Lesson 6Why Do Jews Do That?
Sukkot, Universalism, and Particularism: "Feast of Tabernacles"
A painting that symbolizes a hopeful balance between faith and modernity.
Tikvah Ideas on Sukkot, Shemini Atzeret, and Simchat Torah
Sukkot
Episode 236·10-Minute Mitzvah
The Lulav and the Spine
Why is the palm frond the only one of the four species to be mentioned in the lulav blessing?
Observations
What’s a Kvitl, and Why Wish Anyone a Good One?
“A gut kvitl!” East European Jews once said to each other around Sukkot. What does it mean?
By Philologos
Episode 231·10-Minute Mitzvah
Disraeli's Sukkah and the Seventy Offerings
While Sukkot is best known for its particularistic themes, it also contains many universal messages.
Ecclesiastes
Episode 232·The Tikvah Podcast
Peter Kreeft on the Philosophy of Ecclesiastes
Ecclesiastes holds honest insights into human nature and the futility of life's pursuits.
Observations
Ecclesiastes: Fleeting and Timeless
Solomon’s confrontation with mortality.
Observations
The Preacher’s Air
On translating Kohelet.
Episode 262·Bible 365
Hevel and the Meaning of Life
Translating a mysterious Hebrew word offers deeper insights into the ancient wisdom of Ecclesiastes.
By Rabbi Meir SoloveichikShemini Atzeret & Simchat Torah
Observations
The Mystery of the Angel of Rain
An ancient prayer for rain mentions an angel named Af-bri. But where did he come from?
The Seeing Eye
God, Moses, and the Mystery of the Missing Kiss
Explore the resilience of the Jewish spirit through Torah's cycle, and the enduring legacy of Moses and Simchat Torah.
By Marc Michael Epstein
Observations
The Mystery* of Simhat Torah 1663, at the First Synagogue in England in 350 Years
*What worship service did the great diarist Samuel Pepys actually witness?