The story of the Tower of Babel is one of the most enigmatic in the entire Hebrew Bible. Though terse—the narrative is just nine verses long—this tale has inspired reams of commentary seeking to understand why humanity wished to build a tower, why doing so was sinful, and what God’s punishment—the confounding of mankind’s speech—had […]

Press play below to listen to the podcast, download it in the iTunes Store, or stream it via Stitcher.  Chapter 1: Growing Up—The Prophets Without the Law Chapter 2: Between Athens and Jerusalem Chapter 3: Patriotism, Identity Politics, and the Jews Chapter 4: The Image of God Chapter 5: The Miracle of Modern Israel What is the good? […]

For modern readers, the story of Pinhas is one of the most vexing episodes in the Hebrew Bible. The Israelites have been seduced by foreign women, and the head of the tribe of Simeon has ceremoniously escorted the daughter of Midian’s king into his tent. In an act of seemingly unsanctioned zealotry, Pinhas take his […]

Press play below to listen to the podcast, download it in the iTunes Store, or stream it via Stitcher.  Chapter 1: Anti-Biblical Bias Chapter 2: Against the Imperial State Chapter 3: Subtleties and Trade-Offs Chapter 4: From Tribal Anarchy to the Limited State In the last decade, a fascinating area of political thought has begun to receive increasing […]

Jerusalem—the “eternal capital” of the Jewish people—is at once the cultural, spiritual, and strategic center of the modern Jewish state. Ambassador Dore Gold is one of Jerusalem’s greatest guardians, and his wide-ranging perspective is remarkable: senior advisor to the prime minister, representative of Israel on the world stage, strategic thinker about the future of the […]

Press play below to listen to the podcast, download it in the iTunes Store, or stream it via Stitcher.  Chapter 1: Why the Jews? Chapter 2: Wilhelm Marr, Anti-Semitism, and Anti-Liberalism Chapter 3: The Moral Strut Chapter 4: The Nature of Left-Wing Anti-Semitism Cui bono? Who benefits? Who benefits when Jews are turned into scapegoats for the ills […]

Press play below to listen to the podcast, download it in the iTunes Store, or stream it via Stitcher.  Chapter 1: Hayek and His Work Chapter 2: Law, Legislation, and Seeing the Unseen Chapter 3: “I, Pencil” Chapter 4: The Jewish Theory of Knoweldge Chapter 5: Freedom, Holiness, and the Ends of Society It is common today to […]

Press play below to listen to the podcast, download it in the iTunes Store, or stream it via Stitcher.  Chapter 1: Guidance, Not Governance Chapter 2: Obligation in Reform Judaism Chapter 3: Sloppy Sloganeering Chapter 4: Liberal Judaism and Social Justice Chapter 5: The Future of Liberal Judaism “It is not for nothing,” Norman Podhoretz once wrote, “that […]

The world of the Hebrew Bible—with its prophets, revelations, and open miracles—can seem so foreign that it is sometimes difficult to see what practical lessons it can impart about sustaining faith and structuring society in the modern world. But one book of Scripture stands out for its striking resemblance to our own age. The Book […]

Press play below to listen to the podcast, download it in the iTunes Store, or stream it via Stitcher.  Chapter 1: What Is a Nation? Chapter 2: Jewish Nationhood Chapter 3: America, Race, and Nationalism Gone Wrong Chapter 4: Challenges—Minorities and Dual Loyalty Since God confused the language of man at the Tower of Babel, humankind has been […]