Nuanced Judaism

Welcome back! The topic of Tzniut (usually translated as modesty)is often quite a sensitive one, and we decided to share a tool that has been very helpful to many. We separate this topic into 6 different categories, and while all of them are socially and psychologically connected to this Mitzva, they are not one and the same. We delve in to some practical ramifications of the different categories and where they may overlap. Lots of food for thought- enjoy.

Tyranny Of Relativism    Hi all hope you had a good chag! This week we are discussing a concept mentioned all the way at the end of the Parsha, Parshat Noach – the famous tower of Babel. First we look at what was actually inherently wrong with its construction, many great buildings have been erected in the world, what's wrong with this one? Then Simi makes a fascinating comparison to another concept we see in the modern world- relativism, a popular belief that looks very nice on the outside but may have pretty dark ramifications when taken to its extreme. We hope you enjoy.

Yom Kippur - Creative Repentance (Rivka's Take) This week we tackle an important and often perplexing question regarding repentance or Teshuva. Regret, in Jewish thought, is supposed to actually change the ‘avera' in the past- but we all know that the past is unchangeable. Why does Judaism put such a focus on regretting past deeds – why not stop crying over spilled milk and just prepare for a better future? We delve in to a brilliant theory by Rav Yosef B Soloveichick who dissects how Judaism views the notion on time in relation to Teshuva. By understanding this shift in perspective, we can grasp how psychologically taking control of our past can truly change ourselves, and our trajectory, forever, and how G-d takes this process into consideration.   Wishing everyone a meaningful Yom Kippur

Dramatization Of Free Will (Simi's Take)   This week we will take the concept of free will to a whole mother level. How can a proud member of the 21st century believe in the reality of free will while the scientific community leaves very little room for anything outside what you can measure and boil down to cause and effect? We connect this vital lesson with this weeks parsha, where the Jewish people stood on 2 mountains and proclaimed their support of blessings and curses

Realistic Expectations To Change (Rivka's Take) In this week's episode we tackle an interesting phenomenon- why do some people embrace growth in a very intense why with limited success while others shy away from personal growth? We develop a fundamental Jewish concept called 'Nekudat Habechira' and try to bring some light to this question through it. Enjoy

9 Days - Holocaust Denial & Radical Responsibility (Simi's Take) This week we were inspired to discuss the concept of Holocaust denial from a colleague's podcast- History for the Curious by Rabbi Aubrey Hirsch (www.jle.org.uk/podcast). How does Holocaust denial tie in with the period of mourning we are in right now, the 9 days leading up to the 9th of Av? In a surprising twist, Simi connects these two rather dark topics in an unexpected and empowering way

3 Weeks - Forgiveness With Out Condoning (Rivka's Take) Join us this week as we delve into a pretty sensitive topic- how to distance yourself from a painful experience, enough to do something that logically doesn't really make sense, namely forgive. Not ignore, not be appeased, but forgive a fellow human being. We take a 2 step approach and tackle different aspects and difficulties that may arise. Enjoy

Balak & Pinchas - How Does The Holy Differ From The Good?   If someone is 'Holy', does that make them 'Good'? What about a truly good person, someone you look up to. Are they holy? This week we tackle the Jewish approach to these questions, with some interesting analogies added as well. We hope you enjoy      

Chukas - emotions and intellect, a personal perspective In this weeks very spontaneous podcast, Simi poses a question to Rivka with extremely wide ranging effects. How do you live your life, based on emotion or logical reasoning? Besides for personality playing a huge role in how you answer the question, we set up a template for healthy and growing religious lifestyles. Connected to the weekly Parsha, where we tackle Mitzvot that don't seem to have rational explanation  

Korach - Scepticism vs Cynicism (Simi's Take)   Join us for a brief discussion on the difference between these two often used terms and then see how the villian of this week's Parsha uses one of them to wreck havoc. interestingly enough, there are plenty of psychological similarities between Korach and his methods to the typical tyrannical leader today. See if you can spot them. See you there  

Shlach - What  Modesty Is Not ( Rivka's Take) In this week's episode, we turn to a pressing topic for many - the concept of Tzniut, or modesty as its loosely translated. Rivka shares one core idea about this often hotly debated concept but going to the very root of the Mitzvah - where it is learnt from in the Torah. Going directly to the source will allow us to circumvent the debates over the details and zero in on the actual meaning of the commandment.

Lag Baomer - The Danger Of Crazy Eyes (Rivka's Take)   We started off with a rather tame description of the origins of Lag Baomer, going into the two stories that were the origins of the day. We then take one detail of the story of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai and develop it to show a deep insight into our human condition. Ever met someone so taken by an idea that no other approach has room? Join us as we unpack this scenario through the lens of one of the biggest sages of all time. 

Behar - Socialist Or Capitalist ? a Jewish Approach (Simi's Take)   In this week's episode, we unpack some of the ideas embedded in the Torah that smack of socialist leanings as well as halachot that seem to support more capitalist ideas. Using these concepts as a springboard, we make some important distinctions and emerge with a framework using these two political sides. 

Emor - Kiddush Hashem On The Street? - (Rivka's Take) Kiddush Hashem- a term often thrown around but rarely deeply understood. What consitutes a Kiddush Hashem and why? We use prime examples to bring out the essence of this fundamental term, while not exactly tying all the knots on some of the more thorny problems to do with being a Kiddush Hashem in the modern world. 

In this last podcast before Passover, we discuss some very practical ideas regarding leading the Seder. However, from an innocent question of how do you involve the family in the story of our heritage, we deep dive into some philosophical and deeply psychological concepts. How can we tell a simplistic story when the world we live in is full of doubt and the struggle to believe? How can we learn from the patterns of the story for our own history, our own bondage to salvation story? Join us this week. 

Pesach -  Making Sense Of religious Freedom? (Rivka'sTake)   We always hear about Pesach celebrating becoming 'G-d's slaves' rather than Pharaohs. However, to our modern minds, this may really not sit well yet, as we don't want to identify with any notion of slavery at all.  Our answer may not get any points on a written test but may bring a depth of understanding to a tricky concept.  Join us here to find out.   

Why the obsession with pigs In Jewish culture pigs always seem like the underdog, more than another non kosher animal. Why is that? Join us on a discussion that takes us from Spain to the Temple in Jerusalem, with a special shout out to our friend Shmuel Phillips and his widely acclaimed book, Judaism Reclaimed (https://judaismreclaimed.com/)  

Simi posits a question - why do we call Purim after the seemingly arbitrary way that decided the day of our downfall? Wouldn't a more fitting name be Day of the Turnaround or Day of the Ring? After discussing the answer to the question, we take a deep dive, touching topics such as existentialism to our natural tendency to find patterns and meaning in the world. Please join us. 

In this week's discussion, we dissect the notion of an intimate connection between non Jews and our G-d. More than simply focusing on feeling spiritual, this week we will deep dive into some particular details of our tradition and see some surprising concepts pertaining to non Jew and Jew alike, from an unlikely source. 

This week we are focusing our discussion on relationships. Join us as we take a deep look at typical patterns in a relationship, and relate some of the potential pitfalls to a deep philosophical and psychological concept. Connected to the last Parsha of the Book of Exodus, this discussion focuses on how to make a relationship last.

In this week's episode Simi brings to light (with a little help from our snoring son who would not let us put him down) how we can integrate the concept of יראת שמים or fear of G-d in to our daily lives. This concept is a challenging one to describe as nowadays we are much more used to talking about loving G-d and His love for us. Join us as we examine the other part of this relationship in a relevant and fascinating way. 

In this week's episode, we take a step away from philosophy to look at a question dealing with the restrictions and obligations Judaism puts on an individual. How does this jive with mental and emotional health? Specifically discussing the impact Torah values, as seen in this week's parsha, have on our inner sense of self, we will discover how the time the Jews failed in an extreme way holds the nugget for our inner worth. 

On the one hand, Judaism values your free will - its our effort to grow that matters. Seemingly in stark contrast to that is the concept of a sect of Kohanim- priests, born into the office and receiving different advantages and gifts. How does our usual meritocracy fit together with this seeming cast system? Added to this question is the concept that we, the Jewish people, are called a 'kingdom of priests' - how does this parallel?  

This week's podcast may come as a shock to some, and as a welcome opening for discussion for others. We consider the Torah to be divinely given, the hallmark for morality and the guiding light for our mission in life. However, comparing the Torah to other near-eastern ancient texts, some surprising similarities come up. We focus on the code of Hammurabi in this episode and open the discussion to how we can balance our trust in the Torah's divinity with surprising ancient findings. A fascinating discussion. Also, a special mention of a truly ground-breaking book- Judaism Reclaimed by Rabbi Shmuel Phillips- is made, as it further develops this and other theological ideas.  

What's with Judaism's seeming obsession with the most mundane commandments? THroughout the Torah we are tasked with understanding the commandments and then acting them out. But if you compare this practice with other spiritual practices out there nowadays, Judaism seems very stuck in the physical world of action. Why? And what can we learn from this? Join us for a great discussion, also connecting to this week's Parsha, Yisro.

In this episode, Simi tackles an age-old and often asked question. If I believe my life to be governed by a higher power, how does that impact my daily work input? Join us for fascinating insights, connected to this weeks Parsha as well. 

Ever wondered why we Jews ( and many other major faiths) refer to G-d primarily in the male? Join us as Rivka uses this question we often get asked to delve into the Jewish interplay of the male and the female as well as our connection to the moon. This discussion doesn't only answer an oft pondered question but invites us to consider a completely new and rich dimension of our experience.   Parshas Bo - Why Is God Male? ( Rivka's Take)

Comparing our tradition to other nation's ancient myths and stories can be fascinating, but also a little disconcerting. How are our 'stories' in the Torah any different from other ancient myths, and how are the heroes we read and learn about in the Torah different from the plethora of heroes that feature in stories throughout the ancient world?   Parshas Vaera - Is This Just Another Myth? ( Simi's Take)