The Fifth Question

Welcome back to The Fifth Question Podcast — I’m your host, Daniel Levine.

In today’s wildly unexpected episode, I sit down with ‪@DavidWilberBlog‬ — a popular Christian writer, teacher, and theologian — who makes a provocative case: Christians should be keeping Jewish (biblical/Mosaic) law.This is Part 1 of a longer conversation, and it focuses on David’s framework as a Christian who practices Torah observance through Messianic Judaism — what he describes as a “Jewish form of Christianity” rooted in first-century practice.✅ What We Cover in Part 1In this episode, we unpack:🔹 Torah & ChristianityWhy David believes Jesus and the apostles affirmed the Torah rather than abolishing itWhat “pronomian” theology is (pro-law) and why he argues “antinomian” Christianity (anti-law) misreads Scripture🔹 The Practical Questions Everyone AsksWhat does “keeping biblical law” actually mean day-to-day?Sabbath: how do you define “rest” without the Talmud?Kashrut (kosher laws): how do Messianic Christians decide what counts as kosher?Can you eat a cheeseburger if the Torah only says “don’t boil a calf in its mother’s milk”?🔹 Paul: Did He Reject Jewish Law?We go deep into the biggest controversy:The classic Protestant/Lutheran reading of Paul vs. newer scholarshipThe “New Perspective on Paul” (including E.P. Sanders)“Paul within Judaism” and scholars like Mark Nanos and Matthew ThiessenActs 21, James, and whether Paul’s practice was actually Torah-observant🔹 Anti-Jewish Theology & Church HistoryDavid’s experience being called a “Judaizer”Early Christian hostility to Torah practice (Justin Martyr, John Chrysostom)Why he argues many modern Christians are “not Protestant enough” — if Protestantism means returning to original roots🔹 Messiah, Law, and the End of DaysWe explore a fascinating philosophical/theological tension:If the Messiah has come (Jesus), why would the law still be necessary?Jewish mystical theories of law changing in the messianic age (Gershom Scholem, Kabbalistic thought)David’s argument from the prophets (Ezekiel 36; Torah “written on the heart”) and Matthew 5 (“not one jot or tittle…”)🎧 Part 2 Coming SoonBecause this conversation ran long, Part 2 will drop in a couple of days — and that’s where we flip the script and get into:Jews for JesusWhy Jews don’t accept JesusA 45-minute debate on “evidence” for Jesus as Messiah (Bible + philosophy + epistemology)➡️ Subscribe so Part 2 shows up automatically when it drops.👍 Support the ChannelIf you enjoyed this conversation, please like, comment, and subscribe — it genuinely helps the show reach more people.Now, here’s Part 1 with David Wilber.#christain #jesus #jewishthought #jewishlaw #rabbi

I recently appeared on the Rabbi Avi Show to unpack my views on a variety of hot topics including:Zionism, intermarriage, antisemitism, campus life, American politics, and much more!#interfaithlove #campus #trump #gaza #interfaith Please Like, comment, and subscribe :)

Andrew Pessin joins me again to trace the 19th-century ideas that made political Zionism feel almost inevitable—emancipation, nationalism, Marxism, Darwinism, and the rise of modern racial antisemitism. From there we unpack The Protocols of the Elders of Zion: what it claimed, where it came from, why it spread, and how conspiratorial antisemitism still echoes in the way Israel and Jews are talked about today.We also discuss why it was so hard for many Jews to “see the writing on the wall” in real time, how antisemitism shifts forms across eras, and Andrew’s new project: the Institute for the Critical Study of Anti-Zionism.Topics include:Why the 1800s set the stage for ZionismEnlightenment-era “emancipation” and its limitsNationalism and the “state within a state” fearDarwinism, “scientific racism,” and modern antisemitismThe origins and influence of ProtocolsHow conspiracy thinking mutates and survivesAndrew’s Institute for the Critical Study of Anti-Zionism#zionisme #rabbi #herzl #israel #palestine #gaza #holocaustremembrance #trump

In this wide-ranging conversation, I’m joined by former Congressman Reid Ribble (Wisconsin’s 8th District) to unpack the biggest political questions shaping America right now: the rise of antisemitism across the political spectrum, Trump’s political impact (and contradictions), Israel/Ukraine and U.S. foreign policy, the national debt, entitlement reform, immigration, and why Congress feels increasingly broken.We begin with headlines and lived realities—from antisemitic violence and campus controversies to the broader cultural currents driving polarization—then zoom out to examine populism, institutional leadership, free speech vs. protection of Jewish students, and the politics of outrage in the social media era. Ribble also reflects on why he left Congress, how internal House rules changed lawmaking, and what it would take to restore bipartisan problem-solving.Topics include:Antisemitism and populism (right + left)Political leadership and institutional accountabilityTrump, Israel, and the “playing both sides” dynamicThe Antisemitism Awareness Act + IHRA definition debateFree speech vs. protecting students from intimidation/violenceWhy Ribble retired from CongressCongress, closed rules, and the concentration of powerNational debt: modern monetary theory vs. “borrowing from ourselves”Ukraine, Israel, and American support for alliesImmigration, workforce needs, and declining birth rates2028 presidential candidates and party realignment

I recently appeared on the Don't Know Much About podcast with Naya Lekht to discuss my philosophy of Israel and Jewish Education.To listen to the last episode I did with Naya see here: https://youtu.be/bsodVJMFX-U?si=0PpJzK31WNX9Kb1V#holocaustremembrance #israel #orthodoxjudaism #reformjudaism #jewishidentity Jewish History, Politics, Israel, Antisemitism, and Zionism - I cover it all.If you appreciate these episodes please like, comment, and subscribe!Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/daniel.levine.31/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rabbidaniellevine/#israel #rabbi #jewish #WhatisZionism #dojews ?

Martin Luther King Jr. Day is often used to project modern political causes onto a man who can no longer speak for himself. In this episode, I take a closer look at how MLK’s legacy—particularly his clear support for the Jewish community and Zionism—has been reinterpreted, distorted, and in some cases erased by today’s activist movements.We talk about the growing trend of folding anti-Israel ideology into social justice spaces, the attempt to cast MLK as an anti-Zionist figure despite his own words, and why that framing collapses under even minimal historical scrutiny. From post-1967 geopolitics to campus activism, from media narratives to selective memory, this episode asks a simple question: why are people so determined to remake MLK in their own image?MLK was explicit about where he stood. Ignoring that isn’t progress—it’s revisionism.If you find this conversation valuable, don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe to help keep these discussions going.#mlk #blacklivematter #zionisme #israel #progressive #ice #abolishthepolice

For my first conversation with Rabbi Tarlan see here: https://youtu.be/g3Nnmh85gRg?si=VLydkG2nV6GuV8EcThere’s been a major communications blackout in Iran — and while most people in the West barely saw it on the front page (if at all), people on the ground and their families abroad are living it in real time.Rabbi Tarlan Rabizadeh joins me to talk about what she’s hearing from friends and community members, how people are getting information out (VPNs, Starlink, scraps of footage), and why the story is so hard to cover — and so easy to ignore.We also get into the bigger picture: why the outrage machine that dominated social media for years seems… oddly quiet now, how authoritarian regimes use scapegoats (yes, including “Zionists”) as a default playbook, and what it means when the most basic human-rights crisis doesn’t fit neatly into a viral narrative.And at the end, Rabbi Tarlan says something that genuinely stuck with me: she doesn’t think she’d have the guts to do what people in Iran are doing right now — and honestly, I probably wouldn't either.Chapters / Topics:Internet blackouts + what families are hearingStarlink and why tech suddenly becomes “life or death”Why this isn’t leading the news cycleThe double standard in human-rights coverageIran, proxies, and the propaganda ecosystemWhat people can actually do: amplify, share, don’t look away#iran #iranrevolution #iranprotests #palestine #gaza #columbia ______________________________Jewish History, Politics, Israel, Antisemitism, and Zionism - I cover it all.Politics: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6QupJZ1HLY&list=PLQ3aQmFcYiCqqL-GSNw6NhSZWOvzaDdIKJewish History: https://youtu.be/1u4jHoZ8stM?si=0jZP4uhXlVEg2NOTAntisemitism: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCgnEZ1d24Q&list=PLQ3aQmFcYiCqkU_aPIJGbE1xTKEbkh8euFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/daniel.levine.31/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rabbidaniellevine/#israel #rabbi #jewish # WhatisZionism #dojews ?

In this episode, I’m joined by Daniel Buchierz — a Republican congressional candidate with an extraordinary, hard-earned perspective on the criminal justice system, homelessness, addiction, and public safety.Daniel shares a visceral story from 1991: how a minor marijuana charge escalated into a jury trial and years in maximum security, despite having no prior record — and how he spent decades fighting what he says was a due process failure and a conviction that never should have stood. He talks about what he lost when he came home, how addiction and homelessness followed, and the moment in prison that he describes as a spiritual awakening that changed the trajectory of his life.From there, we zoom out to policy:Legalizing marijuana (and why Daniel supports it from a libertarian-leaning perspective)The real drivers of homelessness, including drug addiction, mental illness, and money managementWhy “housing first” fails if treatment and accountability aren’t part of the planDaniel’s proposal for a structured, supervised program that pairs detox + work + savings + long-term stabilityThe tension between personal freedom vs. public order, and where government responsibility begins and endsWe also discuss the fentanyl crisis, border realities, and the ways policymakers (especially in blue states) can misunderstand what the epidemic looks like on the ground. Daniel shares what he’s seen near the border, and why he believes enforcement without follow-through is a revolving door.Finally, we pivot to Israel and antisemitism in American politics. Daniel speaks directly about standing with Israel, the rise of antisemitic rhetoric online, and what it’s like to take public heat for being explicit about those views.Follow Daniel: “Buchierz for Congress” (spelled like “Buttress,” but with a B and one R)Chapters (rough):00:00 Intro + Daniel’s story00:45 False accusation, trial, and prison time04:10 Release, loss, addiction, homelessness05:10 Faith and rebuilding06:00 Homelessness: causes and solutions11:00 Freedom vs enforcement + accountability20:30 Fentanyl, border gaps, and policy disconnects31:00 Israel, antisemitism, and political realignment44:20 ClosingIf you found this conversation interesting, please like, comment, and subscribe — it helps a lot.#israel #criminaljustice #homelessness #fentanyl #addictionrecovery #bordersecurity

In this episode, I sit down with former U.S. Congressman and former NYPD detective Anthony D’Esposito, who is also a Trump-appointed nominee for Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Labor. We cover the intersection of crime, policing, immigration, antisemitism (including on the right), congressional bipartisanship, and what he believes comes next for the Republican Party after Donald Trump.We begin with New York’s shifting political landscape and the policing debate—from cashless bail and discovery laws to public trust, crime reporting, and the political consequences playing out in and around NYC. We also discuss the role of federal coordination (including task forces and the National Guard debate), and how D’Esposito thinks about border security vs. immigration policy.Later, we pivot to Congress: bipartisanship in practice, the George Santos saga, and why D’Esposito says accountability has to start within your own party. We also talk about antisemitism across the political spectrum, including what he’d say to disaffected young men drawn toward extremist figures online.Finally, we explore how his Catholic faith shaped his support for Israel and the Jewish community—and his view of what defines the GOP’s future.If you enjoyed this conversation, please like, comment, and subscribe—it helps a lot.Chapters00:00 Intro00:40 Crime, policing, and NYC politics04:00 Cashless bail, discovery laws, and “crime vs reporting”09:40 Federal involvement + National Guard debate14:30 Immigration vs border security (and crime narratives)17:40 Bipartisanship in Congress23:10 George Santos: accountability and expulsion24:45 Antisemitism on the right + online radicalization31:40 Faith, Israel, and pilgrimages36:20 The future of the Republican Party after Trump42:30 Rep. Juan Ciscomani story + closingTopics we discussNYPD, crime trends, and criminal justice reformCashless bail, discovery rules, and judicial discretionFederal-local coordination: task forces and intelligence sharingImmigration vs border security (and political messaging)Bipartisanship and governing with slim majoritiesGeorge Santos and intra-party accountabilityAntisemitism on the left and rightOnline extremism and disaffected young menFaith, Israel, and political convictionPost-Trump Republican Party identity#politics #newyork #crime #congress #immigration #Antisemitism #israel #podcast #mamdani #republicanparty

In this episode, Adam Louis Klein explains why anti-Zionism is not simply criticism of Israel, but a modern ideological movement shaping campus activism, academia, and contemporary antisemitism.We explore how anti-Jewish hatred has evolved across history—from medieval anti-Judaism, to 19th-century racial antisemitism, to today’s anti-Zionism as a full-scale social and moral ideology. Adam argues that many debates within the Jewish community are fundamentally misframed, and that treating anti-Zionism as “just criticism of Israel” obscures its real function: stigmatization, moral inversion, and social coercion.This episode examines:Why the question “Is anti-Zionism antisemitism?” misses the pointAnti-Zionism as an ideology with its own genealogy, language, and tacticsHow Holocaust inversion, apartheid rhetoric, and settler-colonial frameworks function as modern libelsWhy traditional Jewish advocacy strategies fail against anti-Zionist movementsThe role of academia, post-colonial theory, and activist scholarship in mainstreaming these narrativesWhy anti-Zionism cannot be debated like a good-faith political position—and how to respond insteadThe psychological and sociological pressures leading some Jews to internalize anti-Zionist claimsHow Palestinian suffering is often exploited rather than alleviated by anti-Zionist ideologyRather than defending Israel point-by-point, this conversation makes the case for turning the lens outward—analyzing anti-Zionism itself as a historical, ideological, and moral phenomenon.This episode is essential listening for anyone grappling with campus activism, media narratives, Jewish identity, or the future of Jewish advocacy in the West.Timestamps / Chapters00:00 – What anti-Zionism actually is07:30 – Why “Is anti-Zionism antisemitism?” is the wrong question14:00 – Anti-Zionism as ideology, not debate23:40 – Holocaust inversion & modern libels35:00 – Academia, settler-colonial theory, and ideological capture44:30 – Why traditional Jewish advocacy fails55:00 – Internal Jewish conflict & moral confusion#israel #palestine #rabbi #jewishidentity #jewishthought