TINW Torah Study
199 episodes - English - Latest episode: 5 months ago - ★★★★★ - 10 ratingsA Reform exploration of Torah, ancient wisdom and modern scholarship by Rabbi Jennifer Jaech of Temple Israel of Northern Westchester in Croton-on-Hudson, NY. In this podcast, Tara Keiter creates and presents a quick summary of our weekly Torah Study session. Note: Since April, 2015, this podcast has been ad-free and generates no income. Only 90 days of material is stored for free on our podcasting host. Older content can be read at https://taraskeiter.substack.com/
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Episodes
293. Rachel and the Idols
December 04, 2022 15:00 - 7 minutes - 5.37 MBThe stories in the Torah may seem to be stories about families, but they are actually political and polemical stories. They are used as arguments against what other people are doing in their worship. When we hear disparaging stories of people who worship differently than we do, we should carefully consider whether there might be an ulterior motive. This week, with thanks to Dr. Erin Darby of the University of Tennessee, we take a close look at differences between practices of the people from...
292. Angels - November 26, 2022
November 27, 2022 21:00 - 6 minutes - 4.35 MBHe had a dream; a stairway was set on the ground and its top reached to the sky, and angels of God were going up and down on it. (Genesis 28: 12) This week our guest-leader, Rabbi Janet Roberts led us in an exploration of angels in the Hebrew Bible. The text of this podcast is available on our blog. If you like this podcast, you might enjoy the book Biblical Origins: The Political Intent of the Bible's Writers, by renowned Bible scholar Dr. S. David Sperling.
291. Palace Intrigue - November 19, 2022
November 19, 2022 22:00 - 6 minutes - 4.82 MBThis week we looked at the story of David & Bathsheba. Some people may remember Bathsheba as an innocent woman, lusted after by David. But today we story we read about her role in gas-lighting David while on his deathbed. She proves herself to be a powerful woman who knows how to play at palace intrigue. Our ancient texts are rich and full of surprising stories for us to ponder and debate—warts and all! The text of this podcast is available on our blog. If you like this podcast, you might ...
290. Vital Lessons - November 12, 2022
November 13, 2022 21:00 - 5 minutes - 4.01 MBBible scholar James Kugel (born: 1945) says of the biblical tales: ". . . if they were written down in the Bible, it was not so as to record what has occurred in some distant past, but 'for our instruction, so that . . . we might learn some vital lesson for our lives." This is an understanding of the biblical tales which Paul, founder of Christianity, understood, as did the Jewish medieval sage Rashi—and as does Rabbi Jaech today. The text of this podcast is available on our blog. If you l...
289. Hope While Suffering - November 5, 2022
November 05, 2022 22:00 - 6 minutes - 4.25 MBAll of humanity suffers, but hope can help keep humans strong. Many biblical stories tell us that perhaps there is a purpose for suffering, and that our suffering may be a path to something better. The text of this podcast is available on our blog. If you like this podcast, you might enjoy the book Biblical Origins: The Political Intent of the Bible's Writers, by renowned Bible scholar Dr. S. David Sperling.
288. God: Male and Female - October 29, 2022
October 30, 2022 18:00 - 5 minutes - 3.82 MBDoes it make a difference if we think of God as a bearded man on a throne, or as a nurturing woman? This week our guest Torah Study leader, Rabbi Janet Roberts, showed us passages where the gender of God is ambiguous or—using a term in use today—genderfluid. The text of this podcast is available on our blog. If you like this podcast, you might enjoy the book Biblical Origins: The Political Intent of the Bible's Writers, by renowned Bible scholar Dr. S. David Sperling.
287. What's Your Story? - October 22, 2022
October 23, 2022 15:00 - 6 minutes - 4.69 MBThe stories we tell reflect an understanding of the world we live in, and the way we tell the story reflects something about ourselves and our audience. We might imagine writing the story of our own life, and the aspects we might highlight, at the age of 20 vs. 40 vs. 60 vs. 80. The same is true of the writers of the Bible. The text of this podcast is available on our blog. If you like this podcast, you might enjoy the book Biblical Origins: The Political Intent of the Bible's Writers, by r...
286. Enjoy Life, Wisely - October 15, 2022
October 16, 2022 21:00 - 3 minutes - 2.65 MBEnjoy life while we have it, and don’t deny yourself pleasure. Know that some pleasures will have consequences, but life is to be enjoyed and lived fully! (a lesson of Ecclesiastes 11:8; paraphrased by Rabbi Jaech) The text of this podcast is available on our blog. If you like this podcast, you might enjoy the book Biblical Origins: The Political Intent of the Bible's Writers, by renowned Bible scholar Dr. S. David Sperling.
285. Strength - October 8, 2022
October 09, 2022 19:00 - 7 minutes - 4.88 MBProfessor David Sperling guest-led our session today and showed us how the text of the Bible changed with the times: From polytheism to monotheism. From strength in military might to strength in studying Torah and following God's laws. The text of this podcast is available on our blog. If you like this podcast, you might enjoy the book Biblical Origins: The Political Intent of the Bible's Writers, by renowned Bible scholar Dr. S. David Sperling.
284. Jonah - October 1, 2022
October 02, 2022 19:00 - 6 minutes - 4.84 MBThe book of Jonah—which is the haftarah reading for Yom Kippur—is one of the books found in The Prophets, but it stands apart from the other prophetic writings: The book of Jonah is written as a narrative story, and not as a harangue. Also unusual is the fact that Jonah is given a mission to save gentiles from the wrath of God, not Jews. This week we review the book of Jonah and the lessons we can learn from it. The text of this podcast is available on our blog. If you like this podcast, yo...
283. Obligation - September 24, 2022
September 25, 2022 19:00 - 6 minutes - 4.52 MBRabbi Janet Roberts guest-led our group in a discussion about the ancient legal system of the Israelites, and how the system survived even after the Israelites no longer ruled their own land. This system provided the foundation for the Rabbinic Judaism we practice today, and for judicial review in American constitutional history. The text of this podcast is available on our blog. If you like this podcast, you might enjoy the book Biblical Origins: The Political Intent of the Bible's Writer...
282. Laban - September 17, 2022
September 18, 2022 20:00 - 7 minutes - 5.4 MBWe may all be familiar with a line from the Passover Haggadah that says, "My father was a wandering Aramean." This week we learned who the Arameans were, and who it might have been referring to: the patriarch Jacob? Or perhaps his father-in-law, Laban. The text of this podcast is available on our blog. If you like this podcast, you might enjoy the book Biblical Origins: The Political Intent of the Bible's Writers, by renowned Bible scholar Dr. S. David Sperling.
281. Cross-Dressing - September 10, 2022
September 11, 2022 19:00 - 5 minutes - 3.97 MBIn our sacred text it is written that "There shall be no man’s item on a woman, and a man shall not wear a woman’s garment" (Deuteronomy 22:5). Well . . . why not? The passage has been debated over the centuries and been given a wide spectrum of interpretations. Rabbi Jaech looks at what it might have meant over the years, and what—if anything—it could mean to us today. The text of this podcast is available on our blog. If you like this podcast, you might enjoy the book Biblical Origins: Th...
280. Labor - September 3, 2022
September 04, 2022 14:00 - 7 minutes - 4.96 MBThis Labor Day weekend, Rabbi Jaech led us in an exploration of Jewish commentary on labor. Happy Labor Day, everyone! The text of this podcast is available on our blog. If you like this podcast, you might enjoy the book Biblical Origins: The Political Intent of the Bible's Writers, by renowned Bible scholar Dr. S. David Sperling.
279. Subversion! - August 27, 2022
August 28, 2022 19:00 - 7 minutes - 5.1 MBWhen we read the biblical text we will inevitably come across passages that shock our modern sensibilities. We read texts that encourage violence against others —all in the name of God! Fortunately, our religion is not based on biblical teachings; instead, it is based upon the teachings of the Rabbis who understood that the religion needed to change with the times in order to be relevant. The text of this podcast is available on our blog. If you like this podcast, you might enjoy the book...
279 (edited). Subversion! August 27, 2022
August 28, 2022 19:00 - 7 minutes - 5.1 MB(Sorry - hiccup with new audio edited software.) When we read the biblical text we will inevitably come across passages that shock our modern sensibilities. We read texts that encourage violence against others —all in the name of God! Fortunately, our religion is not based on biblical teachings; instead, it is based upon the teachings of the Rabbis who understood that the religion needed to change with the times in order to be relevant.
278. Biblical Origins - Ch 3 - Sacred Scripture & the Prophet Isaiah - August 20, 2022
August 20, 2022 18:00 - 11 minutes - 7.87 MBWe continue our "Summer of Sperling" series by reading from Professor David Sperling's forthcoming book, Biblical Origins: The Political Intent of the Bible's Writers. Chapter 3 is titled Sacred Scripture and the Prophet Isaiah. We expect the book to be available for purchase in the next couple of weeks. The text of this podcast is available on our blog. If you like this podcast, you might enjoy the book Biblical Origins: The Political Intent of the Bible's Writers, by renowned Bible schol...
277. Biblical Origins - Ch 2 - Scholarly Study of the Bible - August 13, 2022
August 13, 2022 19:00 - 7 minutes - 5.08 MBWe continue our “Summer of Sperling” series by reading from Professor David Sperling’s forthcoming book, Biblical Origins: The Political Intent of the Bible’s Writers. Chapter 2 is titled Scholarly Study of the Bible. We expect the book to be available for purchase in the next couple of weeks. The text of this podcast is available on our blog. If you like this podcast, you might enjoy the book Biblical Origins: The Political Intent of the Bible's Writers, by renowned Bible scholar Dr. S. D...
276. Biblical Origins: The Political Intent of the Bible's Writers, Chapt 1 - August 6, 2022
August 07, 2022 20:00 - 9 minutes - 6.74 MBWe continue with our “Summer of Sperling” series with something new: for the past four years I have been in the enviable position of working with our Scholar-in-Residence, Professor David Sperling, on an update of his 1998 text The Original Torah: The Political Intent of the Bible’s Writers. Many readers of that text, including Professor Sperling’s graduate students, came to the text already having a certain level of proficiency and familiarity with the material that lay readers likely did n...
275. Catastrophe - July 20, 2022
July 30, 2022 18:00 - 6 minutes - 4.46 MBTisha B'Av will be remembered next Saturday night. In honor of the holiday, and as part of our Summer of Sperling series, we revisited a session led by our Scholar-in-Residence, Professor David Sperling, to look at catastrophes in Jewish history and how we remember them. If you like this podcast, you might also enjoy Biblical Origins: The Political Intent of the Bible's Writers, by renowned Bible scholar Dr. S. David Sperling.
274. The True Truth - July 23, 2022
July 25, 2022 00:00 - 6 minutes - 4.25 MBOur "Summer of Sperling" continues with revisiting the session of our Scholar-in-Residence, David Sperling, from December 25, 2021. Because this session was led on Christmas, Professor Sperling led our group in a discussion of what classical Jewish sources have to say about Jesus. If you like this podcast, you might also enjoy Biblical Origins: The Political Intent of the Bible's Writers, by renowned Bible scholar Dr. S. David Sperling.
273. Contradictions
July 16, 2022 14:00 - 6 minutes - 4.82 MBOur "Summer of Sperling" continues with revisiting the session of our Scholar-in-Residence, David Sperling, from November 28, 2020. We will focus on contractions, or inconsistencies in the biblical text. In particular, we focus on the stories about our patriarch Jacob. Why did he leave home? What was going on at Bethel? Did his family hail from Beersheba in the 18th century, or is there more to the story? If you like this podcast, you might also enjoy Biblical Origins: The Political Intent...
272. How Divine! - July 9, 2022
July 09, 2022 17:00 - 6 minutes - 4.52 MBSummer of Sperling - lesson #1 While Rabbi Jaech is on her summertime professional development program, we will revisit sessions that have been led by our Scholar-in-Residence, David Sperling. Follow is from Feb 20, 2016. God spoke "plainly and not in riddles" to Moses. He also gave inspiration to other prophets, but those prophets would have to work harder to divine the true meaning of the messages. Why did this interaction between humans and God stop? According to the earliest rabbis, the...
271. The Shema - June 25, 2022
June 25, 2022 19:00 - 5 minutes - 3.91 MBThis week, our Scholar-In-Residence, Professor David Sperling, led our group in a discussion of the Shema. We learned that imploring our god for protection was not unique to the Israelites, and we learned that there was dissent among Jews about what should be included in this prayer that has remained a cornerstone of our religion.
270. Miriam the Prophet - June 18, 2022
June 20, 2022 13:00 - 5 minutes - 3.72 MBMiriam is often acknowledged as the older sister of Moses. But closer inspection of the biblical text calls that relationship into question, and hint that Miriam might have been a highly regarded leader of the ancient Israelite community, who became relegated to the lesser role of "sister" in order to minimize her status.
269. Man or Myth - June 11, 2022
June 12, 2022 23:00 - 4 minutes - 3.31 MBThe background of characters with what could be described as super-human abilities is often attributed to a liaison between a god and a human—typically a male god and a female human. This is true in the Bible just as it is true in Greek mythology. Why do we need to attribute these special characteristics to something other than just human ability? Maybe humans really ARE special, just as they are!
268. Weapons Control - June 4, 2022
June 05, 2022 00:00 - 6 minutes - 4.66 MBThe issue of Gun Control is echoed in the issues of Weapons Control that our ancient sages have long grappled with. By reading their text, we can see how they struggled with weapons and how their presence should be regulated in society, just as we do. We may also find compelling arguments that help us to form our own conclusions.
267. Cannibalism - May 28, 2022
May 29, 2022 20:00 - 6 minutes - 4.52 MBThe Bible has several curses/warnings that, if the Israelites don't adhere to God's laws, calamity will befall them and they will be forced to resort to cannibalism. This is a great threat for Jews to use against other Jews. But what happens when this type of text falls into other hands? This week we looked at how Christian commentators of the Middle Ages used these biblical tales against the Jews.
266. Words Create Worlds - May 21, 2022
May 21, 2022 21:00 - 4 minutes - 3.03 MBIn this particularly division time in our country, Rabbi Janet Roberts led our group in a discussion about what the ancient rabbis had to say about the power of words, and how words can cause irreparable harm.
265. A Mother's Love - May 14, 2022
May 17, 2022 00:00 - 5 minutes - 3.52 MBBiblical lines that do not follow a usual pattern are ripe for interpretation. In this week's Torah Portion, a man who got into trouble in the Torah is not mentioned by name—but his mother is. Female characters are often given short shrift in the Torah, but not this one! This week we delve into what that might have meant about this particular character.
264. Love Your Neighbor - May 7, 2022
May 08, 2022 19:00 - 6 minutes - 4.4 MBThis week's Torah Portion contains the phrase, "Love your neighbor like yourself." This simple line has become one of the principle laws of Judaism, as is pointed out by sages as prominent as Hillel, Akiva and even Jesus Christ! And these are the words that are above the ark in our own sanctuary. This week we take a look at what the phrase truly means.
263. How We Memorialize - May 1, 2022
May 01, 2022 20:00 - 4 minutes - 3.46 MBLast week the Jewish world paused for Holocaust Remembrance Day, or Yom HaShoah. Rabbi Jaech discussed with us the different ways we, has human beings, try to grapple with such an atrocity. And the fact that, sometimes, silence is all that humans can handle.
262. Legal Interpretation - April 23, 2022
April 24, 2022 19:00 - 5 minutes - 3.5 MBRabbi Janet Roberts led our group in a discussion about how the Bible, written thousands of years ago, remains the basis for opinion rendered today about legal or ethical considerations.
261. A Passover Special - April 16, 2022
April 16, 2022 20:00 - 7 minutes - 4.86 MBFrom an April 9 session led jointly by Professor David Sperling and Rabbi Jaech, we look at the origins of the festival of Passover and how the universal story of liberation from bondage continues to have relevance today!
260. Gender Inequality - April 2, 2022
April 03, 2022 21:00 - 8 minutes - 5.77 MBThe Bible is a misogynistic text. This week we looked at ancient texts from other cultures that were similarly misogynistic—it was a cultural norm. In the Western world today we like to think that we have moved beyond that. But have we really? And what can we do to do better?
259. Politics of Pork - March 26, 2022
March 28, 2022 21:00 - 6 minutes - 4.74 MBMost traditional Jews will not eat pork, a dietary prohibition that can be found in the book of Leviticus. And even some non-religious Jews, who might eat lobster or shrimp, will not eat pork. Why is the prohibition against eating pork one that has endured for so many Jewish people?
258, Dirty Money - March 19, 2022
March 21, 2022 02:00 - 5 minutes - 3.86 MBIvan Boesky. Michael Milken. Bernie Madoff. These Jewish people became fabulously wealthy and were known for their philanthropic donations—and they fell hard from their rarefied positions when the crimes behind their financial successes were revealed. What do we think about people who made their money in dubious ways, and then use those funds to try to gain favor? This week Rabbi Jaech led us on an exploration of what Jewish wisdom has to say about donations that may have come from dubious s...
257. Hasidism - March 12, 2022
March 12, 2022 21:00 - 5 minutes - 3.64 MBThe Hasidic movement was started in what is now Ukraine. Urkraine has a long, rich, and varied history of Jewry. This week, Rabbi Janet Roberts led us on an exploration of origins of the Hasidic movement.
256. Ruling Queens - March 5, 2022
March 08, 2022 04:00 - 5 minutes - 3.87 MBBiblical tales of ruling Israelite queens tell us about unsavory, dangerous women. However, it is possible that these ruling women were actually very capable leaders. Today we learned about a 1st century BCE Judean queen who may have been an example of a successful woman leader.
255. Evolution of a Law - February 26, 2022
February 27, 2022 17:00 - 5 minutes - 3.66 MBThe Torah tell us, in no uncertain terms, that working and/or kindling a fire on shabbat is a violation of God's law that is punishable by death! But shabbat is also supposed to be a time when we celebrate and honor God. How can you celebrate and honor God if you are sitting in the dark and have no food—or only cold food—to eat?
254. Anger Management - February 19, 2022
February 21, 2022 02:00 - 5 minutes - 4.05 MBReading about the anger displayed by both God and Moses in the Golden Calf episode, Rabbi Jaech reflected on the anger we have been seeing across America today and looked for words of wisdom from our ancient sages about anger.
253. The Dead Cannot Praise the Lord
February 12, 2022 21:00 - 4 minutes - 3.41 MBRabbi Janet Roberts led us in an exploration of Jewish law in regards to organ donation.
252. The Portable Tabernacle
February 07, 2022 19:00 - 6 minutes - 4.52 MBThis week's Torah portion goes into great deal about the portable sanctuary that was carried by the Israelites as they wandered in the wilderness for forty years in the 13th century BCE. But scholars have determined that, while the setting of the story was the 13th century, it was actually written no earlier than the 6th century BCE. The writers were trying to make a point about the portability of the sanctuary. With the help of research from Rabbi Isaac S.D. Sassoon, we delve into what that...
251. Safety & Self-Defense
January 31, 2022 00:00 - 4 minutes - 2.83 MBThe world can be a scary place. It could also be scary in biblical times, and our ancient sages debated what responses are appropriate when a person is concerned for their personal safety. They even went so far as to say, "If someone comes to kill you, rise and kill him first." This week we discussed measures of protection, some of which have been instituted by our own congregation in an effort to keep members safe.
250. Blind Obedience vs. Free Will
January 24, 2022 04:00 - 5 minutes - 4.05 MBThe god in the Hebrew Bible can be scary who demands blind obedience to His laws. But the Judaism we practice today is based upon rabbinic teachings, not Torah law, and free will of people is acknowledged. The god of the rabbis is a mensch.
249. Plague of Darkness - January 8, 2022
January 09, 2022 04:00 - 5 minutes - 3.68 MBThis week's Torah portion includes the phrase, "a darkness that can be touched." As this pandemic lingers, Rabbi Jaech found these words to be apt as many people struggle with isolation and loneliness. This week we explored the wisdom of the sages about dark times.
248. Happy New Year - January 1, 2022
January 02, 2022 16:00 - 5 minutes - 4.11 MBInspired by research from Dutch scholar Karel van der Toorn, Rabbi Jaech led us on an exploration of New Year observations in and around the ancient Near East.
247. The True Truth - December 25, 2021
December 26, 2021 17:00 - 5 minutes - 3.95 MBThis week our Torah Study session fell on Christmas morning, so our scholar-in-residence, Professor David Sperling, led us in a look at what classical Jewish sources had to say about Jesus.
246. Public Torah Reading
December 19, 2021 04:00 - 4 minutes - 2.95 MBPublic reading of passages from the Torah date back at least to the 1st century, but likely is hundreds of years older than that. The pandemic may have upended how some synagogues offer their public readings right now. Rabbi Janet Roberts led our group in a discussion of what we know about public readings of the Torah and what we might think about them today.
245. Hope in Exile - December 11, 2021
December 13, 2021 02:00 - 4 minutes - 3.33 MBOur sacred text is grounded in human experience. For most of our history, Jews have lived in exile. The biblical tales of many of our heroes show weathering the trauma of exile and, ultimately, thriving. These stories provide hope for us and for a better future.