58th Century Judaisms

We go on a bizarre halachic excursion through the sources on Sukkah building - specifically exploring the seemingly strange law: the walls of a sukkah can be made out of a person, as long as they don't know it. Knowing and not-knowing seem to be intrinsic to what a sukkah is all about...

Listen to the podcast, and check out the full source-sheet here: https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/348191?editor=1

Read and listen to more here, or get in touch to share your thoughts: https://58thcentury.world

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Rebbe Nachman brings a twist to the significance of Rosh Hashana: it's celebrating the creation of the world, of course, but that's something we do every moment. We just need to do it better. Turning raw potential into actuality, taking an idea and limiting it into words, acting in the world and sometimes messing it up - that's life itself. 

Welcome to read through the (abridged) texts I'm using on the sourcesheet here: https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/345549?editor=1

If it's helpful, last year I put together a list of ideas for celebrating Rosh Hashana alone, outside of synagogue communities. The pandemic is far from over, and maybe this is still relevant for you or someone you know.
English: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1tzppvqEQUL68FPpmMM8wMkgqe2VCNNv_RLYPYY2q7aU/
German: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1b848Zz4p4sM8iKzt5T__8Pp9aDCQ8UaLcaZ3-ASNDzg/edit?usp=sharing

As usual, would love to hear any thoughts or feedback from anyone listening. You can write to me through my website, 58thcentury.world 

Shana tova umetuka, have a sweet and wonderful new year!

Josh

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On Rosh Hashana, Jews celebrate the creation of the world (or of humanity, or something else..) If so, Elul marks the time before creation.  What does it mean to be before creation? Why is answering that question forbidden in Jewish law? We take a journey through a series of texts, touching the questions and almost answering them. 

* You can find all the sources here: https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/343207?editor=1

* You can find more about me and different Torah ideas here: http://58thcentury.world/

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Looking at the month of Elul as part of the wider framework of "days of judgement". Our model is a surprising detail in religious taxation, the "tithing of beasts". As usual, the deeper we explore the more peculiar it becomes, giving lots of food for thought.

You can see the sourcesheet here: https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/341120

Please be in touch with any thoughts or feedback! You can write to me through the website: 58thcentury.world

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"All of Israel are children of kings". This principle is often invoked in the Talmud, and often rejected. We look at the various examples and try and figure out what and when we can see ourselves as royalty. This gives us food for thought as we enter the high holiday preparations, and start saying, audaciously, Avinu Malkeinu, "Our Father, Our King."

Sources: Mishna Berachot 1:2; Shabbat 128a; Taanit 25a. 

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Looking at the legal definition of a 'shaliach' - an agent or messenger, we get a couple of principles which seem to extend much further, to the idea of what it is to be human at all. 

 * You can find the sourcesheet with all the texts here: https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/336734?editor=1​

* A project of 58th Century Judaisms: https://www.58thcentury.world/

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Continuing the discussion on prayer as a focal point for understanding what it is to be human, we look at the category of speech, as expressed through laws on prayer and esoteric discussions about the status of a golem. 

 * You can find the sourcesheet with all the texts here: https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/334132?editor=1​

* A project of 58th Century Judaisms: https://www.58thcentury.world/ 

Let me know any thoughts and questions you have!

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Rambam / Maimonides is almost unique in Jewish philosophy in the importance he gives to states of mind. His extreme position on the necessary mind-state during prayer is almost impossible to achieve. But he sees it as crucial to becoming fully human.

* You can find the sourcesheet with all the texts here: https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/288319?editor=1​

* A project of 58th Century Judaisms: https://www.58thcentury.world/

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Rather than looking at the highest levels of mystical prayer, we try to explore what is it that differentiates a human prayer from a mechanical one. The idea of kavvanah, mental focus or attunement, seems to be key to understanding what it is to be human at all!

* You can find the sourcesheet with all the texts here: https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/332675?editor=1​

* A project of 58th Century Judaisms: https://www.58thcentury.world/

Support the show