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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 410 episodes available.
October 06, 2021The 70 NationsJewish traditions tell us of 70 nations who speak 70 languages. Who are those 70 nations? What are the 70 languages? How did they form? What relationship do they have to modern nations and languages?Learn about the historic 70 nations and what they mean to us today....more44minPlay
September 27, 2021What are we celebrating on Simchat Torah?Simchat Torah is the most joyous day in the Jewish calendar when we celebrate the completion of the Torah by dancing in the synagogue with the Torah scrolls. When did we start celebrating Simchat Torah? Why do we celebrate by dancing with the Torah scrolls?A fascinating discussion about the celebration of Simchat Torah...more32minPlay
September 20, 2021The Lulav & EtrogThe Torah commands us to hold 4 kinds of plants together on the festival of Sukkot. How do we identify them? What do we do with them? What is the significance?A fascinating discussion about the story behind the Lulav and Etrog that we shake on Sukkot....more48minPlay
September 13, 2021The Tradition of KapparotOne of the strangest (and for many problematic) customs is Kapparot. In its traditional form, Kapparot is when people swing chickens around their heads and then slaughter them as a form of atonement (Kappara) before Yom Kippur.Many people find the tradition of Kapparot very disturbing. Where did this strange custom come from? Why is it done? How does Judaism allow the chicken to suffer and be killed because of our sins?A fascinating and illuminating discussion about the strange tradition of Kapparot....more49minPlay
September 05, 2021The Story of CreationOne of the most fascinating and most challenging stories in the Torah is the story of creation found at the very beginning. The story is the basis of the most fundamental belief in Judaism; that we were created by G-d. Yet not only are there so many details that do not match modern science, many of the details don't make sense at face value and contradict each other....more48minPlay
August 30, 2021The Shemitta YearThe year of 5782 which will be a Shemitta year, the seventh year in a seven year cycle. The Shemitta year is a holy year when farmers cannot work the land in Israel and certain loans are absolved....more52minPlay
August 22, 2021Does G-d Punish Us?We often think of G-d as punishing us whenever we do something wrong. But is that really true? Does every bad person get punished? Why do good people seem to get punished too? Is G-d really vengeful that he punishes us for every infraction?A fascinating discussion about the Jewish belief in punishment....more54minPlay
August 16, 2021The Bird's NestOne of the most fascinating Mitzvot (Commandments) in the Torah is the Command of Shiluch Hakan, sending a bird away from her nest....more36minPlay
August 08, 2021Shtadlonus - A Tradition of Jewish DiplomacyFor much of our history, Jews have lived among other nations and often faced discrimination and persecution. As a result, we developed a history of Jewish diplomacy known in Yiddish as Shtadlonus (Jewish lobbying) with Jews who represented their community before kings, princes and nobles often called court Jews.A fascinating discussion about the history of Jewish diplomacy and lobbying....more57minPlay
August 01, 2021Is Government Welfare a Jewish thing?Many Western nations have welfare programs to help those in need. What is the Jewish view on government handouts? Should our government be handing out money or other forms of support to people in need? Should there be any limits or conditions to such handouts?A discussion on the Jewish view of government welfare....more1h 2minPlay
FAQs about Torah Cafe:How many episodes does Torah Cafe have?The podcast currently has 410 episodes available.