Keep the Faith with Shammai Engelmayer

Compromise made this country great. The lack of compromise is doing the opposirte. Our politicians in Washington would do well to heed what Judaism has to say about compromise. Support the show

I hate to break it to those people (Bernie Sanders, for example, who think being Jewish and being a Zionist are two differemt things. They're not. Support the show

Given the assault on the right to vote and a pending Supreme Court ruling. this week's entry discusses what Jewish law has to say about this issue. Support the show

When you consider the state of the world today, you have to acknowledge that it is in pretty bad shape. We especially have a role in repairing this world. Only, too many of us don't want that burden on our shoulders. Support the show

The war is over (we hope), but only for now. As for who won, the answer is Hamas. Find out why here. Support the show

Of course the Torah says nothing about a free press or sets ground rules for journalists. If you think that, you really need to listen to this one—and then send it to any Fox News Fans friends you may have. Support the show

Republican governors and legislators are proposing and even enacting into law legislation that would limit, if not eliminate, peaceful protests. They use false facts to buttress their claims. Peaceful protests are one form of speaking truth to power—and speaking truth to power is something Judaism has always seen as an obligation. Support the show

In many ways, this is a continuation of last week's episode because it discusses some of the laws in Leviticus 19. Then again, it stands on its own as an indictment of sorts of labelling Judaism as a religion—and missing the whole point of who and what we are, and why. Support the show

We're in the midst of counting each day from the slavery of Egypt to the moment when God reveals His purpose for us as His "Kingdom of Priests and Holy Nation." Counting from 1 to 49, however, was never the point. WHY we count and HOW we count is what this episode is about. Support the show

If you think the U.S. electoral system is messed up, it's nothing compared to how messed up Israel's system is. Four elections in two years have failed to produce a viable government and a fifth election in late summer/early fall is a very real possibility. Charles Byelbezer joins us from Israel to give us an update. Support the show

Mass shootings make headlines, but underreported are how many people in the U.S. dies each year because of guns (44.000 ;ast year). Even worse, among those 44.000 killed were 5,100 children  ages 1 to 17—over 1,000 more than any other year since 2014, and a 50 percent increase over the number of children killed in 2019. The Torah has a law to cover the this public safety nightmare, and we have a r...

The Sages of old said all festive meals, Pesach included, should include "meat and fish." My guest this week advocates going a different route (or should that be root?). Please note that there will be no podcast next week. Support the show

Last week, I explored the first part of the Exodus story, that of Joseph (and Jacob). This weekI look at the other end of those 430 years. I may be wrong, of course, but from Joseph to Moses, there is a perfect fit IN HISTORY for this biblical tale so many scholars say never happened. IT DID HAPPEN! Support the show

Passover will be here three weeks from tonight. So many biblical scholars and critics insist it's a made up story. If so, "why is this night be different from all the other nights"? Why should we go to all the extra trouble of preparing that Passover brings to the table, literally and figuratively? They say it never happened because there is no record of it found in the history of E...

With Passover just over four weeks away, this topic is as timely as you can get. Why do Passover foods cost so much and what can be done about it? Support the show

All hail Marduk. All hail Ishtar. Purim is upon us and here are some things you may not have known about what arguably is the most joyous—and even silliest and most raucous—festival of the Jewish year (and also the LAST festival of the TRUE Jewish year, but that's another story). Support the show

Considering that social justice issues are finally back on the American agenda, here's a look at how the Torah always kept social justice at the top of its agenda—a timely discussion expecially because it's what this week's Torah portion is all about. Support the show

I know that many people, women especially, think the Torah is anti-woman. Nothing can be further from the truth. In fact, the Torah attests to the complete equality of women. which puts the Torah squarely in support of the Equal Rights Amendment. Support the show

Seriously, Moses held up his staff and a sea split? He hit a rock with it and water poured out in such great quantity that it quenched the thirst of a vast multitude?   If you don't believe such things, how can you believe anything the Torah says? Here's how. Let me know what you think after listening to this episode. Go to www.shammai.org and e-mail me, please. Support the show

Two events—President Biden's moves to upgrade our environmental efforts and the coming next Thursday of the minor festival known as Tu B'Shevat—come together to determine this week's topic. Support the show

You'll probably be surprised to discover who it was who was the first person in recorded history to be impeached and removed from office, and its aftermath has lessons some people especially need to learn today. Support the show

There really is a connection between the two topics, but it's not the way I had hoped to start the 2021 podcasts. Support the show

If every cloud has a silver lining, where is that to be found in the dark cloud we call COVID-19? It IS there, in tghe lessons we are being taught about our world and our responsibilities to that world and everyone in it. Support the show

It's a serious question, but don't assume you know how I answer it until you get to the end, Support the show

There's much that's problematic about Chanukah, but there's a very good reason to celebrate it—as long as we celebrate it, and not turn it into something it's now and was never intended to be. Support the show