A Jewish Bookshelf

Shavuos: The Forgotten Holiday

Let’s be honest: when someone you’re not a fan of gets bad news, there’s a tiny, guilty dopamine hit. We open this episode by confessing that impulse out loud and digging into what Pirkei Avot (and King Solomon) have to say about rejoicing at your enemy’s fall. Spoiler: it’s a whole thing. In this episode, we get into: * The ethics of Schadenfreude and what Pirkei Avot teaches about resisting that guilty satisfaction * Shavuos 101: the forgotten major Jewish holiday, why your boss has never heard of it, and why it matters * How the giving of the Torah turned a tribe into a nation (and why shared ancestry alone isn’t enough) * The Sam Harris morality debate: can you have ethics without God? * The trolley problem, Jewish style: why the Torah says you can’t pull the lever * The Book of Ruth, the ultimate story of loyalty, conversion, and the origins of King David Whether you’re prepping for Shavuot or just want to know if you’re a bad person for enjoying celebrity gossip, grab some cheesecake and press play. 🧀 Episode References * Pirkei Avot 4:19 [https://www.sefaria.org/Pirkei_Avot.4.19?lang=bi] * Proverbs 24:17 [https://www.sefaria.org/Proverbs.24.17] * The Ten Commandments [https://www.sefaria.org/Exodus.20.1?lang=bi&aliyot=0] * Book of Ruth [https://www.sefaria.org/Ruth.1?lang=bi]

A Jewish Bookshelf

The rabbi’s out this week, so we’re are doing what any self-respecting book nerds would do: geeking out about reading. In this episode, we get into: * Jay breaks down his “30 pages a day” habit (spoiler: it adds up to 10,000 pages a year) * ChayaLeah confesses her Shakespeare regrets * Jay’s system for building a daily reading habit (and why you should keep three books going at once) * The “Chan-book-ah” book haul: Arab nationalism, Elie Wiesel, Holocaust memoirs, and Jewish prayer * ChayaLeah’s pitch for Cultural Amnesia by Clive James and why Remains of the Day is still on her mind * Why understanding Jewish prayer word by word is a total game changer * Life and Fate by Vasily Grossman, a book they both call the best they’ve ever read Hopefully you’ll get some ideas for your next book from this episode. Quote of the episode: "I realized I was never going to be the smartest person in a room, but I could be the most well read." — Jay All the books we mention: * Arab Nationalism in the Twentieth Century [https://www.amazon.com/Arab-Nationalism-Twentieth-Century-twenty-first-century/dp/0691169152/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0] by Adeed Dawisha * God in Search of Man [https://www.amazon.com/God-Search-Man-Philosophy-Judaism/dp/0374513317] by Abraham Joshua Heschel * Souls on Fire [https://www.amazon.com/Souls-Fire-Portraits-Legends-Hasidic/dp/067144171X] by Elie Wiesel * Sages and Dreamers [https://www.amazon.com/Sages-Dreamers-Portraits-Legends-Traditions/dp/0671797786/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0] by Elie Wiesel * Night [https://www.amazon.com/Night-Elie-Wiesel/dp/0374500010] by Elie Wiesel * The Last Consolation Vanished [https://www.amazon.com/Last-Consolation-Vanished-Testimony-Sonderkommando/dp/022663678X] by Zalmen Gradowski * Hostage [https://www.amazon.com/Hostage-Eli-Sharabi/dp/0063489791] by Eli Sharabi * On Killing [https://www.amazon.com/Killing-Psychological-Cost-Learning-Society/dp/0316040932] by Dave Grossman * Elusive Prophet: Ahad Ha’am and the Origins of Zionism [https://www.amazon.com/Elusive-Prophet-Ahad-Origins-Zionism/dp/0520081110] by Steven Zipperstein * As a Driven Leaf [https://www.amazon.com/As-Driven-Leaf-Milton-Steinberg/dp/0874419506] by Milton Steinberg * Anonymous Soldiers [https://www.amazon.com/Soldiers-Struggle-Israel-1917-1947/dp/0307741613] by Bruce Hoffman * To Pray as a Jew [https://www.amazon.com/Pray-As-Jew-Synagogue-Service/dp/0465086330] by Hayim Halevy Donin * The Hour of Our Death [https://www.amazon.com/Hour-Our-Death-Attitudes-Thousand/dp/0394751566] by Philippe Ariès * Arrows of the Dark (two volumes) [https://www.amazon.com/Arrows-Dark-Ben-Gurion-Leadership-Holocaust/dp/0299175502/ref=sr_1_1?crid=KHWFY4BA9OXT&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.JQK5rJX3KwMz_GUgeeXhWvNXb010Ijwn5FffajUVaRV2U5u9bP-gY9ZwWdyRJuzVFTIiAy3u4hZ_lP_A-FxIsxzIOfLj_r_RFtu76j9cK6hyCZ1ecahYjaINz12c1sZfba_-OWj5Tuiei_0r0Aq222Ha6SV4UsEcoVN2ZpPpGPntwMIllnaApxNBLjNTEgTVo6z_ksaU4UxuX6j9Yy03AgmYGQHx_P7V-jCnC5Pw264.C50XGRM1Sds4M82rm6xlIBBkVyMThLa4q3URpt-9Z-0&dib_tag=se&keywords=arrows+in+the+dark&qid=1778248241&s=books&sprefix=arrows+in+the+dark%2Cstripbooks%2C180&sr=1-1] by Tuvia Friling * Life and Fate [https://www.amazon.com/Life-Fate-Review-Books-Classics/dp/1590172019] by Vasily Grossman * The Road [https://www.amazon.com/Road-Stories-Journalism-Essays-Classics/dp/1590173619/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3C97GBZLHORHW&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.F3Ve_2p1JsyQUWr1MtM_LU4fqH_Z1G7efVjR9cF7ffQ.XLAA70ID4ku7-7OZHqBYnQj_xV59-db7RBH7QSVAnQ8&dib_tag=se&keywords=the+road+grossman&qid=1778248301&s=books&sprefix=the+road+grossman%2Cstripbooks%2C127&sr=1-1] by Vasily Grossman * Cultural Amnesia [https://www.amazon.com/Cultural-Amnesia-Necessary-Memories-History/dp/0393061167/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2J4LR5I2KZXKB&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.sbtOaQW1NkOlegPFhz-xYICqtrCApVY-htzCO8T8_18xeze9yjfQ_iHg4NkvJVA73o298qWWWoykjyzijG3HUBHpSXchbMPPYluWmsniekU2_8Tu12onB4P7eq0mbsroiWE3Fc3nmtyQzX25b6SHpZsDNl12YI-qJEo3CO15c68Jpscoso9yvZ1jmbcoW9K3o8CrnzkDZvxpev9nOZdl_kuYXjTR5V5sBgOSVbAtJE8.68fHGHq47dSYy9tIGZU2zvfNXf6mtkV958-pgN7PimI&dib_tag=se&keywords=cultural+amnesia&qid=1778248339&sprefix=cultural+amn%2Caps%2C202&sr=8-1] by Clive James * Remains of the Day [https://www.amazon.com/Remains-Day-Kazuo-Ishiguro/dp/0679731725] by Kazuo Ishiguro * The Facemaker [https://www.amazon.com/Facemaker-Visionary-Surgeon-Invented-Reconstructing/dp/0374282307] by Lindsey Fitzharris * My Prayer (two volumes, Chabad teachings on prayer) — could not confirm Amazon listing, may need manual search * Rebel and Statesman-The Early Years: The Life and Times of Vladimir Jabotinsky: Volume One [https://www.amazon.com/Rebel-Statesman-Early-Vladimir-Jabotinsky/dp/0935437487/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.2YfzY8XlraKuZbsvW2vTBLQcMKdTZ3M0eDspMAqi-RpY_mSc4_Q7NUI4eOSyRCPUhddRhlSKL6PrZhKvyQV1DJ6gQsnDKYeR23Fd1Hsl9q2Q1AMdqtoIdq1ABr5qzms_7jcybSmB7CPOTNuL85VEHY26fUuYKGbu7n5s3yO88maN5HT6X9rwDCuXVK116IU5fJPTAKoboVvvSPUGsQSKVnOnzYkdCUSujyYJmy9fXzI.Yfe93QeEzcRRct1yRTHpws3-iLGR7Q-Xlf1NshiDF4I&qid=1778248480&sr=8-2] by Joesph Schechtman * Fighter and Prophet; The Jabotinsky Story; The Last Years [https://www.amazon.com/Fighter-Prophet-Jabotinsky-Story-Years/dp/B07JYGQS5D/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3JXM480TBY8PF&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.2YfzY8XlraKuZbsvW2vTBLQcMKdTZ3M0eDspMAqi-RpY_mSc4_Q7NUI4eOSyRCPUhddRhlSKL6PrZhKvyQV1DJ6gQsnDKYeR23Fd1Hsl9q2Q1AMdqtoIdq1ABr5qzms_7jcybSmB7CPOTNuL85VEHY26fUuYKGbu7n5s3yO88maN5HT6X9rwDCuXVK116IU5fJPTAKoboVvvSPUGsQSKVnOnzYkdCUSujyYJmy9fXzI.Yfe93QeEzcRRct1yRTHpws3-iLGR7Q-Xlf1NshiDF4I&dib_tag=se&keywords=Joseph+Schechtman&qid=1778248545&sprefix=joseph+schechtman%2Caps%2C352&sr=8-1] by Joesph Schechtman * The Bronze Horseman [https://www.amazon.com/Bronze-Horseman-Paullina-Simons/dp/006185414X/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.zF0HTTYrrHEzc4lApl62Ik8cXyZv_1uwVxAnCsd_YAeOmJhIyJcLpTZ_qvZrAGK_AqbfdWn5Q-HYmvEI8bKcFmoo67xjN2F6_m9zZ2Th4Hr2h3ScCP3QTb00srLpt2vWdC1kVW2yOwwp34crKdE90QzDGpPIltAb6Y8shbCOj0cuZa46xmP36UVGo4BtxkPtiK6cYEBNzv5smqV0Js5YQmkAYKeH0NbecQMaK4khOGM.tjBX8fZeMVZ6WubsK-0IWSH7DWhXpMlcmbuoXioozRs&qid=1778248369&sr=1-1] by Paullina Simons - this is ChayaLeah’s book. Jay dissavows

The Twelve Prophets of Judaism, Part 1

What does it actually take to be a prophet? Spoiler: it’s not just hearing voices and shouting in the marketplace (though there’s some of that). In this kickoff to our new series on the Trei Asar, the Twelve Prophets of the Tanakh, we set the stage before diving into the individual books. Think of this as Prophecy 101 with a side of cult talk, because honestly, the line between “biblical prophet” and “guy with millions of YouTube followers” is thinner than we’d like to admit. In this episode, we get into: * 📜 What prophecy actually is in Judaism, according to Maimonides, and why Moses was working on a totally different frequency from everyone else * 👑 The three pillars of Jewish leadership (king, high priest, Sanhedrin), and where the prophet fit * 🎤 Who got tapped to be a prophet, why some were reluctant * 🚫 Why prophecy ended after Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi, and what replaced it * 🤔 What we’d actually do if a prophet rolled up today (hint: probably an institution) * 😬 False prophets and cults like, Sabbatai Zvi, Jim Jones, the Moonies Get ready to learn everything you ever wanted to know about prophecy but were afraid to ask.

Dear Rabbi: Jewish Marriage Advice

King Solomon had a thousand wives, wrote a book of proverbs, and still felt the need to write a whole passionate love poem about a shepherd boy and a maiden. Coincidence? We think not. In this follow-up to our Valentine’s Day episode, we go deeper into what Judaism actually teaches about love, including what Song of Songs reveals about God’s relationship with the Jewish people, and we bring it all the way down to earth with real talk about marriages stuck in a rut, whether people can truly change, and why “I can’t” usually means “I don’t want to.” In this episode, we get into: * Shir HaShirim (Song of Songs): literal love poem or divine allegory? * Why love is the only personality trait with its own dedicated book in the entire Hebrew Bible * What Adam and Eve tell us about whether opposites actually attract * Why real love has nothing to do with infatuation, Hollywood, or Taylor Swift (though we do have opinions about her and Travis) * Practical advice for married couples who have drifted apart and want to find their way back * Trust vs. love: which one is actually the foundation of a lasting relationship * The Baal Shem Tov’s classic “you can, you just don’t want to” and why it applies to your marriage right now * Why the Rebbe and Rebbetzin’s relationship might be the greatest love story you’ve never heard "Love goes deeper than what you can do for me. You love the person for who they are and what they are, not what they do for you." — Rabbi Whether you're happily married, newly in love, or just trying to remember what you liked about the person across the breakfast table, this episode has something real for you. Come learn, laugh, and maybe text your spouse something nice when it's over. 🕯️❤️ Referenced Material- * Shir HaShirim (Song of Songs) [https://www.sefaria.org/Song_of_Songs?lang=bi] * Kohelet (Ecclesiastes) [https://www.sefaria.org/Kohelet?lang=bi] by King Solomon * Mishlei (Proverbs) [https://www.sefaria.org/Proverbs?lang=bi] by King Solomon

Dear Rabbi: Caring For Aging Parents

We’re kicking off a brand new segment called “Dear Rabbi,” where we bring real-life issues to the Rabbi and actually get into it with honest, often hilarious, sometimes painful conversations about the stuff people are quietly struggling with. First up: how to care for elderly parents without losing your mind, your marriage, or your lunch break. In this episode, we get into: * Setting boundaries with elderly parents (and why that’s easier said than done) * The difference between being a caregiver and being a nurse * Why your parents just want to feel significant — and no, a text does NOT count * The generational divide around phones, Uber apps, and why nobody remembers their Kaiser password * What to do when your relationship with your parents is, well, complicated * The Rabbi’s reflection on his Holocaust-survivor father and putting yourself in your parents’ shoes * Jay on caring for his mom while raising a young daughter and feeling guilty about feeling guilty * ChayaLeah admitting which of her four sons she’d trust with her medications (spoiler: it’s not all of them) Plus a hot take on Matzo manufacturers who dare to sell non-Kosher-for-Passover matzo. The audacity. Whether you’re navigating aging parents yourself, trying to figure out how much you’re really capable of giving, or just looking for permission to laugh about the hard stuff, this one’s for you. Grab a coffee, settle in, and remember: your parents just want you to call. Got a question for Dear Rabbi? Email us at edjewcationpod@gmail.com [edjewcationpod@gmail.com] or message us on Substack.