A Book Like No Other

Aleph Beta

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 far-reaching and in-depth explorations. Each season is a stand-alone journey into a different Torah text. Our only goal: reading the Torah carefully, on its own terms, and following wherever that leads. Together, we'll unwrap remarkable patterns and surprising connections that lie just beneath the Torah's surface, revealing the beauty and insight that truly make the Torah a book like no other.


A Book Like No Other is a project of Aleph Beta, a Torah media company dedicated to spreading the joy and love of meaningful Torah learning worldwide. A Book Like No Other is made possible through the generous support of Shari and Nathan Lindenbaum. For our full library of over 1,000 videos and podcasts, as well as bonus content for Book Like No Other, please visit www.alephbeta.org.

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Religion & SpiritualityReligion & Spirituality

Episodes

Ep. 1 The Blasphemer: Why Would Someone Curse God? [Full Season Now Available]
May 5 2024
Ep. 1 The Blasphemer: Why Would Someone Curse God? [Full Season Now Available]
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 anonymous man provokes a fight in the Israelite camp, curses God, and ultimately is stoned to death as punishment. But a close read of these few short verses sends Rabbi Fohrman and Imu on a surprising journey, raising provocative moral questions about God’s judgment and uncovering an unlikely connection between the condemned blasphemer and one of the Bible’s greatest heroes.For more information about our upcoming course on Midrash click here. When registering for this course you automatically become a member of the Patrons Circle. Click here for more information on becoming a Patron and its perks. A Book Like No Other is a product of Aleph Beta, and made possible through the generous support of Shari and Nathan Lindenbaum. Aleph Beta is a Torah media company dedicated to spreading the joy and love of meaningful Torah learning worldwide. If you loved this episode and are already a member of Aleph Beta, log in to alephbeta.org to listen to upcoming episodes. We’ll even give you a private RSS feed so you can keep listening to A Book Like No Other on your favorite podcasting app. Feel free to email info@alephbeta.org if you have any trouble. And if you’re not a member…what are you waiting for? Go to alephbeta.org/subscribe and become a member to access this new season of A Book Like No Other, as well as our full library of over 1,000 videos and podcasts. Click here to subscribe.
What is “Meaningful Judaism”? (Introducing Aleph Beta’s brand-new podcast)
Apr 30 2023
What is “Meaningful Judaism”? (Introducing Aleph Beta’s brand-new podcast)
Meaningful Judaism is Aleph Beta's latest 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 they’re just there; we go through the motions, but they don’t feel especially meaningful. In Meaningful Judaism, we search for that meaning. Each episode will take you on a journey, tackling questions such as “Why can’t we mix milk and meat?” and “What’s the meaning behind the laws of niddah?” Join our host, Imu Shalev, along with Rabbi David Fohrman and Aleph Beta’s other wonderful scholars, for this special journey. Meaningful Judaism is a project of Aleph Beta Labs. Aleph Beta is a Torah media company dedicated to spreading the joy and love of meaningful Torah learning worldwide. For our full library of over 1,000 videos and podcasts, please visit www.alephbeta.org.To support this podcast, subscribe to Aleph Beta.A Book Like No Other is a product of Aleph Beta, and made possible through the generous support of Shari and Nathan Lindenbaum. Aleph Beta is a Torah media company dedicated to spreading the joy and love of meaningful Torah learning worldwide. If you loved this episode and are already a member of Aleph Beta, log in to alephbeta.org to listen to upcoming episodes. We’ll even give you a private RSS feed so you can keep listening to A Book Like No Other on your favorite podcasting app. Feel free to email info@alephbeta.org if you have any trouble. And if you’re not a member…what are you waiting for? Go to alephbeta.org/subscribe and become a member to access this new season of A Book Like No Other, as well as our full library of over 1,000 videos and podcasts. Click here to subscribe.
Epilogue: What the Tree of Life Teaches Us About Returning from Exile
Mar 13 2023
Epilogue: What the Tree of Life Teaches Us About Returning from Exile
Join Rabbi Fohrman for a live Q&A on March 16 and ask all your burning questions on the season. Click here for more info.The exile from Eden might have been the first time humanity experienced being estranged from God’s word and presence, but it certainly wasn’t the last. How do we cope with feeling distant from God? What is a roadmap for a return to the closeness of Eden? Join Rabbi Fohrman and Imu in this bonus epilogue episode as they explore Parshat HaTeshuva, the Torah’s emotional roadmap for how any of us can come back.To learn more about how God bears witness to the Israelites’ trauma in Egyptian servitude, check out the course, The Three Great Lies of the Exodus, which Imu mentions in this episode.A Book Like No Other is a product of Aleph Beta, and made possible through the generous support of Shari and Nathan Lindenbaum. Aleph Beta is a Torah media company dedicated to spreading the joy and love of meaningful Torah learning worldwide. If you loved this episode and are already a member of Aleph Beta, log in to alephbeta.org to listen to upcoming episodes. We’ll even give you a private RSS feed so you can keep listening to A Book Like No Other on your favorite podcasting app. Feel free to email info@alephbeta.org if you have any trouble. And if you’re not a member…what are you waiting for? Go to alephbeta.org/subscribe and become a member to access this new season of A Book Like No Other, as well as our full library of over 1,000 videos and podcasts. Click here to subscribe.
Ep. 1: The Elephant in the… Garden
Jan 30 2023
Ep. 1: The Elephant in the… Garden
We all know the story of the Garden of Eden. Adam, Eve, forbidden fruit, snake. But what if there’s another layer to this story lying beneath all the obvious drama? In the first episode of this six part series, Rabbi Fohrman takes a close look at the Garden of Eden story, pointing out some glaring – but easily glossed over – anomalies in the text, and inspiring us to reconsider what we thought we knew about Eden’s most basic features. This first episode lays the groundwork for what’s to come on A Book Like No Other this season: A journey that not only reveals layers of meaning in the Garden itself, but resounding connections between Eden and the rest of the entire Torah.To check out Rabbi Fohrman’s book, The Beast that Crouches at the Door, which he mentions in this episode, click here.A Book Like No Other is a product of Aleph Beta, and made possible through the generous support of Shari and Nathan Lindenbaum. Aleph Beta is a Torah media company dedicated to spreading the joy and love of meaningful Torah learning worldwide. If you loved this episode and are already a member of Aleph Beta, log in to alephbeta.org to listen to upcoming episodes. We’ll even give you a private RSS feed so you can keep listening to A Book Like No Other on your favorite podcasting app. Feel free to email info@alephbeta.org if you have any trouble. And if you’re not a member…what are you waiting for? Go to alephbeta.org/subscribe and become a member to access this new season of A Book Like No Other, as well as our full library of over 1,000 videos and podcasts. Click here to subscribe.