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Are you a Kisser or a Cleaver? Exploring the literal, poetic, and mystical interpretations of the Book of Ruth. This is part one (with links contained within to subsequent classes) of an incredible series about the Book of Ruth, it's classical teachings, and messages for the future. On the night of the up-coming Jewish Holiday of Shavuot, many Jewish congregations read the Book of Ruth? Give a listen and learn the incredible depth of the story.

A video class (in English y'all) about the history of "Amalek" and a seemingly superfluous verse in the Scroll of Esther. In short (if you don't have 48 minutes to listen to a fascinating class) -The nation of Amalek in the Bible is the modern nation of Germany (the Rabbi lists Jewish Rabbinical sources stating it will be such-- even before the Midevil kingdoms of Germany emerged) -Esther asks King Achashverosh to (Es 9:13) Then said Esther, If it please the king, let it be granted to the Jews which are in Shushan to do to morrow also according unto...

A light unto nations. In the spirit of the recent Dennis Prager posts on the Ten Commandments, an audio class on Jewish impact on the World. A fascinating anthropological-like contrasting of world history against Jewish History. It's long-ish but highly informative on how the good old (ancient) days weren't so good without the Ten Commandments. Hate the civil society? Blame the Joooooooooossssss!

A humorous (if you understand Jewish ritual law--halacha) take on "the halacha" of Christmas trees-- Know that Jews have myriad laws governing daily life... For example, Chanukah candles must be kindles at a certain time, and last a certain duration...and oy vey what happens in a million after-the-fact cases where one did NOT meet the requirements, etc. All the funny quirky things you positively love about us Jews. What if they were transposed onto Christmas... the results might be something like this: (key: "Mitzvah" means commandment:) 1. PREPARATIONS FOR XMAS MUST NOT BEGIN(1) BEFORE THANKSGIVING.(2) THIS APPLIES TO PREPARATIONS WHICH...

A brief (8 minute) talk about the connection between Thanksgiving, its acknowledgement of G-d, America's religious freedom/founding, and Chanukah (spreading light.) Note: This is subtitled (the Rebbe, Rabbi Schneerson speaks in Yiddish) but it's worth listening, reading, and watching. He highlights our REAL American values so poignantly and perfectly-- and blesses Reagan to boot... a great end of the Holiday!

Link to the (ongoing) "Kinut haShluchim" Conference of the Emissaries, the rabbis of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement throughout the US (all stated but SD!) and abroad.

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - South Africa may turn to an Israeli circumcision device to reduce the number of young males who die in botched initiation ceremonies, provoking an outcry from union allies of the ruling party who support sanctions against the Jewish state.

Full title: The Philosophers and the Jews: Black Eggs and White Cheese The Secret of Jewish Resilience. The Inner Story of The Three Weeks Note: only 40 min long and the rabbi translates everything, very little 'yeshivish' (annoying mix of English, Hebrew, and Yiddish) A beautiful explanation on polar opposite sides of the Jewish calendar-- the 3 weeks between the 17th of the Jewsish month of Tammuz (the day the walls of Jerusalem fell to Nebuchadnezzar) and the 9th of Av (the day of the destruction of both Holy Temples) AND the 3 weeks between Rosh Hashana and [the day...

I am asleep, but my heart is awake Song of Songs 5:2 Our sages tell us that “when King Solomon built the Holy Temple, knowing that it was destined to be destroyed, he built a place in which to hide the Ark, [at the end of] hidden, deep, winding passageways.”1 It was there that King Josiah placed the Ark twenty-two years before the Temple’s destruction, as related in the Book of Chronicles.2

Jews defending Judaism with the best defense...

This coming Sunday, May 18, known in Hebrew as Lag B'Omer, the thirty-third day of the omer (1), is the anniversary of the passing of one of the greatest sages and spiritual giants in Jewish history, Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai. Rabbi Shimon, who lived in Israel under Roman occupation around 165 CE (approximately one hundred years after the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 C.E.), was an extraordinary scholar (2) and author of the Zohar, the most basic Kabbalistic work. He was responsible for revealing to the world the wisdom of the Kabbalah, initiating a new era in the...

UNBELIEVABLE Class on the Scroll of Ruth and its Jewish commentaries-- from the simple meaning to the poetic, to the mystical/esoteric. Did you know that Arpah (Ruth's sister) was the mother of Goliath? That Ruth was a reincarnation of the daughter of Lot (of Sodom fame or infamy) Learn about the incredible tapestry of this scroll. Don't fear, non-Hebrew speakers, the rabbi translates everything and only the actual verse is read in Hebrew. The class is given in English...

"Draw Me; We Will Run After You" In the Song of Songs (1:4), there is a verse, "Draw me, we will run after you; the king has brought me into his chambers." The Kabbalists see these three phrases as references to the three stages of the departure from Egypt. "Draw me" is the Exodus. "We will run after you" is the counting of the omer. "The king has brought me into his chambers" is the giving of the Torah. "Draw me" is passive -- it refers to the Israelites being taken out by G-d. Also it is singular. Whereas "We...

Why are we commanded to roast the Passover sacrifice over fire and not cook it in any other way? G-d loves a barbecue?! This class explores the simple, literal explanations and the profound mystical teachings behind this commandment. So, if you have 52 minutes of clean-up and dishes to do, download or stream and enjoy. (IMHO it's the best way to do chores.)

If you've never heard of mass-revelation (it's not a realization of having gained weight nor an encounter with a creep in the old Combat Zone in Boston...) Rabbi Kelemen's concise class on why Jews not only believe in G-d's revelation at Sinai, but why we KNOW this to be fact.

This melody is said (in Chassidic circles...we all find ourselves in one of those all the time I know) to have been "bought" by Rabbi Schneur Zalman from a Russian shepherd whom he heard singing it. Recognizing that it was a melody sung in the Holy Temple, Rabbi Schneur Zalman asked the shepherd if he could "buy" it. The shepherd laughed and coyly agreed. The rabbi asked him to sing it and teach it to him. He obliged. After which the shepherd couldn't remember the tune again. About Chassidic stories they say, "If you believe them all you're a fool....

In honor of the 201st anniversary of the passing of the founder of the Chabad Lubavitch movement, Rabbi Shneur Zalman, ZT'L, I'm posting one of the melodies he composed and was wont to sing. If your more used to R&B, country, or rock, it may sound strange at first... The verse is from Song of Songs 5:2 "I sleep, but my heart is awake. Hark! My beloved is knocking: Open for me, my sister, my beloved, my dove, my perfect one, [for my head is full of dew, my locks with the drops of the night."]

How can this thing be divine?!? The Pentateuch, if divine, is full of mistakes from the very first word (we're talking Hebrew here...the basis of the Greek/Latin/English translations everyone in the world uses.) How could that be? Example: In the beginning G-d created, in the Hebrew version, is actually literally "In the beginning OF... G-d created" There are thousands of examples of the Pentateuch making no sense in its grammar or syntax. So how do we know how to interpret it even on a literal level? Well... behold, the Oral Torah... The link is to an hour-long class (in English...

This is an UNBELIEVABLE story of a personal experience the narrator had after the birth of one of his children. It's an absolutely inspiring story for any believer in G-d. It's long (I think 3 or 4 hours) but I remember listening to it on the way home from work and cancelling the rest of my evening to complete it. Totally worth playing at least in the background tonight (as you like me clean up after your kids, exhausted, and ready for a spiritual boost.) It's basically a string of incredible "coincidences" that lead to the rabbi's baby boy being...

An hour-long (don't be discouraged) class with rational explanations about the unbroken chain of Judaism's Oral Law from Mt Sinai. Fear not-- no Yiddish or unexplained Hebrew terms (like a lot of my audio class posts...) Enjoy!