The Rabbi's Husband

Mark is delighted to welcome Jewish public intellectual, attorney and author, Jonathan Neumann, to the podcast today. A graduate of Cambridge University and the London School of Economics, Jonathan has been a fellow at Commentary magazine and has served as assistant editor at Jewish Ideas Daily. He is also the author of To Heal the World? How the Jewish Left Corrupts Judaism and Endangers Israel, and he discusses this book along with his selected passage of Numbers 14:22 with Mark here today.

Jonathan begins the conversation with his summary of the passage, its meaning for him, and his perspective on the ten tests mentioned within it. He and Mark also discuss the most important event from the passage, the consequences for slandering the land of Israel, women as the great Zionists, and the choice between serving Pharaoh or serving God. Jonathan also offers a glimpse into his new book and its exploration of the concept of ‘tikkun olam’, and he draws the conversation to a close with the lessons he has learned about mankind which hold particular relevance for the world today. This is a discussion which touches upon the very nature of the Torah and Judaism.

Episode Highlights:

Quotes:

“Clearly, at a basic level, the test of the spies is somehow the culmination.”

“The entire point of this whole exercise, from Exodus on, was to create a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation in the Promised Land. And God said, ‘Now, go do it’, and they totally blow it.”

“If you don’t have the courage and the strength to follow God’s directive…how are you going to do in the Promised Land? Not very well, so therefore God says, ‘It’s the next generation’.”

“If Moses had sent women, there would have been a different result…the great Zionists are usually the women.”

“Judaism makes no sense without Israel.”

“I’m going to make my relationship with the next generation.”

“You have a choice basically, you can be servants to Pharaoh and to the hubris of man, and a life with no meaning, or you can, in the Jewish world view, or the biblical world view, you can serve God instead and have a life with meaning, and that service…has to take place in the land of Israel. That is the whole point.”

“There is no basis for that contention that this understanding of tikkun olam as social justice has no basis in traditional Judaism.”

“Tikkun olam doesn’t appear a single time in the Bible, which is extraordinary.”

“Theologically, ultimately in the world view of Judaism, Judaism is meant to be done in the land of Israel.”

“I think it’s important that we all try to get out of our rigidity a bit and try to learn what there is to learn from the ‘others’.”

Numbers 14:22 none of the men who have seen My Presence and the signs that I have performed in Egypt and in the wilderness, and who have tried Me these many times and have disobeyed Me, https://www.sefaria.org/Numbers.14.22?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en

Links:

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

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

Award-winning American presidential historian and leading Zionist activist, Gil Troy, joins Mark on the podcast today. Gil’s many books include The Zionist Ideas: Visions for the Jewish Homeland – Then, Now, Tomorrow, as well as The Age of Clinton: America in the 1990s, and Moynihan’s Moment: America’s Fight against Zionism as Racism, and he is also a Distinguished Scholar in North American History at McGill University. The passage he has chosen to discuss with Mark today is Genesis 12:1-3.

The conversation begins with Gil sharing his summary of the passage, the meaning it holds for him, and his ‘Oreo’ analogy regarding Judaism, which is woven throughout the episode. He and Mark discuss the application of the ‘law of first mention’ within the passage, the multiple Jewish identities, and the importance of the trilogy of peoplehood, religion, and land. Gil goes on to explain the need to be both a good nationalist and a good universalist, his definition of ‘Pilates Judaism’, and the notions of mission and ‘going’ which the Bible presents. He concludes the episode with some details regarding his new book and the lessons he has learned about mankind, highlighting their connection to the theme of today’s passage. A skilled educator, Gil’s ability to take his remarkably enlightening analysis and render it thoroughly accessible and entertaining is on full display here today, bringing out so much meaning and so much relevance to our contemporary lives from this magnificent passage.

Episode Highlights:

Quotes:

“For me, it’s the moment when the Jewish people are born.”

“The Jewish people are both a nation and a religion.”

“You know you’re a part of this people, you’re never alone.”

“In that passage, we have Zionism, we have Jewish religiosity, we have Jewish peoplehood.”

“This passage invites us into that wonderful muddled middle.”

“Once you realize that you can achieve something great for God, and derivatively for yourself, you can do anything.”

“What the Bible brings us to is a sense of forward looking…we have a sense of mission.”

“We need a nationalism that isn’t about building walls, but is about…how to use our…religion and our nation to make ourselves better, and to make the world a better place.”

“We can…stand up for ourselves, but also we can help others…it’s not a false choice.”

“We humans have a remarkable capacity to endure, and I think this is an important message right now during this ongoing and seemingly never-ending crisis, and through that endurance, not just survive, but thrive and do good.”

Genesis 12:1-3 The LORD said to Abram, “Go forth from your native land and from your father’s house to the land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation, And I will bless you; I will make your name great, And you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you And curse him that curses you; And all the families of the earth Shall bless themselves by you.” https://www.sefaria.org/Genesis.12.1-3?lang=bi&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 and honored to welcome his friend, Rick Pino, to the podcast today. Rick is the founder of the Heart of David Movement, a community passionate about seeing Jesus glorified through day and night worship manifested through internships, schools, conferences and summits. He is a world famous Christian musician who performs concerts all over the world, and, in fact, he and Mark met through Eagles’ Wings in Jerusalem about a year ago when Rick performed in a concert that Mark describes as an unforgettable ‘beautiful Israel moment’. The passage Rick has chosen to discuss is 1 Samuel 16:7.

Their conversation begins with Rick explaining the passage, its context, and its meaning for him. He and Mark then discuss the themes of God looking into one’s heart and seeing potential, often in the least likely person. They also discuss how David will be defined, Rick’s perspective on the meaningful properties of music, and his remarkable experience with David Van Koevering. Rick also shares his analysis of Leonard Cohen’s ‘Hallelujah’, the meaning for him of his trip to Jerusalem with Eagles’ Wings, and, of course, the lessons regarding mankind which he has learned. Rick’s abundant knowledge of both scripture and music render him particularly qualified to analyze today’s passage, and you will discover that his unique insights here today are as fascinating as they are informative.

Episode Highlights:

Quotes:

“You cannot disciple a culture that has already discipled you.”

“God is actually looking supremely at the heart posture of humanity.”

“I believe that God…sees us at our whole potential.”

“Because I was faithful with little, I will be powerful with much.”

“What God sees in David is a young man committed to growth, committed to improvement.”

“I feel like music and singing is so powerful because it is a way to gigantically amplify the expression of a person’s heart, whether that’s for good or for evil.”

“Music touches every single part of who a human is.”

“God himself is a singer.”

“I think one of the things that we’re learning in the 21st Century is proving the truths that the biblical author knew.”

“It is actually one of the most life-changing trips that I have ever experienced.”

“Mankind deeply needs God.”

“The potential of mankind is absolutely limitless.”

1 Samuel 16:7 But the LORD said to Samuel, “Pay no attention to his appearance or his stature, for I have rejected him. For not as man sees [does the LORD see]; man sees only what is visible, but the LORD sees into the heart.” https://www.sefaria.org/I_Samuel.16.7?lang=bi&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 Zachary Karabell to the podcast today. Zachary is an author, columnist, podcast host, founder of the Progress Network at New America, and president of River Twice Research and River Twice Capital. He is also the most thoughtful commentator in the United States about macroeconomics, broadly defined, and his books and columns consistently articulate his distinctive philosophy of American economic optimism. The passage he has chosen to discuss today is Genesis 41:46-53.

Zachary begins by confirming his summary of the passage, which leads to a thorough discussion of its relevance to the current situation within the world, and the lessons it can teach everyone in this regard. He and Mark review these lessons intently by looking at the preparation for the pandemic, the human tendency to extrapolate the present to the future, the power of optimism as opposed to the paralytic effect of fear, and just how people should be acting during this crisis. Zachary wraps the episode up with his perspective on historical analogs to the current situation, and the lessons he has learned about mankind particularly as they relate to the topics discussed here today. As Zachary states, ‘biblical texts remain resonant’, and the many lessons that he draws from today’s passage are directly applicable to precisely what everyone in the world is experiencing at this very moment – yet another profound example of the Torah’s eternal gift of guidance.

Episode Highlights:

Quotes:

“That seemed apropos our current weird, weird national and global moment.”

“The time to manage a famine is before and not during.”

“We had a lot of plans on paper, but that didn’t mean that anyone was able to execute them.”

“It was the same push toward more revenue regardless of whether it was a private or public system.”

“Six months ago no one could imagine this was going to happen. And six months later, we have a failure of imagination for this no longer being the dominant reality of all of our lives…it saps people’s energy.”

“You’re not honoring my suffering.”

“Literally, life will go on.”

“I call your optimism a deeply rigorous optimism.”

“In the midst of a storm it’s very hard to take measured steps to build shelter – that’s the world we’re in right now.”

“It is incumbent upon all of us to try to be less scared.”

“We should be aware of the fact that part of what is going on is that we are less resilient in the face of death.”

“The reason why biblical texts remain resonant, is that, while there’s been massive structural change in how humanity lives, I don’t know that there’s been massive emotional change in how humanity is.”

Genesis 41:46-53 - https://www.sefaria.org/Genesis.41.46-53?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en

Links:

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

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

Prosecutor, professor, and proven criminal justice reformer, Tali Farhadian Weinstein, is Mark’s guest on the podcast today. Tali came to America as a refugee in 1979, having fled the violence and ant-Semitism of revolutionary Iran, and went on to earn degrees from Yale College, Oxford University where she was a Rhodes Scholar, and Yale Law School. She has served as a Law Clerk for Judge Merrick B. Garland at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, at the U.S. Supreme Court for Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, and most recently as the General Counsel of the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office. She has taught immigration law and policy at Columbia Law School, is currently Adjunct Professor of Law and Adjunct Professor of Clinical Law at NYU Law School, and is also running for the position of Manhattan District Attorney, for which she has the full support of the Rabbi’s Husband. Tali has chosen the Talmudic text, Bava Metzia 30b, to discuss with Mark today.

Tali begins by sharing her summary of the selected text, the meaning it holds for her, and the rhythm and surprise that she finds within it. Together, she and Mark analyze the notion of going beyond or inside the letter of the law, as well as their differing readings of the text. This leads them to explore the learning and use of prosecutorial discretion, the lessons to be learned through visiting jails and prisons, and the human capacity for change. Tali draws their conversation to a close by recounting the lessons she has learned about mankind, and how they relate directly back to today’s selected text. Tali’s vast experience as a prosecutor and a professor combine strikingly here today as she shares her remarkable insights while drawing out both the questions and lessons inherent to this ‘awesome rabbinic passage’, and their very real and highly impactful application in our world today.

Quotes:

“They upheld the law rather than doing this thing of going beyond it or inside of it.”

“The passage you chose says we’re following Torah laws, therefore the worst thing happened.”

“This is my life’s work…to practice law enforcement in a way that is fair and just which is what I think this Talmudic text is trying to nudge us toward understanding.”

“Maybe what it means to go inside or beyond the letter of the law is to bring the learning from those acts of meeting people at their most vulnerable into law enforcement. And maybe that’s the source of knowing…when to pursue, when not to pursue - how to indict a case not just based on the facts but on your sense of justice.”

“There’s no way that even the author of the Torah, which is the greatest book ever written beyond compare, could anticipate every circumstance where law would have to be applied.”

“In the best interpretation of your tradition, develop your character…and in so doing, you will learn when and how to exercise prosecutorial discretion, among many other things.”

“I’m making a point about what happens in these acts, and in these human encounters of the kind that our text is urging us to make before we get into the business of law enforcement.”

“There’s a whole other way of learning that is demanded of us.”

“Study leads to action.”

“None of us should be defined by the very worst thing that we’ve done, or the very worst thing that we’ve experienced.”

“I’ve learned about people’s capacity for change and for complexity, and I believe in that very much.”

“New York needs you and wants you.”

Bava Metzia 30b - https://www.sefaria.org/Bava_Metzia.30b?lang=bi

Links:

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

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

Dr. Rick Hodes, Medical Director of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, is Mark’s very special guest today. Rick has dedicated his life to helping the people of Ethiopia through his work with both Mother Teresa’s Mission and the JDC, has adopted five Ethiopian children and raised countless others over the years. He is also the subject of the HBO documentary, ‘Making the Crooked Straight’, and the book, This is a Soul: The Mission of Rick Hodes, by Marilyn Berger. Mark considers it a great honor and pleasure to call Rick his friend, noting that he ‘exemplifies what it means to be both a good and a great man’. Rick has chosen Psalms 106:3 to discuss with Mark, and, in a surprise move, Mark has chosen Deuteronomy 4:6 to discuss with Rick today.

Their conversation starts off with Rick offering his summary of his chosen passage, the Talmud’s answer to doing righteousness ‘at all times’, and how he has fulfilled this responsibility throughout his life and work. Rick also shares his experience of blessing and happiness in his life, a detailed account of his first two adopted children and their journey to receive the surgery they so badly needed, and his account of the ‘fax’ that God sent him. Much of the podcast showcases some of Rick’s extensive examples of living out Deuteronomy 4:6, the happiness he finds in his work, and his startling stories of those moments when God has arranged things amazingly in his life. As with all guests, Rick brings this lively discussion to a close by recounting the lessons about mankind which he has learned - lessons which are illuminated in so many of the stories he shares here today. Dr. Rick Hodes is a man whose devotion to relieving the suffering of some of the most vulnerable in our world clearly renders him, as Mark notes, ‘reason enough to be proud to be a Jew’.

Quotes:

“By raising an orphan 24 hours a day, you are doing righteousness all the time.”

“I know that I am personally making a difference in the world and that’s just the greatest feeling in the world.”

“I’m offering you a chance to help these boys. Don’t say ‘No’.”

“You’re a Jew and she’s a Jew. That’s all you needed.”

“What kind of Ambassador gives you clothes from her own kids?”

“In America, doctors are afraid to pray with their patients, and in Ethiopia, patients like to pray.”

“We all believe in God, and we all want what’s best for the kids. So, just take a moment, speak to the Almighty from your heart, and ask Him for success.”

“In her mind, when she thinks of Jews, when she thinks of Israel, she thinks about her healthy kid and it puts a completely different picture on everything.”

“The Jewish people were asked by God to be an example to the world of three things: honesty, morality, and kindness.”

“Sometimes God just arranges things in the most amazing ways.”

“Happiness comes from inside.”

“The amount of good that can be done with a financial donation to support Rick’s work through the Joint is astonishing. It’s the best ROI there is.”

“Thank God for steering this young man to you.”

Psalms 106:3 - https://www.sefaria.org/Psalms.106.3?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en

Deuteronomy 4:6 - https://www.sefaria.org/Deuteronomy.4.6?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en

Links:

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

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

Rick’s homepage: https://rickhodes.org/

Mark is delighted to be joined by Dr. Amy-Jill (AJ) Levine and Dr. Marc Brettler, the editors of the Jewish Annotated New Testament, on today’s episode. AJ is a Professor of New Testament and Jewish Studies at Vanderbilt University, and Marc is a Professor in Judaic Studies at Duke University. Both prolific authors, Marc has taught at Yale University, Brown University, Wellesley College and Middlebury College, and AJ has taught at Swarthmore College, Cambridge University, and in 2019 was the first Jew to teach a New Testament course at the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome. Together, they have chosen the Book of Jonah, which Mark considers ‘word for word the best book ever written’, to discuss today.

Their conversation is a dynamic and thought provoking one that embodies the nature of the book they have chosen. While exploring the complexity of the text, they share questions and interpretations regarding it, delving into such aspects as the prevalence of animals within it, its lessons regarding repentance, its differing meaning for Christians and Jews, and the potential content of a fifth chapter. AJ and Marc share the lessons they have learned about mankind which also relate directly to the Book of Jonah, and they offer a preview of their new book, particularly its demonstration of the differences between Christian and Jewish readings and approaches to biblical texts as well as the mutual respect that can grow out of these differences. Together with Mark, these two learned scholars bring out so many of the ‘endlessly profound lessons and teachings both for children and adults that this great book offers’, rendering this a thoroughly fascinating and informative episode.

Episode Highlights:

Quotes:

“This is a book about care, it’s a book about divine care.”

“Part of the Jewish reception history which recognizes the story is a profound meditation on issues of repentance and responsibility, and at the same time it’s rollickingly funny.” “Although the book itself is fictional, there was a real prophet named Jonah.”

“You can have more than one reading and they can both be right.”

“Jonah may be interested in preserving his people. He’s also just a remarkably whiny, passive-aggressive, self-centered puppet who may want to see this destruction because it makes him look like a great prophet who got it right.”

“It’s big, it’s big, it’s big!”

“God usually gets a pass on things, right?”

“His passive-aggressive arguments don’t seem to work.”

“What is the responsibility for having done evil if you repent of your ways?”

“I think that humanity has an infinite imagination.”

“There are many different ways of reading the same text, and really can learn to respect each other through the same text even read differently.”

“The Jewish tradition will always say, ‘But what does this text mean to me?’”

Book of Jonah - https://www.sefaria.org/Jonah.1.1-4.11?lang=bi

Links:

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

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

The Jewish Annotated New Testament: https://www.amazon.com/Jewish-Annotated-New-Testament/dp/0195297709

Mark is so delighted to welcome his very good friend and partner in United Hatzalah, Eli Beer, to the podcast today. As a young man, Eli identified the importance of receiving medical care within the first few minutes of an incident, and he has dedicated his life to addressing this fact, leading him to become the Founder and President of United Hatzalah. This organization now has several thousand medics throughout Israel who treat 1,900 emergency calls a day, saving easily 200 lives every day in every sector of Israeli society. The passage Eli has chosen to discuss today is his bar mitzvah portion which continues to guide his life to this day, Deuteronomy 30:19.

Eli begins by sharing the only thing he actually remembers from his bar mitzvah, his passion in life, and what it feels like to save a life. He provides examples from his life of doing more than the minimum expected, setting the example for others, and the essence of the Torah. He and Mark reflect upon Mark’s son’s joy in partnering to help save lives, their experience with volunteers and donors, and what bothered Eli the most when he was severely ill recently. Eli finishes by sharing the lessons he has learned about mankind that relate directly to the theme of today’s passage and the Jewish calling to which he has so passionately dedicated himself – choosing life. As you listen to his story here today, you will undoubtedly come to share the immense amount of admiration and respect which Mark holds for this remarkable individual and his devotion to bringing the very essence of the Torah to life.

Episode Highlights:

Quotes:

“My passion was always, always, always saving lives.”

“As a child, I saw that bomb attack on a bus in Jerusalem and I saw people get killed and get hurt.”

“It really shaped my life, the way I am now.”

“When you make that choice, you will end up choosing life in a more fuller and deeper way than you could ever have done if you were commanded to do it.”

“You realize how much giving gives you.”

“You ‘re the most generous person in the world, probably.”

“I think that I could always do a little more.”

“The greatest Jewish contribution to humanity is dissatisfaction.”

“The Jewish people always choose life, and not choose death…we always look at the bright side of a thing, let’s go forward to helping other people.”

“I feel like every human being becomes a much happier person when he gives to others.”

“If you want to be happy, make someone else happy.”

“That’s what we live for. We live for doing happiness for other people for saving other people for helping other people. And that is what comes back to us right away.”

Deuteronomy 30:19 I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day: I have put before you life and death, blessing and curse. Choose life—if you and your offspring would live— https://www.sefaria.org/Deuteronomy.30.19?lang=bi&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 his good friend and humanitarian hero, Dr. Lance Plyler to today’s episode. As the Director of World Medical Missions for Samaritan’s Purse, Lance treats victims of war, typhoons, infectious diseases, almost anything, really, in places as diverse as, but definitely not limited to Haiti, Nepal, Liberia, and New York City. In Mark’s opinion, Lance is the star of Facing Darkness, a genuinely great documentary regarding Lance’s work in Liberia in 2014 that brilliantly demonstrates religious faith and love of God in action, and which Mark highly recommends for everyone to watch. The passage that Lance has selected to discuss is Isaiah 6:1-7.

They begin their conversation by discussing both the movie and Lance’s work in Liberia before Lance shares his summary of today’s passage and its importance for him. They also engage in a fascinating discussion of their differing interpretations of one part of the passage, and Mark identifies another part that reminds him of Lance and his work. Lance shares his calling to do God’s work on Earth, the common feeling of being inadequate to do God’s work, his ability to overcome fear, and the lessons he has learned about mankind. As this episode makes crystal clear, Dr. Lance Plyler is a devout Christian medical missionary whose selfless work, at great physical risk to himself, brings today’s passage to vivid life.

Episode Highlights:

Quotes:

“God makes an appearance in the film.”

“It was the hand of God…miracle after miracle after miracle.”

“Basically it’s a commissioning of the prophet Isaiah to do the work for the…people of Israel.”

“It’s a recognition of the holiness of God and our iniquity.”

“If we want to be Godly, we do His work on Earth.”

“He calls us to go forward into the loneliest places, the darkest places.”

“Isaiah enthusiastically embraces the call.”

“There’s great rationale, great reason, why we’re not qualified to do God’s work.”

“Throughout the Bible, God uses the weak to do the mighty.”

“True courage is stepping forward in the face of fear.”

“My hope is in my faith.”

Isaiah 6:1-7 In the year that King Uzziah died, I beheld my Lord seated on a high and lofty throne; and the skirts of His robe filled the Temple. Seraphs stood in attendance on Him. Each of them had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his legs, and with two he would fly. And one would call to the other, “Holy, holy, holy! The LORD of Hosts! His presence fills all the earth!” The doorposts would shake at the sound of the one who called, and the House kept filling with smoke. I cried, “Woe is me; I am lost! For I am a man of unclean lips And I live among a people Of unclean lips; Yet my own eyes have beheld The King LORD of Hosts.” Then one of the seraphs flew over to me with a live coal, which he had taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. He touched it to my lips and declared, “Now that this has touched your lips, Your guilt shall depart And your sin be purged away.” https://www.sefaria.org/Isaiah.6.1-7?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en

Links:

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

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

Mark is thoroughly delighted to welcome Rabbi Jonah Dov Pesner, Director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, to the podcast today. Through his work with this Center, he engaged clergy, professional, and volunteer leaders in interfaith efforts in pursuit of social justice. Rabbi Pesner has also sat on the Boards of the NAACP, JOIN for Justice, the National Religious Partnership for the Environment, and other such organizations, and has been a congregational rabbi at Temple Israel in Boston and at Temple Israel in Westport, Connecticut. The passage he has chosen to discuss today is Deuteronomy 10:18-19.

Rabbi Pesner begins the conversation by summarizing the passage and sharing its importance for him as well as the reason why he feels this passage is ‘all about’ Mark. Together, they then explore the theme of love and, particularly, loving the stranger, which is prevalent in this passage, and which has very real applications in today’s society. Bryan Stevenson’s Just Mercy, the Rabbi’s graphic and emotional example of ‘the ultimate act of grace’, the notion of the Torah as a radical document, and the attitude toward ‘the stranger’ in the current climate, are all discussed in the context of this theme of love. The lessons Rabbi Pesner has learned about mankind, including the impact of modeling and practicing love, and the complexity of humanity, draw this fascinating conversation to a close.

Episode Highlights:

Quotes:

“So many people’s lives have been made better because of your philanthropic investments and the things you care about…this Torah portion sings your song.”

“You too must love the stranger because you were strangers in the land of Egypt.”

“Having had that experience of love with our Creator, that becomes the template of all relationships with all humans.”

“Devote your entire life to a journey of exploration and learning.”

“You surround yourself by people who think differently than you, and want to learn from them and hear from them, and I think that’s a guide for all of us.”

“Much of what being moral is, is overcoming what’s natural, and doing what’s right.”

“It’s not enough just to express a love for the deity, for God, for Jesus, it’s about your deeds demonstrating that love.”

“Feelings follow actions.”

“You will get ‘Messiahness’ by behaving in such a way that embodies ‘Messiahness’.”

“I just want to know the human at the other end of this relationship and understand who they are and why they feel what they feel and make space for love to come into that.”

Deuteronomy 10:18-19 but upholds the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and befriends the stranger, providing him with food and clothing.— You too must befriend the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. https://www.sefaria.org/Deuteronomy.10.18-19?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en

Links:

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

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