14 Comments
User's avatar
BUFS (Big Up Free Speech)'s avatar

I'd encourage Prof. Kimche to speak less rapidly. His enthusiasm for the material is great, and I think it would be enhanced with stronger enunciation.

Dennis D. Karpf's avatar

Excellent lecture. Literalism or denial of Oral Torah is hypocritical at best and Anti-Jewish at worst. Critical comments below are silly other than speed of speech; quickness of which is common among younger generation. Christian and Muslim literalism is nonsensical because written language requires interpretation for meaning. Literalism towards Torah is simply an attempt to kill it and Mishnah/Talmud. The Christian Bible and Koran require interpretation and their faithful’s own holy scripture also have authoritative interpretive sources. Furthermore, the very words of Written Torah describe the Oral Torah as given at Sinai and throughout by commandments, rules, regulations and rulings specifically referenced therein from Exodus through Deuteronomy and in the other nineteen books comprising Tanakh.

Brad Parsons's avatar

Very helpful for a Christian just getting ready to study the Talmud.

Vesper Stamper's avatar

This was an excellent primer! Thank you. I'm going to save it for the occasions when people say "but the Talmud says this horrible thing; I read it muh on the internet", I ask, "do you know what the Talmud is", and all I get is a blank stare.

Suman Suhag's avatar

The world is entering a dangerously fragile phase.

Oil prices are surging.

Inflation is refusing to cool.

Interest rates remain elevated.

Markets are volatile.

Geopolitical tensions are no longer regional. a they are global.

This is not just another cycle.

This is a convergence.

A convergence of economic pressure, energy insecurity, and geopolitical instability that could trigger a cascading global disruption.

If this continues, we are looking at:

Higher cost of living across every nation

Slower growth or deep recession in major economies

Debt crises in developing countries

Supply chain breakdowns

Rising social unrest

History has shown us. crises don’t arrive gradually.

They accelerate suddenly.

And right now, the warning signals are flashing.

But this is not inevitable.

Solutions exist. if leaders act decisively:

Stabilize energy markets through coordinated global supply strategies

Control inflation without crushing growth smarter monetary policy, not just aggressive tightening

Strengthen global cooperation instead of fragmentation

Support vulnerable economies before debt crises spiral out of control

Invest in resilient systems energy, food, and technology

This is a moment of choice.

Ignore the signals and the world pays the price.

Act with clarity and coordination and we prevent the next global crisis.

The clock is ticking.

Michael Reinhard's avatar

"What is a such?" That is the issue you pick out from this great repository of wisdom from one of the great civilizations of all time? Boring.

wahf's avatar

promotional consideration provided by… child abuse! ew

Brad Parsons's avatar

FYI for comments here, you can set the playback speed to 0.75 under the lower right three dot bar, and it will be perfect for listening to the Rabbi. He is just speaking fast because he has only so much time for this short lecture.

William Posey's avatar

It’s actually just how he talks

Brad Parsons's avatar

The Rabbi seems properly self aware, but if not, then he needs to slow down his speech so he can be understood. More than one comment here mentioned it before I recommended listeners slow down the video.

PostsNews0's avatar

I love it, wish there was a way to have the slides.

We have a shorter version of it in Farsi at home which I was never interested to spend time on, but with this lecture, I'm encouraged to go back to it, very interesting, thank you.

Rob M's avatar

I want to listen to this, but he speaks so fast that I can't. It's unnerving.

Hannah's avatar

Could you reduce the playback speed to .75X or less?

Rob M's avatar

thanks. i tried. It seems a bit odd. Maybe they can publish a transcript.