Podcasts
"A New Intellectual Stage" with Homesick for Lubavitch
A conversation with Bentzi Avtzon, filmmaker and host of the Homesick for Lubavitch podcast.
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How does "Kabbalah and the Rupture of Modernity: An Existential History of Chabad Hassidism" trace the idea of Tzimtzum as it developed from one generation of Lubavitch to the next?
We discuss the dynamism of ideas throughout the course of Lubavitch history, the optimism that comes along with this, and what this dynamism might look like today.
"Kabbalah and the Rupture of Modernity" with Sparks of History
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What is the concept of Tzimtzum in Lurianic Kabbalah?
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How does it explain the relationship between God and creation?
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What was the Vilna Gaon’s primary objection to the Hasidic interpretation of Tzimtzum?
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Why was this disagreement central to the broader Mitnagdic-Hasidic conflict?
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What role did later Chabad Rebbes play in adapting Chabad teachings to modern existential concerns?
"The Father of Chabad" with The Podcast of Jewish Ideas
J.J. Kimche interviews Eli Rubin. They revel in the traditional and rebellious thought of Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, author of The Tanya, and first Rebbe of the Chabad Hasidic sect.
"Is the Rebbe the Messiah?" with 18Forty
Chabad and the Rebbe are so ubiquitous in Jewish life that we tend to overlook Chabad’s underlying philosophy. Here, we take the time to look under the hood of the Mitzvah Tank. In this episode we discuss:
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At its core, what is Hasidism about, and how did the Rebbe implement these essentials in a new time and a new land?
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What should we picture when we imagine moshiach?
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Has Chabad splintered off from mainstream Judaism the way some have feared?
Tune in to hear a conversation about what it means to want moshiach now.
"Rabbi Shmuel Schneerson of Lubavitch (“Maharash,” 1834 – 1882)"
with Seforim Chatter
We discussed the biography of Maharash, the Zemach Zedek, the split in Chabad between Maharash and his older brother Maharil, sources regarding the split, Maharash's personality and style, his style and type of Torah, and more
"How do Mysticism and Social Action Interact?" with 18Forty
The modern history of social justice involves figures ranging from Rabbi AJ Heschel to the Lubavitcher Rebbe, and challenges some common assumptions.
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Has social justice been associated with mysticism and/or rationalism?
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What might social justice, or tikkun olam, mean within Judaism?
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What have various historical figures interpreted it to mean?
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What association does the Lubavitcher Rebbe have with social justice?
Tune in to hear Eli Rubin share his views on the historical relationship between social justice and the Torah.