Beitar
Vladimir Jabotinsky founds one of the most important youth movements in Jewish history.
Feb 29, 2024•11 min
Meir Soloveichik
Rabbi Dr. Meir Y. Soloveichik is one of America's leading voices on Jewish ideas, religious freedom, and faith in the modern age. In conjunction with the release of his new YouTube lecture series, "Sacred Time: A Journey through the Jewish Holidays," this podcast will collect and feature Rabbi Soloveichik's latest podcasts, lectures, live events, and more.
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Episodes
Episode 9: Epilogue: The Shamash and the Light of Judah
Even in this difficult time for the Jewish people, we are blessed to bear witness to the lights of the soldiers of Israel—who testify to the living legacy of Judah Maccabee.
Dec 15, 2023•5 min
Judah's Last Stand
By the end of his life, the achievements of Judah rivaled—and in some ways surpassed—those of every great general throughout history.
Dec 15, 2023•13 min
The Day of Nikanor
Judah defeats a new general sent against the Hasmoneans in miraculous fashion.
Dec 14, 2023•13 min
Against the Elephants
In the Battle of Beth Zechariah, the Seleucids defeated the Hasmoneans by using war elephants, but not before the Maccabee Eliezer did something that will be remembered forever.
Dec 12, 2023•13 min
The True Story of Hanukkah
It was the liberation and purification of the Temple in Jerusalem that inspired Judah and his men to fight.
Dec 12, 2023•15 min
Judah as General
Unlike any other leader in Jewish history, Judah combined faith in God, an ability to inspire his men, and strategic genius to lead the Hasmoneans.
Dec 10, 2023•15 min
The Religious Vision of Mattathias
The Maccabean fusion of public faith in God and a willingness to fight was born in the priest Mattathias.
Dec 09, 2023•14 min
All Greek to Thee: The Challenge of Hellenism
How the essence of athletics lies at the heart of the Hanukkah story.
Dec 08, 2023•15 min
Mesmerized by the Maccabees: Why Is One Family So Fascinating?
Why is Judah and his family so famous when even learned Jews know so little about him?
Dec 07, 2023•14 min
Ezekiel's Neilah
The prophet's discussion of repentance profoundly impacted the final prayer of Yom Kippur. Text: Ezekiel 18. In this episode, Rabbi Soloveichik refers to a movie review by Roger Ebert. You can read it here . Rabbi Soloveichik also references an essay by Rabbi Jonathan Sacks. You can read it here .
Sep 07, 2023•13 min
Menachem Begin's Yom Kippur
Thirty years after his family was murdered by the Nazis, Begin recalled what the Yom Kippur service in the Temple meant to his father—and therefore what it should mean to us. Text: Leviticus 16. In this episode, Rabbi Soloveichik refers to a speech of Menachem Begin, translated in Mosaic . You can read that speech here ....
Sep 07, 2023•17 min
The Meaning of a Yom Kippur Prayer
Kol Nidrei, one of the most awe-inspiring and misunderstood parts of Jewish liturgy, dramatizes the power of repentance. Text: Kol Nidrei.
Sep 07, 2023•6 min
Jonah, Assyria, and Us
The end of Jonah is best read together with a much less well-known biblical book. Text: Jonah 3-4, Nahum 1-3. In this episode, Rabbi Soloveichik discusses the Un'taneh Tokef prayer from the High Holiday liturgy. You can read a translation of it here .
Sep 07, 2023•14 min
The Fugitive, Biblical Edition
The tale of the fleeing prophet is ultimately about identity and the monotheistic vision. Text: Jonah 1.
Sep 07, 2023•13 min
Who Was Gedaliah?
The man selected by Babylon to lead the Jews it left in Judah is mourned to this day. Who was he? Text: Jeremiah 40-44. In this episode, Rabbi Soloveichik discusses a Times of Israel article by Michal Avera Samuel. You can read it here .
Sep 07, 2023•13 min
Joy and Tears on Rosh Hashanah
A High Holy Day exhortation teaches us something profound about Rosh Hashanah, and about Judaism itself. Text: Nehemiah 8-13.
Sep 07, 2023•11 min
The Tashlikh of Micah and the Omens of Rosh Hashanah
The conclusion of Micah's prophecy is linked to a famous Jewish tradition. Text: Micah 5-7.
Sep 07, 2023•13 min
The Shofar and the Crown of Prayer
The Book of Joel elucidates the meaning of the most famous biblical instrument. Text: Joel 1-3. In this episode, Rabbi Soloveichik discusses an article from Atlas Obscura. You can read it here .
Sep 07, 2023•12 min
The King and Us
The unique biblical approach to monarchy allows us to understand why we coronate God every year on Rosh Hashanah. Text: Deuteronomy 16-19.
Sep 07, 2023•20 min
Judea Capta
A coin minted by Vespasian brings us back to a lost aspect of Judea—one which has now been reborn. Supplemental Materials: Click here to read Menachem Begin's speech upon being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1978. Click here to see the ruins of the Roman Temple of Peace. Click here to see one of Vespasian's Judea Capta coins. Click here to read more about the resurrection of the date palm in Israel. Click here to see the ancient Jewish coin bearing the words "Israel Liberata."...
Jul 10, 2023•12 min
Titus's Jewish General
In the story of Jerusalem's fall, there is a villain who must not be forgotten. Supplemental Materials: Click here to read more about Tiberius Alexander.
Jul 10, 2023•13 min
Rabbi Yohanan Ben Zakkai Escapes Jerusalem
In the "Year of Four Emperors," a great sage receives an audience with Vespasian and serves as the link between destruction and redemption.
Jul 10, 2023•12 min
The Coins of a Free Jerusalem
The unity implied by the coins of Jewish Jerusalem is belied by the fracturing inside the city.
Jul 10, 2023•13 min
The Revolt
Why did the Jews of Jerusalem attempt to overthrow the Roman yoke, and who supported the endeavor?
Jul 10, 2023•13 min
Babylonian Tablets and Jerusalem's Jews
Ancient tablets testify to Jewish endurance after Jerusalem's destruction. Supplemental Materials: Click here to see an image of one of the Al-Yahudu tablets. Click here to read an article about the "By the Rivers of Babylon" exhibit, which featured the Al-Yahudu tablets....
Jul 10, 2023•12 min
The Ashes of Eternal Jerusalem
We can touch the remnants of Jeremiah's Jerusalem today. Supplemental Materials: Click to here to watch Rabbi Soloveichik's conversation with Rep. Ritchie Torres. Click here to watch the City of David video about the destruction of the First Temple and its archaeological remains. Click here to watch the video about the large royal structure discovered in the "Givati Parking Lot." Click here to read the article about the archaeomagnetic techniques used to analyze the Babylonian destruction of Jer...
Jul 10, 2023•12 min
The Lessons of the Life of Zedekiah
The failures of Jerusalem's last Davidic king leave us with great lessons about leadership. Supplemental Materials: Click here to read the text of Winston Churchill's speech protesting the Munich Agreement.
Jul 10, 2023•12 min
Jeremiah and Job in Jerusalem
Why did the prophet fail to convince Jerusalem of the coming disaster? Supplemental Materials: Click here to view Rembrandt's "Jeremiah Lamenting the Destruction of Jerusalem." Click here to view Jan Lievens's "Job."...
Jul 10, 2023•13 min
Pirkei Avot—The Misunderstood Masterpiece Ep. 6: The Excommunication of Rabbi Eliezer and the History of Rabbinic Judaism
A free, 6-part audio course Traditionally studied each week between Passover and Shavuot, Avot may be the most beloved tractate in the rabbinic cannon; but its purpose and teachings may also be misunderstood. In this new audio course from the Tikvah Fund, Rabbi Dr. Meir Soloveichik provides learned insight into the unique lives and worldviews of the rabbinic sages featured in the tractate. He thereby shows how to understand Avot as what it really is: an intellectual history of Jewish minds that ...
May 03, 2020•1 hr
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