The Rabbi's Husband

Marissa Streit, CEO of PragerU, is Mark’s very special guest on the podcast today. A Los Angeles native, Marissa moved to Israel at a young age, where she completed her primary education and served in military intelligence of the Israeli Defense Force. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Business and Economics from UCLA, a master’s degree in Education and Non-Profit Management from American Jewish University, and joined PragerU, one of the most respected, go-to resources for conservative ideas, in 2011. The passage she has chosen to discuss with Mark today is Exodus 20:7.

Marissa begins by reciting the passage in both Hebrew and English, and focuses on its translation of ‘carry God’s name’ as the basis for the meaning it holds for her. She and Mark then explore why this is one of the most important of the Ten Commandments, the significance of these Commandments having been given outside of Israel, and the current occurrences of people doing horrible things in God’s name – the one unforgivable sin. They also examine people’s need for meaning in their lives, as well as the dangers of creating God in our image and pursuing ‘Godly causes’ of our own design. Marissa finishes up by sharing the lessons about humankind that she has learned, leading to a further discussion of God’s love of diversity in people.

Episode Highlights:

· Marissa’s reading of the passage in both Hebrew and English and its meaning for her · ‘Carry God’s name’ · Why it is one of the most important commandments · The significance of the Ten Commandments being given outside of Israel · People doing horrible things in God’s name in current times · The one unforgivable sin · Craving a craving · Creating God in our image · The dangers of substituting yourself, your cause, or your belief for God · The lessons that Marissa has learned about humankind · The four different personality types – eagles, parrots, doves, and owls · God’s love of diversity

Quotes:

“You cannot use My name to do something bad.”

“Possibly one of the most important commandments and that is because if people allow themselves to use God’s name to do evil, what kind of a world are we going to be living in?”

“God doesn’t want us to do horrible things to other people in His name.”

“These are rules for humanity, not just rules for people of Israel.”

“That’s the one unforgivable sin – to use My name to do evil.”

“Just within the first few commandments, we’re given a true…prediction of what happens in an atheist or a world that moves away from the Ten Commandments.”

“Everybody yearns for God.”

“You should not replace God with literally anything.”

“More Bible and more Torah, specifically, is good for everybody on both sides to just remind each other that you should not do evil things to other people in the name of what you believe is a Godly cause.”

“Can you imagine what a beautiful community we would have if we could just say…’I may not agree with you, but…respect you…and I can learn from you’?”

“A little more humility on all sides will bring us together and will bring us peace.”

“Everyone I see, I can learn from.”

“All humans need different perspectives always in their lives.”

“Understanding that humans function in such different ways has been very helpful to me.”

Exodus 20:7 You shall not swear falsely by the name of the LORD your God; for the LORD will not clear one who swears falsely by His name. https://www.sefaria.org/Exodus.20.7?lang=en&with=all&lang2=en

Links:

The Rabbi’s Husband homepage: http://therabbishusband.com/

Mark’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/markgerson?lang=en

The Rabbi’s Husband Newsletter contact: [email protected]

Mark is delighted to welcome Mishy Harman, Co-Founder, Host and Executive Producer of ‘Israel Story’, to the podcast today. Essentially an Israeli version of ‘This American Life’, ‘Israel Story’ chronicles the story of Israelis, including Eli Beer of United Hatzalah, and has hundreds of thousands of listeners in over 190 countries around the world. Mishy is a Jerusalemite who has served in the IDF, graduated from Harvard, and received his Ph.D at the Hebrew University. He has chosen ‘one of the great passages of the Bible’, Genesis 7-8, to discuss with Mark today. Mishy begins by sharing his summary of the passage, its significance for him, and some examples of flood stories from other cultures. He and Mark then explore God’s reason for choosing Noah, the sources of this story, Noah’s righteousness and his response to God, and the notion of walking ahead of God rather than with Him. They also examine why God doesn’t destroy everyone in this story, and what would be put in the ark these days. Mishy draws the conversation to a close by sharing the lessons he has learned about humankind, along with examples of these lessons, and the ways that people can surprise us. As Mark states, this is an ‘awesome and eternal passage which continues to yield lessons every time anyone studies it’, and today’s episode offers a prime example of this fact. Episode Highlights: · Mishy’s summary of the passage and why it’s significant for him · Flood stories from other cultures · Why God picks Noah · The sources of the Noah story · Noah’s righteousness and his response to God · Walking ahead of God · Why God doesn’t destroy everybody and start over · What would we put in Noah’s ark today? · The lessons that Mishy has learned about humankind · Examples which illustrate these lessons · Being surprised by people Quotes: “In many ways, the ark is a Voyager.” “It’s kind of a collective reward, really. They, and we as an extension, are reaping the benefits of Noah being righteous.” “God gave us the gift of creation and of re-creation, but that gift is in words, and Noah never uses them.” “He’s waiting for Noah to, sort of, pushback, and then nothing happens?” “It is so hard to be a good person in a bad culture.” “He never inspires anybody.” “God’s waiting for an argument that never comes.” “There’s something, sort of, I think, similarly beautiful about that kind of hopefulness that comes out of this mass destruction.” “God loves diversity, properly understood.” “God said He won’t destroy the world again, but He doesn’t say ‘You won’t’. It’s an ominous passage, particularly for the atomic age.” “We have indeed subjugated the entire planet to our purposes, and that is leading us in very scary and disastrous directions.” “I’ve learned how different we all are really fundamentally, and…how similar we all are.” “What I’ve learned…is…how rarely people actually conform to these stereotypes that we apply to them.” “By stripping the visual element and just hearing a voice, it allows you to actually listen to what people are saying, and not have it tainted by your stereotypes.”  

https://www.sefaria.org/Genesis.7.1-8.22?lang=en&aliyot=0  Links: The Rabbi’s Husband homepage:  http://therabbishusband.com/ Mark’s Twitter:  https://twitter.com/markgerson?lang=en The Rabbi’s Husband Newsletter contact: [email protected]

Pastor Freddy Washington Jr. is Mark’s very special guest on the podcast this week. Freddy is a worship leader and songwriter who began his career in music production and later garnered Grammy, Stellar and Dove Award nominations for production with several artists in Gospel and Christian music. He has traveled throughout the world, leading worship and preaching the Gospel message of hope, and has also released his own full-length album entitled ‘The Jesus Record’. The text he has chosen to discuss with Mark is Genesis 50.

The conversation starts off with Freddy sharing his summary of the passage, its significance for him, and the demonstration of God’s favor on Joseph’s life found within it. He and Mark then embark upon an extensive discussion regarding forgiveness, including its invention, the lessons from the text regarding it, its divine nature, and why it is so very necessary these days. They also explore the notions of God working in every moment of our lives, His greater plan for each of us, the stupidity of lying, and Joseph’s transformation. As every guest does, Freddy draws the episode to a close by sharing the lessons he has learned about humankind. Given the current state of the world, today’s conversation eliciting this text’s eternal lesson regarding how to respond to those who wrong you, could not be more timely.

Episode Highlights:

· Freddy’s summary of the passage and its significance for him · God’s favor on Joseph’s life · The invention of the idea of forgiveness · What this passage teaches about how to treat those who wrong us · The divine nature of forgiveness and why it is so necessary these days · God’s greater plan for us · The stupidity of lying · Joseph’s transformation · God working in every moment of our lives · The lessons that Freddy has learned about humankind

Quotes:

“His greatness, even though he’s a Jew, is acknowledged by the Egyptians.”

“God, He does want us to mourn, and I think it’s healthy.”

“Joseph invents forgiveness.”

“The notion of forgiveness is so counterintuitive, it’s almost divine. It almost has to come from God because it makes no sense.”

“You can very easily respond to evil with evil without God, but it really does take the power of God to respond to evil with love and forgiveness and genuine forgiveness. “

“He engages in an act of reframing.”

“None of us know what God has earmarked us for.”

“This was all part of God’s plan.”

“We have the luxury of hindsight…but he didn’t.”

“The fingerprints of God were all over every moment of Joseph’s life, just orchestrating and handcrafting this story that I think would speak to us today.”

“God’s been with me all along.”

“It’s so hard for us to remember just that God’s with us in the day-to-day.”

“God you can have every part of my life…that’s the best way to live.”

“Surrender everything you’ve got to God.”

Genesis 50 - https://www.sefaria.org/Genesis.50.1-26?lang=en&with=all&lang2=en

Links:

The Rabbi’s Husband homepage: http://therabbishusband.com/

Mark’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/markgerson?lang=en

Jonathan Tobin, Editor-in-Chief of the Jewish News Syndicate (JNS), joins Mark on the podcast today. In addition to his role of leading the JNS in its syndication of Jewish articles and essays to Jewish newspapers all across the country, Jonathan also writes articles, essays, or columns, for the JNS on a daily basis, which are almost always its best content. On top of all that, he is also a contributing writer for National Review and a columnist for the New York Post, Haaretz and other publications. The passage he has chosen to discuss is 1 Samuel 8:10.

Jonathan begins by describing his discipline as a writer, and sharing his summary of the passage, its meaning for him, and its relevance to the 2020 American election. He and Mark then discuss its focus on executive powers, Theodor Herzl and the need for Zionism and a Jewish State, the need to conform in certain ways, and Samuel’s choice of Saul as king. They also examine Israel’s journey to becoming a holy nation, the two different Jewish votes, and Jonathan draws the episode to a close by sharing the two lessons he has learned about humankind. As you listen in today, you will quickly discover precisely why Mark considers Jonathan ‘one of the most consistently interesting, instructive, and enlightening columnists in America today’, and how his analysis of ‘Samuel and American political sociology’ in this episode offers many valuable lessons and insights so very necessary for these turbulent times.

Episode Highlights:

· Jonathan’s discipline as a writer · His summary of the passage and its meaning for him · Its relevance to the current American election · Its focus on executive powers · Theodor Herzl and the need for Zionism and a Jewish State · Conforming in certain ways · Samuel’s choice of Saul as king · Becoming a holy nation · The two different Jewish votes · The lessons about humankind that Jonathan has learned

Quotes:

“I don’t get to all the ideas that I have.”

“We want to be like other nations…we need someone who can galvanize us.”

“You are going to regret this.”

“Samuel in a sense is the first Libertarian.”

“We hear you, we still want the king.”

“God is your king, you’re not like other people…you are a covenantal people.”

“The Jews were never going to be…treated by others as normal, and will never behave normally.”

“We have been struggling for more than 3000 years with this conundrum about how we need…normalcy, we need to be able to defend ourselves. In our own day, we need Zionism, we need a State of Israel, but we’re never really going to be normal.”

“In order to be great, you have to do some things the same as everybody else.”

“It means Israel should have an army and thus enable itself to be special.”

“Universalism is the parochialism of the Jews. We’re never quite satisfied.”

“We have this God that keeps asking us to be different, to be special – something that we struggle with, we resist, and yet we’re always drawn back to it one way or the other.”

“There’s probably no two groups in America that vote differently than Reform Jews and Orthodox Jews.”

“The dichotomy is actually growing…much like the rest of America which is becoming more partisan.”

“People believe what they want to believe.”

“If you will it, there is no dream.”

1 Samuel 8:10 Samuel reported all the words of the LORD to the people, who were asking him for a king. https://www.sefaria.org/I_Samuel.8.10?lang=en&with=all&lang2=en

Links:

The Rabbi’s Husband homepage: http://therabbishusband.com/

Mark’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/markgerson?lang=en

The Rabbi’s Husband Newsletter contact: [email protected]

Pastor Gerald D.A. Murphy is Mark’s very special guest on the podcast today. Gerald received his Master’s Degree in Christian History and Theology from Ashland Theological Seminary, and he currently serves as the Director of Community Development with Catalyst For Columbus, and is the Pastor of the Columbus Dream Center. The passage he has chosen to discuss with Mark is Genesis 15:1.

Gerald begins by sharing his summary of the passage, its meaning for him, and the notion of how God wants to be understood by humanity which he finds within it. He and Mark then explore the significance of God telling Abraham not to be afraid and choosing stars as an analogy for the number of his children, as well as Abraham’s challenge to God and how it relates to us choosing to bring our doubts to God. They also examine Abraham’s reward of his covenant relationship with God, and how Martin Luther King internalized this passage. Gerald concludes the discussion by sharing the lessons he has learned about humankind, which leads to a further discussion regarding what many people expect about having a relationship with God. As you listen in today, you will quickly discover that Gerald has much to teach us all as he turns his formidable analysis to this ‘awesome passage of Genesis 15:1 and the existential questions that follow’.

Episode Highlights:

Quotes:

“God, He actually defines Himself, He names Himself.”

“God wanted…to be known as Abraham’s shield, his defense, and as his exceedingly great reward, and I believe it’s profound to consider out of all of the characteristics, out of all of the attributes, of God, those were the two that he chose to bring Abraham into the understanding of first.”

“The prohibition against fear is the most frequently uttered thing in the Torah.”

“God seems to want the challenge.”

“Bring Me the challenge. Bring Me the doubt.”

“When you truly have faith in God, you’re not fearing any man.”

“When God becomes your reward, you can have contentment.”

“The hope was there even if he wasn’t going to see the fulfillment of it.”

“You cannot have a Torah without Moses.”

“This idea of God being the reward, I think, is so pervasive in the scriptures and, you know, the Word, and it’s just something that grounds us and it’s something that can really become an anchor for how we approach life.”

“The true mark of a great person, or really a good person, is that they will die with their work unfinished.”

“When God’s our reward, that courage, that fearlessness will absolutely be there.”

“There is an unceasing desire that we have to earn what has been freely given to us in our relationship with God.”

“Responding to God and worship is a lot more natural than I believe most would consider it to be.”

“We see from the beginning that it’s always been Him initiating relationship with us.”

Genesis 15:1 Some time later, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision. He said, “Fear not, Abram, I am a shield to you; Your reward shall be very great.” https://www.sefaria.org/Genesis.15.1?lang=en&with=all&lang2=en

Links:

The Rabbi’s Husband homepage: http://therabbishusband.com/

Mark’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/markgerson?lang=en

Mark is absolutely delighted to welcome his great friend, Doron Spielman, to the podcast today. Since 2000, Doron has served as a spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in the IDF’s Spokesperson’s Unit, and he continues to serve in this unit for frequent reserve duty. He is also one of the founders and leaders of the City of David, the ancient Jerusalem tourist and archaeological site, which Mark and his wife, Rabbi Erica, consider ‘the most important place in the world, perhaps’. The passage he has selected to discuss with Mark is Genesis 33.

Their conversation begins with Doron explaining the reason he changed universities, his description of Ir David, the turning point in his life that brought him to the City of David, and Mark’s recommendation to watch Erick Stakelbeck’s series on the City of David. They then turn their attention to the passage itself, engaging in an extensive exploration of the significant moments within it, Jacob’s story leading up to it, his trickery, deception, and diplomacy, and the notion of truth in his family. The passage’s relevance to The Abraham Accords and the current challenge that Doron sees for the State of Israel is also explored, as are relationships between Jewish people and Gentiles, and the two meanings of the word ‘enough’ within the Bible. As with all episodes, today’s closes with the lessons our guest has learned about humankind. Genesis 33 abounds with lessons for society today, particularly with regards to the State of Israel.

Episode Highlights:

Quotes:

“The moment I went to the University of Michigan, my trajectory was really on course to move to Israel and it prepared me for a lot of what I would face.”

“This was a sensible woman, educated at the University of Michigan, who no longer felt any justification whatsoever for the State of Israel and was leading what became the BDS movement.”

“The City of David…is actually the biblical site of Jerusalem.”

“The City of David has been recognized as the most important archeological site in the State of Israel.”

“You realize the Bible’s unfolding in front of your eyes.”

“He doesn’t get a sword, he gets a hug.”

“I’ve made peace, but I am different…I will protect my generations.”

“That’s no way to treat your brother!”

“There is a very fine line between diplomacy and deception.”

“Who are we going to be as a people now that our defenses are somewhat going down?”

“The trickery that we see in Genesis is one of the reasons why we need a State of Israel.”

“When there’s a Jewish state, we can be forthright, we can be direct, we can have incredible relationships with our gentile friends and allies, and grow together with them, not as one people, as two peoples.”

“David and Bathsheba did what Isaac and Rebekah didn’t do.”

“One story teaches the next and they all teach us.”

“That magical sense - that is what the City of David produces in people.”

“We are all important people in a story that is much larger than ourselves.”

“There is a child inside every single person.”

Genesis 33 - https://www.sefaria.org/Genesis.33.1-20?lang=en&with=all&lang2=en

Links:

The Rabbi’s Husband homepage: http://therabbishusband.com/

Mark’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/markgerson?lang=en

Technology entrepreneur, Ryan Williams, is Mark’s guest on the podcast this week. Having started his first business at age 13, Ryan went on to graduate from Harvard College, and is currently the Co-Founder and CEO of Cadre, a highly successful online marketplace that provides institutions and individuals access to previously inaccessible quality real estate and alternative investment opportunities. Along the way, he has worked at The Blackstone Group in its real estate private equity division, and at Goldman Sachs in its technology, media, and telecom group. The passage he has chosen to discuss today is Psalms 23.

Ryan begins by reciting the passage and sharing its significance for him, which finds its roots in his childhood. He and Mark then explore the significance of David’s experience as a shepherd, particularly in elucidating the sheep-shepherd relationship, the passage’s interwoven themes, and the enlightening context provided by the actual criteria for sheep to ‘lie down’. Ryan then reveals how his experience as a CEO has impacted his faith, describes his personal relationship with God, and recounts an absolutely beautiful moment when he was moved by God to speak at his grandfather’s funeral. As is the tradition on the podcast, our guest concludes by sharing the lessons he has learned about humankind. Ryan’s passionate tale of how this passage, ‘one of the most well known pieces of human thought’, has been an intimate part of his life from childhood to present day, influencing the way he works and leads his company, provides yet another striking example of the guiding and inspiring power of the Bible in the world and in our lives.

Episode Highlights:

Quotes:

“This is the first psalm, first verse I ever memorized growing up, you know, something my dad made sure I memorized and had to recite in front of my church and he had done as well.”

“The perfect reading for anyone looking for comfort in the midst of a storm from a very deeply personal place.”

“We oftentimes think that we’re walking alone.”

“When there’s a shadow, there’s always light.”

“The ultimate shepherd is always there for me.”

“I make sure our team doesn’t get too high or too low.”

“It’s universal and I’m trying to make sure that I apply these lessons David has, as the shepherd to my flock, to my sheep, at Cadre.”

“Faith was the thing my family always leaned on, and I could lean on, and that goes back generations.”

“You have to be open to it.”

“They saw a child go up there and speak from a place of love and care, and someone that was inspired by God.”

“We’re all a lot more similar than different.”

“Open dialogue and conversation can solve a lot.”

“We’re all sheep and our ultimate shepherd is the Lord.”

“Our ability to come together under Him, with Him, for Him, I believe will lead to greater prosperity, fulfillment and love for all – something we all want.”

Psalms 23 - https://www.sefaria.org/Psalms.23.1-6?lang=en&with=all&lang2=en

Links:

The Rabbi’s Husband homepage: http://therabbishusband.com/

Mark’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/markgerson?lang=en

Mark is delighted to welcome Pastor Max Wilkins, to the podcast today. Max is the President and CEO of TMS Global, an organization that exists to mobilize and deploy the body of Christ globally to join Jesus in His mission, especially among the least-reached people. Prior to taking on this role, Max served as a Pastor in Florida and Hawaii for 26 years, and he has also served and taught in more than three dozen countries around the world. The passage he has chosen is Daniel 5, which is one that Mark had never read, and is also where one of the most familiar expressions in our language comes from.

Max begins the conversation by sharing his summary of the passage, highlighting Daniel’s legacy, and, with Mark, revealing the many parallels in the lives of Daniel and Joseph. They continue by exploring the ability to interpret dreams, understanding God’s message for us, the highest form of prayer, as well as the Jewish conception of prayer. Max also details how he uses this passage to teach about leadership and explains his concept of ‘dream releasers’. The episode concludes with the lessons Max has learned about humankind, which lead into a fascinating discussion regarding the presence of true evil within people and the world. Max’s love for this passage, the lessons it teaches, and its application in our everyday lives, is palpable throughout, rendering this yet another ‘must listen’ episode of the Rabbi’s Husband podcast.

Episode Highlights:

Quotes:

“A hand appears and begins to write letters on the wall.”

“We see what a life of faithfulness has created in Daniel, what his legacy is, what the Lord has done in his life that has made him such a great leader and a great child of God.”

“It really indicates the spirit of a person that is so deeply rooted in the Word of God, that they’re able to make sense of what God is saying in people’s lives, even when the people themselves are not able to make sense of it.”

“Just as many people today who don’t take the time to study Torah or the Word of God, they’re confused by things that seem obvious to people who have rooted themselves in what God is saying.”

“I’ve always believed that meditation on the Word of God is the highest form of prayer.”

“Prayer transforms ourselves.”

“Every human being can develop these characteristics by simply rooting themselves in God’s Word, by being diligent in pursuing God.”

“I think the best leadership is when we can help other people become everything that God wants them to become.”

“God obviously has dreams and plans for the lives of His children, and sometimes they need someone who’s deeply rooted in the things of God to come alongside them and release those dreams.”

“The writing is on the wall, you just have to read it.”

“No matter how tarnished it is…there is the residual glory of God to some degree in every human being that we encounter and…it’s worth making the effort to find that, and to focus on that.”

“Everybody that we encounter in life, every human being, has something to teach us if we’re willing to learn.”

“Son, stick your finger in a glass of water and pull it out and tell me about the size of the hole it leaves.”

“There’s pure evil in the world.”

“Part of my responsibility as one who seeks after the Lord is to try to see the Glory of God in situations and even in people, and I will grant you that there are people that I have not been able to find the glory of God in.”

Daniel 5 - https://www.sefaria.org/Daniel.5.1-30?lang=en&with=all&lang2=en

Links:

The Rabbi’s Husband homepage: http://therabbishusband.com/

Mark’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/markgerson?lang=en

Mark is delighted to welcome Rabbi Brandon Bernstein to the podcast today. Having grown up in Palmdale, California, Brandon received a BA in Comparative Literature from the University of California, Berkeley, and rabbinical ordination from the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in New York. He has served as the Campus Rabbi at Northwestern Hillel, and is currently the Director of Jewish Learning at Moishe House. He has chosen Genesis 4:1-12, the story of Cain and Abel, to discuss with Mark today.

Their conversation describes the events in this very important story, and touches on numerous lessons that it imparts along the way. Their exploration looks at topics such as the most important lesson in the Torah, the examples of polygamy and the interpretations of dreams within the Torah, sibling rivalry, Cain’s sin and the nature of sin itself, the indispensability of philosophy and interpretation, and the reason for the absence of words to be found in the text when Cain apparently speaks to Abel before killing him. Taking responsibility for others, Cain’s punishment and the tragedy of ‘what will never be’ as a result of his actions, and the highest commandment in Judaism are all examined as well, before Brandon concludes the episode by sharing the lessons he has learned about humankind. Woven throughout their far-reaching discussion are the many ways these lessons and topics relate to life today, and you will undoubtedly find yourself caught up in the extensive level of knowledge, enthusiasm, and passion prevalent in this ‘fascinating discussion about so many subjects emanating from the great story of Cain and Abel’.

Episode Highlights:

Quotes:

“We constantly see these narratives where they just seem to be poking at the established rules.”

“Every time we see polygamy in the Torah, it’s a complete disaster.”

“Abel is probably the guy we want to be in a certain way…the reality is we’re all Cain, we’re all ones of substance.”

“You have the choice, Cain, you could be doing good things or bad things.”

“Our interpretations are going to have massively important consequences.”

“Realizing that you are a supporting character in someone else’s dream – that’s self-awareness…essentially, we’re all Abel to each other.”

“If you treat the world as though the people around you are just passing by and don’t matter, you are likely to find sin crouching at your door like Cain did.”

“It’s not about me, it’s about other people.”

“Of course, you are your brother’s keeper.”

“He is caught up in protecting his reputation, rather than owning his deeds.”

“He’s a total narcissist…it’s a sin of character, which may be the worst kind of sin.”

“We will follow what we do.”

“You could have been better than your brother, instead you’re worse than your father.”

“Earth right now has the potential to be Heaven or Hell for us.”

“We need to detach from that ego.”

“Everybody has as much complexity of thought, as much depth of character, as much, you know, just so much going on inside them as you do.”

Genesis 4:1-12 - https://www.sefaria.org/Genesis.4.1-12?lang=en&with=all&lang2=en

Links:

The Rabbi’s Husband homepage: http://therabbishusband.com/

Mark’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/markgerson?lang=en

Rabbi Dovid M. Cohen is Mark’s very special guest on the podcast today. Currently the Rabbi of Congregation Ohr Torah in North Woodmere, NY, Rabbi Cohen is also an attorney and a Senior Relationship Officer at YACHAD, a thriving global organization dedicated to addressing the needs of all Jewish individuals with disabilities and ensuring their inclusion in every aspect of Jewish life. He has a law degree from Columbia Law School, a Masters degree in Family Therapy from the University of North Texas, and he maintains a small therapy practice in the 5 Towns area. The passage he has chosen to discuss with Mark today is Genesis 2:24.

Rabbi Cohen begins the discussion by sharing his summary of the passage, its significance for him, and the interpretation of it, which involves transitioning from a taker to a giver, that he has adopted. He and Mark then engage in a fascinating conversation where they explore alternate interpretations, the ethic this passage communicates, and how it relates to the counseling which the Rabbi offers. They also examine the goal of marriage and to ‘get to Aryeh Levin’, the story behind Rabbi Cohen’s involvement in YACHAD, and the distinction between marriage and partnership. As all guests do, Rabbi Cohen finishes the discussion with the lessons he has learned about humankind. Today’s episode presents a brilliant demonstration of the Torah’s openness to interpretation as well as the eternal truths it presents, both of which are exemplified in the analysis of this passage which truly ‘should be the basis of all Jewish, and maybe Gentile, marital counseling’.

Episode Highlights:

Quotes:

“We now have to assume that position of the giver as opposed to the childlike taker.”

“It must have been a problem in biblical days of parents remaining too involved in the lives of their married children – incredible, some things never end!”

“You’re supposed to individuate, you’re supposed to mature.”

“In early years of marriage, you do see a lot of issues that are connected to families of origin, in-law overreaching, particularly if people aren’t financially independent.”

“Our relationships have to change in different periods of time.”

“In many instances, the 10 or 15 year-old child is actually the parent in the relationship with the 40 and 50 year-old.”

“He is kind of setting a tone for what’s to come.”

“These are all kind of essential basics, foundational concepts to Jewish marriage, 100 percent.”

“I think what the Torah is saying here is that the goal of the process of the whole marriage over many, many years is to reach this high level where…we’re really one.”

“There’s no real Jewish notion of independence, it’s a notion of interdependence.”

“A person, an individual, has to be able to bind himself or herself to the community, to others.”

“I think at the end of the day, there is goodness in everybody, but sometimes you have to dig very deep to unearth it.”

“You kind of have to make your own mazel…create our own opportunities.”

“The Jewish story never ends…just know you’re going to die unfulfilled and that’s okay.”

Genesis 2:24 Hence a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife, so that they become one flesh. https://www.sefaria.org/Genesis.2.24?lang=en&with=all&lang2=en

Links:

The Rabbi’s Husband homepage: http://therabbishusband.com/

Mark’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/markgerson?lang=en