Rav Mike says a few words on the link between slavery, false consciousness and liberation.

Identity is always a battle. In this episode Rav Mike explores the struggle between Christianity and Judaism in late antiquity, as well the inner struggle of Am Yisrael to preserve its unique voice in the text of the gemara. These two together will fix the topic of our conversation for some time to come.

R' David Swidler's weekly class connecting the Haftorah to the Torah portion. If you want more of this Torah you can find it at www.sulamyaakov.com/ or by signing up for our newsletter here - madmimi.com/signups/175480/join

Rav Mike gives a few minutes on the difference between making statements and entering into conversation.

The 'port Jews' of Amsterdam combined commercial power and complex identity to be come the birth of modern Jewish culture. It is no surprise that they produced the greatest rationalist philosopher of the 17th century - Baruch Spinoza.

In this class, Rav Mike speaks about the revolution which the Ari z'l brought to Jewish consciousness, and the struggle of conversos to return to the mainstream life of Am Yisrael.

Rav Aaron and Rav Mike struggle over conflicting values, visions of Torah and the overwhelming desire to choose life.

It is the end of an era. In this episode Rav Mike explores rabbinic chronology, textual evolution and socio-political context in order to illustrate the shift between the time of the Tanaim and the time of the Amoraim

Rav Mike gives a brief thought on learning to see and the power of memory to bring redemption. If you want more of this Torah you can find it at www.sulamyaakov.com/ or by signing up for our newsletter here - madmimi.com/signups/175480/join

In this episode Rav Mike and Rav Aaron discuss their personal relationship to the LGBTQ community and lay the ground work for their coming conversation. If you want more of this Torah you can find it at www.sulamyaakov.com/ or by signing up for our newsletter here - madmimi.com/signups/175480/join