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
195. Storytellers - November 21, 2020
November 22, 2020 01:00 - 6 minutes - 4.25 MBThe Bible is our foundational text, and these are the stories that our ancestors chose to tell. Rabbi Jaech does not try to shield our congregation from the ugliness in the Bible. This week we looked at some of the stories that show dubious behavior by our patriarchs, acknowledging that our ancestors do not need to be excused and we can learn from their stories, without having to approve of all their actions.
194. Tribalism - November 14, 2020
November 15, 2020 01:00 - 4 minutes - 3.1 MBIn this week's Torah Study, led by Rabbi Janet Roberts, we looked at the lengths Abraham went to to carve out a piece of land that would be only for him and his tribe - in an effort to keep "us" separate from "them."
193. Sins of Sodom - November 7, 2020
November 07, 2020 23:00 - 6 minutes - 4.43 MBGod destroyed the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah because of their wickedness and depravity. What, specifically, was the evil done there? The Bible relates a story about the men of Sodom demanding to rape two foreigners who had entered the town. Was it the fact of the rape, or maybe something else?
192. Melchizedek - October 31, 2020
October 31, 2020 19:00 - 7 minutes - 4.9 MBMysterious figures who are not fleshed out leave a lot of room for interpretation in an effort to find meaning or connections, where meaning or connection might not exist. We see this today in the news with wild conspiracy theories like QAnon. This week we looked at a figure in our own sacred scripture who has been ripe for these type of theories, and we look at the theories that have propagated over the centuries. We introduce you to: Melchizedek.
191. Noahide Laws - October 24, 2020
October 24, 2020 18:00 - 5 minutes - 3.78 MBBiblical literalist chronology tells us that Moses received the Laws in roughly the 18th century BCE. But, using the same chronology, in the Noah story we are told that the people living in roughly 21st century BCE were wicked and lawless and God determined to destroy them by bringing a Great Flood. The ancient Rabbis came up with a way to address the paradox of how people, before a law code was given, could have been held guilty for being "lawless."
190. Where's Moses? - October 10, 2020
October 10, 2020 22:00 - 6 minutes - 4.62 MBThe final book in the Torah (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible) is Deuteronomy, and it tells us that no one knows where Moses was buried. Scholars have learned that absolute statements in the Bible should raise a flag in our minds. When we are told "no one knows," does that mean that, at some time, someone claimed to know? The Moabite Stone, a 9th century BCE artifact, contains a passage that might hint at an important burial site.
189. Changing Traditions - October 3, 2020
October 04, 2020 20:00 - 6 minutes - 4.32 MBThe pandemic affecting the world has brought changes to everyone. Rabbi Janet Roberts led us in an exploration of biblical passages that teach us about the cataclysmic events impacting the ancient Israelites, and how the ancient Rabbis used creativity in the times of crises to create something new, meaningful and lasting.
188. Looking to the Future - September 26, 2020
September 26, 2020 19:00 - 4 minutes - 3.33 MBThroughout history, people have thought about the future and what it will mean to future generations. What is important to us? What do we want to leave behind? There is a rabbinic saying that it is not up to you to complete the task, but neither are you free to refrain from it. What task can you take on to ensure a bright future for our community?
187. God Weeps - September 12, 2020
September 12, 2020 18:00 - 6 minutes - 4.58 MBWhen there is so much going wrong in the world, we may question what God is doing. Is this punishment for our misbehavior? Or is this a terrible tragedy at which God is also weeping? What if we can form a partnership with God - through our tears. Crying with God can make us stronger, and may lead to empathy and social change.
186. Learning From a Heretic - September 5, 2020
September 05, 2020 22:00 - 4 minutes - 3.32 MBAlthough Elisha ben Abuyah had been declared a heretic, his student Meir still sought to learn from him and, also, to try to get Elisha to repent. Elisha tells Meir that he has heard directly from God that he cannot atone. The fact that God will not accept his atonement, as Jews worldwide are approaching Yom Kippur - the Day of Atonement - is alarming. According to Maimonides, what are the actions that do not allow repentance and atonement?
185. The Mitzvah Payoff - August 29, 2020
August 29, 2020 20:00 - 6 minutes - 4.28 MBWhat would the ancient Rabbis do with a rabbi who had gone rogue?! This week we looked at the Talmudic record of one such rabbi, Elisha be Abuyah, who, after having risen to a position of prominence, decided to stop following the commandments. The Rabbis had the important job of keeping the community together. This heretic would have damaged the foundation of the religion and the sense of community it provided. Then we looked at our own community and the sense of community it provides today ...
184. Death of the High Priest - August 22, 2020
August 23, 2020 15:00 - 5 minutes - 3.57 MBIn the case of a murder, a family is expected to avenge the death. But in the case of an accidental murder, the murderer is allowed to flee to a city of refuge, where he (she) may reside until the death of the High Priest. Why does the death of the High Priest, a man who had no involvement with the murder, give atonement for the death of another?
Political Tensions - June 27, 2020
June 27, 2020 19:00 - 5 minutes - 3.84 MBPolitical uprisings are as old as written history. This week we looked at a challenge to the authority of Moses and Aaron that came from their first cousin, Korah. Who gets to be in power? What kind of authority does the community have over its leaders? Or, does God have the ultimate authority? Well... since this is the Bible...
Preconceived Notions - June 20, 2020
June 20, 2020 19:00 - 5 minutes - 3.69 MBIn this week's Torah portion, the spies are sent to check out the land of Canaan, but what they see scares them. What do they see? How do we perceive "others?" How does what we assume about what "others" think of us impact our own behavior?
Bitter Water - June 6, 2020
June 06, 2020 20:00 - 5 minutes - 3.59 MBThe Trial by Bitter Water is described in this week's Torah portion. This is a magical trial that is meant to determine the guilt or innocence of a woman suspected of adultery. In biblical times, adultery was a capital crime and guilt would have had necessitated deadly consequences.
The Commandments - May 30, 2020
May 30, 2020 20:00 - 6 minutes - 4.37 MBThe holiday of Shavuot, which was just celebrated last week, is a useful illustration of how religion evolves over time. Originally it was an agricultural festival that marked the harvest. But, as the Israelites became more urban, the association with agriculture was lost. The Rabbis, then, associated the holiday with the anniversary of the date the Israelites received the Torah, and all the commandments by which they should live. We know about the Ten Commandments, and many of us are famili...
Obligations of the First-Born - May 23, 2020
May 23, 2020 20:00 - 5 minutes - 3.64 MBIn the Torah, priests and Levites are elevated over the general Israelite population and given sacred responsibilities. But looking at Torah passages and other ancient writings, we explored the possibility that these sacred responsibilities originally belonged to the first-born sons of Israel. And one of the responsibilities was proper care for the spirit of the dead in the afterword. Today, we see remnants of those responsibilities in ritual of saying kaddish for departed parents.
Breaking Bread - May 16, 2020
May 16, 2020 19:00 - 4 minutes - 3.11 MBThe presence of God was channeled through the prophet Elijah when a small amount of flour became an undiminishing supply for a widow. Later, Christian traditions recount Jesus Christ being able to feed multitudes of people with just five loaves of bread. Rabbi Roberts led us in an exploration of comparing the traditions and understanding the differences. And what might this mean to us, as individuals?
Azazel - May 9, 2020
May 09, 2020 20:00 - 4 minutes - 3.26 MBThe "scapegoat" ritual dictates that one goat be sacrificed to God, and the other to Azazel. Who, or what, is Azazel?
Importance of Ritual - May 2, 2020
May 02, 2020 19:00 - 4 minutes - 3.24 MBRitual provides comfort. Because of the current pandemic, the structure of our normal days has been overturned and we have entered a tie of tragedy and rupture. Rabbi Jaech led us on an exploration of some of the rituals that were performed by our biblical ancestors, and we acknowledged that, although some are based upon superstition, our human nature often wants us to find answers - even if the best we can offer is superstition.
Elisha - April 25, 2020
April 25, 2020 20:00 - 5 minutes - 3.89 MBThe prophet Elisha was the successor to the prophet Elijah, whom we studied last week. Like Elijah, Elisha channeled many miraculous deeds - and he was also a little scary. When confronted with a doubter, he foretold the death of the doubter - and he was right! And we also learned that the most afflicted among us also have a role to play.
Elijah - April 19, 2020
April 18, 2020 23:00 - 4 minutes - 3.33 MBDuring Passover, many Jews fill a glass of wine for Elijah and open the door to welcome him in. But, who was Elijah? Rabbi Janet Roberts led us in a discussion to learn what we know about Elijah from the Bible. And we learn about the miracles he performed, and discuss why miracles have been an integral part of the human experience.
Healing Acts - March 28, 2020
March 29, 2020 13:00 - 4 minutes - 3.45 MBIn biblical times the priests had the job of managing the ritual purity of the community. The prophets had the ability to speak directly with God in order to receive his instruction on specific acts an inflicted person might be able to take to cure an illness. With the destruction of the Temple, the Rabbis rose to prominence. The priests and prophets were both put out of work and the people turned to the Rabbis for guidance. The Rabbis often turned to a community fast for deliverance. But th...
Resetting Priorities - March 21, 2020
March 22, 2020 02:00 - 3 minutes - 2.61 MBIn this time of social distancing, Rabbi Janet Roberts led our discussion today by sharing with us a Talmudic story about a rabbi that lived in a cave for 13 years with his son. He and his son studied Torah the entire time - something our group enjoys and the Rabbis say will make each of us a better person. But we questioned whether the man in the cave, Rabbi Shimon, actually came out as a better man or not. Where were his priorities? Maybe this time of isolation allow us all to think about ...
Remember God & Preserve Humanity - March 7, 2020
March 09, 2020 02:00 - 6 minutes - 4.81 MBThe Purim spiel will be read this Monday in synagogues around the world. The tale is a farcical tale with an outrageous plot - and it is meant to be that way. There will be celebrations, and costumes, and groggers and fun all around! Rabbi Jaech showed us how we can learn background information about some of the characters in the tale when we read other biblical passages. But we also learn that the celebratory, murderous rampage the Israelites are allowed to go on at the end of the Purim spi...
Stones and Stories - February 29, 2020
February 29, 2020 22:00 - 4 minutes - 3.24 MBThe discovery of 3100-year-old sacred site close to Jerusalem aligns nicely with a story in the biblical book of Samuel. The story tells of the Ark of the Covenant being captured by the Israelite enemy, the Philistines. The Ark is so powerful that the Philistines living in proximity to where the Ark is being kept are stricken with hemorrhoids! When the Ark is moved, hemorrhoids again strike the nearby Philistine residents. Deciding that keeping the Ark is not worth the agony of hemorrhoids, ...
Witchy Women - February 22, 2020
February 23, 2020 01:00 - 4 minutes - 3.37 MBDid you know that there are witches in the Bible? The witches are powerful people who are able to perform actions without a commonsense cause and effect, or are able to obtain information without direct experience. But they are spurned as being dangerous women. How is the "magic" of these witches any different from the "miracles" of the, mostly male, prophets? Or, is it?
Jews and Tattoos - February 15, 2020
February 15, 2020 22:00 - 4 minutes - 3.21 MBMany Jews have heard the claim that you cannot be buried in a Jewish cemetery if you are tattooed. Rabbi Janet Roberts led our group in an exploration of biblical and rabbinic writings about tattooing. Debunking a long-held belief!
A Community Meal - February 1, 2020
February 02, 2020 01:00 - 5 minutes - 4.12 MBThe Passover meal is an ancient ritual that originated as a way to show your commitment, even citizenship, in the Israelite community. By keeping the bones (skeleton) of the sacrificial animal intact, the people showed the wholeness of the community.
Forbidden Unions - January 25, 2020
January 26, 2020 03:00 - 5 minutes - 3.92 MBThe Bible tells us that a man of the house of Levi married Levi's daughter and a son was born. That son was Moses. But the tale goes on to tell us that the mother had to put Moses in a basket to save his life, and the basket was watched by his sister when it floated down the river. Where did this sudden, older sister come from? And other traditions tell us that the father of Moses was Amram, who is identified as a grandson of Levi. If Levi's grandson married Levi's daughter - didn't he marry...
Boundary Crossers - January 18, 2020
January 18, 2020 21:00 - 4 minutes - 3.07 MBThe story of a foundling who comes into his own and becomes the hero of the story is an ancient motif. The philosopher Martin Buber said that in order for Moses to become the leader of the Israelites, he had to cross the boundaries from being a slave to living as a prince. Perhaps our history as boundary crossers is what motivated so many Jews to travel south to register black voters during the 1960s.
Do Not Be Quarrelsome - January 11, 2020
January 12, 2020 21:00 - 5 minutes - 3.97 MBAfter Joseph had reunited with his brothers, he sends them to bring his father, Jacob, to come back and live in Egypt. Joseph tells his brothers, "Do not be quarrelsome." Rabbi Janet Roberts lead our group this week in an exploration of how the ancient rabbis understood this passage to mean that Jews should not be quarrelsome with other Jews. We are stronger when we are united. Yes, there are differences among Jews, but we would do better to celebrate the similarities. Particularly at this t...
Forced Relocation - January 4, 2020
January 05, 2020 03:00 - 6 minutes - 4.59 MBBible readers might be surprised to learn that one of the heroes of our tradition, Joseph - he of the Coat of Many Colors - forced starving people to give up their land and relocate on behalf of Pharaoh. How did our sages address this troubling story? And what do we think of it today?
Dream Interpretation - December 29, 2019
December 31, 2019 03:00 - 5 minutes - 3.73 MBThe Bible has numerous examples of people, both Jewish and gentile, receiving messages from God through their dreams. This week we looked at who gets to interpret the dreams and what the Rabbis said about who really has the ability to interpret dreams.
Do the Ends Justify the Means? - December 21, 2019
December 21, 2019 19:00 - 5 minutes - 3.69 MBJews being accused of deception is a common trope that has been used against us over the centuries. Although the trope is not necessarily tied to the Torah stories, the fact is that stories of deception abound in the Bible. This week, we took a look at the stories tied to our patriarch, Jacob.
Story Underpinnings - December 14, 2019
December 16, 2019 00:00 - 5 minutes - 3.61 MBRabbi Janet Roberts led us this week in a review of why pork products, which were a staple of the Greek, Hellenistic diet, might be something traditional Jews do not eat. We learned about the Seleucid king, Antiochus, and what an evil man he was - or was he?
The Eyes Have It - December 7, 2019
December 10, 2019 01:00 - 4 minutes - 3.2 MBBible passages need to be translated so that we can read them in our mother language. The job of translator also requires some interpretation, which can lead to differences from what the original Hebrew (or Aramaic) might have meant. This is true in the story about Jacob's wife, Leah, who is described as having "weak" eyes. But that is probably a bad translation.
Dysfunctional Families - November 30, 2019
December 01, 2019 22:00 - 4 minutes - 3.36 MBOur traditions are filled with multi-dimensional characters who give us a lot to ponder. This week we looked at the dysfunctional family dynamics between Isaac and Rebekah, and their twin son, Esau and Jacob.
Machpelah - November 23, 2019
November 23, 2019 22:00 - 4 minutes - 3.18 MBWhen our matriarch Sarah died, Abraham took legal steps to purchase a piece of property which included a cave that would become the burial place of his family. By purchasing the land, Abraham laid claim to property in the area that is now Israel - giving Jews a foothold in the area for all time.
In The Stars - November 9, 2019
November 10, 2019 00:00 - 4 minutes - 3.38 MBThroughout human existence, people have used any means possible to determine what might be in their future - and that includes star-gazing, or astrology. Before the patriarch Abraham became our patriarch, he was a practitioner of astrology. This week, we looked at passages that prove that, and we looked about writings from the ancient Rabbis about astrology.
Chaos - November 2, 2019
November 03, 2019 09:00 - 6 minutes - 4.45 MBConsider the chaos of the Towel of Babel story: Humankind wanted to make a name for themselves - to be respected and remembered. But God chose to confound the speech of humans so that they could not communicate effectively. Was this a blessing, so that people would not become full of hubris, or a curse and the beginning of ethnic cleansing?
Helper or Hero - October 26, 2019
October 26, 2019 21:00 - 6 minutes - 4.81 MBThere are two creations stories in the book of Genesis. In one story, Eve is created at the same time and as an equal to Adam. In the other story, Eve is created to be a helper to Adam and the scenario seems to put Eve in a subservient position. We looked at traditions that cast Eve as an equal partner to Adam, a partnership where they become one flesh. And what that has meant in both Judaism and in Catholicism.
Fasting Is Uncomfortable
October 05, 2019 18:00 - 4 minutes - 3.35 MBThe Yom Kippur fast is supposed to be uncomfortable. It is supposed to make us pause and be thankful for all that we DO have and to think about what is important in life. And then, after the holiday ends, to go out and do those important things.
Good of the Community - September 28, 2019
September 29, 2019 15:00 - 5 minutes - 3.87 MBThe Jewish tradition demands that we, as a people, police our own community. While we may pray for ourselves at the High Holidays, it is also incumbent upon each of us to notice the greater community around us and to do our best to make the community the best it can be. Wishing everyone a Happy New Year!
Piyyutim - September 21, 2019
September 22, 2019 21:00 - 4 minutes - 2.89 MBThe holiday of Selichot just passed on the Jewish calendar. This is a time to remind God, "Hey, you took care of our ancestors. Please take care of us, too!" This week, Rabbi Janet Roberts gave us information about the ancient poems that became the eponymously named Selichot holiday.
Kol Nidre and Demons - September 14, 2019
September 15, 2019 20:00 - 5 minutes - 3.63 MBIn ancient thinking you could make a bargain with God. If I do this for you, God, you do this for me. This way of thinking helped to give people a sense of control in a scary world. People would also make bargains with other people and evoke curses that could befall them if they fail to uphold their end. The demons may be listening, and waiting for you to fail so they can pounce! The Yom Kippur prayer Kol Nidre has given people relief from demons for centuries.
Removing Our Sin - September 7, 2019
September 09, 2019 02:00 - 5 minutes - 3.81 MBGod does not like when innocent blood is spilled, and revenge is fully allowed and even expected! But what happens when the community does not know who the guilty party is? In biblical times the elders of the community had a ceremony to appease God, which has parallels during our High Holiday services today.
God's Slaves - August 31, 2019
August 31, 2019 19:00 - 5 minutes - 3.81 MBOne way to escape debt in biblical times was to sell oneself, or ones children, into slavery. We looked at some of the passages, and where those passages sometimes conflict each other. Speaking of conflict, we wondered how slave-holding Americans were able to justify the Runaway Slave laws of the early 19th century.
Reparations - August 24, 2019
August 25, 2019 00:00 - 5 minutes - 4.01 MBThe New York Times has created a series about the 400th anniversary of the first slave ship landing in America. According to the Bible, the Israelites were in bondage to the Egyptians for 430 years. The ancient rabbis debated what may be owed to the Israelites. Is America ready to debate what is owed to the African American community?