Can we really describe God—or does every word fall short? In this episode, Rabbis Shai Held and Jason Rubenstein explore the bold theology of Maimonides, who argued that the only true way to speak about God… is not to speak at all. Together they unpack why saying “God is loving” might actually be misleading, what it means to worship a God beyond hu…

There is no such thing, for a Jew, as loving God without loving human beings as well. Our love for God is bound up with our love for others: for the parents who taught us His name, and the grandparents who taught them. For the children we raise to know Him. For every ancestor, too far back for us to remember their names, who remembered God’s covena…

In this episode of What Gives?, The Jewish Philanthropy Podcast, JFN CEO Andrés Spokoiny welcomes Rabbi Shai Held to discuss the claim that love is Judaism’s central value. Together, they confront common misconceptions about the "God of the Old Testament," reflect on theology in the shadow of October 7, and consider how Jewish philanthropy can help…

The danger, when the two tribes decide to stay on the other side of the Jordan, is not just that we might become two peoples: it is that we may develop two Torahs.By Hadar Institute

Rabbis Shai Held and Tali Adler explore one of the most provocative images in rabbinic tradition: that at Sinai, God held a mountain over the Israelites’ heads and threatened them into accepting the Torah. What does this say about the nature of faith, agency, and obligation? In this episode, Rabbi Shai Held and Rabbi Tali Adler explore deep questio…

One of the poetic laments we recite on Tisha b’Av is the poem that begins Eish tukad bekirbi (“A fire shall burn within me”). An acrostic, each stanza of the poem juxtaposes something glorious that occurred during the Exodus from Egypt, with something equally ignoble from our exile from Jerusalem.By Hadar Institute

Can we really judge everyone favorably? Rabbis Shai Held and Steve Greenberg dive into this Jewish idea, exploring how a generous outlook can transform relationships, personal healing, and even our view of God. But where do we draw the line? Tune in for a candid conversation that gets real about the power – and potential pitfalls – of seeing the be…

Moshe’s real concern, when Reuven and Gad ask to remain on their side of the Jordan, is the way that distance can split families apart.By Hadar Institute

Both Talmuds record that Rabbi, one of the last leading sages of the Tannaim, tried to abolish Tisha B'Av. Why would someone want to abolish this fast day? Through this surprising example and its aftermath, this class explores the role of myth and history in the Jewish calendar. Recorded on Tisha B'Av 2024. Source sheet: https://mechonhadar.s3.us-e…

Rabbi Shai Held returns with a new cast of guest for another season of Answers WithHeld, the podcast where we confront big questions with bold thinking and honest searching. Every week, Rabbi Shai Held invites a leading thinker or teacher to explore one powerful Jewish idea or the life and legacy of a great Jewish thinker: Can We Really Judge Every…

Daughters of fathers are different from sons. Daughters, as they grow, do not take on their father’s image. A daughter’s voice will not deepen into her father’s baritone. Her jaw will not sharpen to resemble his, and, in all likelihood, she will not reach his height. Rarely will anyone ever be startled when they encounter her on the street after he…

The Talmud is notoriously complex, and its stories are no exception. In this class, we will learn strategies for how to understand these texts such as structural analysis, to explore the narrative flow and construction; interiority, to uncover the unstated emotions and motivations of the sages; and contextual analysis, to place each story within th…

The moment when Bilaam can’t see the angel is familiar to us—too familiar for comfort. We’ve seen this scene before: a hidden angel, an unusual occurrence, the word of God. We’ve seen it all at the burning bush (sneh), the moment when Moshe, our greatest prophet, receives his first mission: speech.By Hadar Institute

There shouldn’t be much ambiguity about why 17 Tammuz is a fast day; the Mishnah relates five tragic events that took place on this date.By Hadar Institute

It is Miriam who was always the speaker of the three siblings. Miriam, who, according to the Talmud, was also called Puah because of the sounds she made to soothe women in childbirth as their babies emerged into the world. Miriam, who used her words to stand up to her father when he separated from his wife, insisting that a chance at life, however …

The Song of Songs (2:4) imagines a boundless love between two lovers in which one lover says of the other, “his flag of love was upon me.” That’s how I felt at Pride this month—surrounded by flags of love.By Hadar Institute

The most insidious part of Korach’s claim is that it is a lie we desperately want to believe.By Hadar Institute

The Talmud is notoriously complex, and its stories are no exception. In this class, we will learn strategies for how to understand these texts such as structural analysis, to explore the narrative flow and construction; interiority, to uncover the unstated emotions and motivations of the sages; and contextual analysis, to place each story within th…

To be a Jew is to believe in impossible dreams. To be a Jew is to believe that slaves can become free. It is to believe that the senselessness of this world can be disrupted by divine words that break through the barrier between heaven and earth. It is trust, even on our darkest days, that we are part of God’s dream.…

The Talmud is notoriously complex, and its stories are no exception. In this class, we will learn strategies for how to understand these texts such as structural analysis, to explore the narrative flow and construction; interiority, to uncover the unstated emotions and motivations of the sages; and contextual analysis, to place each story within th…

The tragedy of Moshe’s final conversation with his father-in-law are the words that he leaves unsaid.By Hadar Institute

The psalms attached liturgically to each day of the week are often mumbled over quickly, without much attention to their meaning. In this series, we'll engage in careful literary-theological readings of these psalms, looking at how various midrashim interpret the psalms, and bring new meaning to this part of our daily prayers. Key themes explored w…

There are moments in life where things have gone so wrong that we cannot see a way forward. That may be what has happened to the woman who chooses to drink the sotah waters.By Hadar Institute

To be a Jew is, when we are lucky, to feel the memory of Sinai in our bones. We strive to feel as if we have experienced both the slavery and liberation of Egypt first hand, as if we ourselves saw God’s miracles.By Hadar Institute

What did we hear at Sinai? What does God want us to hear?By Hadar Institute

When it comes to the enslavement of Jews, God gives us two imperatives. First, strive to be like God. Failing that, resist the temptation to become like the Egyptians.By Hadar Institute

The psalms attached liturgically to each day of the week are often mumbled over quickly, without much attention to their meaning. In this series, we'll engage in careful literary-theological readings of these psalms, looking at how various midrashim interpret the psalms, and bring new meaning to this part of our daily prayers. Key themes explored w…