The Tisch with Rabbi Michael Knopf

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    • Mar 5, 2020 LATEST EPISODE
    • infrequent NEW EPISODES
    • 200 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from The Tisch with Rabbi Michael Knopf

    The Identities of the Prophets

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 5, 2020


    The Hebrew prophets inspired some of the most stirring, challenging, and influential books of the Bible. Their teachings left an indelible mark on both Judaism and Christianity. But do we really know them? The prophets are both familiar and misunderstood, ubiquitous and mysterious. Join Rabbi Michael Knopf (Temple Beth-El) and Reverend Hollie Woodruff (Seventh Street […]

    The Prophets: An Interfaith Exploration (Part One)

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 20, 2020


    The Hebrew prophets inspired some of the most stirring, challenging, and influential books of the Bible. Their teachings left an indelible mark on both Judaism and Christianity. But do we really know them? The prophets are both familiar and misunderstood, ubiquitous and mysterious. Join Rabbi Michael Knopf (Temple Beth-El) and Reverend Hollie Woodruff (Seventh Street […]

    Exploring the Hebrew Prophets

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 9, 2020


    In front of a live audience at one of the nation’s most historic Episcopal churches, Rabbi Knopf gives an introduction to the biblical Prophets, exploring their message, meaning, and enduring relevance. How do you listen to Tisch? You have a lot of options you know? iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, RSS, it’s your choice!

    The Mahzor’s Questions

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 19, 2019


    Many think of the prayerbook as a litany of statements and declarations. Yet the liturgy of the High Holy Days also poses questions. “When will You rule in Zion?” and “Where is the place of God’s presence?” are among the many questions we will ask — and that will be asked of us — during […]

    The Bite That Changed History (Session Thirteen): The Roles of the Humans…

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 20, 2019


    Continuing their discussion of rabbinic interpretations of the Garden of Eden story in midrash Genesis Rabbah, Rabbi Knopf and his students discuss the man’s role in the story, and the reasons for the woman eating the fruit. How do you listen to Tisch? You have a lot of options you know? iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, […]

    The Bite That Changed History (Session Twelve): All About The Snake

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 13, 2019


    Rabbi Knopf and his students continue their discussion of rabbinic interpretations of the Garden of Eden story in midrash Genesis Rabbah. This episode delves into the enigmatic character of the snake. How do you listen to Tisch? You have a lot of options you know? iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, RSS, it’s your choice!

    The Book of Job and Judaism for Christians

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 8, 2019


    Rabbi Knopf discusses the Book of Job and Judaism with an audience of adult Christian students from St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Richmond, Virginia. How do you listen to Tisch? You have a lot of options you know? iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, RSS, it’s your choice!

    The Bite That Changed History (Session Eleven): The Serpents Motivation

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 1, 2019


    As Rabbi Knopf continues his exploration of rabbinic interpretation of the Garden of Eden story, a discussion about sexual intimacy and the motivations of the story’s serpent. How do you listen to Tisch? You have a lot of options you know? iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, RSS, it’s your choice!

    The Bite That Changed History (Session Ten): Parallels To Other Stories

    Play Episode Listen Later May 25, 2019


    Rabbi Knopf continues his exploration of rabbinic legends on the Garden of Eden story, this time examining parallels between the Adam and Eve, Golden Calf, and Canaanite War stories. How do you listen to Tisch? You have a lot of options you know? iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, RSS, it’s your choice!

    The Bite That Changed History (Session 9): The First Commandments

    Play Episode Listen Later May 18, 2019


    Rabbi Knopf continues his study of Midrash Genesis Rabbah’s discussion of the Garden of Eden. In this episode, Rabbi Knopf and his students talk about the origins of humanity, and the first commandments God gives to human beings. How do you listen to Tisch? You have a lot of options you know? iTunes, Spotify, Google […]

    The Bite That Changed History (Session 8): The Origins of Humanity

    Play Episode Listen Later May 11, 2019


    Continuing his exploration of midrash Genesis Rabbah, Rabbi Knopf and his students discuss whether there are appropriate limits to human knowledge, free will vs. determinism, and the origins of humanity. How do you listen to Tisch? You have a lot of options you know? iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, RSS, it’s your choice!

    The Bite That Changed History (Session Seven): The Tree of Knowledge

    Play Episode Listen Later May 3, 2019


    Rabbi Knopf continues a conversation about Midrash Genesis Rabbah’s interpretation of the Garden of Eden story. This week, we discuss what kind of tree the Tree of Knowledge was, and why it matters. How do you listen to Tisch? You have a lot of options you know? iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, RSS, it’s your […]

    The Bite That Changed History (Session Six): The Tree of Life

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 26, 2019


    Rabbi Knopf continues his exploration of midrash Genesis Rabbah, exploring such questions as the size and function of the Tree of Life, the theological problem of evil, and the stubborn persistence of antisemitism. How do you listen to Tisch? You have a lot of options you know? iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, RSS, it’s your […]

    The Bite That Changed History (Session Five)

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 18, 2019


    Rabbi Knopf discusses the relationship between the first human being in the Garden of Eden and the Holy Ark in the Temple, the possibility of Adam and Eve’s sin being a moral crime, and the apostasy of disparaging other human beings. How do you listen to Tisch? You have a lot of options you know? […]

    The Bite That Changed History (Session Four)

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 11, 2019


    Rabbi Knopf discusses the meaning of God’s “placing” Adam in the Garden of Eden, diving into issues of predestination, human freedom, and humanity’s relationship with the rest of creation. *Please note that while this is episode three of this series, the first two sessions were not recorded for podcast. How do you listen to Tisch? […]

    The Bite That Changed History (Session Three)

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 4, 2019


    Rabbi Knopf discusses what was created first, human beings or the Garden of Eden, and in so doing discusses the nature of time and space, as well as free will and determinism. *Please note that while this is episode three of this series, the first two sessions were not recorded for podcast. How do you […]

    Essentials of Judaism: Medieval Jewish History Part 2

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 28, 2019


    Join us for Part Two of Rabbi Knopf’s Essentials of Judaism: Midieval Jewish History Class. The Middle Ages were a formative and tumultuous period in Jewish history, characterized by violent confrontations, colorful characters, dynamic cultural formation, and timeless scholarlship. Rabbi Knopf offers a rich overview of this critical and complex era. How do you listen […]

    Essentials of Judaism: Medieval Jewish History Part 1

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 21, 2019


    Join us for Part One of Rabbi Knopf’s Essentials of Judaism: Midieval Jewish History Class. The Middle Ages were a formative and tumultuous period in Jewish history, characterized by violent confrontations, colorful characters, dynamic cultural formation, and timeless scholarlship. Rabbi Knopf offers a rich overview of this critical and complex era. How do you listen […]

    Essentials of Judaism — God

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 10, 2019


    Rabbi Knopf gives an introduction to the Jewish conception of God and theology.

    2018 End Of Year Appeal

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 17, 2018


    In this episode of The JCast Journey, host Darone Ruskay returns for his semi-annual request for support. Have you been listening to JCast Network podcasts for days, weeks, months, years? Well as we say, podcasts are free to listen to, but not free to produce. Darone discusses some the cost of keeping the network afloat, and […]

    Monday Midrash: Ben Zoma Went Insane

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 21, 2018


    Continuing his study of Chapter 2 of Genesis Rabbah, Rabbi Knopf unpacks a strange story involving the sage Ben Zoma.

    Monday Midrash: Unformed and Void

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 7, 2018


    Rabbi Knopf begins chapter two of Genesis Rabbah, discussing the state of the world at the beginning of creation, and what our past can predict about our future.

    What’s Mine Is Yours

    Play Episode Listen Later May 3, 2018


    In commemoration of completing his pre-Passover study of the Mishnah’s Tractate Avot, Rabbi Knopf teaches about the rabbinic conception of how piety is related to how one thinks of his or her property.

    Monday Midrash: Common Word, Uncommon Use

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 19, 2018


    Continuing his ongoing study of midrash Genesis Rabbah, Rabbi Knopf discuss a peculiar use in Genesis’ opening verse of the Torah’s most common word.

    Monday Midrash: Humility, Perfect Construction, and the World to Come

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 5, 2018


    Continuing his study of midrash Genesis Rabbah, Rabbi Knopf discusses topics ranging from blasphemy to God’s humility to the advent of the Messianic era.

    Monday Midrash: Leadership Lessons from God

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 22, 2018


    Continuing his study of Genesis Rabbah, Rabbi Knopf explores how the creation story demonstrates God’s leadership skills, and what we might learn from God’s example.

    Monday Midrash: Moses at Sinai

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 15, 2018


    Continuing his exploration of Genesis Rabbah, Rabbi Knopf discusses the concept of a “Law Given to Moses at Mt. Sinai,” and the need for a Torah that is rooted in the past but perpetually innovative.

    Monday Midrash: Starting With The Letter Bet

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 1, 2018


    Continuing his study of Midrash Genesis Rabbah, Rabbi Knopf explores why the Torah begins with the letter “bet” rather than the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet, “aleph.”

    Monday Midrash: The Building Blocks of the World

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 15, 2018


    Continuing in his study of midrash Genesis Rabbah, Rabbi Knopf explores what building materials (if any) God used to create the world.      

    Monday Midrash: Good and Evil

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 25, 2018


    Heaven and hell, good and evil, the messiah. What did God create at the beginning of time that the Bible doesn’t explicitly mention? Join Rabbi Knopf as he explores the ancient midrash’s explanations.

    Monday Midrash: Creation Without Arrogance

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 18, 2018


    How do we talk about Creation without arrogance? Is any attempt to discuss the mysterious inherently presumptuous? Is it rebellious? What do we make of the Torah’s silence on the mechanics of Creation, and what may or may not have existed before God created the world? Join Rabbi Knopf as we explore these and other […]

    Monday Midrash: Creation… How and Why?

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 28, 2017


    What did God create before creating the world, and why did God create the world in the first place?

    Monday Midrash: What God Created Before the World

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 7, 2017


    According to the Midrash, God created some things, and determined to create yet more things, before creating the world. Join Rabbi Knopf to explore what those things things were, and why God started with them.

    Monday Midrash: God and the Angels…

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 30, 2017


    When did God create angels? And, if God is one, how is there so much diversity within creation? Join Rabbi Knopf as he and his midrash students discuss these and other ancient rabbinic questions.

    Monday Midrash: Big Questions…

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 23, 2017


    Why does the Torah begin with the creation of the world, and not with the first commandment? And is there such a thing as “intelligent design?” Join Rabbi Knopf as he and his midrash students discuss these and other ancient rabbinic questions.    

    Monday Midrash: Torah as Architect of the World

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 17, 2017


    Join Rabbi Knopf on a journey through the collection of rabbinic commentary on the Bible known as Midrash Rabbah. This week, Rabbi Knopf continues to explore the first midrash of Genesis Rabbah, which discusses how God used the Torah to help create the world.    

    Monday Midrash: Session One

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 10, 2017


    Join Rabbi Knopf on a journey through the collection of rabbinic commentary on the Bible known as Midrash Rabbah. In this session, we begin to explore the first midrash on Genesis.

    Teaching in Honor of Reb Sholom Brodt (z”l)

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 21, 2017


    On the Shabbat immediately following the death of one of Rabbi Knopf’s rebbes, Rabbi Sholom Brodt, founder and Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivat Simchat Shlomo in Jerusalem, Rabbi Knopf shares some singing and learning in his honor.  

    Let My People Go: Judaism and Mass Incarceration (Part Two)

    Play Episode Listen Later May 25, 2017


    Part Two of a teaching where Rabbi Knopf explores the texts, traditions, and history that informs a Jewish view on the modern American plague of mass incarceration.

    Let My People Go: Judaism and Mass Incarceration (Part One)

    Play Episode Listen Later May 18, 2017


    Part One of a teaching where Rabbi Knopf explores the texts, traditions, and history that informs a Jewish view on the modern American plague of mass incarceration.

    Siyyum on Malachi

    Play Episode Listen Later May 4, 2017


    Rabbi Knopf provides an overview about the meaning and message of the Book of Malachi.

    My Father Was a Wandering Aramean: Judaism and Immigration (Part Three)

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 20, 2017


    As the debate over US immigration policy rages in Washington, and as congregations across the country debate becoming sanctuaries to protect undocumented immigrants, Rabbi Knopf explores the texts, traditions, and history that informs Judaism’s view on immigration. This is part three of a three part session given by Rabbi Knopf.

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