Explore every episode of the podcast Torah Cafe

We believe that G-d is our Creator and in our prayers often refer to Him as our father. However, on Rosh Hashanah, we mostly refer to G-d as our King. 

What does it mean that G-d is a King? Is there an advantage to being a Monarch? How does G-d's role as King connect to Rosh Hashanah? 

A fascinating discussion about G-d role as a king. 

Poetry has always played a central role in Judaism. Jewish poetry began in the Tanach (the Hebrew scriptures), which contain the earliest known poetry. Later in the early Middle Ages, Jewish poets developed extensive liturgical poems that became central to our prayers and served as a model copied by Christian and Muslim poets. 

A fascinating discussion about Piyyut, early Jewish poetry and how it influenced all subsequent poetry. 

It is a great Mitzvah to do everything we can to free our fellow Jews who have been captured. Many Jewish communities maintained special funds for freeing captives and hostages. But should we always free captives at any price? Can we overpay? What if we are asked to exchange the captives for terrorists? What if the captives' lives are in danger? J

A fascinating class about the Jewish responses to the agonizing questions about freeing hostages. 

Judaism allows for couple to go separate ways once their marriage reached an end. The process of Jewish divorce - Get in Hebrew - is among the most detailed and complex religious ceremonies in Judaism. 

A fascinating overview of the detailed Jewish divorce ceremony. 

Links to related classes

Beth Din - The Jewish court system https://open.spotify.com/episode/09KcwTo04tQSmpQlHNaVsX?si=zQkf-1STRWijimsTFQf0oA

The Aguna problem https://open.spotify.com/episode/7oVSHf15s3tWvomhmDgKnt?si=3ayHGUYWR3K2ElquMNkglg

From the beginning of time, people have been predicting the end-of-times, when the world as we know it will come to an end. Today, there are countless people who claim to know the signs that we are almost there.
Jews have always believed in the coming of Mashiach and the "end-of-times". But is that going to happen soon? Do we know when Mashiach will come and when history will end?

A fascinating discussion about the Jewish traditions regarding predicting the end-of-times.

Link to past episode about the End of Times https://open.spotify.com/episode/0R4X8w7NDAFscNpIYZLAAO?si=WpGJAtdkTQ6sxWbZfv9DQQ

The Torah forbids us from eating milk and meat together. What about fish and meat, fish and fowl, or even fish and milk? 

A fascinating discussion about the rules of eating fish with meat or milk in Judaism. 

Links to related episodes

Mixing Milk and Meat https://open.spotify.com/episode/5FtZuAhFtMbOLfpHhPf6IO?si=sMrC4igkTFie6GOQ8sWpxQ

What makes fish Kosher? https://open.spotify.com/episode/4NVIqPADTsRGf4S1E5XyQl?si=vfmlreIrT2uR3wPke4rqeg

The Shulchan Aruch https://open.spotify.com/episode/5gwgTVDqHl6bNOEnoLcJcB?si=lJ1QLKlURIWuR3cwqTev_w

An important part of the Temple service was the chopping and donating wood to the Temple for the fire on the Altar. This Mitzvah came with great celebrations and many families had designated days for wood donations. This Mitzvah is still celebrated today on the 15th of Av each year.

A fascinating discussion about the Wood Chopping Mitzvah, its celebrations, and the life changing impact it has on us today.

Josephus is our single most important source for the final decades of the Second Temple period. He was a former Jewish commander who surrendered to the Romans and later became a writer in the court of the Flavian emperors. Josephus wrote important books about the Jewish revolt, Jewish history, and Judaism that we still have today.
But can his account be trusted? Was Josephus a careful historian preserving the past, a political propagandist serving Rome, or something far more complicated?

In our personal lives and our world in general, there is an epic battle between good and evil. Each side is constantly battling to gain the upper hand. Who wins this battle? 

Our own life experience and observations often suggest that evil is winning, but counterintuitively, the Rebbe explains why logically, in the long run good will always win

A fascinating discussion based on the teachings of the Rebbe about the epic battle between good and evil and how we can definitively show that good always wins. Links to related episodes

Why do bad things happen https://open.spotify.com/episode/7j8YTPU2TNaQRDacsrLspr?si=2kj04lNYRF6wcfqDkGYkDA

Do Jews Believe in Satan? https://open.spotify.com/episode/2bPGhW5ZxVANNIc8gGhL1H?si=dztRQvx7S8i1Biktg4iWRw

Can people be truly bad? https://open.spotify.com/episode/5wGuRasHfU3oXQJhdIZYtL?si=Rz31y0QRQAGqTT5YthozPg

The Battle of Two Souls https://open.spotify.com/episode/4B2WFOLWlop7Yb4742AY9X?si=EEVfTYLaRhOWxucsxZ5pwA

While historically, Jewish communities were organized and structured, the freedoms in the United States have made Jewish communities fractured and fragile. This created an open market for Judaism in the United States that never existed anywhere else.

How did Judaism in America adapt to this unusual community structure? What can guarantee Judaism's survival in this free open society?

Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneerson, the sixth Chabad Rebbe, was one of the most fascinating and impactful Jewish leaders of the early 20th century. The Rebbe began his leadership role as a teenager, spanning the final decades of the Russian Empire, World War I, the Russian Revolution, the Stalinist Soviet Union, World War II and finally in the United States during and immediately after the war. 

A discussion about Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneerson and his fascinating life story. 

One of the strangest stories in the Torah is when Balaam decided to go and curse Israel but G-d sent obstacles to disuade him from going. One such event was when Balaam hit his donkey and the donkey began to speak back to him. J

A fascinating discussion about the strange story of the talking donkey and the lessons for us today.

One of the most important Jewish events in modern Jewish history, was the split in Hungarian Jewry in 1870. It marked the first time Jewish communities officially split over theological differences, changing how Jews have since thought about their identity. 

A fascinating class about an unknown but important event in history whose impact continues to this day. 

One of the central values in Judaism is not speaking bad about others, Lashon Hara in Hebrew. While gossip has become a staple in our society today, our Jewish traditions are strongly opposed to it. 

A discussion about the rules and precautions we must take not to speak evil of others, the dangers such speech can bring and the benefits of living a gossip free life.

Music played a central role in the service at the Temple in Jerusalem. While sacrifices were offered, the Levites played a variety of music and sang songs of praise to G-d. Yet, while traditional synagogues sing songs of praise and prayer, they generally do not accompany the songs with music. 

What is the role of instrumental music in Judaism? Why was it used in the Temple in Jerusalem, but generally not used today? Can a community add music to its prayers if it wishes?

A fascinating discussion about the role of music in Jewish prayer.

The word "Amen" is used by Jews throughout our prayers and in daily life to respond to blessings. What does the word Amen mean? Where does it come from? When is it appropriate to respond Amen and when is it not? Are there other appropriate responses to a blessing?

A fascinating discussion about the origins and meaning of "Amen".

There is an old custom to stay awake and study Torah all night on the eve of Shavuot. Many recite the Tikkun, a collection of readings from the written and oral Torahs. Where did this custom originate, and what is the reason for it?

A fascinating discussion about the custom of staying awake on Shavuot Night

Pirkei Avot is one of the earliest classic Jewish works of ethics. Pirkei Avot is a collection of inspirational teachings and life-lessons from the sages of the Mishnah (0-200 CE). It was written as part of the Mishna over 1,800 years ago.  There is a widespread custom to study Pirkei Avot on Shabbat afternoon of the weeks between Passover and Shavuot.

A fascinating discussion about Pirkei Avot. why it was written and some of its important lessons. 

The Zohar has been a difficult and elusive book throughout our history. A large tome, written in Western Aramaic and cryptic in its meaning the Zohar has mystified scholars and layman alike. The history of the Zohar, who wrote it and who studied it remain debated among scholars. 

A discussion about the Zohar's author Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai and the book itself.

(This class was originally taught in 2016)

Are the Torah's words meant to be taken at face value? If the Torah says something, should we accept it as written? It may come as a surprise to many that one of the central belief in Judaism is that the Torah was never meant to be taken at face value. Rather the Torah was written in code and we can only understand it if we know how to decipher the code. 

A fascinating discussion about the Torah, its meaning, and an exploration of examples where we believe the Torah meant something other than what is written. 

The Torah forbids us from eating fruit of a tree that has been planted within the past 3 years. This prohibition is called Orla. When the Temple stood in Jerusalem, the fruit of the 4th year was brought to Jerusalem and eaten there.  What is the reason for the law of Orla? How is it observed today?

A fascinating discussion about Orla, fruit in the first 3 years. 

Sometimes, fulfilling one Torah commandment requires violating another. For example, if a baby is born on Shabbat, then the eighth day will be the following Shabbat. Circumcising the child violates the prohibition against drawing blood on Shabbat. What should you do?

A fascinating discussion about what the Halacha (Torah law) tells us to do when fulfilling one commandment violates another. 

The Torah prohibits us from eating or even owning Chametz, leavened grain products on Passover. However Ashkenazic Jews are careful not to eat any beans or legumes on the holiday. How did this custom begin? What is the reason for it? Why do many Saphardic Jews not keep it?

A discussion about the laws of Passover and the development of the Kitniyot prohibition.

(Please note, this was recorded over Zoom so the sound quality is weaker than normal)

Have a Happy Passover!

As people age, they tend to slow down. In today's culture, people work for decades towards retirement when they can stop working altogether and just relax. 

The Rebbe, took a very different approach. He believed that as long as we are alive and have the capacity to work, we must continue working, never retiring or even slowing down. 

A fascinating discussion about the Rebbe's views on retirement and continued growth.

Salt is a crucial mineral for human health and for nature. Salt also plays a prominent role in Judaism. We salt meat with salt. Salt was widely used in sacrifices at the Temple in Jerusalem. We dip our bread in salt. And the priestly covenant with G-d is described as a covenant of salt. 

A fascinating discussion about salt and the unique role it plays in Judaism.

Jewish traditions teach that 10 of the 12 tribes were exiled from the Land of Israel more than 2,500 years ago and many think that they have since disappeared. For much of Jewish history, Jews and non-Jews have searched for the 10 Lost Tribes in various places, making amazing discoveries that lead to a fascinating story about the search for the lost tribes. 

A fascinating discussion about the historic search for the 10 Lost Tribes and the discoveries they led to. 

We've previously discussed what actually happened to the 10 tribes. You can listen here on ⁠Spotify⁠ or on ⁠Apple Podcasts⁠.

Over our 3,300 year long history, we have lost more Jews to assimilation than to violence and persecution. Assimilation, rather than persecution, is then the biggest threat to the continuation of Judaism and the Jewish people. 

How can we counter assimilation and ensure the continuation of our people? 

Six days a week we work, eat, sleep, exercise and go about our daily lives. When Shabbat arrives, we pause to reconnect with the Creator. On Friday afternoon as the sun sets and Shabbat begins, we have a special mystical prayer called Kabbalat Shabbat, which includes Psalms, poems and study to greet the Shabbat Queen.

What is the meaning of the Kabbalat Shabbat prayers? When did they start? And why do we refer to Shabbat as a queen?

A fascinating discussion about Kabbalat Shabbat, the mystical service greeting the Shabbat!

Before the Holy Temple was built in Jerusalem, there was a Jewish Temple stood at Shilo for 369 years. The Temple at Shilo served Israel at the very beginning of our history in a period know as The Judges (Shoftim), a period we know little about.

A fascinating discussion of what we know about the ancient Temple in Shilo.

Dogs are mentioned twice in the torah, both times positively. However, they are not Kosher animals and there are also negative references to dogs in Jewish sources. Historically, Jews rarely owned dogs; however, some Jews throughout history did have dogs (mostly for protection) and today, many Jews have dogs as pets. 

What does the Torah and Jewish teachings say about dogs? Should Jews have dogs as pets? Do we view them positively or negatively?

A fascinating discussion about Judaism's perspective on dogs!

Kabbalah teaches that G-d uses various expressions to impact creation. These expressions sometimes come as Names of G-d. One of G-d's lesser known names, is a 72 word name that was invoked at the Splitting of the Sea and can be found alluded to in the Torah's description of the event.

A fascinating discussion about the secrets of the  72-word name of G-d.

Here is a link to the handout https://drive.google.com/file/d/1IS1UVj6F2tlVHgl2eEvmpDrH3WAuC8na/view?usp=sharing

When adults convert to Judaism, they must convert on their own volition with a commitment to fulfill all of the Torah's commandments that are applicable to them. However, children do not have the agency to choose to convert on their own nor can they be held to a commitment that they make. How then can we convert children to Judaism?

A fascinating discussion about how children convert to Judaism. 

We hear a lot about antisemitism, the irrational, obsessive hatred of Jews. Yet is an important flipside to antisemitism - philosemitism, the irrational, obsessive love for Jews.
We all know philosemitism - they are all around us and are a huge part of our country. There have been philosemites as long as there have been antisemites. Still, for some reason, philosemitism doesn't get the same acknowledgement or attention as antisemitism.
A fascinating discussion about philosemitism, which will also give us a much better understanding of antisemitism, its causes and steps we can take to reduce antisemitism and increase philosemitism.

One of the most cryptic stories in the Torah is when he is attacked by an angel on the way to Egypt to confront Pharaoh. Moses' wife Tziporah circumcised her son and the angel let go.

A fascinating dive into the story of the angel attacking Moses. 

The most important Jewish find in recent history was the Cairo Geniza, a massive trove of hundreds of thousands of ancient documents and books that entirely rewrote medieval Jewish and Middle Eastern history. 

A fascinating discussion about the exciting find and some of the amazing things we learned from it. 

On Jewish festivals, we have a Mitzvah to recite 6 chapters of Psalms expressing our thanks to G-d for the miracles He has performed for us. Reciting these Chapters is called Hallel - praise. 

A Chanukah related discussion about the Mitzvah of reciting Hallel.  

Bet Shamai and Bet Hillel were two major Jewish schools in Jerusalem that lasted about 100 years from about 10 BCE to 70 CE. The schools were founded by two great Jewish leaders Hillel and Shamai. There were hundreds of debates of Jewish law between the two prominent schools. 

A fascinating discussion about Beit Shamai and Beit Hillel and their important contributions to Judaism and Jewish History. 

Jews have a tendency that whenever they speak, they regularly mention G-d or the common Hebrew word Hashem. Where does this come from? Why do we mention G-d so regularly and casually in our conversations?

A fascinating conversation about the Jewish custom of regularly mentioning G-d.

In a cryptic story, the Torah tells us how Jacob found himself alone at night and found himself wrestling with a man who dislocated his thigh. Jacob refused to let the man go without a blessing and the man told him that his name will be changed from Jacob to Israel.

Clearly this man was no ordinary man and the story has deeper meaning. Most commentaries assume this man was an angel. Who was this angel? Can a person really wrestle with an angel? What is the meaning of this fight and the dislocated thigh?

A fascinating discussion about Jacob's wrestling with the angel and the lessons for us today.

The Roman Empire in its different forms lasted for 1,000 years and had a big impact on Jews in our long history. At times the Romans were tolerant and even supportive of Jews at other times they were ruthless including in destroying the second Temple and ending Jewish independence in the land of Israel.

Jewish tradition traces Romans back to Jacob's brother Esau who attempted to kill him.

A fascinating relationship between Rome and the Jews.

In one of the most perplexing stories in the Torah, Isaac wanted to bless his older son Esau before his death. However, his younger son Jacob tricked his father into believing that he was Esau and blessing him instead. 

How was Jacob allowed to trick his father? Was it ethical for him to take the blessings meant for his brother?

A fascinating class about how Jacob was able to trick his father.

It is a jewish custom not to cut a boy's hair until their third birthday and then on their 3 year old birthday. cut their hair short leaving their peyot (sidelocks) visible. What is the reason for this custom and where does it come from?

A fascinating discussion about the Upsherin, the 3-year-old haircutting. 

Other classes mentioned:

Why Do Many Jewish Men Have Beards? https://open.spotify.com/episode/7xY7BYAGlLDyajzT2AveRv?si=pAMy3syjT5i6s9QI6gG0PA

The 13 Attributes of Mercy https://open.spotify.com/episode/2yTWzQqJattoOKsB9VfPV0?si=9XNkDhgwTy2O3PGfC52eSw

Parallel Universes https://open.spotify.com/episode/5wwVTpeGUOGtEmuuxraaCf?si=2R3YW30TQhq8oOHW6xeOtA

The Importance of Jewish Pride https://open.spotify.com/episode/0GCMjj8MruxNWKDWayMFv6?si=95GNTl9LS3CEwpeh-Cjmcw

Not only are we commanded to care for the sick and help them heal, it is an important Mitzvah for us to visit the sick and spend time with them. 

A fascinating discussion about the unique Mitzvah of visiting the sick. 

Lot, Abraham's nephew has a notable role in the story of Abraham, traveling with him to Canaan until they eventually separate. Abraham later risks his life to save Lot from captivity and G-d saves him from Sodom before it was destroyed.

Who was Lot, why does he play such an important role in Abraham's story and what is his historical impact?

Wine has a prominent role in the Torah and Jewish sources. Wine is found in many stories in Tanach )Scripture) and was part of the service in the Holy Temple. Later, our sages instructed us to recite Kiddush, Havdalah and many other important Jewish prayers and events with a cup of wine. Yet, as an alcoholic drink, there is a clear downside to wine.

What is the Torah's view on wine? Why is wine used extensively in Jewish practice?

A fascinating discussion about the role of wine in Judaism.

Any Jewish celebration usually involves Jews forming a circle and dancing. While circle dancing isn't unique to Jews, it is the most common form of jewish dancing particularly among Chassidim who dance almost exclusively in circles. 

What is the deeper significance behind the circle and how is it connected to dancing?

On Sukkot, there was a special water pouring ceremony in the Temple in Jerusalem. In preparation for the ceremony, there were great celebrations in the Temple called Simchat Beit Hasho'eva, the Water Drawing Celebration. Though the Temple no longer stands and we no longer have the water pouring ceremony or the celebration, we still celebrate on Sukkot in commemoration. 

A fascinating discussion about the Water Pouring Ceremony and the Water Drawing Celebration. 

Teshuvah - Return is one of the most powerful gifts that G-d has given to us. It allows us to clean up our missteps and mistakes and allows us to return to our true deeper selves. How can we do Teshuva - Return? What are the steps of Teshuvah? How can we connect to our deeper selves?

A fascinating discussion about the unique gift of Teshuvah.

On the first eve of Rosh Hashanah, there is a custom to eat a number of special foods, some of which are universally eaten by all Jewish communities and some that are unique to specific communities. 

A fascinating discussion about the special foods that we eat on Rosh Hashanah Eve. 

People often argue that we should live and let live. We should not bother others about things that they do that do not directly harm anyone else. What is the Jewish approach? Should we let everyone decide their values on their own and respect those decisions or do we have a moral responsibility to ensure everyone else acts as they should?

A fascinating discussion about the Jewish approach to the question; should I care what other people do?