Best Emunah Nation Podcasts (2024)

1
The Ongoing War, and a Potential Mental Health Crisis in Israel and the Diaspora (217) 1:18:09

4h ago1:18:09

1:18:09

This podcast is being released less than a day after the Israeli army preemptively struck thousands of Hezbollah rocket launchers in Lebanon, doing so just fifteen minutes before those launchers were supposed to fire hundreds of missiles into northern and central Israel. Thank God that as of now, Israel clearly won this exchange. We don’t know what…

1
Is Israel a Light Unto the Nations... And Should It Even Bother Trying? A Conversation with Yossi Klein Halevi (216) 55:31

7d ago55:31

55:31

The October 7th massacre, and the subsequent war against Hamas, other Iranian proxies like Hezbollah and the Houthis, and Iran itself, have caused many people throughout the Jewish world to reconsider what Israel means to them, and what kind of society Israel should create. Many continually return to the idea that Israel should be a light unto the …

1
Tisha B'Av and Bad Theology: A New View of Megillat Eicha with Rabbi Dr. Joshua Berman (CLASSIC EPISODE) 1:10:39

12d ago1:10:39

1:10:39

“What does Eichah have in common with climate change deniers, anti-vaxxers, Holocaust deniers and those that claim that the 2020 presidential elections were stolen?” Rabbi Dr. Joshua Berman sent this to Scott, who was intrigued and immediately invited him back onto this podcast to discuss what he meant. More than anything else, we need a way to rel…

1
Ikar HaDin, Chumra, and Minhag: The Phenomenon of Greater Stringency in the Orthodox World, with Rabbi Shaya Karlinsky (215) 59:37

19d ago59:37

59:37

Sometimes it’s called a move to the right. Other times it is seen as a rejection of lax religiosity. Some people think of it as an admirable commitment to serving God as best as possible. Others decry it as representing an unacceptable change from traditional Jewish practice. All these and more are reactions to the unquestionably real phenomenon of…

1
Arrests and Mob Violence at Sdei Teiman: What Happened, What It Means, and Why It Matters (BONUS EPISODE) 40:08

28d ago40:08

40:08

This is a rush-release bonus episode of the Orthodox Conundrum, to help us all get to the bottom of what happened yesterday at the military detention center at Sdei Teiman. We will learn what the nine arrested soldiers were accused of, the manner that they were arrested, and the reason for the protests of numerous right-wing members of Knesset. Wha…

1
Can the Glass Ceiling Be Broken? Women's Leadership and Its Limits, with Joanne Greenaway (214) 54:39

1M ago54:39

54:39

One of the most difficult issues facing Modern or Centrist Orthodox Jews today is the question of how to increase and encourage the participation of more women in leadership roles, while also working within the halachic parameters that set limits on how extensive those leadership roles are allowed to be. When we add two thousand years of socializat…

1
When Reverence Becomes Pseudo-Idolatry: The Phenomenon of Gadol Worship, with Rav Yitzchak Shurin (213) 1:03:41

23d ago1:03:41

1:03:41

For the past two thousand years, Torah observant Jews have acknowledged that our greatest scholars deserve respect, and have an extraordinarily deep and broad understanding of the vast sea of the Torah sheba’al peh, the Oral Law. In recent times, however, proper respect for talmidei chachamim has often morphed into a pseudo-idolatry of gedolim, whe…

1
Nepotism, Greed, Power, and Politics: The Tragic Self-Inflicted Fate of the Israeli Chief Rabbinate (212) 1:04:40

30d ago1:04:40

1:04:40

68 years ago, Rav Soloveitchik zt'l identified the timidity of Orthodox Jews as representing a failure to respond to the miracle of renewed Jewish sovereignty in the Land of Israel. Today, tragically, we seem to have the opposite problem. In 2024, Israel has a religious establishment which has completely lost its sense of shame, and is not only inv…

1
"Our Faith is in the Question": Teaching Emunah to Our Children, Our Students, and Ourselves, with Rabbi David Aaron (211) 1:13:46

1M ago1:13:46

1:13:46

This podcast is dedicated לעילוי נשמת אלעזר בן ישראל, a man who accepted the vicissitudes of life with a simple and pure faith. What does it mean to believe in God? This question is absolutely fundamental to Jewish life and living - yet many people feel uncomfortable discussing God at all. In our educational institutions, we often have a broad curr…

1
"The Vast Unconscious of the Jewish People": Learning How (and Why) to Learn Midrash with Simi Peters (210) 1:09:32

1M ago1:09:32

1:09:32

When you learn Torah, do you consider yourself to be in dialogue with Chazal? According to Scott's guest, Simi Peters, a key element of learning midrash aggadah is being able to become participants in a conversation that began thousands of years ago and continues today. But in order to do so, we need to become students of midrash: learning how to a…

1
Hareidi Messaging in Modern Orthodox Institutions: Are You Aware of What Your Children Are Being Taught? With Rabbi Yitzchak Blau (209) 1:22:10

2M ago1:22:10

1:22:10

Schools which identify with the Modern Orthodox world and espouse a Centrist Orthodox hashkafa, nevertheless will sometimes hire teachers who profess a Hareidi worldview. In some ways, this is a welcome development; breaking down the barriers that separate our various communities is generally a good thing, and we should be pleased when we discern a…

1
"A Theology of Distraction": Exploring the Conundrums of Kohelet with Dr. Erica Brown (Originally released on September 26, 2023) 1:07:26

2M ago1:07:26

1:07:26

(This episode was originally released on Septetmber 26th, 2023, but its message is perhaps even more relevant now, after October 7th and its aftermath, than before. Scott will be back with a new episode next week.) Megilat Kohelet is one of the most difficult books in Tanach: it jumps back and forth between conflicting assumptions, it lacks any obv…

1
The Revolution in Women's Torah Learning: What We've Achieved, What Still Needs to Happen (208) 51:33

2M ago51:33

51:33

We’re approaching the holiday of Shavuot, when we celebrate and commemorate the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai. The Rambam explains that our belief in Torah and in Moshe is predicated upon the fact that all of us were present at Sinai, where we together heard God talking to Moshe. And we have a longstanding tradition as well that God did not st…

1
Does the IDF Care Enough About the Safety of Its Soldiers? (207) 55:05

3M ago55:05

55:05

Is the Israeli army taking care of its soldiers? That’s a question with a potentially painful answer. Daniel Mael has helped donate over 13,000 helmets to IDF soldiers, along with thousands of vests and other equipment - and he argues that the army’s behavior in procuring equipment has been nothing less than scandalous. In fact, he claims, the Isra…

1
Kids Going "Off the Derech": Reasons, Reactions, and Responses, with Rabbi Y.Y. Jacobson (206) 1:21:18

3M ago1:21:18

1:21:18

Just as many young people who are not religious become Orthodox, so do many young Orthodox Jews leave Orthodox practice behind. Colloquially, this is often called being “off the derech” - that is, off “the” way of traditional Torah practice. The phenomenon of Orthodox Jews becoming less classically religious is real, and it’s important to think abo…

1
Tzniut, Integrity, and Leadership: Reframing the Concept of Tzniut, with Rabbi Moshe Simkovich (205) 1:01:33

4M ago1:01:33

1:01:33

Any discussion surrounding tzniut (loosely - and, perhaps incorrectly - translated as “modesty") is inevitably fraught with challenges and difficulty. Indeed, there are few topics in Orthodoxy that are as triggering to so many people. Rabbi Moshe Simkovich offers a traditional yet unique approach to tzniut, and he attempts to redefine the concept a…

1
Shattering a Religious Monopoly Versus Ideological Conformity: The Challenges Facing Religious Zionism Today (204) 1:05:25

4M ago1:05:25

1:05:25

In his classic work Kol Dodi Dofek, Rav Soloveitchik asserts that God’s gift of the State of Israel demands a response. God wants a dialogue where we answer his generosity by using His gifts to make Him present in the world. The major challenge for Religious Zionism, then, is to decide, as best as we can, what that response should be. Does it mean …

1
Remembering My Dad (203) 36:50

4M ago36:50

36:50

It’s the little things that hit hardest. The big moments when I expect to be emotional have generally felt unremarkable; I seem to have experienced them with relative ease. The surprises come when I’m taking a walk, talking about a silly childhood memory, or seeing an old friend. Above all, I’ve learned that my emotions are often hidden - from myse…

1
The Dangers of a Living Prophetic Judaism: Rabbi Yosef Blau Responds to Rabbi Alex Israel (BONUS EPISODE) 46:38

3M ago46:38

46:38

In episode 201, Rabbi Alex Israel, citing Rav Kook, asked whether nowadays we need to add a greater prophetic element to Judaism, alongside our continued commitment to halacha. Perhaps today we need a new infusion of prophecy - both in terms of its spiritual content, as well as through a renewed emphasis on Torah values that may sometimes be lost i…

1
How Much of the Exodus Story is Historical - and Does It Actually Matter? A Conversation with Rabbi Dr. Raphael Zarum (202) 1:01:06

5M ago1:01:06

1:01:06

Did the Exodus from Egypt happen exactly as the Torah describes? How should we contend with archeological evidence that seems to indicate that certain aspects of the Torah's narrative don't make sense? And, for that matter, how can we contend with similar questions that surround other historical Biblical narratives? Rabbi Dr. Raphael Zarum, Dean of…

1
Creating a Living Prophetic Judaism for the 21st Century, with Rabbi Alex Israel (201) 1:08:33

5M ago1:08:33

1:08:33

For over two millennia, the Jewish People has lived in a world largely defined by Jewish law, or halacha. While the Tanach is filled with what might be called prophetic Judaism - a Judaism, that is, which is dominated by those who spoke in the name of God - the Judaism that emerged during the era of the Second Temple and thereafter placed a greater…

1
Hollywood, Antisemitic Tropes, and Anti-Orthodox Messaging: A Conversation with Allison Josephs (200) 54:36

5M ago54:36

54:36

Jews control Hollywood - or so everyone seems to believe, for better and very often for worse. And it’s true that there are many Jewish people who work in the entertainment industry. But this fact is quite distinct from the question of how Jews are typically portrayed in movies and TV shows - and in that realm, there are serious problems, both rega…

1
The Present and Future of Religious Zionism (Part Two): More on the Palestinian Future, Military Service, Culture Wars, Political Direction, and More (199) 1:20:18

6M ago1:20:18

1:20:18

Last week’s episode of the Orthodox Conundrum was supposed to be a wide-ranging conversation about the present and future of Religious Zionism, including a discussion of our relationship with the Palestinian population in Yehuda v’Shomron and Gaza. As it turns out, Scott and his guests, Daniel Goldman and Rabbi Elie Mischel, ended up spending the e…

1
The Present and Future of Religious Zionism (Part One): Settlements, a Palestinian State, Tanach as History or as Prophecy for Today, and More (198) 1:02:21

6M ago1:02:21

1:02:21

In some recent episodes of this podcast, Scott and his guests have discussed numerous issues relevant to the Religious Zionist world, including some of the ways that Religious Zionism differs from Modern Orthodoxy. But Religious Zionism is not a monolith; there are many different paths within Religious Zionism, and the differences between these pat…

1
"It Was Never 'Heal the World' at the Expense of Yourself": Antisemitism in AASECT - and Fighting Back - with Talli Rosenbaum, Dr. Logan Levkoff, and Dr. Shoshana Bulow (197) 1:04:25

6M ago1:04:25

1:04:25

After October 7th, Jews around the world have felt besieged by some erstwhile allies, as some have been silent in the face of rampant antisemitism, and others have openly supported Hamas and its genocidal goals. While there have been many who openly support Jews and Israel, the war in Gaza has also provided a moment of reckoning as we discovered so…

1
Overcoming the Eisav Complex: Raising Orthodox ADHD Kids, with Dr. Simcha Chesner and Dr. Sara Markowitz (196) 1:06:41

6M ago1:06:41

1:06:41

35 years ago, Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) was essentially unknown among the general public; today, it is spoken about all the time. We’ve learned that some behaviors that were once considered signs that a child didn’t care about school or achievement, or simply lacked normal self control, are actually indicators of a difference …

1
"Where Does a Jew Belong? Where Do the Jewish People Belong?" Post-October 7th Conversations About Israel, with Rabbi Yehoshua Fass (195) 1:07:29

7M ago1:07:29

1:07:29

What does Israel mean to you? For years, this was a theoretical question for many people who live in the diaspora. Given Israel's war against Hamas and its army of terror, however, the question has gained additional resonance and, in some ways, can no longer be put off; it demands an answer. With Israel under military attack, and the Jewish people …

1
Ultra-Orthodox Integration, Military Service, and More: Understanding the Chareidi Point of View, with Rabbi Yitzchak Breitowitz (194) 1:05:42

7M ago1:05:42

1:05:42

In Episode 184, Scott spoke with Michael Eisenberg and Rabbi Yehoshua Hershberg about their conviction that the time has come for the ultra-Orthodox community in Israel - often referred to as the Chareidim - to participate more fully in Israeli society, specifically by ending what has effectively become a blanket exemption from military service, an…

1
Giving a Voice to Diaspora Jews: What Should Israelis Expect After October 7th? (193) 1:12:20

7M ago1:12:20

1:12:20

A week or two ago, on the Orthodox Conundrum Discussion Group on Facebook, Scott posted a question about the propriety of Jews living outside of Israel going on fancy vacations while the Israeli population is experiencing a world where there are kidnapped Jews trapped in Gaza, where we continue to mourn the loss of 1200 victims of October 7th plus …

1
“Sometimes I Wonder Why We Have to Be So Afraid”: Women, Gender, and Jewish Law, with Rabbanit Nechama Goldman Barash (192) 1:28:24

7M ago1:28:24

1:28:24

In episode 190, Scott and Dr. Mijal Bitton talked about the idea of creating synagogues that follow Orthodox halacha while embracing an egalitarian aesthetic. One of the ideas that they discussed was the balance between using our Torah texts to determine normative Jewish law, versus what Rabbi Dr. Haym Soloveitchik famously described in his seminal…

1
Diaspora Modern Orthodoxy and Israeli Religious Zionism: Similarities, Differences, Opportunities, and Challenges, with Shayna Goldberg (191) 1:26:35

7M ago1:26:35

1:26:35

The war in Israel, which is now well over one hundred days old, has in some ways highlighted the commonalities between all Jews across the world, no matter where they live, and in other ways demonstrated the gaps that continue to exist between an Israeli public that is dealing with the reality of war on their doorsteps, and a non-Israel Jewish worl…

1
Orthodox Halacha, Covenantal-Traditional Community, Egalitarian Aesthetic: Orthodoxy Moves Into the Future, with Dr. Mijal Bitton (190) 1:05:01

8M ago1:05:01

1:05:01

This podcast is called “The Orthodox Conundrum” and many of us self-identify as Orthodox, pray in Orthodox synagogues, affiliate with Orthodox institutions, and consider ourselves part of the wider Orthodox world. But is that term “Orthodox” - and perhaps the concept of denominations in general - a help or a hindrance? Do denominations lead to the …

1
Staying Human in a Time of Inhumanity: Spiritual Growth Amid Despair and Gratitude, with Dr. Erica Brown (189) 1:13:07

8M ago1:13:07

1:13:07

Dr. Erica Brown has been a guest on the Orthodox Conundrum twice in the past six months: once, in episode 170, about leadership, and again in episode 176 about the theology of Kohelet. It's unprecedented to have a guest back so frequently in a short time frame, but Erica’s voice is one which needs to be heard by as many people as possible. Erica co…

1
The Ethics of War, Torah Values, and the IDF: Is the Israeli Army Actually the Most Moral Army in the World? With Rabbi Dr. Shlomo Brody (188) 1:08:04

8M ago1:08:04

1:08:04

“The IDF is the most moral army on earth.” We hear this said, and we hope that it’s true. But what does it mean? How is morality defined in wartime? Is the IDF Code of Ethics in line with Jewish teachings? Does the IDF in fact follow its own Code of Ethics? Alongside these general questions, are specific questions that relate to the Torah viewpoint…

1
The Inability to Hold Two Truths at the Same Time: Addressing the Sexual Violence of October 7th, with Rahel Bayar (187) 48:32

9M ago48:32

48:32

It has been tremendously disheartening to hear the reactions (or lack thereof) to Hamas’s crimes of October 7th. One of the most obvious instances of this has been the silence of too many organizations dedicated to the protection of women, regarding the rape and mutilation of Israeli victims by Hamas terrorists as they rampaged through southern Isr…

1
Three Approaches to a Different & Unique Chanukah: Conversations with Rabbi Judah Mischel, Rabbi Yonah Bookstein, and Dr. Malka Simkovich (186) 1:21:52

9M ago1:21:52

1:21:52

So many people have noted that there are significant parallels between the Jewish world as it exists after the October 7th pogrom and the subsequent war with an enemy determined to wipe Jews and Judaism off the map, and the themes that we pay attention to on Chanukah. In order to discuss some of these ideas in greater depth, and consider the ways t…

1
Effective and Honest Hasbara: Learning How to Do It Right, with Eylon Levy and Rabbi Pesach Wolicki (185) 1:01:00

8M ago1:01:00

1:01:00

Since Israel’s war against Hamas began following the horrific events of October 7th, one of the singular challenges Israel faces has been explaining its position to the world, or what’s called in Hebrew, hasbara. It’s never easy defending Israel in the media, never mind going on the offensive; with a natural skepticism of everything that Israel doe…

1
"A Biblical-Level Event": October 7th, the Chareidi Draft, and the Future of Israel, with Michael Eisenberg and Rabbi Yehoshua Hershberg (184) 1:04:25

9M ago1:04:25

1:04:25

Many believe that the events of October 7th and their aftermath will lead to a major realignment in many aspects of Israeli and Jewish life. One of the most acute and obvious is the issue of ultra-orthodox deferments from the Israeli military. These deferments are granted based on the assumption that the Torah study in yeshivot is a vital part of t…

1
Living with Tension: Maintaining Faith and Dealing with Doubt in the Wake of October 7th, with Rabbanit Shayna Goldberg and Rabbi Johnny Solomon (183) 1:11:30

10M ago1:11:30

1:11:30

The events of the past six weeks - the massacre on October 7th, the kidnappings, the sudden sense of insecurity within Israel - alongside the almost immediate and massive increase in antisemitism around the world, and open calls for the end of the State of Israel in ways that we have never experienced before - have thrown many Jews for a tailspin. …

1
The Importance of Not Getting What You Want: Sefer Devarim and its Relevance to the New Israel, with Dr. Micah Goodman (182) 1:05:26

10M ago1:05:26

1:05:26

Two months ago, on September 8th, Scott recorded an interview with Dr. Micah Goodman about Sefer Devarim, the Book of Deuteronomy. The interview was fascinating, both because of the theological insights that Micah provided, and also because of the way that he was able to relate Moshe’s words to current events in the State of Israel. The terrible Ha…

1
The Worldwide Rise in Antisemitism, and What Comes Next: A Conversation with Avital Chizhik-Goldschmidt (181) 55:58

10M ago55:58

55:58

Everyone who listens to this podcast has heard about the waves of antisemitism that have been engulfing the world ever since October 7th; I’m sure that many people who listen have also experienced some of that antisemitism first hand. There is something so fundamentally Orwellian when the reaction to the slaughter of 1400 innocent people and the ki…

1
While Israel Slept: Questions, Puzzles, Issues, and Options Related to the War in Gaza, with Yaakov Katz (180) 46:22

10M ago46:22

46:22

There are so many questions about where the State of Israel is heading after this war, and so many puzzles about how we ended up in such a precarious position in the first place. We are rightly proud of the sense of unity that we are currently experiencing; but we cannot let it blind us to the reality that things have to change in the future in ord…

1
G-d Wants Us to Fight Evil: Thinking About the War Through the Lens of Jewish Law and Thought, with Rav Yoni Rosensweig (179) 1:00:56

11M ago1:00:56

1:00:56

Israel's war against Hamas has brought the Jewish people together in ways many of us have never before experienced. It also has brought new halachic and hashkafic challenges to light that, as religious Jews, we are obligated to address. In this episode, Scott spoke to Rav Yoni Rosensweig about some of these challenges, including the right and wrong…

1
I'm So Proud of the Jewish People, and Other Thoughts: Living Life While Israel is at War (BONUS EPISODE) 24:52

11M ago24:52

24:52

After ten days of war in Israel, Scott talks about the Jewish People, the Divine Presence, people who are emulating the wicked son from the Pesach Seder, why Jews Who Matter need to read the Book of Esther, meaningful support from wonderful people who are not Jewish, and more. It might be disorganized, and it might seem random... but maybe that's t…

1
The Catastrophic Success of Hamas, and Israel's Massive Response: A Deeper Look at Israel's War Against Hamas, with Dr. Matthew Levitt (178) 42:22

11M ago42:22

42:22

There are so many questions, and people want to know what's actually happening. In this special rush-released episode of the Orthodox Conundrum, Scott speaks with Dr. Matthew Levitt about Israel's war against Hamas. Among the issues they discuss are why Hamas decided to commit these atrocities now, what Hamas expected to occur and what actually too…

1
There Was Before... And Now There's After: Reflections on the War in Israel with Talli Rosenbaum and David Lange (177) 47:52

11M ago47:52

47:52

In this special episode of the Orthodox Conundrum, Scott spoke with Talli Rosenbaum to discuss ways to deal with the very real trauma and emotional distress that the war in Israel has caused, whether or not we live in Israel. He also talked with David Lange of Israellycool.com to get a brief overview of the way that this conflict has been portrayed…

1
"A Theology of Distraction": Exploring the Conundrums of Kohelet with Dr. Erica Brown (176) 1:06:40

11M ago1:06:40

1:06:40

Megilat Kohelet is one of the most difficult books in Tanach: it jumps back and forth between conflicting assumptions, it lacks any obvious narrative or thematic structure, and its statements sometimes seem at odds with what most people would consider standard Rabbinic theology. People didn’t discover these problems today, of course; the Mishnah in…

1
Guilt and Shame, Repentance and Redemption: A Deeper Dive into Teshuva with Elisheva Liss (175) 1:08:22

12M ago1:08:22

1:08:22

The ten days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are dedicated to teshuva, commonly translated as “repentance” or “return.” According to the Rambam’s classic formulation, repentance consists of three elements: regret, determination not to repeat the sin in the future, and confession. In many ways it sounds relatively simple… though in practice, it…

1
"It's About Holding People in their Pain": Infertility and the Orthodox Community, with Dr. Aimee Baron (174) 1:03:02

12M ago1:03:02

1:03:02

Rosh Hashanah is a day of judgment, but it also represents renewal, hope, confidence, and optimism as we look toward the future. This is expressed in many ways, but perhaps most obviously in the Torah reading of the first day of Rosh Hashanah, where we read that Sarah, after a lifetime of being unable to have children, gave birth to Yitzchak at the…

1
When God Says No: A Pre-Selichot Conversation with Rebecca Sarchi (Special Episode) 28:37

12M ago28:37

28:37

The tefilot of the Yamim Nora’im - starting from Selichot and continuing through Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur - are deep and meaningful, but also long and often quite hard to understand. But that difficulty is minor compared with the theological problem of how to relate to God when our prayers go unanswered... when He seems to have abandoned us... …

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