Wrestling and Dreaming: Engaging Discussions on Judaism

Episode 53: Of Rights and Obligations

In this episode, Rabbi Dobrusin discusses the difficult issue of abortion from the perspective of Jewish law and thought. 

Episode 52: A Lesson in Leadership

Aaron, Moses' brother, is a central figure in the Torah. While he is best known as the first High Priest, the rabbinic tradition saw Aaron as a critical figure in the life of the people for a different reason. In this episode, Rabbi Dobrusin speaks about this characteristic of Aaron which is critical for us in our lives as leaders. 

Episode 51: The End of an Era

In this week's episode, Rabbi Dobrusin shares some insights  as we prepare to read the story of the sin which effectively ended Moses' leadership of the people. 

Episode 50: Lessons From a Spy Story

In this episode, Rabbi Dobrusin discusses two traditional rabbinic commentaries on a story in the book of Numbers. The commentaries show how this Torah story has relevance for our lives today. 

Episode 49: Two Critical Issues

In this episode, Rabbi Dobrusin shares his thoughts on two issues prominent in the minds of American Jews today: the rise of anti-Semitism and anti-Semitic actions in our country and our connection with the State of Israel. 

Episode 48: Looking Out Our Windows: A Second Look

In an earlier episode of the podcast, Rabbi Dobrusin discussed the symbolism of windows which remind us to be cognizant of changes in the world which we might miss if we lock ourselves into religious tradition. In this episode, he comments on the Jewish tradition that one should only play in a room which has windows. What can this mean for our houses of worship as we return to gathering as communities? 

Episode 47: Jerusalem

We read in Psalm 122: Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem. In this episode, Rabbi Dobrusin addresses the subject of the city of Jerusalem and what the city has meant and what it could mean for the future. 

Episode 46:Z'man Matan Torataynu: The Time of the Giving of the Torah

In this episode, Rabbi Dobrusin continues the discussion on the holiday of Shavuot, identified by the Talmudic rabbis as the anniversary of the giving of the Torah at Mt. Sinai. Why do we need a second Torah holiday? And, how can one tradition of the game of baseball help us to understand a critical aspect of Torah study? 

Episode 45:Praying for Peace

A special edition of the podcast with prayers for peace and calm in Israel. 

Episode 44: Bringing the First Fruits

In this episode, Rabbi Dobrusin considers the origin of the holiday of Shavuot and discusses one of the traditional texts concerning the festival. This text which describes one part of the ancient ritual of the bringing the first fruits during the time of the Temple has implications for aspects of our lives today.