JUDAISM DEMYSTIFIED | A Guide for Today's Perplexed: Torah Foundations, Reason, and Tradition

In this episode, we sit down with Rabbi Zach Millunchick to discuss tradition, authority, and the Rambam’s vision for halakhic and intellectual life today. Rabbi Millunchick reflects on being a student of Rabbi Nahum Rabinovitch a’h, who was also a formative teacher of Rabbi Jonathan Sacks a’h, and explains how Rav Rabinovitch’s approach continues to shape his worldview. From there, the conversation turns to his book Kakhol HaYam, which emerges from a deep commitment to the Rambam alongside a willingness to rethink assumptions about tradition, authority, and leadership. We explore his central claim that laws derived through the thirteen hermeneutical principles are fundamentally rabbinic, even when they appear indistinguishable from biblical law in the Talmud, and what this means for understanding halakhic authority. Rabbi Millunchick also explains the Rambam’s sharp distinction between clarifying the Torah’s meaning and creating new law through human reasoning, and why collapsing that distinction carries serious intellectual and religious consequences. The discussion then moves to the second half of Kakhol HaYam, where Rabbi Millunchick argues that the Rambam’s theory of halakhic authority cannot be separated from his political philosophy, including his views on courts, governance, and human perfection. We consider whether this model of tradition—neither rigid nor relativistic—is viable in the absence of a Sanhedrin, or whether it reveals unresolved tensions in modern Jewish life. The episode concludes with a conversation about Jewish education in Israel, particularly within the Dati Leumi world. Rabbi Millunchick addresses the common blending of Rav Kook and the Rambam, explains what he believes needs to change in the yeshiva curriculum, and shares his vision for a new mekhina he is developing with Rabbi Yohai Makbili and what he hopes students will take with them. Special thanks to Rabbi Jonathan Livi for connecting us and making this conversation possible.---*This episode is dedicated to the refua shelema of Sarah Miriam bat Tamar, Binyamin ben Zilpa, and our dear friend Yaakov ben Haya Sarah Malakh, and b'ilui nishmat Zehara Yehudit bat Yaakov Ezra v'Ilana Shira.---• Bio: Rabbi Zach Millunchick is a student of Rabbi Nahum Rabinovitch, of blessed memory, and is currently working on the continuation of his monumental commentary on the Mishne Torah, the Yad Peshuta. He authored the book כחול הים - על העברת המסורת והנהגת העם במשנת הרמב״ם, which focuses on the Rambam’s political theory, from both halakhic and philosophical perspectives.---• Welcome to JUDAISM DEMYSTIFIED: A PODCAST FOR THE PERPLEXED | Co-hosted by Benjy & Benzi | Thank you to...Super Patron: Jordan Karmily, Platinum Patron: Craig Gordon, Rod Ilian, Gold Patrons: Dovidchai Abramchayev, Lazer Cohen, Travis Krueger, Vasili Volkoff, Vasya, Silver Patrons: Ellen Fleischer, Daniel M., Rabbi Pinny Rosenthal, Fred & Antonio, Jeffrey Wasserman, and Jacob Winston! Please SUBSCRIBE to this YouTube Channel and hit the BELL so you can get alerted whenever new clips get posted, thank you for your support!

In this episode, we sit down with Rabbanit Yael Leibowitz to explore the bold ideas at the heart of her work on Ezra–Nehemiah. She explains why she frames the book through the striking theme of a 'Retrograde Revolution,' and how this lens reveals a story of renewal that moves forward specifically by returning to the foundations of Jewish identity. Rabbanit Leibowitz then walks us through her distinctive approach to studying Ezra–Nehemiah—not primarily as political history, but as a deeply literary and theological text—and how this perspective reflects her broader understanding of what Tanakh is and how it relates to history. We also address a surprising reality: despite being part of the biblical canon, Ezra–Nehemiah remains one of the least-studied books among regular Torah learners. Rabbanit Leibowitz explains why these chapters are essential for today’s Jewish reader and what timeless lessons they offer for community, belonging, and spiritual restoration. Finally, we discuss her powerful chapter, “What Is a Jew,” which examines the complexities of Jewish identity as they emerge in the book of Ezra and how those ancient questions continue to resonate in the modern world.---*This episode is dedicated to the refua shelema of Sarah Miriam bat Tamar, Binyamin ben Zilpa, and our dear friend Yaakov ben Haya Sarah Malakh---• Bio: Yael Lei­bowitz is an Israeli edu­ca­tor. She holds a Master’s degree in Juda­ic Stud­ies from Colum­bia Uni­ver­si­ty, taught at the Upper School of Ramaz, and is a for­mer fac­ul­ty mem­ber of Yeshi­va University’s Stern Col­lege for Women where she taught advanced Bible cours­es. She cur­rent­ly teach­es at Matan Women’s Insti­tute for Torah Learn­ing and Midreshet Lin­den­baum Col­lege for Women.---• Get her book here: https://www.amazon.com/Ezra-Nehemiah-Retrograde-Revolution-Yael-Leibowitz/dp/1592647073---• Welcome to JUDAISM DEMYSTIFIED: A PODCAST FOR THE PERPLEXED | Co-hosted by Benjy & Benzi | Thank you to...Super Patron: Jordan Karmily, Platinum Patron: Craig Gordon, Rod Ilian, Gold Patrons: Dovidchai Abramchayev, Lazer Cohen, Travis Krueger, Vasili Volkoff, Vasya, Silver Patrons: Ellen Fleischer, Daniel M., Rabbi Pinny Rosenthal, Fred & Antonio, Jeffrey Wasserman, and Jacob Winston! Please SUBSCRIBE to this YouTube Channel and hit the BELL so you can get alerted whenever new clips get posted, thank you for your support!

In this episode of Judaism Demystified, Alan Niku—better known as The Dreamy Kalimi—shares what first pulled him into preserving and spotlighting Persian Jewish history through his Instagram and YouTube work. He gives a clear snapshot of what makes Iranian Jewry so distinct within the broader Jewish world. Alan highlights a core theme in his research: Persian Jewish heritage was never one-dimensional. It included rationalists, mystics, poets, philosophers, halakhists, and community leaders whose voices shaped their communities but were later forgotten or overlooked. He explains why that diversity faded from memory and what is lost when those voices disappear. The conversation then turns to two figures who capture this intellectual range—Rabbi Yehuda ben Elazar (the Riba) and Mollah Siman-Tov Melamed. Alan discusses why these hakhamim resonate with him and what their teachings reveal about the depth of Persian-Jewish thought. Before we wrap up, he gives us a look at the projects he’s working on to revive, translate, and reintroduce these texts and ideas to a new generation. You don't want to miss this riveting discussion.---*This episode is dedicated to the refua shelema of Sarah Miriam bat Tamar, Binyamin ben Zilpa, and our dear friend Yaakov ben Haya Sarah Malakh---• Bio: Alan Niku is a filmmaker, writer, and scholar of Mizrahi culture from San Luis Obispo, California, based in Los Angeles. A native speaker of Persian, he spends his time learning related Jewish languages, deciphering Judeo-Persian manuscripts, and interviewing community members about their stories. He is also a musician and an amateur chef, teaches history and Jewish heritage at various levels, and seeks to educate the world about the underrepresented cultures of the Middle East through his writing and films. He is widely known online as “The Dreamy Kalimi,” where he shares and celebrates the richness of Persian Jewish heritage on his highly entertaining and informative Instagram and YouTube channels.---• Check out his channel: https://www.youtube.com/ ⁨@Dreamy-Kalimi⁩ and his Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_dreamy_kalimi/---• Welcome to JUDAISM DEMYSTIFIED: A PODCAST FOR THE PERPLEXED | Co-hosted by Benjy & Benzi | Thank you to...Super Patron: Jordan Karmily, Platinum Patron: Craig Gordon, Rod Ilian, Gold Patrons: Dovidchai Abramchayev, Lazer Cohen, Travis Krueger, Vasili Volkoff, Vasya, Silver Patrons: Ellen Fleischer, Daniel M., Rabbi Pinny Rosenthal, Fred & Antonio, Jeffrey Wasserman, and Jacob Winston! Please SUBSCRIBE to this YouTube Channel and hit the BELL so you can get alerted whenever new clips get posted, thank you for your support!

One of our most frequently requested guests, Rabbi Chaim Eisen, returns for a wide-ranging conversation on the broader tradition of Ḥazal and the Rishonim, as illuminated through Maimonides’ cosmological framework. While Rambam describes the metaphysical structure of the universe—with its implications for providence, revelation, and miracles—in terms that reflect Aristotelian physics and cosmology, his goal was never to innovate a new philosophy, but to articulate the timeless truths of the Torah’s sages in the intellectual language of his era. Many assume that if the physics is outdated, the metaphysics must be too—but that assumption reflects a deep misunderstanding of how Maimonidean metaphysics stands independently of the physics and cosmology, and, moreover, how firmly that metaphysics stands within the mainstream rabbinic tradition. We explore how this unified worldview—shared by the overwhelming majority of the Rishonim—preserves the harmony between Torah, reason, and reality. The discussion also considers the potential role of Kabbalah as an alternative framework for our avodah (divine service), while recognizing the danger in reading its metaphors literally as a theological system. Finally, we consider some of the most profound theological questions about God’s omnipotence, transcendence, and the coherence of creation. Through this exploration, Rabbi Eisen shows how Maimonides and the other sages of Israel safeguarded authentic faith as both affirming the categorical transcendence of God, as Ḥazal explicitly enunciated it, and cohering with our conception of the reality of the world He created—in short, explaining how and why the Torah’s theology needs to make sense.---*This episode is dedicated to the refua shelema of Sarah Miriam bat Tamar, Binyamin ben Zilpa, and our dear friend Yaakov ben Haya Sarah Malakh---• Bio: Rabbi Chaim Eisen is the founder and dean of Yeshivath Sharashim – Zion Bible Studies, a Web-based educational venture to engage users worldwide in a deepening understanding of the Hebrew Bible and other religious classics, through live, recorded, and written content. An acclaimed speaker, he’s been stimulating audiences throughout Israel, North America, and Europe for over 40 years. For nearly all his career, he’s been involved in adult education, principally as a senior rabbinical lecturer at the Orthodox Union (OU) Jerusalem World Center, where he taught for more than 36 years. For over 20 years, he also taught Talmud and Midrash, Biblical commentary, and especially Jewish thought and philosophy at various yeshivot in Israel. In addition, he served as a Torah lecturer in the Israel Defense Forces Rabbinate Torah Lecture Corps (reserves), for over 16 years, and continued to volunteer there, after his retirement. Besides teaching, he was founding editor of the OU journal 'Jewish Thought: A Journal of Torah Scholarship' and has written and edited numerous essays in this field. He’s been teaching, editing, and publishing Judaica for more than four decades.---• Check out his channel: https://www.youtube.com/@jewishphilosophymatters ---• Welcome to JUDAISM DEMYSTIFIED: A PODCAST FOR THE PERPLEXED | Co-hosted by Benjy & Benzi | Thank you to...Super Patron: Jordan Karmily, Platinum Patron: Craig Gordon, Rod Ilian, Gold Patrons: Dovidchai Abramchayev, Lazer Cohen, Travis Krueger, Vasili Volkoff, Vasya, Silver Patrons: Ellen Fleischer, Daniel M., Rabbi Pinny Rosenthal, Fred & Antonio, Jeffrey Wasserman, and Jacob Winston! Please SUBSCRIBE to this YouTube Channel and hit the BELL so you can get alerted whenever new clips get posted, thank you for your support!

In this episode we sit down with Rabbi Shnayor Burton to explore Rambam’s view of Mashiach and Redemption. On the surface, the final chapters of Mishneh Torah read like a simple account of the messianic age, but a closer look opens far deeper questions: what truly changes in redemption, how maaseh bereshit and maaseh merkava should be studied, whether kingship can be redeemed from its past failures, and what halakha ultimately trains us toward. Hovering in the background is a parable of Rabbi Akiva—one that never fully discloses its nimshal, yet holds the key to humility and daat Hashem. Drawing on this, Rabbi Burton leads us to a convincing and surprising conclusion about how Rambam understands Mashiach: not as a miracle-worker, but as the leader who creates the conditions for humanity to live wisely under God’s kingship.---*This episode is dedicated to the refua shelema of Sarah Miriam bat Tamar, Binyamin ben Zilpa, and our dear friend Yaakov ben Haya Sarah Malakh---• Bio: Rabbi Shnayor Burton is a Torah scholar, teacher, and author. He lectures regularly on Rambam, Chumash, and Jewish thought. He is Senior Editor at ArtScroll Mesorah Publications, where he works on major projects including Kisvei HaRambam. Rabbi Burton has authored several books, most recently Ha’Aretz Asher Areka, on the mitzvah of living in Eretz Yisrael. He also publishes essays and lectures on Substack and other platforms, including his ongoing work Exodus, Exile and Redemption: Decoding the Enigma of Judaism’s Shifting Forms.---• Check out the Rabbi's blog here: https://shnayor.substack.com/---• Welcome to JUDAISM DEMYSTIFIED: A PODCAST FOR THE PERPLEXED | Co-hosted by Benjy & Benzi | Thank you to...Super Patron: Jordan Karmily, Platinum Patron: Craig Gordon, Rod Ilian, Gold Patrons: Dovidchai Abramchayev, Lazer Cohen, Travis Krueger, Vasili Volkoff, Vasya, Silver Patrons: Ellen Fleischer, Daniel M., Rabbi Pinny Rosenthal, Fred & Antonio, Jeffrey Wasserman, and Jacob Winston! Please SUBSCRIBE to this YouTube Channel and hit the BELL so you can get alerted whenever new clips get posted, thank you for your support!