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A discussion on a topic from the week's Parsha covering many important parts of Judaism that are not regularly addressed.... more
FAQs about Torah Cafe:How many episodes does Torah Cafe have?The podcast currently has 393 episodes available.
October 15, 2023The Story of Cain & AbelAdam & Eve, the first humans initially had two children Cain and Abel. When Cain was jealous of his brother, he killed him. This first story of sibling rivalry, of jealousy, of murder and of repentance is one of the first and most dramatic stories in the Torah with countless important lessons for our lives.Listen to the fascinating story of Cain and Abel. ...more37minPlay
September 24, 2023Chazzonus - Cantors and Cantorial SingingOne of the central roles of the High Holidays Service is the Chazzan, the cantor who leads the prayers singing melodies and tunes to the words of the prayers. Chazzanim (cantors) have been part of Jewish liturgy from the earliest times and many of the tunes have been used for hundreds of years or longer.A fascinating discussion about Chazanim and Chazzanut - Cantors and the history of Cantorial music....more30minPlay
September 10, 2023Why did G-d create us?It is a fundamental Jewish belief that G-d created us. But why? Why did he create the universe? What did he expect to get out of creating us?...more39minPlay
September 03, 2023Reading the TorahOne of the central parts of Jewish services in the synagogue is when the Torah scroll is taken out of the ark, placed on the Bima. Various men are called up to say blessings and then the Torah is read.Learn all about the Torah reading in the synagogue. ...more50minPlay
August 27, 2023Is G-d Angry and Vengeful?People often think of G-d in the Torah as being angry, vengeful and punishing. The Torah tells us of the plagues brought against the Egyptians and others who disobeyed him. The Torah warns a number of times of punishments that we will get for not listening to G-d's instructions. Is G-d vengeful and angry? How does that fit with the description of a loving and caring G-d?...more44minPlay
August 20, 2023The Agunah ProblemWhat happens when a spouse disappears and cannot be traced. Could they have died without anyone knowing? Could they be alive but have taken on a new identity? What should the remaining spouse do? Are they still married? Are they widowed?The question of a missing spouse, called Agunah, has been one of the most troubling scenarios that Jewish scholars grappled with throughout Jewish history, becoming the most extensive and complex field of Jewish law. A fascinating discussion about the Agunah problem and its evolution to a new Agunah problem that we face today....more1h 3minPlay
August 13, 2023Egla Arufa: The Mitzvah of the Decapitated CalfOne of the more intriguing mitzvahs in the Torah is the ceremony of the eglah arufah (decapitated calf), performed in ancient Israel when a murdered stranger was found out in the field and the killer was unknown.A fascinating discussion about the Eglah Arufa ceremony, why and how it was performed and how it impacts us today!...more43minPlay
August 06, 2023What Makes Fish Kosher?The Torah says that for fish to be Kosher they have to have fins and scales but what exactly are the scales that make a fish Kosher? Do fish that drop their scales or have a handful of scales count as kosher? What about fillet where the skin has been removed? How can we know if the fillet is kosher? A fascinating discussion about what makes fish kosher and how we can identify kosher fish....more47minPlay
July 30, 2023Are we the figments of someone's imagination?Ever wonder if we really exist or perhaps we are just figments of someone else's imagination?Chassidus (Jewish mysticism) teaches that indeed we are simply figments of G-d's imagination.Discover how we know we are figments of G-d's imagination and what that means for us. ...more34minPlay
July 23, 2023The Future TempleOne of the central parts of Judaism is the Holy Temple in Jerusalem where our ancestors brought sacrifices and served G-d fulfilling many of the commandments. Our second Temple was destroyed almost 2,000 years ago. Since the destruction of the Second Temple, we have prayed, hoped and waited for the building of a Third Temple. We firmly believe the Third Temple will be built in the same spot in Jerusalem in the future and we will once again serve G-d there.A fascinating discussion about the Third Temple, what it will look like, when and how it will be built and why we are certain that it will happen. ...more39minPlay
FAQs about Torah Cafe:How many episodes does Torah Cafe have?The podcast currently has 393 episodes available.