Knowledge on the Deeper Side

Decoding the Universe - Part 16

"Batteries"

With Rabbi Ari Sollish

(Recorded live at the Intown Jewish Academy on March 3, 2019)

Batteries power cell phones (among other things). The larger the battery, and the more capacity the battery has, the longer the cell phone can last. And when the battery "dies," the cell phone stops operating.

The universe, too, has a super large "battery," a force that powers and animates everything that exists. Without this battery, nothing would function or operate. This force Divine. The cosmic soul of the world.

But there's a dramatic difference between physical batteries and the Divine soul of the universe. As the Kabbalists point out, the former merely energizes that which already exists, while the latter gives a thing its fundamental existence.

We explore this concept in this session of Kabbalah & Coffee.

Decoding the Universe - Part 16

"Batteries"

With Rabbi Ari Sollish

(Recorded live at the Intown Jewish Academy on March 3, 2019)

Batteries power cell phones (among other things). The larger the battery, and the more capacity the battery has, the longer the cell phone can last. And when the battery "dies," the cell phone stops operating.

The universe, too, has a super large "battery," a force that powers and animates everything that exists. Without this battery, nothing would function or operate. This force Divine. The cosmic soul of the world.

But there's a dramatic difference between physical batteries and the Divine soul of the universe. As the Kabbalists point out, the former merely energizes that which already exists, while the latter gives a thing its fundamental existence.

We explore this concept in this session of Kabbalah & Coffee.

Did Plato Get It Right?

Jewish Realism vs. Greek Idealism

With Rabbi Ari Sollish

(Recorded live at the Intown Jewish Academy on March 6, 2019)

While Plato spoke of the universal -- the dreamy ideal without concrete realization -- Torah mobilizes us to take action in the here and now. In this class we discover heaven on earth in Judaism’s more sublime sense of idealism, one deeply rooted in reality.

Did Plato Get It Right?

Jewish Realism vs. Greek Idealism

With Rabbi Ari Sollish

(Recorded live at the Intown Jewish Academy on March 6, 2019)

While Plato spoke of the universal -- the dreamy ideal without concrete realization -- Torah mobilizes us to take action in the here and now. In this class we discover heaven on earth in Judaism’s more sublime sense of idealism, one deeply rooted in reality.

Justice, Justice Shall You Pursue

Standards of Evidence in the Talmud

With Rabbi Ari Sollish

(Recorded live at the Intown Jewish Academy on March 5, 2019)

Justice may be blind, but judges and juries must be clear-sighted. This lesson explores the concept of evidentiary standards as it arises in several overlapping areas of Talmudic and secular law. How can we assess the truth of testimony? Does every criminal confession pass muster, or are some inadmissible? When can informants be considered credible?

Justice, Justice Shall You Pursue

Standards of Evidence in the Talmud

With Rabbi Ari Sollish

(Recorded live at the Intown Jewish Academy on March 5, 2019)

Justice may be blind, but judges and juries must be clear-sighted. This lesson explores the concept of evidentiary standards as it arises in several overlapping areas of Talmudic and secular law. How can we assess the truth of testimony? Does every criminal confession pass muster, or are some inadmissible? When can informants be considered credible?

Flip the Script

Writing the Narrative of Your Own Life

With Rabbi Ari Sollish

(Recorded live at the Intown Jewish Academy on February 27, 2019)

We live life one day at a time, every day another chapter. As the days pile up, they string together a narrative, a story that you tell yourself and relate to others. So what’s your story? Is it a series of frustrations and mishaps, or a wonderful tale of success and meaning?

Flip the Script

Writing the Narrative of Your Own Life

With Rabbi Ari Sollish

(Recorded live at the Intown Jewish Academy on February 27, 2019)

We live life one day at a time, every day another chapter. As the days pile up, they string together a narrative, a story that you tell yourself and relate to others. So what’s your story? Is it a series of frustrations and mishaps, or a wonderful tale of success and meaning?

Judge, Jewry, and Execution

Judaism and the Death Penalty

With Rabbi Ari Sollish

(Recorded live at the Intown Jewish Academy on February 26, 2019)

Some crimes are irreversible. People make mistakes. Taken together,these two propositions suggest both the imperative and impediment for the death penalty and point to its central paradox. Can a human being have the authority to sentence another human being to death? How should we respond to the most serious crimes?

Judge, Jewry, and Execution

Judaism and the Death Penalty

With Rabbi Ari Sollish

(Recorded live at the Intown Jewish Academy on February 26, 2019)

Some crimes are irreversible. People make mistakes. Taken together,these two propositions suggest both the imperative and impediment for the death penalty and point to its central paradox. Can a human being have the authority to sentence another human being to death? How should we respond to the most serious crimes?