Meaningful Judaism

What's Meaningful About Niddah? (Epilogue)

What is the meaning of the ‘niddah’ law? Why does the Torah require husbands and wives to separate when the wife has her period? The laws in Vayikra describe the “whats”

The Hidden Angels in the Megillah | A Book Like No Other: Full Season Release, Just in Time for Purim

Note for Premium Members: This episode is part of our free release of "A Book Like No Other." If you're a premium subscriber, you already have access to this content

Reexamining Revelation: The Challenge of Chosenness [Introducing our new season of A Book Like No Other]

At the heart of Judaism's chosenness lies an unexpected twist that few have noticed. Rabbi Fohrman stumbles upon a shocking connection between two of the Bible'

Rediscovering Tzitzit: Insights from Parshat Shelach (Re-release of "What’s Meaningful About Tzitzit? Part 2)

(Part 2 of 2) Are tzitzit supposed to “mean” something? Most people who wear tzitzit probably don't find it especially objectionable or burdensome, but how many peop

Rediscovering Tzitzit: Insights from Parshat Shelach (Re-release of "What’s Meaningful About Tzitzit? Part 1)

(Part 1 of 2) The Aleph Beta Team is hard at work on new episodes of Meaningful Judaism. But in the meantime, we decided to go back to our archives and share this episode

A Book Like No Other: Season 3 - Trailer

A Book Like No Other is a chance to learn alongside Aleph Beta Founder and Lead Scholar, Rabbi David Fohrman, a master close reader of Torah, as he embarks on his most fa

The Blasphemer: Why Would Someone Curse God? [Introducing our new season of A Book Like No Other]

Rabbi David Fohrman and Imu Shalev study the tale of the blasphemer, a dark and puzzling episode buried deep in Leviticus. The details of this story are scarce: an anonym

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Support Meaningful Judaism today and gain access to tons of meaningful Tisha B'av content on the Aleph Beta website. Visit www.alephbeta.org and use the coupon code

What Else Is Meaningful About Tzitzit and Kashrut? (Season Finale)

Season 1 of Meaningful Judaism is ending, but before we go, we just have to share some extra Torah that didn’t make it into earlier episodes. There’s the beautiful idea a

What’s Meaningful About Not Eating Bacon?

It’s one of the most famous of the Torah's laws: no eating bacon! But is there any particular reason for this restriction? Why does God permit us to eat cow but forb

Questioning Whether This Podcast Should Exist

Yep, you read the episode title right. Should this podcast even exist?? We here at Meaningful Judaism put our hearts into creating quality podcasts that probe the meaning

What’s Meaningful About Tzitzit? (Part 2)

(Part 2 of 2) Are tzitzit supposed to “mean” something? Most people who wear tzitzit probably don't find it especially objectionable or burdensome, but how many peop

What’s Meaningful About Tzitzit? (Part 1)

(Part 1 of 2) Are tzitzit supposed to “mean” something? Most people who wear tzitzit probably don't find it especially objectionable or burdensome, but how many peop

What’s Meaningful About Keeping Shabbat?

What’s meaningful about keeping Shabbat? Lots of things, right? It’s a day of rest, a chance to put down our phones, learn and pray, focus on our family and friends. But

What's Meaningful About Niddah? (Part 2)

What is the meaning of the ‘niddah’ law? Why does the Torah require husbands and wives to separate when the wife has her period? The laws in Vayikra describe the “whats”

What's Meaningful About Niddah? (Part 1)

What is the meaning of the ‘niddah’ law? Why does the Torah require husbands and wives to separate when the wife has her period? The laws in Vayikra describe the “whats”

What’s Meaningful About Not Mixing Milk and Meat? (Kashrut Part 2)

What’s meaningful about not mixing milk and meat? Observant Jews who follow the Torah know that cheeseburgers are forbidden… but do you ever stop to ask why? What’s the p

What’s Meaningful About Keeping Kosher?

What’s meaningful about keeping kosher? In this premiere episode of Meaningful Judaism, a brand-new podcast from Aleph Beta Labs, Imu Shalev and Beth Lesch tackle the top

What is 'Meaningful Judaism'?

Meaningful Judaism is a podcast dedicated to exploring why we do what we do in Jewish life, by diving deep into the Torah text. So many of our practices can feel like the