The Rambam's 13 Principles of Faith with Rabbi Noach Gruen
An engaging, in-depth, yet practical investigation of the Rambam's 13 Principles of Faith.
For anyone looking to discover thought-provoking Torah about the most fundamental aspects of Judaism.
Episodes
31 episodes
Principle 13: You DON'T Only Live Once!
What exactly is Judaism's belief in the resurrection of the dead? When does it happen, to who does it happen, and more importantly, WHY does it need to happen?A touching discussion of the amalgamation of body and soul as well as our faith i...
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49:43
Principle 12 - A New World Order (the Moshiach Manifesto)
What exactly is the authentic Jewish picture of the Messiah? How does it differ from the Christian version? What will happen in those times?Why is this era/person so crucial? What would be so bad if things continued as they are now?How ...
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39:40
Principle 11 (pt 3) - Abstemious Altruism, Or Heavenly Hedonism?
Why did Hashem create the world?Is the reason for our existence the same as our motivation for doing mitzvos?We conclude with a tantalizing introduction to the 12th Principle, The Days of Moshiach.
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33:14
Principle 11 (pt 2) - A World of Pleasure
What is Heaven like? Why did Hashem make it that way?How does this world relate to the World to Come?A fascinating discussion about the role of pleasure and happiness in this world and the next.
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39:50
Principle 11 (1) - Consequences, Compensation, and Incarceration
Why doesn't the Torah have a jail system? A fascinating contrast of Western and Torah responses to crime.Why is reward and punishment indicative of Divine interest? The inscrutability of each person's life circumstances painted upo...
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40:47
Principle 10 - Omniscience, Free Choice, and Heavenly Paparazzi
Do you have free will? How does Hashem's foreknowledge interact with our free will?Why the concept of paparazzi might be the most empowering factor in your spiritual growth.
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33:57
Principle 9 (pt 2): The Myth of Supersession (with guest Dr. Michael Weissman)
Are the Jewish people still the covenanted nation of G-d? Is Hashem's love to us unconditional? How should parents balance unconditional love with setting boundaries/consequences? Profound wisdom on the topic by Dr. Michael Weissman, t...
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33:14
Principle 9 (pt 1): The Torah will Never Change
Why can't the Torah ever change?Will pigs really be kosher one day? What about the holidays that supposedly will "become battul" when mashiach comes?A passionate defense of traditional Orthodox theology - it won't be pleasant listening ...
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39:30
Principle 8 (pt 4): You can't make this stuff up!
Christianity and Islam never dared deny the revelation at Sinai. Instead, they acknowledged it but said Hashem just "changed His mind." But why didn't they just say the Sinai event never happened?A powerful tour through the Kuzari'...
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29:57
Purim 5784: Pleasure, פרישות and the Power of Poppyseeds
Purim and 2 approaches to the physcial world: Restricting physicality and expressing the soul from within the physical? Amaleik's battle aginst bris milah and tefillin, and how Esther's story really had a different ending than y...
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31:35
Principle 8 (pt 3): Torah without Words
A plethora of decisive proofs of the existence of the Oral Torah.Unwrapping the need for an oral component of the Torah, the role of Chazal in the process of "rabbinic" laws.A remarkable testament to the integrity of our מסורה, both of ...
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Episode 20
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41:34
Principle 8 (pt 2): The Torah's Holy Poetry
Why is the Torah written with so many grammatical "errors"? Why are some parshios seemingly verbose while entire masechtos of Gemara are derived from a few pesukim?A brief taste of the Torah's secrets concealed in its poetry.
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Episode 19
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34:24
Principle 8 (pt 1): Divine Dictation Saturates Scripture!
A eye-opening introduction to the 8th principle, Torah min hashamayim.The infusion of Hashem's "Essence" into each letter of chumash.Understanding the value of davening even if we don't understand the translation of the words.<...
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27:45
Principle 7 (pt 2): Getting Married to Hashem
Reaching "compatibility" with Hashem's spiritual wavelength.Learning Torah with awe and joy.Secrets of the Mishkan and more!
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Episode 17
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29:25
Principle 7 (pt 1): Man’s Journey to Angelhood
The unfathomable journey to transform Man's physical essence into material of spiritual transcendence.
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34:12
Pharaoh's Bechira
How was it fair that Pharaoh had his free will taken away?Do WE always have free will?Does psychology contradict Judaism's core belief in free choice?
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4:36
Principle 6 (pt 3): Finding Your Calling
How does Hashem communicate with us in a post-prophetic age?Embracing the commandments of Torah life by recognizing the love behind them.Discovering our professional and spiritual calling by balancing our talents and interests with the ...
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Episode 15
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32:23
Principle 6 (pt 2): Preparing the Body for Spirituality
Why does a Navi's body need to be healthy?How does emotional health relate to our service of Hashem?A fascinating perspective of Jewish music, and more!
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Episode 14
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35:20
Principle 6 (pt 1): Nevuah - Out of This World
What is prophecy? How do we know the focal "prophets" of other religions can't be legit? A story about the spiritual transcendence of the Chofetz Chaim and more!
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Episode 13
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34:48
Principle 5 (pt 2): Hero-worship
Is hero worship a Jewish value?Is praying at kivrei tzaddikim a mitzvah, or something to stay clear of?At what point should we be concerned that our connection to a tzaddik is diluting our direct relationship with Hashem?
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Episode 12
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34:29
Principle 5 (pt 1): Scientism and Idolatry
Conclusion of our analysis of Western Man's overconfidence in science. Understanding the worship of self and Hashem's passionate marriage relationship with us.
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Episode 11
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35:59
Principle 4 (pt 2): Loyalty in a Scientific Age
An authentic Torah approach to science in general and the age of the universe conundrum in particular.A mature understanding of the reality of living with questions and simultaneously being a person of intelligent emunah.
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Episode 10
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26:24
Principle 4 (pt 1): Hashem is my Home
The otherwise abstract-sounding fact of Hashem being first is revealed as a powerful expression of Hashem being the Source of our security.
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Episode 9
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27:25
Principle 3: Anthropomorphisms
Does Hashem actually have a mighty hand and an outstretched arm? If not, why would the Torah use words that are not literally true?Achieving a sense of balance between the human need to relate to Hashem and the understanding that He i...
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Episode 8
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30:36
Principle 2 (pt 2): The Fusion of Good and Evil
The question of all questions, answered by the mystery of Hashem's unity we will experience in the Days of Moshiach.Overcoming the unknown, unexpected, but understandable weapon the Satan uses to blur our understanding that Hashem is One.&n...
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Episode 7
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34:19