When Chopping Wood is a Mitzvah

Each year on Sukkot for over 3,000 years, we have taken an Etrog along with three other plants to shake together on the festival. The Etrog is a very unusual fruit and obtaining a real Etrog each year was a challenge in many Jewish communities across the Jewish diaspora.A discussion about the extraordinary Etrog and the other plants for Sukkot as well as the history of our people's use of this amazing fruit.

Today, Yom Kippur is marked by fasting and all-day prayer in the synagogue. when the Holy Temple stood in Jerusalem, Yom Kippur was marked by a unique service performed by the Kohen Gadol, the High Priest. The highlight of the service was when he entered the Holy of Holies where the Ark of the Covenant stood. Today, we read in detail about the service in the ancient temple during our Yom Kippur prayers while mourning the loss of the Temple and praying for its restoration. 

Kol Nidrei is for many the most important prayer of the year. However the prayer itself was once extremely controversial. Many Jewish scholars and rabbis called for removing the prayer, others made changes to it. A fascinating history of the Kol Nidrei prayer and the controversy behind it. 

We believe that G-d is our Creator and in our prayers often refer to Him as our father. However, on Rosh Hashanah, we mostly refer to G-d as our King. What does it mean that G-d is a King? Is there an advantage to being a Monarch? How does G-d's role as King connect to Rosh Hashanah? A fascinating discussion about G-d role as a king. 

Poetry has always played a central role in Judaism. Jewish poetry began in the Tanach (the Hebrew scriptures), which contain the earliest known poetry. Later in the early Middle Ages, Jewish poets developed extensive liturgical poems that became central to our prayers and served as a model copied by Christian and Muslim poets. A fascinating discussion about Piyyut, early Jewish poetry and how it influenced all subsequent poetry. 

It is a great Mitzvah to do everything we can to free our fellow Jews who have been captured. Many Jewish communities maintained special funds for freeing captives and hostages. But should we always free captives at any price? Can we overpay? What if we are asked to exchange the captives for terrorists? What if the captives' lives are in danger? JA fascinating class about the Jewish responses to the agonizing questions about freeing hostages. 

Judaism allows for couple to go separate ways once their marriage reached an end. The process of Jewish divorce - Get in Hebrew - is among the most detailed and complex religious ceremonies in Judaism. A fascinating overview of the detailed Jewish divorce ceremony. Links to related classesBeth Din - The Jewish court system https://open.spotify.com/episode/09KcwTo04tQSmpQlHNaVsX?si=zQkf-1STRWijimsTFQf0oAThe Aguna problem https://open.spotify.com/episode/7oVSHf15s3tWvomhmDgKnt?si=3ayHGUYWR3K2ElquMNkglg

From the beginning of time, people have been predicting the end-of-times, when the world as we know it will come to an end. Today, there are countless people who claim to know the signs that we are almost there.Jews have always believed in the coming of Mashiach and the "end-of-times". But is that going to happen soon? Do we know when Mashiach will come and when history will end?A fascinating discussion about the Jewish traditions regarding predicting the end-of-times.Link to past episode about the End of Times https://open.spotify.com/episode/0R4X8w7NDAFscNpIYZLAAO?si=WpGJAtdkTQ6sxWbZfv9DQQ

The Torah forbids us from eating milk and meat together. What about fish and meat, fish and fowl, or even fish and milk? A fascinating discussion about the rules of eating fish with meat or milk in Judaism. Links to related episodesMixing Milk and Meat https://open.spotify.com/episode/5FtZuAhFtMbOLfpHhPf6IO?si=sMrC4igkTFie6GOQ8sWpxQWhat makes fish Kosher? https://open.spotify.com/episode/4NVIqPADTsRGf4S1E5XyQl?si=vfmlreIrT2uR3wPke4rqegThe Shulchan Aruch https://open.spotify.com/episode/5gwgTVDqHl6bNOEnoLcJcB?si=lJ1QLKlURIWuR3cwqTev_w

An important part of the Temple service was the chopping and donating wood to the Temple for the fire on the Altar. This Mitzvah came with great celebrations and many families had designated days for wood donations. This Mitzvah is still celebrated today on the 15th of Av each year. A fascinating discussion about the Wood Chopping Mitzvah, its celebrations, and the life changing impact it has on us today.