Many of us are entering the new year with a similar goal — to build community and connect more with others. To kick off season five, Priya Parker shares ideas on how to be the host with the most. An expert on building connection, Priya is the author of “The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters.” Whether it's a book club, wedding, birthday or niche-and-obscurely themed party, Priya and Chris talk about how to create meaningful and fun experiences for all of your guests — including yourself. For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscripts . For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscripts Want to help shape TED’s shows going forward? Fill out our survey here ! Learn more about TED Next at ted.com/futureyou Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…
Player FM - Internet Radio Done Right
Checked 23d ago
Додано two роки тому
Вміст надано Freehof Institute. Весь вміст подкастів, включаючи епізоди, графіку та описи подкастів, завантажується та надається безпосередньо компанією Freehof Institute або його партнером по платформі подкастів. Якщо ви вважаєте, що хтось використовує ваш захищений авторським правом твір без вашого дозволу, ви можете виконати процедуру, описану тут https://uk.player.fm/legal.
Player FM - додаток Podcast
Переходьте в офлайн за допомогою програми Player FM !
Переходьте в офлайн за допомогою програми Player FM !
))
Daily Deals
Подкасти, які варто послухати
РЕКЛАМА
68. The Halakhah and Organized Labor
Manage episode 458234296 series 3515884
Вміст надано Freehof Institute. Весь вміст подкастів, включаючи епізоди, графіку та описи подкастів, завантажується та надається безпосередньо компанією Freehof Institute або його партнером по платформі подкастів. Якщо ви вважаєте, що хтось використовує ваш захищений авторським правом твір без вашого дозволу, ви можете виконати процедуру, описану тут https://uk.player.fm/legal.
Does Jewish law permit workers to organize into labor unions to help secure better pay, benefits, and working conditions? Does it permit those unions to go on strike or undertake other such actions to enforce achieve their demands? The answer to those questions is a definite – maybe. In this shiur, we’ll look at some texts that may give us some guidance but that leave a lot of questions open. So stay tuned for our next shi'ur, when we’ll see how a leading 20th-century posek constructs from these vague and often ambivalent sources a ringing endorsement of unionization in the name of Torah and social justice.
Source sheet available at www.freehofinstitute.org/podcast.
76 епізодів
ПоширитиManage episode 458234296 series 3515884
Вміст надано Freehof Institute. Весь вміст подкастів, включаючи епізоди, графіку та описи подкастів, завантажується та надається безпосередньо компанією Freehof Institute або його партнером по платформі подкастів. Якщо ви вважаєте, що хтось використовує ваш захищений авторським правом твір без вашого дозволу, ви можете виконати процедуру, описану тут https://uk.player.fm/legal.
Does Jewish law permit workers to organize into labor unions to help secure better pay, benefits, and working conditions? Does it permit those unions to go on strike or undertake other such actions to enforce achieve their demands? The answer to those questions is a definite – maybe. In this shiur, we’ll look at some texts that may give us some guidance but that leave a lot of questions open. So stay tuned for our next shi'ur, when we’ll see how a leading 20th-century posek constructs from these vague and often ambivalent sources a ringing endorsement of unionization in the name of Torah and social justice.
Source sheet available at www.freehofinstitute.org/podcast.
76 епізодів
Усі епізоди
×
Do poskim rely upon the principle "great is human dignity" as an argument for making permanent and positive changes in halakhic observance? Not often... but sometimes they do. Here's an example of an Orthodox authority who uses the argument gadol k'vod hab'riyot to justify removing a well-known barrier to justice and equity in traditional practice. And although we progressives solved that problem many years ago, we do not hesitate to call this rabbi one of our halakhic heroes.Get the source sheet at www.freehofinstitute.org/podcast…
In shiur #73, we saw that the exalted halakhic principle "great is human dignity" has historically played but a minor, limited role in practical halakhic decision making. This shiur considers a famous exception to that rule. Rabbi Moshe Isserles permitted a couple to violate the Rabbis' prohibition against holding weddings on Shabbat when postponing the hupah until Sunday would have brought shame and humiliation upon the bride. His halakhic argument suggests that poskim are entitled to abandon established halakhic precedent when, in their estimation, ethical necessity demands a different decision. It's a big deal. Download the source sheet at www.freehofinstitute.org/podcast.…
It's a positive ("thou shalt") mitzvah to tell the story of our redemption from Egypt on seder night. So why do we not recite a b'rakhah , a blessing over Hagadah, the telling of the story? Many have asked this question, and many have offered answers. In this installment we consider some of those answers. And we may even suggest one of our own. Download the source sheet at www.freehofinstitute.org/podcast.…
"Great is human dignity." How great is it? Would you believe that it's so great that it takes precedence over mitzvot of the Torah?? Well, not so fast; it's complicated. And like the old saying goes: two Talmuds, two opinions. Download the source sheet at www.freehofinstitute.org/podcast
Are we entitled to do anything we wish to our bodies and our persons, even to the point of inflicting substantive harm upon ourselves, so long as our act does not damage others? Modern Western thought, especially in its libertarian variety, tends to answer "yes." Traditional Jewish thought, which is hardly libertarian, would answer "no," correct? Well, not so fast. Rather than one clear and obviously correct answer, the halakhah offers us a way to think about and argue the question on the way to making decisions.Download the source sheet at www.freehofinstitute.org/podcast…
If talmud torah k'neged kulam ("the study of Torah is equal in weight to all the other mitzvot combined"), then no wonder we recite a b'rakhah - or maybe more than one - for the act of Torah study. But - what do we recite? When precisely do we recite it? And over what sort of "Torah" do we recite it? So many questions... let's see if our texts can provide us with some answers. Download the source sheet at www.freehofinstitute.org/podcast…
Does the halakhah permit unions to strike, to walk off the job and to prevent nonunionized workers from replacing those on the picket line? It’s a machloket . Some authorities say that the Torah forbids workers to strike against employers and that there is a better way to resolve disputes over wages and working conditions. Others permit the strike as an invaluable tool of worker empowerment that draws its support from several provisions of Jewish law. In this installment, we’re looking at both sides. Download the source sheet at www.freehofinstitute.org/podcast.…
How an outstanding 20th-century posek translates the ambiguities of the classical texts into a language that speaks to the economic realities of modern industrial society. The halakhah, he tells us, offers enthusiastic support for labor unionization even though those texts don't say so, at least not literally. Talk about "progressive halakhah " before that term was invented! But even he has doubts that unions are entitled to strike to enforce their demands. Is he right? We'll look at that subject in our next installment. Download the source sheet at www.freehofinstitute.org/podcast.…
Does Jewish law permit workers to organize into labor unions to help secure better pay, benefits, and working conditions? Does it permit those unions to go on strike or undertake other such actions to enforce achieve their demands? The answer to those questions is a definite – maybe. In this shiur , we’ll look at some texts that may give us some guidance but that leave a lot of questions open. So stay tuned for our next shi'ur , when we’ll see how a leading 20th-century posek constructs from these vague and often ambivalent sources a ringing endorsement of unionization in the name of Torah and social justice. Source sheet available at www.freehofinstitute.org/podcast.…
" Throughout the eight days of Hanukkah / These lights are sacred / And we have no permission to make use of them / We may only look upon them..." That's part of the liturgy traditionally recited upon kindling the Hanukkah lights. But what does it mean to "make use" of the Hanukkah lights? Why are we not permitted to make use of them? And how do we know all of this anyway? A bit of learning for the festival of lights. Downlaod the source sheet at www.freehofinstitute.org/podcast…
Our tradition teaches that Joshua imposed a set of t'naim, stipulations or conditions, upon the people before they took possession of the land. Those stipulations suggest a vision of land use that allows for private ownership and for public benefit. Does that vision have anything to teach us in our time? …
It's a mitzvah to rejoice on a festival . And what better way to rejoice than a se`udat yom tov , a festive meal? Does meat have to be on the menu? Many Orthodox Jews say "yes" and that they have the sources to prove it. We're here to say "no," and we've got sources, too. It's a machloket. And not to brag or anything, but we think that our argument is more persuasive! Get the source sheet at www.freehofinstitute.org/podcast…
Can you fulfill the mitzvah of n'tilat lulav on Sukkot with a lulav that is stolen? That is, if you use a stolen lulav, are you yotzei ? Do you fulfill your requirement? After all, even if it's stolen, it's still a lulav! Or does the halakhah refuse to recognize the action on the grounds that you have fulfilled a mitzvah by way of a transgression against the Torah? In this installment, we consider the legal and the moral aspects of this question. Download the source sheet at www.freehofinstitute.org/podcast…
Who is the better person: the ba`al t'shuvah , the repentant sinner, or the tzadik gamur , the wholly righteous individual who has never sinned at all? You can argue it either way. And - are you surprised? - the tradition does argue it either way! Plus, there's an element of halakhah that rides on the decision, which is why we talk about it here. Download the source sheet at www.freehofinstitute.org/podcast…
The Torah says we are to hear the sound of t`ru'ah on Rosh Hashanah. What's a t'ru`ah ? Why must it be sounded by a ram's horn? And how many sounds are we supposed to hear - one? Nine? Thirty? Sixty? 100? So many questions - can we answer them in twelve minutes? We can try! Download the source sheet at www.freehofinstitute.org/podcast…
The ethics of judges is - unfortunately - a timely subject. So it's a good time to look at some of what the halakhic literature has to say about it. As is often the case, our study may leave us with more questions than answers. But then, asking the right questions is a good first step.
In 1846, the Reform rabbinical conference at Breslau annulled the observance of yom tov sheni shel galuyot, the second festival day traditionally observed by Jews living outside of Eretz Yisrael . How could they simply do away with such an ancient religious practice? Is there any halakhic justification for their action? As those Reform rabbis would have replied (loosely translated from the German): you betcha! Download the source sheet at www.freehofinstitute.org/podcast.…
More on the second festival day, like: why do many Jews still observe it when we no longer have any doubt as to the right date of yom tov ? And what about the second day of Rosh Hashanah? It looks, smells, and quacks just like a regular yom tov sheni ... but it's not! Source sheet available at www.freehofinstiute.org/podcast.…
Why do many Jews outside of Eretz Yisrael turn every Biblically-ordained festival day ( yom tov ) into a two-day observance? What's the nature of that second day, especially since we no longer have any uncertainty about determining the months and the dates of the Jewish calendar? And why do progressive Jews dispense with the observance of yom tov sheni altogether? Lots of questions, and we'll try to answer them, beginning with this installment. Warning: some of the answers may surprise you! Get the source sheet at www.freehofinstitute.org/podcast…
Rabbi Yosef Caro, in his Shulhan Arukh , holds that a blind person may not be called up to the Torah. That ruling stirred a halakhist of the next generation, Rabbi Binyamin Selonik, to write a responsum that holds the opposite. Just your ordinary, run-of-the-mill halakhic mahloket - except that Rabbi Selonik himself was blind, a reality he emphasizes explicitly and passionately in his text, making sure that we read the sources through the eyes of one who - if the Shulhan Arukh is right - would be excluded from participation in a beloved mitzvah . Get the source sheet at www.freehofinstitute.org/podcast.…
In halakhah , as in life, there are two ways - one "passive," the other "active" - to think about disability and of our response to it. In this episode, we consider examples of each. Source sheet available at www.freehofinstitute.org/podcast.
Picking up where we left off in episode #53. What qualities should we want in a shaliach tzibur (prayer leader)? And what qualities are we best advised to avoid? The halakhah weighs in. Get the source sheet at www.freehofinstitute.org/podcast.
Pesach is coming. Time to get rid of your hametz. And there are four different ways to do it. Oh, the choices! This episode explores the whys and the hows. Get the source sheet at www.freehofinstitute.org/podcast.
The leader of the prayer service - the shaliach tzibur - is traditionally considered our representative or emissary before God. So it's understandable that we want to appoint the very best person, or at least someone who is worthy for that job. Okay... but how do we define "worthy"? The first of a two-part series. Get the source sheet at www.freehofinstitute.org/podcast.…
T
The Twelve Minute Shiur
For nearly a thousand years, students of the Mishneh Torah , Rambam's great code of halakhah , have sought to identify the Talmudic sources of his rulings. Sometimes, he appears to have no source whatsoever. When this happens, we have to ask: is Rambam just making this up? Is it permissible even for a great posek to derive a rule of halakhah on the basis of common sense or of his personal judgment? In this installment, we look at two outstanding commentators with two very different answers to that question. Download the source sheet at www.freehofinstitute.org/podcast.…
Progressive Jews have been writing new texts for the b'rakhot , the blessings or benedictions that form the core of our worship, for just about 200 years. There are lots of reasons for that, but our question here is whether we violate halakhah when we do it. Does Jewish law permit us to alter the text - the nusach - of a liturgical form that tradition says was ordained by the ancient Rabbis and perhaps even by Ezra the scribe? We have a theory that says "yes." Get the source sheet at www.freehofinstitute.org/podcast .…
We ask that the congregation please rise... to observe a custom ( minhag ) that was created for a very specific reason. That reason disappeared over 1000 years ago. So what did the Jews do about that? You guessed it: they maintained the minhag and came up with new reasons for it. That in itself tells us something about the role of minhag in our religious life. And as for those new reasons, do they have anything to teach us? Well, just maybe.…
It's one of the most famous cases of suicide in all of Jewish literature. Saul, king of Israel, falls on his sword in order to avoid being taken alive and abused by the Philistines. Does this story serve as a precedent in support of physician-assisted suicide in cases of terminal illness? Some say yes. But (and you saw this coming, didn't you?) it's complicated. Download the source sheet at www.freehofinstitute.org/podcast.…
At the Freehof Institute, we understand halakhah in its best sense not as a set of fixed rules but as a discourse, a language of thought and of argument that Jews utilize to study their sacred sources and determine just what they tell us when it comes to matters of sacred action. And we believe that language to be a flexible one, a process that can yield guidance fully coherent with our own liberal and progressive religious outlook. We certainly don’t believe that Rabbi Hayyim David Halevi (d. 1998), the S’fardic chief rabbi of Tel Aviv-Yafo, qualifies as a liberal or a progressive. But when it comes to the “flexibility of the halakhah ,” a phrase that he invented, well, we like to think that he and we are working from the same playbook. Source sheet available at www.freehofinstitute.org/podcast.…
According to halakhah , can you fulfill the mitzvah of Hanukkah, the lighting of the Hanukkah lamp, by using electric lights? Most Orthodox authorities say "no." We say "yes," and here's why. Source sheet available at www.freehofinstitute.org/podcast.
In shiur #44, we saw that the halakhah prohibits g'neivat da`at , deceptive speech and conduct, behavior that creates a false impression in the mind of another. In this shiur we ask: are there exceptions to this isur , this prohibition? Is there any situation in which we are permitted to deceive? The Talmud clearly says "yes" - there are exceptions. But Rambam just as clearly says "no" - the prohibition is absolute. Now there's a conflict worthy of discussion! Source sheet available at www.freehofinstitute.org/podcasts .…
Does Jewish law distinguish between "just" and "unjust" wars? And what duties do we owe to noncombatant populations during wartime? This episode was recorded in October 2023, when these subjects suddenly and sadly became relevant for Israel and the entire Jewish people. Source sheet available at www.freehofinstitute.org/podcasts .…
It's no surprise that the halakhah frowns upon deceptive behavior ( g'neivat da`at ). We are forbidden to act in such a way as to create a false impression in the minds of others, even when our action causes them no material loss, simply because deception in and of itself is a bad thing. But how bad is it? Are we always forbidden to deceive? Without exception? Well, there's a machloket about that. Source sheet available at www.freehofinstitute.org/podcast…
Does your community recite Kol Nidrei before or after sundown at the beginning of Yom Kippur? Does it matter? In a word: yes... because either way, you're making a statement. What statement is that? Glad you asked - do we have a shiur for you!
Avinu Malkeinu - it's one of the most dramatic and powerful moments in the High Holiday liturgy. "Traditional" congregations omit this dramatic and powerful prayer on Shabbat, while Reform congregations recite it. Who's right? Well, you'll never believe this, but... it's a machloket! The Jews disagree among themselves - imagine that! In this installment, we'll explore the arguments of those who think that Avinu Malkeinu is inappropriate on Shabbat, and we'll consider why other communities are not persuaded by those arguments. Our source sheet, along with a longer and more detailed essay on the topic, are available at www.freehofinstitute.org/learning.…
It's almost 5784! This year, Rosh Hashanah falls on Shabbat, and Reform congregations will sound the shofar on that day. They do so because they observe only one day of the yom tov rather than the traditional two. They do so also because the halakhah supports their practice. Wait - what?? Doesn't the halakhah *prohibit* sounding the shofar on Shabbat? Well, there's actually a machloket over that, and in this installment we'll consider why the Reform practice conforms to the better side of the dispute. Source sheet available at www.freehofinstitute.org/learning.…
In our previous installment, we saw how the Rabbis utilized the power of property confiscation (hefker beit din) as a way to repair inequities they perceived in the law of the Torah. In this shiur, we'll look at how that power enabled them to correct some glaring economic imbalances in the institution of marriage as the Torah defines it. In the process, they restructured that institution in a pretty fundamental way. Source sheet available at www.freehofinstitute.org/learning…
In our last installment, we looked at one way in which the Rabbis respond when they perceive that a mitzvah of the Torah or a rule of halakhah conflicts with accepted standards of ethics and justice: the way of story . The Rabbis, that is, create new narratives to offer context and explanation to the rule, showing that in fact it does not violate our sense of right and wrong. In this installment, the Rabbis take a more direct approach: they adopt legislation of their own to correct that faults they find in the Torah law. And we'll consider just how they have the temerity to imagine they have the power to do that! Source sheet available at www.freehofinstitute.org/learning.…
How do we respond when we discover that a mitzvah of the Torah or a rule of halakhah conflicts with our sense of ethics and justice? For some, of course, that's not a problem at all: since the Torah is always right, our sense of ethics and justice must be wrong or distorted. We liberal and progressive Jews, of course, see things differently. And as a matter of fact, so do the Rabbis of the halakhic tradition. When they confront such a conflict, they don't pretend that it doesn't exist, nor do they simply reject ethics to exalt Torah. Instead, they seek to understand the halakhah in light of the standards of ethics and justice that they regard as normative, right, and proper. This installment is the first in a series exploring some ways in which the Rabbis reach that understanding, some ways in which they respond when halakhah and ethics collide. Source sheet available at www.freehofinstitute.org/learning .…
In theory, Jewish law judges must be ordained for that role. They must possess s'mikhah from a judge who is already ordained (samukh), forming a link in the teacher-to-student chain that stretches all the way back to Moses and Joshua. But s'mikhah, which could take place only in Eretz Yisrael, was discontinued some 1000 years ago (today's rabbinical ordination, purely symbolic, is not the same thing). So how can Jewish law function in a world quite different from the one envisioned in our ancient texts? The answer: the scholars of the Diaspora simply seized judicial power for themselves. That qualifies as a revolution, but like the good halakhic scholars they were, they made sure to disguise the revolutionary nature of their action. Get the source sheet at www.freehofinstitute.org/learning.…
The official, codified halakhah says that we are obligated to eat matzah only one day, the first night of Pesach at the seder. But there's another tradition that understands the mitzvah of matzah to last for all seven days of the festival. This is no ordinary machloket among the Rabbis but a full-blown critique of the codified halakhah by scholars who find that official version to be spiritually insufficient and contradictory of the purpose of the mitzvah. We have here, in other words, a pretty good example of progressive halakhic thinking... by poskim who we don't normally think of as "progressive!" Source sheet available at www.freehofinstitute.org/learning, scroll down to the Twelve Minute Shiur.…
T
The Twelve Minute Shiur
We conclude out two-part series on birkat hashanim with a look at how one leading medieval sage makes a powerful argument in favor of allowing the Jews of all lands to pray for rain when they need it, during the rainy season in their countries. True, his argument was not accepted by the majority, but it sure makes sense to us. Download the source sheet at www.freehofinstitute.org/learning, scroll down to the Twelve Minute Shiur.…
T
The Twelve Minute Shiur
It's springtime! And we just stopped praying for rain in the t'filah, even though many of us live in places where we need the rain during this time of year. Why is that? Because the Jews in the entire Diaspora are required to behave as though they live in ancient Babylonia. Is there a fix for this? You bet there is, and it isn't our idea: some high-profile rishonim beat us to it. Now if somebody would only listen to them. Download the source sheet at www.freehofinstitute.org/learning, scroll down to the Twelve Minute Shiur.…
In this installment, we have some questions about the Four Questions. Like: are they really questions at all? And: are there really four of them? Join us for this look at one of everybody's favorite moments at the seder. Download the source sheet at www.freehofinstitute.org/learning, scroll down to the Twelve Minute Shiur. חג כשר ושמח!…
The halakhah teaches that the practice of medicine (r'fu'ah) partakes of the mitzvah of pikuach nefesh, the saving of human life. That's a moral obligation that overrides virtually any other mitzvah that might get in the way. If so, is medical treatment compulsory? Does Jewish law mandate that we always follow the instructions of the physicians? Like most interesting questions of halakhah, this one is complicated. In this episode, we explore that complexity. Source sheet available at www.freehofinstitute.org/learning, scroll down to the Twelve Minute Shiur.…
Ласкаво просимо до Player FM!
Player FM сканує Інтернет для отримання високоякісних подкастів, щоб ви могли насолоджуватися ними зараз. Це найкращий додаток для подкастів, який працює на Android, iPhone і веб-сторінці. Реєстрація для синхронізації підписок між пристроями.
Daily Deals
Player FM - додаток Podcast
Переходьте в офлайн за допомогою програми Player FM !
Переходьте в офлайн за допомогою програми Player FM !
))
