Anonymous: Searching for the Beginning [Origins of Judaism 1/6]

This series is sponsored by our friend, Danny Turkel. This episode is sponsored by our friend, Evan Goldenberg.In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Rav Moshe Weinberger, Rebbe of Kehillas Aish Kodesh and his son Asher, CEO of Swimply.Rav Moshe Weinberger is a chassidish Rebbe who raised his son Asher in the more modern world of the Five Towns. Join us as they discuss differing trajectories and expectations, and how fathers can learn from their sons despite the small differences between them. - How does a chassidishe father react to his son cutting off his peyos? - Does being the son of a Rav play a role in paving one’s own path and journey? - What does it mean to go back to the year 1840? Tune in to hear a conversation about chassidus shniya [renewed (or secondary) Hasidic commitment] and the evolution of fatherhood.Interview begins at 11:25.Rabbi Moshe Weinberger (father) is the founding rabbi of Congregation Aish Kodesh in Woodmere, New York, and is Mashpia at RIETS at Yeshiva University. Rabbi Weinberger is one of the leading spiritual leaders in the contemporary Jewish community, and is a key figure in the spiritual revitalization of the Orthodox world. Asher Weinberger (son) is the co-founder and COO of Swimply, an online marketplace for renting private swimming pools. Asher is the president of the Haredi Institute for Public Affairs.References:Sefer HaRokeach by Eleazar of Worms2.0 by Mishpacha MagazineMiniver Cheevy and Other Poems by Edwin Arlington Robinson Tzidkas HaTzaddik by Rav Tzadok HaKohen of LublinHaggadah - In the Heart of the Fire by Rav Moshe WeinbergerLikkutei Moharan by Rebbe Nachman of BreslovSapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah HarariHararei Kedem by Rabbi Yosef Dov HaLevi SoloveitchikBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

12 Apr 20221h 10min

This series is sponsored by our friend, Danny Turkel. This episode is sponsored by Camp Morasha in appreciation for Rabbi Rothwachs's tireless dedication to his family and ours.In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Rabbi Larry Rothwachs and his daughter Tzipora about the relationship of a father and daughter through distance while battling an eating disorder. Larry is the rabbi of a congregation in Teaneck, New Jersey, and sees himself as someone who is sort of in the business of helping people. His daughter Tzipora was diagnosed with an eating disorder as a pre-teen. As Tzipora’s disorder got more severe, she was distanced from her family—both physically and emotionally. During this time, she and her parents were forced to redefine and strengthen their relationship in ways they couldn’t have otherwise.- How can absence become a relationship in and of itself? - What did this journey teach Tzipora about being a daughter, about family, about her relationship with her father, and for Larry as a parent, how did this change his relationship, not just to Tzipora, but his relationship to being a parent in general?- How can parents and children remain connected even when so far apart? Tune in to hear a conversation about how distance can make a relationship grow stronger than it ever was before.Interview begins at 11:43.Rabbi Larry Rothwachs (father) serves as rabbi of Congregation Beth Aaron in Teaneck, NJ, and is the Director of Professional Rabbinics at RIETS at Yeshiva University. Rabbi Rothwachs has served as president of the Rabbinical Council of Bergen County and on the executive committee of the Rabbinical Council of America. In May 2016, he was named by the Jewish Forward among ‘America’s Most Inspiring Rabbis.’ Tzipora Rothwachs (daughter) grew up in Teaneck, NJ, and studied Business at Yeshiva University. After graduating from Yeshiva University, Tzipora Rothwachs began working as a property associate for JLL in New York City. She enjoys running and the outdoors and lives in Bergen County, NJ.References:The Fifth Son by Rabbi Menachem Mendel SchneersonTop Five Pictures of the Four Sons by Dovid Bashevkin The Animated Haggadah by Rony OrenFather of the BrideHere Without You by Three Doors DownLittle House on the Prairie Far From the Tree by Andrew SolomonBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

5 Apr 20221h 31min

This series is sponsored by our friend, Danny Turkel. In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to author Bruce Feiler about family narratives.Bruce has authored many books and articles, including longtime 18Forty favorite, The Stories that Bind Us, which argues that resilience in families is built by developing a strong family narrative. - Does The Stories that Bind Us deliberately have a Pesach theme? - What are the mistakes that people make in family dinner conversation? - Are there differences in the ways that we cope with different types of life transitions?Tune in to hear a conversation about Pesach and building family narratives.Interview begins at 16:27.Bruce is an American author of 15 books. Bruce’s book The Secrets of Happy Families: Improve Your Mornings, Rethink Family Dinner, Fight Smarter, Go Out and Play, and Much More is a moving exploration of the ways different families have built healthy homes. Bruce writes the "This Life" column in the New York Times and the PBS miniseries Walking the Bible and Sacred Journeys with Bruce Feiler. His powerful article “The Stories That Bind Us,” in which Bruce explores the non-linear narratives of families from many different walks of life, was an early inspiration for 18Forty’s series on Intergenerational Divergence. Bruce joins us to discuss the stories that families tell.References:Shel Ma'alah, Shel Matah: Seders Ideal and Real by Joanna SamuelsBelieve In Your Own Seder by Rabbi Judah Mischel Just One - The NCSY HaggadahHaggadah Encyclopedia TalmudicThe Mesivta HaggadahThe Stories that Bind Us by Bruce FeilerSin-a-gogue: Sin and Failure in Jewish Thought by David BashevkinLife Is in the Transitions: Mastering Change at Any Age by Bruce FeilerWalking the Bible: A Journey by Land Through the Five Books of Moses by Bruce FeilerThe Do-You-Know Scale by Marshall Duke and Robyn FivushThe Secrets of Happy Families by Bruce FeilerAbraham: A Journey to the Heart of Three Faiths by Bruce FeilerThe Council of Dads by Bruce FeilerThe Nonlinear Life NewsletterThe Storytelling Animal by Jonathan GottschallBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

29 Mars 20221h 6min

This series is sponsored by our friend, Danny Turkel.In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to the families from our previous series on intergenerational divergence to follow up and see what they’re up to now. As we revisit the previous interviews, we continue the conversations where we left off, drawing from the experiences and wisdom of our guests. • What advice would our guests give their younger selves during the difficult period that they went through?• What have our guests been up to and what has the feedback been since sharing their stories on 18Forty?• What is the role of disappointment and expectations in the idea of identity?Tune in to hear a conversation about family, about dissonance, and about unconditional love.References:The Europeans by Orlando FigesBird by Bird by Anne Lamott18Forty Interview with Rabbi Daniel and Aliza Grama 18Forty Interview with Rabbi Robyn Frisch Reform, Conservative, Haredi — it’s all in the family by Robyn Frisch 18Forty Interview with Rabbi Menachem Penner and Gedalia Penner Robinson18Forty Interview with Andrew Solomon Far from the Tree by Andrew SolomonBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

22 Mars 20221h 11min

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, David is joined by comedian Alex Edelman for a special Purim discussion exploring the place of humor and levity in a world that often demands our solemnity. A Modern Orthodox Jew from Brookline, Massachusetts, who’s “tried cocaine,” but has “never tried bacon,” Alex stars in the one-man Off Broadway show Just For Us, which has to be one of the only top-tier comedy specials to mention Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik.In this episode, we discuss: —How does a Modern Orthodox kid become a mainstream professional comic? —What makes particularly Jewish stories resonate so much with wider audiences? —Why hasn’t he left traditional Judaism amid his secular fame? Tune in to hear how a bona fide star holds onto both his humor and his values to bare to the world his authentic self. Interview begins at 26:56. Alex Edelman is a product of Massachusetts’s Maimonides School and has been featured on Conan and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. In 2020, he was the head writer and executive producer of the “Saturday Night Seder” YouTube extravaganza, which raised over $3.5 million for the CDC Foundation COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund. His show Just For Us is running at the SoHo Playhouse in New York City. While nights tend to sell out quickly, tickets are available here: https://ci.ovationtix.com/35583/production/1107251. References: The World as Will and Idea by Arthur Schopenhauer Is It Funny for the Jews? by Jason Zinoman Here All Along by Sarah HurwitzMy Name Is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok For the Relief of Unbearable Urges by Nathan Englander Dinner at the Center of the Earth by Nathan Englander Kaddish.com by Nathan Englander Baseball as a Road to God by John SextonBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

15 Mars 20221h 2min

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Rabbi Aryeh Lebowitz, the director of semicha at Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary (RIETS), about the development of halacha.Rabbi Lebowitz has written numerous articles and several books on the practical applications of Jewish law and is behind the popular “Ten Minute Halacha” lecture series.•What is the role of rabbinic “intuition” in halachic rulings?•To what degree does the common practice of the community shape halachic rulings?•How has the focus of rabbinical studies shifted over time?•Does the concept of emunas chachamin, faith in the rabbis, mean blind adherence?•How are the personal circumstances of the individuals seeking a halachic ruling factored into a posek’s decision?Tune in to hear a conversation about halacha and its practical applications. Interview begins at 21:32.Rabbi Lebowitz is the rabbi of Beis Haknesses of North Woodmere and the director of semicha at Yeshiva University’s Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary (RIETS). He previously taught at Lander's College for Men and at the DRS Yeshiva High School (HALB).References:Ten Minute HalachaTales Out of Shul: The Unorthodox Journal of an Orthodox Rabbi by Rabbi Emanuel FeldmanRabbi Aryeh Lebowitz’s halachic guide to showering on Yom TovGray Matter by Rabbi Chaim JachterContemporary Halakhic Problems by Rabbi J. David BleichShabbat by Rabbi Yosef Zvi RimonOrchot Shabbat by Rabbi Shalom Yosef Gelber & Rabbi Yitzchak Mordechai RubinBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

1 Mars 20221h 23min

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Dr. Tamara Morsel-Eisenberg - historian and Junior Fellow at the Harvard Society of Fellows - about the history of halacha.While we take the system of halacha as we know it today for granted, many factors contributed to its current state. We discuss some of these factors, as well as some pivotal moments in halacha’s history, like the publication of the Shulchan Aruch.- Has halacha always been as standardized and abstract a system as it is today?- What factors have contributed to the state of halacha today?Tune in to hear a conversation about the history of halacha.Interview begins at 16:47.For more, visit https://18forty.org/halacha/.Dr. Tamara Morsel-Eisenberg is a scholar of early modern Jewish intellectual and cultural history. She received her BA from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and her PhD from the University of Pennsylvania’s history department, where she wrote her thesis on the transmission of halakhic knowledge in 16th-century Ashkenaz. Tamara has held fellowships and prizes, including from the Center for Jewish History, the AJS, the Leo Baeck Institute. She is a Junior Fellow at Harvard’s society of Fellows and a Starr Fellow at its Center for Judaic Studies, as well as a Berkovitz Fellow at NYU Law, and lectures widely on Jewish history and law. Tamara lives in Manhattan with her husband Ori and three sons.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

22 Feb 20221h 24min

In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Moshe Koppel, professor of computer science at Bar-Ilan University to discuss some of the ideas in his books Judaism Straight Up and Meta-Halakhah. We discuss how to conceptualize the halachic system and explore how Halacha's development can be seen through the prism of language and what that means for our halachic commitment today.How should halacha be legislated?What does it mean that halacha is like language?What can halacha as language teach us about the development and legislation of halacha?Tune in to hear this fascinating conversation about halacha's development.For more, visit https://18forty.org/halachaInterview begins at 26:58Dr. Moshe Koppel is a computer scientist, Talmud scholar, and political activist. Moshe is a professor of computer science at Bar-Ilan University, and a prolific author of academic articles and books on Jewish thought, computer science, economics, political science, and other disciplines. He is the founding director of Kohelet, a conservative-libertarian think tank in Israel, and he advises members of the Knesset on legislative matters. Moshe is the author of three sharply thought books on Jewish thought.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

15 Feb 20221h 39min