Knowledge on the Deeper Side

The Bible Course

Part 3: The Book of Judges

Lesson 4

With Rabbi Eliyahu Schusterman

Immerse yourself in the richness of the Jewish Scriptures and discover in the ancient texts hidden meanings that have been lost over centuries of translations. Delve into the fascinating world of the ancient prophets of Israel. Peel back the layers of translation and savor the true Hebrew prophecies as they were originally proclaimed. This series focuses on the dramatic stories and powerful messages contained in the Book of Judges.

The Bible Course

Part 3: The Book of Judges

Lesson 3

With Rabbi Eliyahu Schusterman

Immerse yourself in the richness of the Jewish Scriptures and discover in the ancient texts hidden meanings that have been lost over centuries of translations. Delve into the fascinating world of the ancient prophets of Israel. Peel back the layers of translation and savor the true Hebrew prophecies as they were originally proclaimed. This series focuses on the dramatic stories and powerful messages contained in the Book of Judges.

Stealing Freedom

When Jailbreaking Is the Only Option

With Rabbi Ari Sollish

Recorded live in Atlanta

“You don’t have what it takes.” “Stop faking it.” “Who do you think you are?” Ever heard those before? Yeah, we all have. You want to turn things around, be a better you... despite all the naysayers. What to do? Take a cue from the Passover story and “snatch your afikomen” -- steal your way to a brighter future.

Many tourists visit the Vatican in order to view the remarkable artwork that has been painted, gathered, and collected there over the centuries. The Vatican archives also contain numerous ancient Torah manuscripts, and many Jewish scholars have been tempted over the ages to get a glimpse of these rare and precious works. Some visitors to the Vatican have even reported seeing artifacts from the Beit Hamikdash, the Holy Temple, stored there, including items as precious as the Menorah and the Parochet (curtains).

May a Jewish tourist visit the Vatican in order to view these items? What are the Jewish legal and ethical considerations? Do we indeed say, “When in Rome...”?

We explore these questions and more in the light of Talmudic discourse and Jewish law in our third session of Headlines.

The arrest of Bernie Madoff in 2008 once again brought the term “Ponzi” into our everyday lexicon. The term is named after Charles Ponzi, an Italian-born financier who would pay investors wildly generous returns without generating any profits from the investment, using money received from new investors. Essentially, he pocketed his clients’ money without investing it for them.

The Madoff scandal hit especially close to home for the Jewish community not only because he is Jewish, but also because of his philanthropic involvement in many worthy Jewish institutions and charities.

But should these charities keep the donations they received from Madoff? Or should they be legally or morally obligated to return the money to the defrauded Madoff clients?

We explore these fascinating questions in the light of Talmudic discourse and Jewish law in our second session of Headlines.

The Bible Course

Part 3: The Book of Judges

Lesson 2

With Rabbi Eliyahu Schusterman

Immerse yourself in the richness of the Jewish Scriptures and discover in the ancient texts hidden meanings that have been lost over centuries of translations. Delve into the fascinating world of the ancient prophets of Israel. Peel back the layers of translation and savor the true Hebrew prophecies as they were originally proclaimed. This series focuses on the dramatic stories and powerful messages contained in the Book of Judges.

Where Do I Fit In?

The Synthesis between Community and Individual

What makes you most proud? Your individual accomplishments, or your contribution to the community? Are those perhaps the same thing? What if they clash? And which one is more important? Sacrificial goats, the tablets at Sinai, and the breastplate of the High Priest are the surprising authors of insightful commentary on these very questions.

Art and Soul

Creativity as a Means to Touch the Divine

Musicians, dancers, photographers, poets, artists, and others bursting with creativity endow our world with color, meaning, and beauty. At the core of such abundant creativity lies an unbridled spirit, a freedom of expression, and boundless energy. How does that jive with a religious lifestyle that appears so restrictive and limiting?

Connecting Words

The Art of Conflict Resolution

"For good ideas and true innovation, you need human interaction, conflict, argument, debate."

-Margaret Hefferman

Jews do not shy away from conflict. From biblical disagreements to today's petty politics, Jews are infamous for the passionate diversity of their views. On occasion, this has invited disaster, but it has also resulted in deeper unity, profundity, and progress. This lesson unmasks the means of harnessing diversity of opinion and temperament to produce richer and more meaningful relationships and a more balanced society.

The Art of Giving - Part 8

"The Cosmic Mirror"

(Recorded at the Intown Jewish Academy on March 4, 2018)

It's easy to feel insignificant. The universe is vast, and so is the realm of the metaphysical. But the Kabbalists share a very important teaching related this.

The Kabbalists reveal that not only are our actions significant, they effect the entire universe and the totality of the spiritual realm. What we do literally changes everything in existence and preceding existence.

This is the "Cosmic Mirror," where the macrocosm of the universe perfectly reflects the microcosm of the human being. It's a transformative teaching, and it's the subject of this session of Kabbalah & Coffee.