Best Book Ever

On today's episode, Rabbi David Kasher is joined by Madison Margolin to talk about psychedelic experiences in the Torah. Madison is the author of Exile & Ecstasy: Growing Up with Ram Dass and Coming of Age in the Jewish Psychedelic Underground. She's also Co-founder of the Jewish Psychedelic Summit and DoubleBlind, a print magazine and digital media startup covering psychedelics and where they intersect with mental health, environmental justice, social equity, and more, Madison also teaches on Judaism and psychedelics, such as with Tzfat's LiveKabbalah or Psychedelics Today, and offers consulting and guidance for those on the Jewish-psychedelic path.

Guy Branum joins Rabbi Kasher to discuss Ashera and the presence of a goddess in the Torah

Full class: https://youtu.be/xCIiAkZDSGQ Source sheet: https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/568347?lang=bi

Source sheet: https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/566742?lang=bi Watch the Full Class: https://youtu.be/FRhY5TSlsqo

Source Sheet: https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/404083?lang=bi Watch the Full Class: https://youtu.be/YrP-HnwjiNc

Weekly Parsha Study with Rabbi David Kasher from 5.9.2024 Full unedited class: https://youtu.be/tQGKQYEjVKA Source sheet: https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/563716?lang=bi

Source sheet: https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/562111?lang=bi Full unedited class: https://youtu.be/O-gaUHURJBA

Source sheet: https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/558262?lang=bi

Source sheet: https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/556558?editor=1

Source sheet: https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/554948?editor=1

Source sheet: https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/551802?lang=bi

Source sheet: https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/550092?editor=1

Source sheet: https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/548331?editor=1

Source sheet: https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/546667?editor=1

Source sheet: https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/545191?editor=1

Source sheet: https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/543516?lang=bi

Source sheet: https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/541791?lang=bi

Source sheet: https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/479870?editor=1

Source Sheet: https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/538397?lang=bi

Source Sheet: https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/536848?lang=bi

Source sheet: https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/528461?lang=bi

https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/531708?lang=bi

Rabbi David Kasher's Weekly Parsha Study. Source sheet: https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/525551?lang=bi

A recording of Rabbi David Kasher's weekly virtual parsha study class from 11.2.2023. Sign up for the class here: https://www.google.com/url?q=https%3A...

A recording of Rabbi David Kasher's weekly virtual parsha study class from 10.26.2023. Sign up for the class here: https://www.google.com/url?q=https%3A...

A recording of Rabbi David Kasher's weekly virtual parsha study class from 10.19.2023. Sign up for the class here: https://www.google.com/url?q=https%3A%2F%2Fikar-la.zoom.us%2Fmeeting%2Fregister%2FtJwrfuytrz4jGtMKB6cYx0bcGz7JmFw5rgUd&sa=D&ust=1697577720000000&usg=AOvVaw1yOKzqinM2sivSvIl6GPS9

A recording of Rabbi David Kasher's weekly virtual parsha study class from 10.12.2023. Sign up for the class here: https://www.google.com/url?q=https%3A%2F%2Fikar-la.zoom.us%2Fmeeting%2Fregister%2FtJwrfuytrz4jGtMKB6cYx0bcGz7JmFw5rgUd&sa=D&ust=1697577720000000&usg=AOvVaw1yOKzqinM2sivSvIl6GPS9

The book of B'midbar is a book full of conflict. And so that was the book that Ezra Furman suggested we talk about. It's appropriate - she's a punk musician and B'midbar is kind of the punk book of the Torah. I think you'll find it interesting to hear a a side of Ezra that you won't always see on stage, a soft, reflective side. She will scream at you from the stage, but one on one, when she's working through ideas, she's very quiet and deliberate. You can tell that she believes everything she says and and believes that how you say it and when you say it are extremely important, too. Buy Rabbi David Kasher's book, ParshaNut. Best Book Ever is a co-presentation of IKAR and the Hadar Institute. Find us on socials @WeAreIKAR and @HadarInstitute. You can follow my Facebook page at Rabbi David Kasher or find me on instagram @DavidKasher to keep up with the show and everything else we're getting up to.

This is a condensed recording of Rabbi David Kasher's weekly parsha studies class from 5.4.2023. To watch the full class head over to IKAR's YouTube channel.

This is a recording of Rabbi David Kasher's parsha study class from April 27, 2023.

The word for brain isn't even in the Torah. But a lot of what is in the Torah presumes a functioning brain and even asks us to use it in certain specific ways. In particular, the brain is directly implicated by the whole realm that we call belief or faith. Judaism, like many religions, asks us to believe in certain things. Actually, in Judaism case, it doesn't just ask. It commands. We're commanded to believe in God, to believe there is only one God and to believe that that God is the one who delivered us from Egypt and then gave us the Torah at Mount Sinai. So how are we supposed to force ourselves to force our brains to believe in that stuff? Or you could ask a different question What is going on in our brains when and if we do believe in that stuff? That's what I wanted to know. Today, Rabbi David Kasher talks to neuroscientist and devout Jew, Mayim Bialik about the science of belief and holding both science and belief at once.

The Vanishing Power of Rabbinic Interpretation...

Rabbi Kasher's farewell sermon, a pre-Passover reflection on the role of mitzvot in Jewish life. 

This is a recording of Rabbi David Kasher's Parsha class from March 10, 2023

Astrologer Chani Nicholas joins Rabbi Kasher to discuss astrology in the Torah and one of the greatest Jewish thinkers who just happened to be an astrologer himself. They discuss Ibn Ezra, the intersection of Judaism and astrology, the implications astrology has for concepts like fate and freewill, and so much more.

Do you believe in magic? This is a recording from March 02, 2023.

This is a recording of Rabbi David Kasher's Parsha class from February 23, 2023

This is a recording of Rabbi David Kasher's Parsha class from February 16, 2023

Have you ever killed your brother or sister? No? That's probably a good thing. But have you ever wanted to kill your brother or sister? If so, then have I got a book for you to read. It's the very first book of the Torah. In fact, the book of Genesis and sibling rivalry of all things might just be the number one theme that runs through the book. It's right there from the start. The person that made the most sense to discuss these topics with was my brother, Moshe. Along the way, we discussed polyamory, parental narcissism ,and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. And I think we eventually got to a vision for world peace.

This is a recording of Rabbi David Kasher's Parsha class from February 9, 2023

This is a recording of Rabbi David Kasher's Parsha class from February 3, 2023

A parlor trick in the palace of the Pharaoh will take us on a search to track down the source of an ancient legend. Recording from January 19, 2023

Join us today, as we begin a new book of Torah... and Nachmanides explains it all. Recording from January 12, 2023.

This is a recording of Rabbi David Kasher's Parsha class from December 22, 2022

This is a recording of Rabbi David Kasher's Parsha class from December 15, 2022

This is a recording of Rabbi David Kasher's Parsha class from December 1, 2022

This is a recording of Rabbi David Kasher's Parsha class from November 17, 2022

Rabbi Kasher and Rabbi Sharon Brous in conversation

This is a recording of Rabbi David Kasher's Parsha class from November 10, 2022

This is a recording of Rabbi David Kasher's Parsha class from November 3, 2022