JUDAISM DEMYSTIFIED | A Guide for Today's Perplexed: Torah Foundations, Reason, and Tradition

The Hakham returns and delivers yet another explosive interview. This time he makes a strong case for the practical reasons Jews should return to the classical Sepharadi tradition and explains why the alternative path has led many well-meaning people astray. The popularization of segulot, charlatanism, and the occult over the last few hundred years has left a deep impression on Jewish culture. Although many great rabbis and scholars are keenly aware of the dubious origins of all Kabbalistic literature, over the course of history it has become widely accepted as authoritative (but usually not in the realm of halakha). Hakham Mordehai pushes back against the argument from authority and establishes a clear path towards a society of critical thinkers over magical thinkers.

Dr. Susan Weissman delivers a thorough examination of particular areas of Sefer Hasidim by Rabbi Yehuda HaHasid. In her book titled 'Final Judgment and the Dead in Medieval Jewish Thought', she presents how influential this book was on Jewish culture, who was Rabbi Yehuda HaHasid, how accepted his book was at that time, and how it impacts Ashkenazi Jewry today. In her book, she compares and contrasts the Talmudic treatment of the dead and afterlife to its treatment in Sefer Hasidim, as well as the Christian influence on it. Chazal were no strangers to using the dead in their didactic tales and anecdotes, most famously with Eliyahu HaNavi appearing to numerous Sages. However, in Sefer Hasidim this phenomenon takes on a whole new meaning and dimension. What are the differences between the Talmud and Sefer Hasidim in their portrayal of the dead appearing to the living, and what are the reasons for these differences? We explore this in depth. Also, the idea that the "sinful dead" come back to earth as punishment for their sins is completely absent in Talmudic literature, yet in Sefer Hasidim this phenomenon is introduced to us in numerous passages which details their returning in earthly form and even posing a danger to the living. This phenomenon is completely absent in earlier Talmudic literature. Additionally, the Talmudic Sages viewed the cemetery as a place devoid of sanctity, and the living were forbidden from observing the commandments in the presence of the dead buried there. Sefer Hasidim, on the other hand, portrays Jewish burial sites in a way that reflects the notion of a cemetery as a holy space. Lastly, in regard to sin, penance and purgation, a very unique picture emerges in Sefer Hasidim. More than any other area in the book, it is in these matters in where it veered away from, if not contradicted Chazal in such a blatant fashion. What was the Rabbinical attitude towards sin and penance in contrast to Sefer Hasidim? And to go even more in depth, it seems that the cultural influence in these matters were highly specific. Dr. Weissman explains that it's not popular Christianity which fueled Rabbi Yehuda HaHassid’s ideas in these matters, but rather it was a very localized and specific influence of an early medieval pre-purgatorial penitent tradition that still persisted in Germano-Christian society of his day. If you thought vampires, werewolves, and zombies play no part in Judaism, think again. The relevance of this episode is that it alerts us that foreign, harmful ideas do in fact creep into our tradition (even from well-meaning people) and therefore we must be diligent in our studies and committed to returning to fundamentals.

Mitchell First Esq. examines pre-exilic acrostics that point to the Hebrew letter Pe preceding Ayin in the original order of the Hebrew alphabet (as in Eikhah chaps. 2-4, and based on recent archaeological findings) and the ramifications of this for the book of Tehillim (and for Eshet Hayil). He also makes a strong case for King Ahashverosh and Xerxes being one and the same. If this is true, how can we determine who Queen Esther is in the historical record? The answer may surprise you.

Rabbi Jonthan Livi, host of 3 Podcasts on Apple (The Parasha Podcast, The Navi Podcast, The Tehillim Podcast), carefully analyzes the nuances of the Garden of Eden narrative and uncovers some of its deepest lessons. The creation epic in the book of Genesis is arguably the most enigmatic, mysterious, and sophisticated text in the entire Torah, containing an endless stream of wisdom at every turn. Is the story of Adam & Hava literal, allegorical, or a mix of both? Rabbi Sacks zt'l eloquently taught that this is not Man's book about God, but rather God's book about Man. The description of Gan Eden, Man, Woman and the Snake, 2 Trees and 4 Rivers provides universal, timeless insights about the human condition. The Rabbi uncovers the secret to what our place is in the story of the origin of mankind.

Rabbi Moshe Ben-Chaim makes a strong case to return to fundamentals by using sources and common sense. He explains how Judaism in the modern age has regressed into magical thinking and superstition. We discuss the following topics: reciting tehillim to heal the sick, treating the mezuzah as a protective amulet, what Chazal meant regarding ayin hara (evil eye) and demonology, reincarnation vs the classical belief of what happens to the soul after death, Mesora.org and 'The Religion of Reason.'

Dr. Goldish provides a detailed analysis on the history of messianic movements, with a specific focus on a relatively recent false messiah, Shabbetai Ẓevi. We discuss the influence on Zoharic and Lurianic Kabbalah on Ẓevi and his prophet, Nathan of Gaza. This story has been largely swept under the rug and if we don't learn our history, we're doomed to repeat it. What's troubling is that a large portion of the Jewish population believed he was the messiah, including respected Talmidei Hakhamim and Rabbis. How did they all fall for this, considering that he was openly breaking Halakha, including his eventual conversion to Islam? Find out how the after-effects of Sabbateanism still linger today via his remaining followers in Turkey and other unsuspecting Jewish sects its ideas crept into. And how can we have a healthier approach to awaiting Mashiach that isn't destructive and doesn't lead to extremism?

Rabbi Angel carefully presents the traditional Sepharadi approach to law and life. Do we take a more stringent or lenient approach than Ashkenazim? We live in an age where Judaism is highly fractured with sectarianism, including Ultra-Orthodox, Yeshivish, Haredi, Hassidic, Modern Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, Reconstructionist, Secular Zionist, Anti-Zionist, Religious Zionist, etc. Very little (if any) progress has been made in unifying the denominations of Judaism. How are we to lead a path to a Judaism that will one day be able to unify these fractures? And what has been the Sepharadi approach that has allowed it to stay relatively uninfluenced by these movements? We also discuss what the term Modern Orthodox means, as it's a title that has been much maligned and misunderstood, as well as the Kollel crisis and the common treatment of the Gedolim.

Rabbi Schneeweiss discusses his conversion to Judaism in 11th grade, identifying as Shomer Torah U'Mitzvot (and not a "rationalist"), using Bruce Lee's philosophy for teaching, what it means to be a Stoic Jew, the methodology of Mishlei (Proverbs), Kohelet (Ecclesiastes), and Shir HaShirim (Song of Songs), why it's important to learn Tehillim (Psalms) instead of reading it as an incantation, why we pray if we can't change God's mind, his "Pivot Point" system, and the best resources to learn about the Ethics of Stoicism and the great Stoics.

Rabbi Wieder explains the concept of Q're (what is read) and Ketib (what is written) and how our Sages approached textual variants in all ancient Torah scrolls (Masoretic, Dead Sea, etc.). In doing so, he clarifies and corrects some of the biggest misconceptions about the integrity and unity of the text, something Bible critics in academia often point to as evidence against the Torah's authenticity. In the second half of the discussion, the Rabbi addresses a very polarizing topic today: abortion. In light of the recent Roe v Wade ruling, Jews from both sides of the political aisle seem to claim that the Torah or Rabbinic view supports their respective positions on abortion. Find out if Rabbinic tradition supports the pro or anti-abortion side of the argument. Like most complex halakhic issues in Judaism, it's not so simple.

Dr. England shares origin story, how he connected to his Jewish roots, his famous moniker as "the next Darwin", and what it's like to have a character in Dan Brown's book based off of him. He addressed the following topics: Do most scientists understand what science is? What does this have to do with the perceived conflict between biblical religion and science? Should we be trying to figure out if the Torah agrees with or “knows about” the discoveries of modern cosmology or paleontology? Did Chazal understand quantum mechanics? And what are the seven "days" of Ma'aseh Bereshit talking about?