Is ' fundamentalist Islam' a misnomer? What Muslim voices authentically represent traditional Islam? In this episode Rav David Silverstein is joined by Rav Yaakov Nagen to discuss these issues as well the larger question of Jewish/Muslim interfaith dialogue. Rabbi Dr. Yakov Nagen is the head of Ohr Torah Stone’s Blickle Institute for Interfaith Dialogue and Beit Midrash for Judaism and Humanity, as well as the Executive Director of the Ohr Torah Interfaith Center. For 25 years, Rabbi Nagen serve...
Nov 03, 2024•50 min•Season 3Ep. 3
Gemara learning dominates the Centrist Orthodox Yeshiva curriculum. Do Centrist Orthodox Yeshivot approach Gemara differently than their Chareidi counterparts? Are there varied perspectives within the world of Centrist Orthodoxy? In this podcast, Rav David Silverstein is joined by Rav Yitzchak Blau to discuss these questions through the lens of Rav Blau's own experiences in both Chareidi and Centrist Orthodox Yeshivot. Rabbi Yitzchak Blau is Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivat Orayta, the author of Fresh F...
Oct 13, 2024•49 min•Season 3Ep. 2
How should we understand the central role of the Talmud Bavli in Chareidi communities? What are the goals of the 'Ivies' of the Yeshiva World? How does intensive focus on the Gemara create a certain student and society? Rav Gavriel Singer pulls back the curtain in conversation with Rav Dovid Silverstein in the Season 3 Premiere of Tzarich Iyun. Rav Gavriel Singer, Rebbe at Yeshiva Orayta, is originally from Philadelphia and currently lives in the Sanhedriya Murchevet neighborhood of Yerushalayim...
Sep 15, 2024•50 min•Season 3Ep. 1
Many observant Jews have a seder night custom to spill out some wine from their cups during the recitation of the ten plagues. What is the source of this custom? Does it reflect a Jewish instinct to mitigate happiness when one's enemies are killed? Or, is it part of a larger story about Jewish uniqueness and particularism? In this episode Rav David Silverstein is joined by Rav Yitzchak Blau to discuss the origin of this custom as well the larger question of rejoicing over the downfall of one's e...
Apr 14, 2024•50 min•Season 2Ep. 12
This Shabbat, Jews across this world will read the Torah portion describing the requirement to eradicate Amalek. Does this mitzvah have any practical relevance nowadays? What about the moral challenges associated with this divine command? In this episode, Rav David Silverstein is joined by Rabbi Dr. Shlomo Brody to discuss these issues through the lens of Israel's current war against Hamas. Rabbi Dr. Shlomo Brody is the executive director of Ematai . He previously served as the founding director...
Mar 20, 2024•48 min•Season 2Ep. 11
After serving for many years as a Company Commander in the IDF, Rav Binny Freedman has experienced himself in a new role since October 7th—‘drafted,’ as a grandparent. Like hundreds of thousands of other families, the Freedmans have been navigating the complexities of the draft on the home-front, stepping in as their children have been called up to serve. In this episode, Rav Binny joins Rav David Silverstein to discuss how the war has affected the lives of kids, spouses, and parents of reservis...
Feb 11, 2024•53 min•Season 2Ep. 10
Prior to October 7th, the Israeli political and military establishment mistakenly thought that Hamas was deterred from attacking Israel. What other misconceptions lay behind Israeli thinking? How can the Israeli government rectify these errors moving forward? In this episode, Rav David Silverstein is joined by military strategist Akiva Bigman to discuss these questions and reflect on possible new paradigms for Israeli leaders to think about the war in Gaza. Akiva Bigman is the Chief Editor at Mi...
Jan 28, 2024•1 hr 2 min•Season 2Ep. 9
Traditional Jewish theology understands that a national crisis can serve as a catalyst for collective reflection and teshuva. What can we learn from the horrors of October 7th? What national sins must be rectified moving forward? In this episode, Rav David Silverstein discusses these questions with Rabbi Dr. Joshua Berman through the prism of his provocative and important article, " Is this war a divine punishment? " Rabbi Dr. Joshua Berman is a professor of Bible at BarIlan University and an As...
Jan 14, 2024•47 min•Season 2Ep. 8
2023 was one of the most divisive years in Israel's history. Polarization and the debate surrounding the judicial reform lead Israel to the brink of civil war culminating in altercations on Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish year. After the horrors of October 7th, however, we have seen the country unified around a shared sense of mission and purpose. How do we maintain this feeling of unity for the duration of the war and after the war's completion? How can Israelis learn to live together...
Dec 31, 2023•52 min•Season 2Ep. 7
Israeli ultra-Orthodoxy has maintained an isolationist stance toward the general public in Israel since the State’s founding. In the aftermath of October 7th, however, segments of the ultra-Orthodox community have activated to support the war effort in unprecedented ways — including some 3,000 who have drafted into the IDF. In this episode, Rav David Silverstein is joined by Hareidi rabbi, leader, and activist Rav Yehoshua Pfeffer to discuss the evolving relationship between Hareidim and the Sta...
Dec 10, 2023•1 hr 6 min•Season 2Ep. 6
In the aftermath of the horrific attack by Hamas on October 7th, anti-semitic incidents have drastically increased worldwide. How should open societies committed to the freedom of expression respond? Is limiting the rights of extremist groups the answer? Or, are there other ways to curb hate speech while maintaining commitment to the free flow of ideas? In this podcast, Rabbi David Silverstein is joined by Dr. Russ Roberts of Shalem College to discuss these issues through the prism of his import...
Nov 19, 2023•59 min•Season 2Ep. 5
Western media often criticizes the IDF for "collective punishment" and a lack of proportionality in its military response to Hamas’s horrific attacks on October 7th. How are we supposed to respond to these accusations? What are Israel's ethical obligations regarding avoiding civilian casualties? Should the IDF endanger its soldiers' lives in order to protect civilians in Gaza? In this episode, Rabbi David Silverstein is joined by Rabbi Dr. Shlomo Brody to discuss these questions through the pris...
Nov 12, 2023•55 min•Season 2Ep. 4
What Torah sources can we look to for guidance during our current crisis? How should we understand the rise in global anti-semitism and the shocking support for Hamas on some university campuses? In this episode, Rav David Silverstein is joined by Rav Yitzchak Blau to discuss these questions and offer some preliminary thoughts about the evolving situation in Israel. Rabbi Yitzchak Blau is Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivat Orayta, the author of Fresh Fruit and Vintage Wine: The Ethics and Wisdom of the Ag...
Oct 29, 2023•42 min•Season 2Ep. 3
What is halakha? Is it just a system of law or also a legal medium to discuss some of Judaism's most weighty religious questions? In this episode, Rav David Silverstein is joined by Professor Chaim Saiman to discuss these issues through the prism of Professor Saiman's important book, Halakha: The Rabbinic Idea of Law . Professor Chaim Saiman is Professor of Law at Villanova Law School, and has served as Gruss Visiting Professor of Talmudic Law at both Harvard Law School and the University of Pen...
Sep 10, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Season 2Ep. 2
The study of Gemara dominates the daily schedule of most yeshivot. Beyond yeshiva, Daf Yomi has become an international phenomenon with people taking time out of their daily schedules to study a page of Talmud. What is Gemara learning all about? Why is it prioritized over the study of Jewish thought or Tanakh? In this episode, Rav David Silverstein is joined by Rabbi Yehuda Turetsky of Yeshivat Sha'alvim to discuss these questions as well as address the different learning methodologies used to c...
Aug 27, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Season 2Ep. 1
After a survey of different approaches to divine providence in the last episode, Rav Binny Freedman joins Rav David Silverstein to discuss what role theology should play in our lives. Why doesn't theology occupy a larger space in contemporary Orthodox discourse? How do we choose an approach amidst conflicting perspectives on God’s involvement in the world? Rabbi Binny Freedman is founding Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivat Orayta. His proficiency in applying Jewish concepts to contemporary life in a perso...
Aug 06, 2023•58 min•Season 1Ep. 17
The question of divine providence is one of the most complex questions in Jewish thought, affecting our day-to-day experience of the world. In this episode, Rav David Silverstein is joined by Rabbi Netanel Wiederblank to explore both medieval and modern approaches to understating hashgacha, God’s involvement in the world. Rabbi Netanel Wiederblank is a Maggid Shiur at Yeshiva University where he teaches college students and semikhah students Tanakh, Talmud, Halakha, and Jewish Philosophy at RIET...
Jul 16, 2023•58 min•Season 1Ep. 16
Why is the "Gadol" (great rabbinic figure) so central to many Orthodox communities? Do centrist or liberal Orthodox communities relate differently to Gedolim than their Charedi counterparts? In this episode, Rav David Silverstein is joined by Rav Yitzchak Blau to discuss these questions against the larger background of rabbinic authority in the 21st century. Rabbi Yitzchak Blau is Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivat Orayta, the author of Fresh Fruit and Vintage Wine: The Ethics and Wisdom of the Aggada , a...
Jul 02, 2023•52 min•Season 1Ep. 15
How have new technologies changed people’s relationship to rabbinic authority? How have rabbis responded to these challenges? In this episode Rav David Silverstein is joined by Rav Elli Fischer to discuss these questions through the prism of various 21st century rabbinic leaders. Rav Elli Fischer is an independent writer, translator, and rabbi. Previously, he was the OU-JLIC rabbi and campus educator at the University of Maryland. He holds BA and MS degrees from Yeshiva University, rabbinical or...
Jun 18, 2023•1 hr 11 min•Season 1Ep. 14
If you've enjoyed our podcast, please consider supporting the Yeshiva's annual scholarship campaign and help us ensure that no student in need of financial help is turned away . Thank you very much! Diaspora poskim are deeply divided about the halakhic status of brain stem death as the definition of halakhic death. Yet in Israel, this is arguably the one issue that unifies almost all rabbis across the ideological spectrum of Religious Zionism. In this episode, Rav David Silverstein is joined by ...
May 21, 2023•50 min•Season 1Ep. 13
Why isn’t mysticism a more central piece of the contemporary religious experience? In this episode, Rav David Silverstein is joined by Rav Dovid’l Weinberg to explore the theological roots of Jewish mysticism and discuss mysticism’s relevance for the modern Jew. Rabbi Dovid’l Weinberg is an educator, musician, and author. A rebbe at Yeshivat Orayta in the Old City of Yerushalayim, Rav Dovid'l is the author of Birth of the Spoken Word and is currently translating Rav Kook's Oros HaTorah (the firs...
May 07, 2023•56 min•Season 1Ep. 12
In the current Israeli government, a distinct form of messianic religious Zionism is prevalent. However, what are the other religious Zionist models? In this episode, Rav David Silverstein is joined by Rav Yitzchak Blau to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the competing religious Zionist ideologies. Rabbi Yitzchak Blau is Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivat Orayta, the author of Fresh Fruit and Vintage Wine: The Ethics and Wisdom of the Aggada , and Tradition's associate editor. He has taught at Yesh...
Apr 23, 2023•51 min•Season 1Ep. 11
Why isn’t the study of Mussar a more central component of the Orthodox curriculum? In this episode, Rav David Silverstein is joined by Rav Judah Dardik to discuss his unique Mussar curriculum and how an added focus on the study of Mussar can help create a more refined religious personality. Rabbi Judah Dardik is a Sgan Rosh Yeshiva at Yeshivat Orayta, where he teaches full-time and directs Orayta's adult learning programs and missions. Before making aliyah in 2014, he completed thirteen years as...
Mar 19, 2023•57 min•Season 1Ep. 10
What makes human beings unique? Does Judaism think that an AI machine can acquire a soul? In this episode, Rav David Silverstein is joined by Dr. Aaron Segal of Hebrew University to discuss Judaism, consciousnesses, and the future of AI. Dr. Aaron Segal is the Michael and Bella Guggenheim Senior Lecturer in Philosophy at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. His primary areas of research are metaphysics, philosophy of religion, and analytic Jewish philosophy. Segal received his PhD in philosophy f...
Mar 05, 2023•57 min•Season 1Ep. 9
Why do Jews pray? Is the prayer experience valuable only to those who have devout faith? In this episode, Rav David Silverstein is joined by Rav Dovid'l Weinberg for a discussion about the underlying philosophy of traditional Jewish prayer. Rabbi Dovid’l Weinberg is an educator, musician, and author. A rebbe at Yeshivat Orayta in the Old City of Yerushalayim, Rav Dovid'l is the author of Birth of the Spoken Word and is currently translating Rav Kook's Oros HaTorah (the first volume, released in ...
Feb 19, 2023•53 min•Season 1Ep. 8
Rabbi Shimon Gershon Rosenberg (Rav Shagar) was one of the most influential Religious Zionist thinkers. In this episode, Rav David Silverstein is joined by Yeshivat Orayta alum Rav Levi Morrow to discuss Rav Shagar's unique attempt to harmonize postmodernism and traditional Judaism. Born and raised in Southern California, Rav Levi Morrow moved to Israel when he was eighteen. After studying at Yeshivat Orayta and Har Etzion, Levi received semikhah from the Shehebar Sephardic Center in the Old Cit...
Feb 05, 2023•37 min•Season 1Ep. 7
How are the details of halakhic life related to the Torah's larger vision for society? In this podcast, Rav David Silverstein and Rav Yitzchak Blau address this question while providing a framework for thinking about the purpose of Jewish law. Rabbi Yitzchak Blau is Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivat Orayta, the author of Fresh Fruit and Vintage Wine: The Ethics and Wisdom of the Aggada , and Tradition's associate editor. He has taught at Yeshivat Hamivtar, Yeshivat Shvilei Hatorah, and the Yeshivah of Fl...
Jan 22, 2023•46 min•Season 1Ep. 6
In a provocative essay, Ben Shapiro claims that "the Torah’s worldview is most valuable precisely where there is controversy." He then accuses Orthodox leaders of an unwillingness to articulate the religious values that underlie some of Torah's most seemingly controversial laws. In this episode, Rav David Silverstein and Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Sinensky analyze Shapiro's claim and discuss some of the larger challenges of articulating the Torah's moral vision. Rabbi Sinensky's response: https://www.jewish...
Jan 08, 2023•45 min•Season 1Ep. 5
Every other month, Rav David Silverstein will host a guest in conversation about a text of their choosing. We're calling it: Talking in Learning . We hope you enjoy the second installment of this series. Rav Yitzchak Blau and Rav David Silverstein reflect on how their upbringings ground their respective worldviews, chart how their beliefs about belief have shifted over time, and discuss doubt in modernity as well as its latent potential for religious value. Questions? Feedback? Have a topic you'...
Dec 18, 2022•47 min•Season 1Ep. 4
Israel's Declaration of Independence describes a nation founded on values "as envisaged by the prophets of Israel" while stopping short of any mention of democracy. What does this mean for issues of religion and state in 2022 and beyond? Rav Noam Himelstein and Rav Adi Krohn consider the history, politics, and modern day realities and discuss their visions for the future of halakha in the public sphere. Questions? Feedback? Have a topic you'd like to hear discussed? Email us at oraytapodcast@gma...
Nov 27, 2022•39 min•Season 1Ep. 3
