Podcasts about Halevi

The ayatollahs who have ruled Iran since 1979 have long promised to destroy the Jewish state, and had even set a deadline for it. While arming proxies to fight Israel—Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in Gaza, the Houthis in Yemen, and more—Iran is believed to have sought to develop nuclear weapons for itself. “The big question about Iran was always: how significant is its apocalyptic theology?” Yossi Klein Halevi explains to David Remnick. “How central is that end-times vision to the Iranian regime? And is there a possibility that the regime would see a nuclear weapon as the way of furthering their messianic vision?” Halevi is a journalist and senior fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute, and he co-hosts the podcast “For Heaven's Sake.” He is a fierce critic of Benjamin Netanyahu, saying, “I have no doubt that he is capable of starting a war for his own political needs.” And yet Netanyahu was right to strike Iran, no matter the consequences, Halevi asserts. “The Israeli perspective is not . . . the American war in Iraq and Afghanistan. It's our own experience.”New episodes of The New Yorker Radio Hour drop every Tuesday and Friday. Follow the show wherever you get your podcasts.The New Yorker Radio Hour is a co-production of WNYC Studios and The New Yorker. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

The Ayatollahs who have ruled Iran since 1979 have long promised to destroy the Jewish state, and even set a deadline for it.  While arming proxies to fight Israel—Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in Gaza, the Houthis in Yemen, and more—Iran is believed to have sought to develop nuclear weapons for itself. “The big question about Iran was always how significant is its apocalyptic theology,” Yossi Klein Halevi explains to David Remnick. “How central is that end-times vision to the Iranian regime? And is there a possibility that the regime would see a nuclear weapon as the way of furthering their messianic vision?” Halevi is a journalist and senior fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute, and he co-hosts the podcast “For Heaven's Sake.” He is a fierce critic of Benjamin Netanyahu, saying “I have no doubt that he is capable of starting a war for his own political needs.” And yet Netanyahu was right to strike Iran, Halevi asserts, no matter the consequences.  “The Israeli perspective is not … the American war in Iraq and Afghanistan. It's our own experience.” 

Sourcesheet: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WJ7XoKkEkvWhPRXTwmuHGGyVQkRf2ei58zWBRARp7r8/edit?usp=drive_linkThe episode tackles the first (of five) essays of the great book by R. Yehudah Halevi known as the Kuzari. Building off of the previous episode outlining the book's framing and methodology, we see how this is applied to the primary question of Judaism: why the Jewish people? We take R. Yehudah Halevi's answer to this question seriously, while noting that it may not be representative of mainstream Jewish thought.For more sheets and other info check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://sites.google.com/view/rishonim⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Check out my Substack writing: ⁠Shmuel's Substack⁠⁠⁠Do you want to send me some suggestions? Criticism or corrections? Comments or questions? Contact me at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠therishonim@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠

In this episode of Inside ArtScroll, Rabbi David Sutton discusses his latest work, Beis HaLevi on Anavah, a translation and elucidation of Rav Yosef Dov Soloveitchik's (the Beis HaLevi) timeless essay on humility.  Rabbi Sutton explores how true anavah (humility) enhances our relationships with Hashem, others, and ourselves. He shares insights into the Beis HaLevi's teachings, practical lessons for personal growth, and inspiring stories that bring the concepts to life. This conversation offers a profound look into cultivating genuine humility and its transformative impact on our lives 

’Tis a fearful thing/to love what death can touch. That line begins a poem written over a thousand years ago by the Jewish poet Judah Halevi, translated in the twentieth century. The poet clarifies what’s behind the fear: to love . . . / And oh, to lose. In Genesis, an outpouring of emotion occurred when Abraham lost Sarah in death. “Abraham went to mourn for Sarah and to weep over her” (23:2). The chapter unfolds the beautiful, grief-heavy story of the loss of one of Scripture’s most memorable characters: Sarah, the faithful wife of Abraham, that old woman who laughed at the news she’d be a mother (18:11-12) but cried in pain as Isaac made his way into this world. We make much of that crisp, humanity-rich verse in John’s gospel: “Jesus wept” (John 11:35). Jesus’ tears at the tomb of Lazarus emphasized His loss. To love is indeed a fearful thing. The poet Halevi calls it a thing for fools, yet he follows by also naming it a holy thing, which it is, especially for those whose faith is “hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3). We love and lose everything from spouses to children to parents to friends to pets, and weeping with painful joy is oh-so-human. Yet for the believer in Jesus, our weeping only lasts for the proverbial night. As David wrote, “Weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning” (Psalm 30:5). Our Father hasn’t left us bereft of hope.

The late Z'ev Ben Shimon HaLevi (Warren Kenton 1933-2020) wrote The Kabbalistic Tree of Life (KS Books, 2025), a metaphysical scheme based on ancient, medieval and modern views of its principles, which describes the structure and dynamic of cosmic laws that operate throughout the four Worlds of Jacob's Ladder and humanity. HaLevi also wrote The Anointed (KS Books, 2025), a fictional Kabbalistic novel about the destiny of one man and the fate of the world. Tune in as we speak with Jonathon Clark, former student of HaLevi and now himself a teacher of Kabbalah, about the life and works of Z'Ev Ben Shimon HaLevi. Jonathon Clark was a student of Z'ev ben Shimon Halevi from 1992 until his death in 2020. His website is www.jonathonclark.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/religion

The late Z'ev Ben Shimon HaLevi (Warren Kenton 1933-2020) wrote The Kabbalistic Tree of Life (KS Books, 2025), a metaphysical scheme based on ancient, medieval and modern views of its principles, which describes the structure and dynamic of cosmic laws that operate throughout the four Worlds of Jacob's Ladder and humanity. HaLevi also wrote The Anointed (KS Books, 2025), a fictional Kabbalistic novel about the destiny of one man and the fate of the world. Tune in as we speak with Jonathon Clark, former student of HaLevi and now himself a teacher of Kabbalah, about the life and works of Z'Ev Ben Shimon HaLevi. Jonathon Clark was a student of Z'ev ben Shimon Halevi from 1992 until his death in 2020. His website is www.jonathonclark.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

The late Z'ev Ben Shimon Halevi (Warren Kenton 1933-2020) wrote The Kabbalistic Tree of Life (KS Books, 2025), a metaphysical scheme based on ancient, medieval and modern views of its principles, which describes the structure and dynamic of cosmic laws that operate throughout the four Worlds of Jacob's Ladder and humanity. Halevi also wrote The Anointed (KS Books, 2025), a fictional Kabbalistic novel about the destiny of one man and the fate of the world. Tune in as we speak with Jonathon Clark, former student of Halevi and now himself a teacher of Kabbalah, about the life and works of Z'Ev Ben Shimon Halevi. Please visit the Kabbalah Society's website. There you can find more info about Warren's books, study materials, and videos on Warren himself.  Jonathon Clark was a student of Z'ev ben Shimon Halevi from 1992 until his death in 2020. His website is www.jonathonclark.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/jewish-studies

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On today's program: David Mencer, Israeli Government Spokesman for the National Public Diplomacy Directorate in the Office of the Prime Minister, provides the latest updates on Israel, including hostage negotiations and developments in Gaza. Amit

We don't have a new episode this week, but we invite you to revisit our 18Forty Podcast conversation with Yossi Klein Halevi, originally aired on Dec. 26, 2023. In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Yossi Klein Halevi, a senior fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute, about what it means to be a Zionist and a Jew post-October 7.Since Simchas Torah, we've spent lots of time airing our political differences with others. What might be harder, though, is asking the uncomfortable questions about our own beliefs. Our guest today has decades of experience with this kind of soul-searching. In this episode we discuss:What is our relationship to the State of Israel, and how seriously must we take our participation in the building and rebuilding of the nation we envision?How might we maintain a sense of empathy for and kinship with the Muslim world and the Palestinian people?Why is it so important that we continue to have a Jewish state?Tune in to hear a conversation about the tensions that come with trying to uphold the rights of both Israelis and Palestinians. Interview begins at 6:54.Yossi Klein Halevi is a senior fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem. Together with Imam Abdullah Antepli of Duke University, he co-directs the Institute's Muslim Leadership Initiative (MLI), which teaches emerging young Muslim American leaders about Judaism, Jewish identity and Israel. Halevi's 2013 book, Like Dreamers, won the Jewish Book Council's Everett Book of the Year Award. His latest book, Letters to My Palestinian Neighbor, is a New York Times bestseller. He writes for leading op-ed pages in the US, including the Times and the Wall Street Journal, and is a former contributing editor to the New Republic.References:“What Israelis Fear the World Does Not Understand” with Ezra Klein and Yossi Klein HaleviLetters to My Palestinian Neighbor by Yossi Klein Halevi Like Dreamers: The Story of the Israeli Paratroopers Who Reunited Jerusalem and Divided a Nation by Yossi Klein HaleviArab Strategies and Israel's Response by Yehoshafat Harkabi

Sourcesheet: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1POj6IVX8oP4DqLc8oAYUNFR8fNhXCJWqwi-K_cLAUVc/Now that we've met Yehudah Halevi in the previous episode, we are ready to dive into his monumental work of Jewish Though, the Kuzari. The main claim of this book is often taken to be a definite proof of the truths of Judaism and its Torah, but what did the book's author think of it? Why, if the book is supposed to prove the truth of "the despised Jewish faith," does it go about this defense in such a strange way? And why would Rabbi Yehudah Halevi himself dismiss the importance of his own masterpiece, claiming it to be nothing more than a response to the claims of a Karaite? In this episode, we take a sophisticated, three-tiered approach to understanding and appreciating this extraordinary book, learn how it fits into its Arabic context, and consider its relevance to the 21st century.For more sheets and other info check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://sites.google.com/view/rishonim⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Check out my Substack writing: Shmuel's Substack⁠⁠Do you want to send me some suggestions? Criticism or corrections? Comments or questions? Contact me at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠therishonim@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world. Military reporter Emanuel Fabian joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode. Released hostages Sagui Dekel-Chen, Sasha Troufanov and Iair Horn crossed back into Israel this morning after being paraded on a stage in southern Gaza in a propaganda-filled release ceremony by the Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror groups after 498 days in captivity. Fabian fills us in on the ceremony and their health status. We learn about how the IDF has handled the heightened tensions in the Gaza Strip this past week and its readiness to return to war-footing. In a meeting on Friday morning, Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi apologized to four recently released hostage soldiers for their warnings not being treated seriously before the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack, as well as for their long captivity. Halevi met with Agam Berger, Liri Albag, Naama Levy and Karina Ariev, who were released from Hamas captivity after some 15 months. We learn what else was leaked from the meeting. The outgoing deputy commander of UNIFIL was injured Friday, the international peacekeeping force said, after a convoy taking troops to the Beirut airport was attacked amid pro-Hezbollah demonstrations in the area. This occurred as the IDF is reluctantly readying a drawdown from Lebanon on February 18 -- which may or may not be its final withdrawal of troops, reports Fabian. Finally, we hear updates on the ongoing counter-terrorism operation in the West Bank and learn how much security cooperation there is with the Palestinian Authority for it. Please see today's ongoing live blog for more updates. Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves. For further reading: Released hostages Dekel-Chen, Troufanov and Horn in Israel after 498 days in captivity Hamas made surveillance troops watch torture videos of male hostages, says mother IDF chief apologizes to freed surveillance soldiers for failing them on and before Oct. 7 ‘I was starved and tortured’: Keith Siegel urges Trump to ensure all hostages freed Two weeks after his release, former hostage Ofer Calderon hospitalized with pneumonia UNIFIL’s outgoing deputy chief wounded as convoy attacked by pro-Hezbollah rioters IDF strikes Hezbollah sites in southern Lebanon, citing ‘direct threat’ to Israel Lebanon tells Iranian flight it can’t land, after IDF’s Hezbollah smuggling claim Troops neutralize bomb-laden car, Palestinian shot dead near IDF base, in West Bank IMAGE: A woman holds pictures of three released Israeli hostages in Tel Aviv on February 15, 2025 in the city's Hostages Square. (Jack GUEZ / AFP)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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