Whale of a Tale
Life Lessons from Gargantuan Fish, Geese, and Corpses

An island turns out to be the back of a mammoth sea creature, oceanic waves rise miles high, and an encounter with the "dead of the wilderness." Rabbah bar bar Chanah's strange parables hold the secret to Jewish survival and offer powerful tips on how to rise above life's challenges.

Curious Tales Of The Talmud - Lesson 1

When G-d Prayed
A Study in the Art of Anthropomorphism

G-d prayed, sinned, and even requested a blessing from a human being. Talmudic anthropomorphisms highlight the importance of vulnerability in relationships and how being vulnerable shapes the character and essence of our relationship with G-d.

Curious Tales Of The Talmud - Lesson 2

The Vindication of an Idolatrous King
Seeing the Divine within Everything

The lessons of a vinegar-fueled lamp; singing toddlers; and a tale of a king, a sage, and a dream affect how we judge others and help us to find purpose in our nation's exile and within all that transpires in our lives.

Curious Tales Of The Talmud - Lesson 3

Greek Riddles
A Camouflaged Theological Debate

A snake's gestation period, a butcher's head for sale, and how to mend a broken millstone are just a few of the paradoxical riddles in a battle of wits between Jewish and Athenian sages, presenting profound intellectual challenges to the fundamentals of our faith.

Curious Tales Of The Talmud - Lesson 4

The Great Oven Debacle
When the Rabbis Overruled a Heavenly Decision

After exhausting his arguments, Rabbi Eliezer makes a carob tree jump, reverses a stream of water, crumbles the walls of the study hall, and evokes a heavenly voice, all to make a point. What is so important about Rabbi Eliezer's message? How is it relevant to us today?

Curious Tales Of The Talmud - Lesson 5

A Ticket to Paradise
The Security of Stagnation and the Challenge of Change

How can a small donation surpass a lifetime of life-risking devotion? Illogical rates at a "rent-a-donkey" location and a royal dispute about sheep and goats teach us the dangers of stagnation and suggest a path to radical growth.

Curious Tales Of The Talmud - Lesson 6

Masada vs. Yavneh
Divergent Jewish Responses to Roman Tyranny

The last stand of Masada's defenders in the year 73 CE has resonated strongly with many modern Israeli's, but at the same time there were Jews who believed the revolt against Rome was imprudent. What lay behind the clamoring for revolt and why did others oppose it? Why did the people at Masada continue fighting even after Jerusalem was destroyed? By judicious use of sources, we paint a stunning picture of this great debate that had grave consequences for the rest of Jewish history.

Great Debates in Jewish History - Lesson 2

Book Smart - Lesson 2
The Midrash
With Rabbi Ari Sollish
Recorded live at The Torah Center ATL on January 25, 2023

“Midrash” is both a methodology and a body of literature. In this lesson, we explore both aspects of Midrash. We study the various methods by which additional layers of meaning contained within the words -- or between the lines -- of the Torah are expounded. We also acquaint ourselves with some of the major Midrashic works that record the expositional teachings by the sages of the Talmudic era (approximately 100 BCE to 500 CE).

Midrash includes Halachic (legal) expositions, which extrapolate the details of the Torah’s laws from the text, as well as Agadic Midrashim -- moral, philosophical, and mystical teachings, as well as historical narratives and parables. We study examples from both of these varieties of Midrash, including a number of intricate legal expositions, and an esoteric parable relating to a celestial battle over the creation of the human being and the paradox of goodness and truth.

Book Smart - Lesson 2

Book Smart - Lesson 3
The Talmud
With Rabbi Ari Sollish
Recorded live at The Torah Center ATL on Febuary 1, 2023

More than any other work, the Talmud defines “Jewish learning.” In this lesson, we review the history of the Talmud, explore the structure of this intricate and fascinating work, with its 63 volumes of teachings and deliberations by hundreds of sages over a period of six centuries on virtually every subject under the sun. We also engage in the in-depth study of a Talmudic sugya (“subject discussion”) and experience the unique twists and turns of the Talmudic dialectic.

In the process, we discover how Talmudic learning leverages the “flaws” of the human mind -- its circuitous reasoning, its contentiousness, and its inconsistencies -- to reveal the multifaceted nature of the Divine wisdom and apply it to the complexities of human life.

Book Smart - Lesson 3

Behind the Words
The Art of Effective Communication

"A man's character may be learned from the adjectives which he habitually uses in conversation."
-Mark Twain

The simplest messages are often misconstrued in the most unpredictable ways. This is often caused by metamessages that confuse the listeners or shut them down. This lesson explores how distractive elements -- such as aggressive rhetoric and the tone of voice -- impact on our ability to communicate in a manner that ensures that the listener's takeaway is the same as our intended message.

Communication: Its Art & Soul - Lesson 4

Book Smart - Lesson 4
Halachah
With Rabbi Ari Sollish
Recorded live at The Torah Center ATL on February 8, 2023

Halachah is the “bottom line” of Torah, where the biblical commandments, rabbinical ordinances, and Talmudic deliberations translate into the dos and don’ts of daily life. Halachah addresses every part of a Jew’s life, from waking to bedtime, from birth to burial, from everyday activities to the most extraordinary situations.

In this lesson, we explore the history of Halachah, from its sources in the Written Torah, through the Halachic Midrashim, the Talmud and its commentaries, the various “codes” compiled through the centuries, and the many thousands of Halachic responsa authored through the centuries. We survey the great variety of issues and dilemmas that Halachah addresses. We then bring it all to life via a case study that traces a Halachic issue from its biblical origins through more than a dozen citations across the entire spectrum of Halachic literature.

Book Smart - Lesson 4

Book Smart - Lesson 5
Musar & Jewish Philosophy
With Rabbi Ari Sollish
Recorded live at The Torah Center ATL on February 15, 2023

Musar is the body of Torah teachings that deals with ethics, character development, and spiritual self-improvement. The field of Jewish philosophy, also known as “Chakirah,” includes works devoted to discussing the philosophy and ideology of Judaism. While these constitute two distinct areas of Torah literature, there is also a certain degree of overlap between them; indeed, some of the fundamental works of Jewish philosophy are also works of Musar, and vice versa.

In this lesson, we review the history and the primary authors and works in these two fields. We then study a number of texts covering three related topics in both these fields: the doctrine of creation ex nihilo (“something from nothing”), bitachon (trust in G-d), and the emotion of anger.

Book Smart - Lesson 5

Book Smart - Lesson 6
Kabbalah & Chasidism
With Rabbi Ari Sollish
Recorded live at The Torah Center ATL on February 22, 2023

Kabbalah is the Torah’s mystical dimension, containing its most powerful and empowering ideas. But for many centuries, the teachings of Kabbalah were carefully guarded secrets, transcribed only in the guise of esoteric terminology and metaphors, and taught only to a small, exclusive circle of mystics in each generation. Chasidism is both an extension of Kabbalah as well as a field of Torah in its own right, revealing the inner “soul” that unites the Torah’s various components and applying its most abstract spiritual teachings in personally meaningful ways.

In this lesson, we survey the history of Kabbalah and Chasidism. We address the question of why these teachings were kept secret, and why and how they were eventually revealed. We then explore one of the core subjects of Kabbalah—the doctrine of the “Ten Sefirot”—beginning with a mysterious passage in the Zohar, followed by a series of Kabbalistic and Chasidic texts that examine the great paradox of G-d’s relationship with us, and the body-soul dichotomy that defines our own lives.

Book Smart - Lesson 6

Out of the Foxhole
A New Paradigm of Prayer
With Rabbi Ari Sollish

Burdensome. Unrealistic. Superfluous. Boring. A staple of human routine for millennia, prayer is nowadays often viewed as irrelevant. This lesson dissolves these negative labels by explaining the ultimate goal of prayer. It demonstrates the real-time relevance and indispensability of prayer for every human. And it guides us toward personalizing our prayers for a deeply meaningful experience.

With All My Heart - Lesson 1

The rhetoric of hate is at full global volume these days, with the commensurate violence that it engenders.
Eve Harow spent the last week guiding for the JLI Land and Spirit Israel Experience- 770 people, 18 buses and educators, a challenging, inspiring and fascinating 8 days of teaching and learning about our heritage and history,  geared for US Chabad communities. 
The places Eve visited reflect our 3800 journey. Her ultimate insight is that we are in a continuous world battle between love and hate societies.  Unfortunately the hate/fear/violent people drown out those whose philosophy is faith and love. We need to change that, for the sake of humanity. 
Soon.

The Land of Israel Network

Rejuvenation: Looking for Love

When should we follow our dreams, and when do we say it’s “just a dream”? Let’s explore where inspiration from a lifelike dream can take us. Plus: a time-honored Jewish routine for keeping nightmares at bay.

Dreams & Direction - JLI Jewpernatural Lesson 1

*Theme Music: Richter FM – Hibiscus*
Bandcamp: https://tinyurl.com/55sw82j8
Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/mr2pmykv
Apple Music: https://tinyurl.com/y7kwm3nu
Soundcloud: https://tinyurl.com/2p8wyh6h
YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/yh6puhwn

We have been doing a Justice League International chat across a number of episodes and  years now, selecting issues that make up the collected volumes but now we have come to the end of those collections with this final volume. That doesn’t mean we will be stopping OUR JLI volumes though. From now on we will just be covering what issues we think would make up the next collection. 
For now though, this episode is our continuation of Keith Giffen, J.M. Dematteis (Justice League America #31-35), Bart Sears & Adam Hughes (Justice League Europe #7-11) JLI series or the “BWAHAHA” Justice League as people now seem to know it. Kevin McGuire had long dropped off by this point having now even stopped on covers but will make one or two appearances in the future.
This continues to be a source of pure joy and we really can’t wait to keep talking about these for years to come. This “JLI book club” is one of our favourite topics to do here on the pod and we hope you enjoy it. 

This and all the usual comics chat on…

That Comic Smell!

To find out where to find, listen, contact us and buy our comics then please visit
thatcomicsmell.com

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That Comic Smell Episode 111 - JLI Vol 6

Decisions of Fate - Lesson 4
A Body’s Dignity
With Rabbi Ari Sollish
Recorded Live at The Torah Center ATL on Wednesday, June 5, 2024

Might autopsy violate the dignity of the human body? Learn the Jewish view on the respect to which the deceased is entitled and how the sanctity of human life continues after death.

Decisions of Fate - Lesson 4 - A Body’s Dignity | Rabbi Ari Sollish

The Land of Israel network broadcasts the truth and beauty of the land of Israel and the Jewish people. Our show hosts include Ari Abramowitz, Jeremy Gimpel, Eve Harow, Josh Hasten, Rav Mike Feuer, Yishai Fleisher and more. Learn more at http://www.TheLandofIsrael.com

The Torah Center ATL takes pride in offering innovative, inclusive, and impactful educational programs to all. People from a diverse spectrum of life find the Center to be a warm and non-judgmental community in which to experience the richness and authenticity of Jewish learning and heritage. 
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That Comic Smell is a podcast where friends come together to talk, mainly about comics.

New tracks tagged #JLI