Podcasts about jewish talmudic

He is he says, on a mission from God, Robert Berman’s lifelong campaign for organ donation to be permissible under Jewish/Talmudic law – Halacha – is at the centre of an ongoing debate in Israel. Berman, a Harvard University graduate, is striving to change attitudes to the donating of organs and possibly redefine the strict and ancient definition of death. Berman has been referred to as “the murderer” as he continues to promote donor cards to this traditional community. Berman’s campaign has left him at loggerheads with Orthodox Rabbis, who view him with outright suspicion and as an outsider who wants to reform Talmudic decrees. Lipika Pelham meets Berman in Jerusalem discussing his belief that the Torah promotes all selfless acts, including specifically consensual live organ donor ship. She takes to the street of Jerusalem amongst the religious Jews to explore with the faithful their attitudes to donating and receiving organs and whether there is a chance that the rules over when a person is dead can be altered to make donation allowable under Talmudic law. Produced and presented by Lipika Pelham To find out more please click on www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-38230114

Tzvi Marx, a French born American-Israeli, who lived in Israel for 20 years, has a Ph.D. from the Catholic University of Utrecht (1993); was ordained at Yeshiva University (NYC, 1970); and is the author of Jewish Law on Disability (2002). He currently lives in Holland lecturing on Judaism at the Radboud University of Nijmegen, serving as director of the Folkertsma Stichting, and co-editing their publication Tenachon. He is especially active in interfaith cooperation in the Dutch society both with Christians and Moslems. The institute he heads is unique in Europe in its having both Christian as well as Jewish Talmudic scholars who make Judaism accessible to the general public through their programming, library and publications.

Tzvi Marx, a French born American-Israeli, who lived in Israel for 20 years, has a Ph.D. from the Catholic University of Utrecht (1993); was ordained at Yeshiva University (NYC, 1970); and is the author of Jewish Law on Disability (2002). He currently lives in Holland lecturing on Judaism at the Radboud University of Nijmegen, serving as director of the Folkertsma Stichting, and co-editing their publication Tenachon. He is especially active in interfaith cooperation in the Dutch society both with Christians and Moslems. The institute he heads is unique in Europe in its having both Christian as well as Jewish Talmudic scholars who make Judaism accessible to the general public through their programming, library and publications.

"How can a good God allow human suffering?" "What father among you, if his son asks for a loaf of bread, will give him a stone; or if he asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, evil as you are, know how to give good gifts [gifts that are to their advantage] to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask and continue to ask Him!" (Luke 11:11-13, AMP) Human beings are capable of both “good” and “evil” deeds and actions. As a matter of our created nature, and as Orthodox theology would espouse, our fallen nature inherited through natural lineage from Adam and Eve and their sin and fall in the garden. Orthodox theology purports that this “fall” tainted ALL of creation with the sin of this transgression, thus allowing into creation the effects of evil and all the accompanying suffering. "The Spirit Himself [thus] testifies together with our own spirit, [assuring us] that we are children of God. And if we are [His] children, then we are [His] heirs also: heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ [sharing His inheritance with Him]; only we must share His suffering if we are to share His glory. [But what of that?] For I consider that the sufferings of this present time (this present life) are not worth being compared with the glory that is about to be revealed to us and in us and for us and conferred on us! For [even the whole] creation (all nature) waits expectantly and longs earnestly for God’s sons to be made known [waits for the revealing, the disclosing of their sonship]. For the creation (nature) was subjected to frailty (to futility, condemned to frustration), not because of some intentional fault on its part, but by the will of Him Who so subjected it—[yet] with the hope That nature (creation) itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and corruption [and gain an entrance] into the glorious freedom of God’s children. We know that the whole creation [of irrational creatures] has been moaning together in the pains of labor until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves too, who have and enjoy the firstfruits of the [Holy] Spirit [a foretaste of the blissful things to come] groan inwardly as we wait for the redemption of our bodies [from sensuality and the grave, which will reveal] our adoption (our manifestation as God’s sons). " (Romans 8:16-23, AMP) It goes without question that creation is in one hell of a mess. We, humanity, are as much a part of that creation as any rock, tree, cesspool, mountain, ocean, planet, sun, star galaxy or universe. We are subject to the laws and material nature of manifested created reality. Genesis tells us that “God” created… ALL that is. It further tells us that “God” judged and condemned man and mankind for the transgression of one. And we are told that multiplying sin and transgression entered human history, thus compounding the judgments’ to follow and affecting human relations ever since. The effects are unarguable. History, regardless of the source bears out the dilemma humanity finds itself. The question we are faced with is: Is this “God” of creation, the God of judgment, the God of Law, the God of conquering and wiping out entire civilizations, Is this the God that Jesus eludes to as “Our Father in heaven”? Or is it possible that this “creator God”, the God of Israel, the God of the Pharisees, this is the God Jesus referred to as “your father, the devil”? "You are of your father, the devil, and it is your will to practice the lusts and gratify the desires [which are characteristic] of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a falsehood, he speaks what is natural to him, for he is a liar [himself] and the father of lies and of all that is false. " (John 8:44, AMP) Is it possible that the “God” Jesus came to reveal to us transcends this God of Creation and manifests in us in a deeper dimension and reality than what we can perceive in our “created” natures? Is it possible that “real” “reality” is composed of “life” existent above and beyond this God of Creation and as this “life” is beyond creation, in us it is imperceptible to the “God of Creation”, just as it is imperceptible too all of creation except those the Spirit would reveal it? Is it possible that the defects in creation are there as a matter of reflection of being deficiencies found in this “Creator God”. Can a “good” God allow human suffering? No, I don’t believe so. But the God of creation can. By all that Jesus described the “Father” God as being “good”, it doesn’t square with the God revealed in creation and history. The fact remains that in this “created” world and existence “we will suffer”. Jesus Christ entering and partaking of creation subjected himself to the same creation sufferings that all humanity experiences. But the story does not end with his death, burial and resurrection. The life that he demonstrated is the same life that exists in each and every one of us, imperceptible to the God of creation, but overcoming the deficiencies of creation. The truth is we have lived in ignorance for most of the existence of the churches life. Most of that life has been reliant on natural creations resources to exist in “creation”. Our worship and conception of “God” has been more focused on a God of Judgment inherited from Jewish Talmudic tradition than the Father revealed by Jesus. Much of our current problem is that we, being unexercised in the deep inner reality of the Spirit within us, often confuse our natural minds reason, logic, natural human feelings as being that of the Spirit. Even as noble as our intentions are, and “logical” as our theological premises may be, that which is not truly the actual act of the Spirit from within, rather than our attempts to emulate that which we reason as “Spiritual”, these will ALL come to naught. Even what we perceive and define as “love”, apart from the actual, not emulated but actual, manifestation of the divine within, this too will ultimately turn out to be just another religious waste of time. That does not mean “good” things will not be done. Humans are capable of “good” and “evil” apart from God. It means it was not God, and will end up in the line with those arguing “Lord, Lord did we do. . . in your name?” and the Lord answering “Depart from me, I never knew you.” All this raises a lot of questions, and I’m sure some arguments from traditional orthodox believers, But if it does – that’s cool. It means “real” answers and possibilities will have to be explored and considered. The same old religious B___ S___ won’t do any more. We’re finding out that God – the real “God”, is bigger than that, and closer, and more immediate than religion will allow us to KNOW.