It’s the little things that hit hardest. The big moments when I expect to be emotional have generally felt unremarkable; I seem to have experienced them with relative ease. The surprises come when I’m taking a walk, talking about a silly childhood memory, or seeing an old friend. Above all, I’ve learned that my emotions are often hidden - from myself as well as from others - and then I think that I’m done having feelings. But I repeatedly learn that they lie barely below the surface, ready to emerge when I least expect them.

This is not typical episode. Today I'm going to talk about my dad, and what life has been like since he died of pancreatic cancer three and a half weeks ago.

I hope that it's meaningful for you, just as it was for me.

Check out the Orthodox Conundrum Commentary on Substack and get your free subscription by going to https://scottkahn.substack.com/. To read Scott's reflections on his father's life, click here.

Please listen to and share this podcast, and let us know what you think on the Orthodox Conundrum Discussion Group on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/groups/432020081498108).

Thanks to all of our Patreon subscribers, who have access to bonus JCH podcasts, merch, and more - we appreciate your help, and hope you really enjoy the extras! Visit the JCH Patreon site at https://www.patreon.com/jewishcoffeehouse.

Check out https://jewishcoffeehouse.com/ for the Orthodox Conundrum and other great podcasts, and remember to subscribe to them on your favorite podcast provider. Also visit https://www.jchpodcasts.com/ to learn all about creating your own podcast.

Music: "Happy Rock" by bensound.com

In episode 201, Rabbi Alex Israel, citing Rav Kook, asked whether nowadays we need to add a greater prophetic element to Judaism, alongside our continued commitment to halacha. Perhaps today we need a new infusion of prophecy - both in terms of its spiritual content, as well as through a renewed emphasis on Torah values that may sometimes be lost in standard halachic discourse.

In that episode, Rabbi Israel and Scott talked about the sad reality that some people feel that halacha alone does not satisfy their spiritual thirst, and they discussed the issue of potentially losing the forest of Torah values for the trees of the myriad details of Jewish law. How, in other words, shall we combine the necessity of including a living prophetic agenda within our commitment to fulfilling the details of halachic practice?

Rabbi Yosef Blau, the senior mashgiach ruchani at Yeshiva University, commented that while he greatly respected Rabbi Israel’s approach, he felt that there are some important caveats that need to be added to the discussion. With that in mind, Scott invited him back to the podcast to voice his specific concerns. They spoke about potential problems in the search for spirituality, the dangers of treating rabbis like prophets, and the difficulty in emphasizing Torah values and the fear that they can replace Jewish law. They also spoke extensively about the State of Israel and its current war against Hamas, including whether Israel is living up to its own stated goals of being a medinah l’mofet - that is, the world’s exemplary nation. Rabbi Blau mentioned a major flaw in secular Zionism, and asked whether Religious Zionism as a movement has at times deemphasized what it considers "Western" morality in the service of other Torah values that it holds in higher regard. It was an important conversation, and whether you agree or disagree with Rabbi Blau, you will undoubtedly find his ideas both engaging and important.

Please listen to and share this podcast, and let us know what you think on the Orthodox Conundrum Discussion Group on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/groups/432020081498108).

Check out the Orthodox Conundrum Commentary on Substack and get your free subscription by going to https://scottkahn.substack.com/.

Thanks to all of our Patreon subscribers, who have access to bonus JCH podcasts, merch, and more - we appreciate your help, and hope you really enjoy the extras! Visit the JCH Patreon site at https://www.patreon.com/jewishcoffeehouse.

Check out https://jewishcoffeehouse.com/ for the Orthodox Conundrum and other great podcasts, and remember to subscribe to them on your favorite podcast provider. Also visit https://www.jchpodcasts.com/ to learn all about creating your own podcast.

Music: "Happy Rock" by bensound.com

Did the Exodus from Egypt happen exactly as the Torah describes?

How should we contend with archeological evidence that seems to indicate that certain aspects of the Torah's narrative don't make sense?

And, for that matter, how can we contend with similar questions that surround other historical Biblical narratives?

Rabbi Dr. Raphael Zarum, Dean of the London School of Jewish Studies (LSJS) and the Rabbi Sacks Chair of Modern Jewish Thought, addresses these and other pressing questions in this special pre-Pesach episode of the Orthodox Conundrum. Listen in so that you can renew your understanding of Yetziat Mitzrayim with greater depth and profundity.

To order Rabbi Zarum's book, Questioning Belief: Torah and Tradition in an Age of Doubt, click here.

Check out the Orthodox Conundrum Commentary on Substack and get your free subscription by going to https://scottkahn.substack.com/. To read Scott's reflections on his father's life, click here.

Please listen to and share this podcast, and let us know what you think on the Orthodox Conundrum Discussion Group on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/groups/432020081498108).

Thanks to all of our Patreon subscribers, who have access to bonus JCH podcasts, merch, and more - we appreciate your help, and hope you really enjoy the extras! Visit the JCH Patreon site at https://www.patreon.com/jewishcoffeehouse.

Check out https://jewishcoffeehouse.com/ for the Orthodox Conundrum and other great podcasts, and remember to subscribe to them on your favorite podcast provider. Also visit https://www.jchpodcasts.com/ to learn all about creating your own podcast.

Music: "Happy Rock" by bensound.com