishneh Torah, Repentance

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This series is sponsored by Mira and Daniel Stokar.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we speak with Naftuli Moster, a former activist for major changes in Hasidic education, about how and why he changed his understanding of the values imparted by Judaism.

In this episode we discuss:

• Why did Naftuli stop campaigning for fundamental reform in Hasidic education?
• Why are Jews often drawn to movements that can be counterproductive to their interests? 
• How did October 7 make Naftuli rethink his relationship with the Jewish world? 

Tune in to hear a conversation about finding healthy communities in times when we feel lost. 

Interview begins at 25:09.

Naftuli Moster is the founder and CEO of Shtetl, a non-profit media outlet serving as a free press for the Haredi community. He formerly worked with YAFFED, an organization that pushes for reform in Haredi and Hasidic education.

References:

“‘Why I left Hasidic education activism’ | Naftuli Moster”

Tosafot on Pesachim

“The Words of the Master and the Life of the Student” by Shalom Carmy

Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl

Night by Elie Wiesel

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This series is sponsored by Mira and Daniel Stokar.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we speak with Gayle Kirschenbaum—author of Bullied to Besties: A Daughter’s Journey to Forgiveness—about how she repaired her fraught relationship with her mother.

At the end of the podcast, we hear from her mother, Millie, herself, now over 101 years old. In this episode we discuss: 

• What does a “forgiveness coach” teach her students? 
• How can we repair relationships across generations? 
• What does it take to try to understand the full humanity of our parents? 

Tune in to hear a conversation about healing, forgiveness, and teshuva through love. 

Interview begins at 14:29.Gayle Kirschenbaum is an Emmy-winning TV producer, writer, photographer, coach, and speaker. She was invited to give a TED Talk called "No More Drama With Mama," about forgiveness and transforming difficult relationships into healthy ones.  

References:

Top 5 by David Bashevkin

Bullied to Besties: A Daughter’s Journey to Forgiveness by Gayle Kirschenbaum

“No More Drama With Mama” by Gayle Kirschenbaum“

Cut! She's Chewing the Scenery; A Shih Tzu and Her Stage Mother Strive for Stardom”

The Godfather Part III

My Nose

The Nanny 

You Can Heal Your Life by Louise Hay

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This series is sponsored by Mira and Daniel Stokar.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we speak with writer Sarah Hurwitz—author of the new book As a Jew: Reclaiming Our Story from Those Who Blame, Shame, and Try to Erase Us—about what it means to be a “knowing Jew.”

In a time when we often feel compelled to justify our Judaism to the world, being Jewishly educated is no longer a luxury but a necessity. In this episode we discuss:

• What does a proud Jew professionally associated with the Democratic Party make of the state of contemporary politics? 
• Where should one begin in trying to be an educated and involved Jew with a strong Jewish home?
• How can the mussar literature be a great starting point to people looking to deepen their practice? 

Tune in to hear a conversation about claiming for ourselves the tradition that so many try to take from us. 

Interview begins at 11:14.

Sarah Hurwitz served as a White House speechwriter from 2009 to 2017, first as a senior speechwriter for President Barack Obama and then as head speechwriter for First Lady Michelle Obama. She is the author of Here All Along: Finding Meaning, Spirituality, and a Deeper Connection to Life – in Judaism (After Finally Choosing to Look There) and As A Jew: Reclaiming Our Story From Those Who Blame, Shame, and Try To Erase Us. 

References:

As a Jew: Reclaiming Our Story from Those Who Blame, Shame, and Try to Erase Us by Sarah Hurwitz

Here All Along: Finding Meaning, Spirituality, and a Deeper Connection to Life – in Judaism (After Finally Choosing to Look There) by Sarah Hurwitz

The Mighty Ducks

Everyday Holiness: The Jewish Spiritual Path of Mussar by Alan Morinis

Mesillat Yesharim by Moses Chaim Luzzatto

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This series is sponsored by Mira and Daniel Stokar.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we speak with Rabbi DovBer Pinson—a scholar, author, teacher, and spiritual mentor—about how we can rethink teshuva in light of the challenges we face today.

In this episode we discuss:

• What is the difference between “lower” and “higher” teshuva? 
• How should the Jewish world recalibrate in the face of the recent rise in antisemitism?
• How can we learn to be better at loving the Jewish People, including the Jews with whom we have severe disagreements? 

Tune in to hear a conversation about what it means to return to our eternality in a rapidly changing world.

Interview begins at 8:40.

Rav DovBer Pinson is a world-renowned rabbi, scholar, author, teacher, and spiritual mentor. Through his books, lectures, and seminars he has touched and inspired the lives of thousands the world over. Rav Pinson is the Rosh Kolel of the IYYUN Yeshiva/Kolel, Marah D'asra of 84 Viola, and heads The IYYUN/CHABAD Center in Brownstone Brooklyn, New York.

Topics (Produced by Sofer.AI):
Podcast introduction and theme — 0:14
Meeting Rav DovBer Pinson and his impact — 3:51
Life as a text: looking for confluence — 7:00
Introducing the discussion on teshuva — 8:42
Lower vs. higher levels of teshuva — 10:27
Diaspora, Israel connection, and shifting Jewish identity — 12:34
Specific focus of teshuva for the Orthodox Jew — 16:00
Modern identity collapse and reclaiming self — 17:29
Agency and free choice in Judaism — 19:20
Five dimensions of reality in Sefer Yetzirah — 20:23
Orthodox world lagging by fifty years — 22:25
Time vs. space: Mishnah acronym insight — 23:57
Worries about Orthodox commitment and packaging — 26:05
Yeshiva world as a train without an engine — 28:59
Subconscious communication across Jewish communities — 30:29
Peripheral origins vs. established Hasidic families — 31:49
Understanding the relationship with the Land of Israel — 32:51
Israel as a nation vs. a people — 34:05
Collective awareness of shared destiny — 36:16
Yeshiva League analogy and need for new language — 37:31
Taking personal responsibility for all Israel — 41:36
Tension between love for Jews and love for humanity — 43:03
Unity of Torah, God, and Israel — 45:48
Yeshiva learning without a structured curriculum — 47:37
Rebbe’s vision: every Jew as a shaliach — 49:43
Mission of Judaism beyond meritocracy — 54:22
Hope expressed in the daily prayer — 57:17
Jewish calendar holds a Guinness record — 59:08
Personal struggle with criticism over gay Jews — 60:13
Pain from establishment and public backlash — 61:21
Seeking trusted guidance to navigate criticism — 65:53
Personal teshuva: reconciling with critics — 68:53
Humility as source of creative innovation — 71:06
Current crisis as catalyst for collective change — 73:11
The Torah of the moment: Messiah and presence — 74:50
Books that pose good questions — 75:51
Future vision: every day becomes a holiday — 77:48
Great-grandfather lineage in Chabad scholarship — 80:00
Balancing Talmudic study with Chassidic heart — 81:43
Fascination with French Jewry of the 12th century — 82:54
Personal sleep schedule post-COVID — 84:16
Facing personal criticism and baggage — 90:11
Uniting through the Jewish community — 92:27

References:

18Forty Podcast: “Haym Soloveitchik: How Modernity Changed Our Relationship to God”

18Forty Podcast: “Zohar Atkins: Between Philosophy and Torah”

Zohar

Tanya Chapter 32

Aleinu

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This series is sponsored by Mira and Daniel Stokar.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we speak with Rachel Tova Ebner, translator of a new volume of the teachings of Rav Kook, about what the spirituality of Rav Kook adds to our Jewish practice and to our understanding of ourselves.

As we approach Rav Kook’s yahrzeit (3 Elul), we’re directing our attention to the spiritual dimension of Yiddishkeit outlined in his works. In this episode we discuss:

• What does Rav Kook teach us about our yearning for God?
• What is the role of feelings in our inner work? 
• What does it mean for us to change as the Torah stays the same? 

Tune in to hear a conversation about the paradox inherent in trying to “change the past” via teshuva. 

Interview begins at 14:57.

Rachel Tova Ebner grew up in Manhattan and made Aliyah to Jerusalem with her family in 1982. She is linguist and lyricist, a teacher and translator, with a Master’s degree in Hebrew from the Bernhard Revel Graduate School of Yeshiva University. Her most recent professional endeavor was to participate in the translation of the new Koren Tanach. She has three children and eleven grandchildren.

Chapters (Produced by Sofer.AI):

Teshuvah 0:14

Re‑examining Our Bullseye: The Conceptzia Idea 3:38

Lakewood Yeshiva’s Future and Community Burnout 6:50

Generational Mission Shifts and Klal Yisrael 8:37

Introducing Rav Kook’s Torah of Tomorrow 11:52

Translator Rachel Tova Ebner on Her Father’s Influence 15:00

Early Memories of Learning with Rabbi Bernstein 16:15

Limits on Naming and Speaking About God 21:32

The Classic Child’s Question: Is God in the Toilet? 22:46

Ikveta d'Mishicha: The Era of Messianic Footsteps 25:18

Rav Kook’s Call for New Spiritual Consciousness 26:18

Direct Encounter with God—Beyond Rabbis and Texts 28:01

Rav Kook’s Historical Context and Practical Inner Work 43:28

Compassion and Inner Work with the Soul 45:36

Rav Kook on Teshuva and Cosmic Will 47:30

Personal Metaforms: Smoking as Spiritual Symbol 50:32

Rav Kook’s Vision for Secular Israelis 52:32

Calling Artists of the Sacred in Modern Times 55:00

The Summons to Holy Consciousness Excerpt 57:01

Choosing a Rav Kook Translation for Study 62:23

Evolution as Cosmic Optimism in Rav Kook 64:13

Finding a Spiritual Path Beyond Halacha 67:08

Critique of Galut and Return to Eretz Yisrael 68:17

Personal Sleep Habits: A Goyish Schedule 70:06

Rav Kook’s Vision: Renewing the Old, Sanctifying the New 73:27

Intuition and Faith in Personal Spiritual Direction 75:09

Despair as Catalyst for Renewal in Orot Hateshuva 76:56

Closing Remarks and Sponsor Acknowledgments 80:49

Traditional Closing Prayer and Song 81:50

References:

18Forty Podcast: “Rav Judah Mischel: A Change in Progress”

The Torah of Tomorrow: OneSong by Rachel Tova Ebner

Renewing the Old, Sanctifying the New: The Unique Vision of Rav Kook by Marc B. Shapiro

18Forty Podcast: “Marc B. Shapiro: Where Does Orthodox Judaism Come From?”

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This series is sponsored by Mira and Daniel Stokar.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we speak with rabbi, psychotherapist, and “translator” Joey Rosenfeld about how our generation can understand languages of mysticism, philosophy, and suffering in today’s chaotic world.

In this episode we discuss:

• Where should we channel our spiritual work as we near two years since October 7?
• Will Mashiach come in our lifetime?
• What is the purpose of yearning and desire? 

Tune in to hear a conversation about how “Yiddishkeit is the guardian of deficiency.” 

Interview begins at 8:49.

Rabbi Joey Rosenfeld is a practicing psychotherapist in the addiction field focusing on the interface between philosophy, spirituality, and psychology. His shiurim on Jewish philosophy, Kabbalah and the inner workings of the human soul have been watched and listened to by thousands around the world and he has a dedicated following of students from the entire spectrum of the Jewish community.

References:

Tikkunei Zohar

“The Source Of Faith Is Faith Itself” by Aharon Lichtenstein

Pirkei Avot 4:2

Halakhic Man by Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik

Tanya ch. 36“

Why Is There Something, Rather Than Nothing?” by Sean Carroll

Mishneh Torah by Maimonides 

Sippurei Maasiyot by Rebbe Nachman of Breslov 

“Anthem” by Leonard Cohen

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