Jewish Philosophy

In this video on Jewish philosophy, we explore a truly mind blowing topic from the Talmud regarding our connection to the Land of Israel. We look at a fascinating discussion in the Gemara about the blessing recited over balsam oil, which was historically produced right here in Jericho. One sage, Rav Yehuda, suggested a unique blessing praising God for creating the oil of our land. Remarkably, the Talmud records that his colleagues rejected his legal opinion, claiming he loved the Land of Israel too much to remain objective. This raises a profound philosophical question: How can one love Israel too [...]

In today's lesson on Jewish philosophy, we are going to explore a topic that is often debated in the modern world: democracy and whether it is truly a Jewish value. While we live in a time where democracy is celebrated as the best of all systems, Jewish philosophy offers a different perspective. In our tradition, the Torah actually describes a system with a king who holds ultimate power and a legislative body called the Sanhedrin. This self selecting group of seventy one sages is meant to represent the best and the brightest of our people. We must ask ourselves if [...]

In this week's video on Jewish philosophy, I want to address a subject that is perhaps too complex for a short discussion, yet it is one that weighs heavily on our hearts: understanding the Holocaust. When tragedies of such magnitude occur, we naturally ask why. How could God allow this? Most of us take the approach of humility, recognizing that we simply cannot comprehend God's infinite ways. However, my teacher, Rabbi Sinai Adler, a survivor of Auschwitz, offered a different and very sobering perspective based on the warnings found in the Torah. He suggested that if we believe the Torah [...]

In this video on Jewish philosophy, we are going to explore the profound value the Torah places on Jewish women and the sanctity of relationships. We are all familiar with the three cardinal sins for which one must give up their life rather than violate: idolatry, murder, and sexual indiscretions. Often, we think of that last category only in terms of adultery, but the law goes much deeper, touching on the very essence of human dignity. We will discuss a fascinating and extreme case from our legal tradition involving a man's infatuation and the clear boundaries the Torah sets to [...]

In this video on the philosophy of the Torah, we are going to explore a topic that is often misunderstood in modern culture: Kabbalah. Many people ask what exactly it is and why there is a traditional idea that one should only study it after reaching the age of forty. Far from the pop culture versions you might see today, genuine Kabbalah is a highly complex methodology of thought. It specifically addresses the deepest mysteries of the Torah, such as the creation of the world and the vision of the fiery chariot in the Book of Ezekiel. This knowledge was [...]