Torah Cafe

Rav Saadia Gaon, was one of the most famous Geonim who led the great schools in Babylon during the geonic period (500-1000 CE). Rav Saadia, was known for his many works that he wrote on Jewish law and on Jewish beliefs. He also fought the Kaarites, a group that broke away from traditional Judaism. A fascinating discussion about Rav Saadia Gaon, his life story, teachings and his impact on Judaism t...

The Pharisees and the Sadducees were two groups that fought for religious and political dominance of the Jewish people during the Second Temple period (350 BCE - 70 CE).  Who were they? What did they believe? How did they impact Judaism as we know it today?

Mules are perhaps the best known animal crossbreeds. They have been used extensively throughout history as work animals and are still used today. However, the Torah prohibits us from cross breeding animals or even making different animal species work together.  A fascinating discussion about crossbreeding and mixing animals according to Jewish law. 

The Jewish community in Holland began after the country became a republic in 1581. It was the first country to offer freedom to Jews and many Jews flocked there especially Spanish and Portuguese conversos. For much of the 17th and 18th centuries, Amsterdam's Jewish community was the largest and most prominent in Europe. That came to a sudden end with the Holocaust that decimated Dutch Jewry. Y...

Perhaps the greatest Jewish scholar of all time was Rabbi Akiva. The Talmud tells us the Moses was in awe of the brilliance of Rabbi Akiva. Rabbi Akiva, who lived in the 2nd Century CE is also perhaps the most fascinating Jewish leader. A simple illiterate shepherd, he married, Rachel the daughter of the wealthiest man in Israel. At forty he went to school for the first time but quickly became Isr...

The sefirot are 10 tools that G-d used to create our world according to Jewish mystical teachings of Kabbalah, We each have 10 sefirot in our soul as well. We count the 49 days between the first day of Passover and the festival of Shavuot, known as the counting of the Omer. During these days, we can develop our own character by focusing each week on one of the seven emotional Sefirot. A discussion...

The Seder has many unique parts to it. Many of the Seder's various parts have deep mystical significance. The Seder plate sits on the seder table in front of the person leasing the Seder. Each item on the Seder plate has a unique role at the Seder in addition to having deep mystical significance. A fascinating discussion about the Seder plate and its powerful mystical significance.

For many, killing animals for human consumption is wrong. For others, vegetarianism or veganism are misplaced virtue that overlooks the gulf between the value of human life and animal life. Judaism historically allowed for meat consumption and even required slaughter for sacrificial purposes. Is there room for vegetarianism in Jewish thought. Would Jewish traditions consider vegetarianism a value?

Over the past century, Jewish schools and communities began opening Kollels, schools for advanced jewish studies. Today there are hundreds of Kollels around the world where tens of thousands of students study daily.  Why did the Kollels begin? What is unique about a Kollel? Why have Kollels been opened in so many communities around the world?

One of the unique features of a traditional synagogue is that men and women are separated for all prayers. In many older synagogues, women sat in a balcony above the main synagogue. In many synagogues today, there is a partition (mechitzah) separating the men and women.  When did we start separating men and women in the synagogue? What is the reason for it?  A fascinating discussion about separati...

In a rare occurrence, Purim this year will be on Friday taking us straight from the festival of Purim into Shabbat. This creates some unusual customs in balancing Purim with the onset of Shabbat. In Jerusalem where Purim is observed a day later (Shushan Purim), Purim will be Shabbat. However, the Megillah cannot be read on Shabbat and therefore must be read on Friday while other laws of Purim are...

Kabbalah the mystical teachings of Judaism have become very popular in recent years. With its popularity have come the many charlatans, frauds and quacks looking to cash in on unsuspecting students of Kabbalah.  How do you know who is teaching real Kabbalah and who is a fraud? Often the fakes look very real and convincing. How can the uninitiated easily differentiate those teaching the real thing...

In 830 BCE, King Solomon completed building the First Temple in Jerusalem. At the time, during the Iron Age, it was the grandest and largest building to be built. The Temple would serve as the center of Jewish service for 410 years until it was destroyed by the Babylonians.  A fascinating discussion about how the first Temple was built, what it looked like and its role in Jewish life.  

There are many medical treatments that are not part of conventional medicine. Many of these unconventional treatments are very popular. What does Judaism say about alternative medical treatments? Are we allowed or perhaps even encouraged to seek alternative medical treatments? May we use them instead of conventional medicine? May we use them to complement conventional medicine?  Generally, we can...

G-d gave the Jewish people 613 Commandments that we committed to follow as part of our covenant with Him. What are the 613 Commandments? Where can we find a list? What do the Commandments include?  For more than 1,000 years Jewish scholars have debated over how to define Commandments, what exactly the 613 Commandments are and how to count them.  A fascinating discussion about the 613 Commandments...

Starting in the 1960's, the Rebbe started public Mitzvah campaigns as a call to encourage Jews to readopt many of the important Commandments in Judaism that they were not observing. Over the Years the Rebbe launched 10 Mitzvah campaigns raising awareness and increasing observance of some of the most central Commandments.  A fascinating discussion about the 10 Mitzvah Campaigns and how we can b...

While the Torah bans us from eating all insects, the Torah makes an exception for locust. The Torah lists certain types of locust that we are allowed to eat. Why did the Torah allow us to eat locust? Which types of locust are kosher? Can we eat them today?  A fascinating discussion about the kosher status of locust.

Jews have lived in Tunisia since Roman times and built strong communities in Tunis, Djerba and other cities. While most Jews left after independence, there is still a Jewish community in Tunis and a close knit community on the Island of Djerba. 

The Torah and Tanach refer to G-d thousands of times but switches between many different names for G-d. Why does G-d have so many names, what do they each mean? How do we know which name of G-d to use? When do we pronounce and correctly spell G-d's name and when are they mispronounced and misspelled?  A fascinating discussion about G-d's various names, what they all mean and how they are used.   

One of the saddest and horrific moments in our history took place over 3,000 years ago when all the tribes joined forces to fight against the tribe of Benjamin. The horrific civil war and massacre that followed it almost led to the annihilation of the tribe of Benjamin. Learn the story of this civil war and its aftermath and its implications for us today. 

One of the traditions of Chanukah in Ashkenazic communities is playing with a dreidel, a spinning top that has 4 sides with the Hebrew letters Nun, Gimmel, Hei and Shin. What is the origin of the dreidel? Does it contain mystical significance? What is the connection to Chanukah? A fascinating discussion about the Dreidel and its significance.

For most people, their right arm is their dominant arm that they use for most activities. For some it is their left arm. In Judaism, there is a distinct role for the right arm (such as washing first, holding a kiddush cup) and for the left arm (wearing Tefillin). What happens when someone is left handed? Which arm do they use? A fascinating Chanukah themed discussion about right-handed and left-ha...

When a couple marries, Jewish law gives certain obligations and rights to each spouse. Those rights and obligations are written up in a document called a Ketubah which every married Jewish couple must have.  A fascinating discussion about the Ketubah, what it contains, how it is written and the various traditions and customs of the Ketubah that have developed over our long history.

Bonus Episode: Our biblical ancestors Abraham, Jacob, David and Solomon all had multiple wives. Is Polygamy moral? How can our great heroes have practiced it? Does Jewish law forbid polygamy? Should it be forbidden? A candid discussion about one of the most controversial questions in Jewish thought; how can our biblical figures have practiced polygamy?

Our ancestor Jacob was tricked by his uncle Laban into marrying Laban's 2 daughters Rachel and Leah. While the Torah allows for polygamy, it does not allow for marrying two sisters. How then was Jacob able to marry two sisters in violation of Jewish law? This classic question has been asked and addressed by countless commentaries over our long history.  A fascinating discussion addressing this cla...