Torah for Christians (Rabbi Jordan Parr)

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In this episode, we look at Ruth, a beautiful book of the Bible, customarily read on Shavuot. It speaks of love, of redemption and, at the end, there is a great surprise!

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"There arose in Egypt a Pharaoh who knew not Joseph." Was he unaware of Joseph or did her choose not to know Joseph? That is the question to answer on this episode of Torah for Christians.

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A covenant is a matter of integrity. Let's see how Moses embodied this leadership aspect.

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Listen again to my interview with Rabbi Heather Miller, the author of the book ReSoulutions, a day by day devotional for the Hebrew month of Elul, which immediately precedes Rosh Hashanah. Jewish or not, this interview - and especially this book - will inspire you.

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A repeat episode of our famous Rosh HaShanah podcast. With two weeks before the start of the Jewish New Year, it's a good time to remind ourselves of this awesome time of the year.

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An encore performance of our discussion of the Shofar, the great ram's horn that Jews sound on Rosh HaShanah to herald the New Year. Come and listen!

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With y om Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish year, upon us. it's time to revisit one of our most popular episodes from last year. 

From all of us, we wish you a sweet and wonderful New Year. May you be inscribed and sealed in the Book of Good Life - whether you are Jewish or not!

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Here are some charts that describe the different ways Jews and Christians organize the Bible:

[1] For an easy to read table that shows the differences, go to https://catholic-resources.org/Bible/Heb-Xn-Bibles.htm. 

[1] For a complete list of the Books of the Apocrypha, go to https://www.sacred-texts.com/bib/apo/index.htm. 

[1] Please see the complete list at http://www.pseudepigrapha.com/. 

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How did the Bible come to be? Here is one theory!

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A look at Israel's most star-crossed king.

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A look at the greatest king of Israel, whose legacy still reverberates today.

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TORAH FOR CHRISTIANS
SEASON FIVEEPISODE SEVEN
KING SOLOMON

He was the wisest man of his age. He built the Temple. He hosted the Queen of Sheba. He was Solomon. And he was a disaster.
I’m Rabbi Jordan Parr and on this episode of Torah for Christians, we’ll take another look at King Solomon – the good and the bad. Let’s get started.
MUSIC
Welcome to Torah for Christians. I’m Rabbi Jordan Parr.
Believe me, I don’t like to burst your bubble when it comes to Biblical heroes. But as I have often said, our heroes were not perfect. While they reached for, and often achieved, greatness, heroes such as Jacob, Moses and David were beset with deep flaws. In other words, they were human beings, just like us. That’s what makes them so special.
King Solomon was such a flawed individual. He was the second son of Bathsheba, the infamous consort of King David. As we recall, after David impregnated Bathsheba and then sent her husband, Uriah the Hittite, on a suicide mission, the Prophet Nathan decreed that this son would die shortly after birth – but that the next son born to Bathsheba would inherit David’s kingdom.
 
This came to pass. But the second part of Nathan’s prophecy is also important. Nathan further prophesied that David’s sons would engage in a fratricidal civil war to decide who would inherit his throne. Even though David proclaimed Solomon as king shortly before his death, Solomon had to fight for the kingdom, even killing one of his brothers to achieve this. 
Solomon also expanded David’s kingdom, extending Israel’s territory to the Euphrates River, the modern-day border between Iraq and Syria. He was so powerful, he enticed King Hiram of Tyre, the modern Lebanese city of Sidon, to furnish him with the cedars needed to build the Temple. Interestingly, Hiram was the son of the previous  King of Tyre but his mother was of the northern Tribe of Naphtali, making a special connection with Solomon. In a way, they were kin.
Solomon’s greatest accomplishment, of course, was building the First Temple in Jerusalem. David was denied this privilege; God only allowed him to build his palace. David was a man of war; Solomon’s very name means peace – and God determined that a man of peace would build the Temple in Jerusalem.
Later, the rabbis ascribed three books of the Bible to King Solomon: Song of Songs, Proverbs and Ecclesiastes – as well as certain Psalms. These three books are part of a collection called Wisdom Literature, books that are more akin to Plato than to Genesis. Today, we doubt that he wrote these books but the mere fact that the rabbis attribute these books of wisdom to him attests to the high regard in which they held him for his wisdom.
 
One famous story that we all know shows his wisdom. This story, of course, is the story of the disputed baby. Early in his reign, two prostitutes came to King Solomon to resolve a major dispute: each claimed that a certain infant boy was her child. Obviously, one of the women was lying, if not both. Solomon’s job was to decide which woman was the mother.
After listening to both women, Solomon, in what became known as a Solomonic decision, ordered the baby chopped in half. After all, in many disputes splitting the difference was a good way to solve a problem. 
But not when it comes to a baby. When Solomon proposed that he cut the baby in half, one of the prostitutes screamed out to give the child to the other prostitute. Solomon immediately ordered that the baby, the entire baby, be given to the woman who backed down. He said that since she was willing to give up the baby rather than see it killed, she must be the true mother. How brilliant!
But as I said at the start of this episode, there is a dark side to King Solomon, one that had terrible consequences for the Jewish people, consequences that extend to the present da

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A rebroadcast of one of our favorite episodes: Hanukkah - It's meaning, history, rituals and modern interpretations. A great way to begin the holiday season is to listen to this broadcast again!

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A special edition of Torah for Christians!

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If you would like to support our work or even suggest a topic for a future podcast, please go to our Buzzsprout link buzzsprout support and contribute to the cause. If we pick up your idea, we’ll give you a shout out at the start of the episode.

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The first in a series that will try to explain some of the background and tensions concerning the Israel-Hamas crisis in the Middle East. Today, we look at the idea of Covenant in the Torah and why Jews lay claim to this land.

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In this episode, we examine the concept of a just war, found in Deuteronomy, Chapter 20 and learn how this concept applies to the current Israel-Hamas war.

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Who is a Jew? Such a basic question, such a complex answer. Let's unpack it together.

Torah for Christians is a podcast series devoted to explaining Jewish ideas and values to the non-Jewish world. Rabbi Jordan Parr is an accomplished teacher, scholar and public speaker who has been explaining Judaism to Christian audiences for many years. Feedback is always welcome.

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What books do Jews see as holy? Which books are holy to Christians but not to Jews? Take a listen and find out!

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Why don't Jews believe in Jesus? What DO Jews believe ABOUT Jesus? And why did the split occur? Come and listen!

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Do Jews believe in God? And where does Jesus fit in? We're looking at Jewish conceptions of God, how Jews express them today and how Jesus and the Trinity came from ancient Jewish beliefs.

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Are Jews the Chosen People? And is Jesus the fulfillment of God's Covenant with David? Let's find out.

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A look at the Jewish holidays found in the Bible - and one that is not!

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Do you believe in miracles? Jews do - even today! Let's talk.

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Is Jesus the Messiah? And if not him, than whom?

We'll examine how Jews and Christians describe Messianism and discuss what Jesus as the Messiah means for both of our faiths.

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Israel is more than a state; it is a state of mind. Come and explore the ancient ideas behind the land and people of Israel. (Note: this is not a discussion of the modern state or any politics associated with Israel and the Palestinians.)

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An exploration of the historical roots of anti-Semitism and how we can confront anti-Semitism and hatred today.

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How and why did Jews come to America? Why did we stay? Come and listen!

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We are taking a look at Orthodox Judaism, the stream that most closely follows traditional Jewish law and practice. 

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A look at what is often called the "Middle Ground" between Orthodoxy and Reform, Conservative Judaism is a vital and important stream in and of itself. Come and hear what it has to offer!

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A look at the most liberal of the streams of Judaism: its history, theology and values. 

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A look at the 9th of Av, the saddest day of the Jewish calendar.

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Let's become familiar with a fascinating Jewish movement, one of the most important and influential in the world today: Chassidic Judaism. Come and Listen!

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An exploration of sin, repentance and ultimate salvation as Jews approach the High Holidays.

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We talked about sin and repentance. Now we are going to discuss how we Jews forgive one another.

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Here is a welcome to Rosh HaShanah, the beginning of the Jewish New Year. Come and hear of its significance, theology and customs. Shanah Tovah, Happy Jewish New Year!

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Come and learn about the most iconic of Jewish symbols: the Shofar. And at the end, you get to hear it sounded!

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Welcome to an exploration of Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish year. In this talk, we will discuss the various parts of the day: fasting, ancient sacrifices, prayers and other important details.

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Join us as we look at the last major holidays of the Jewish fall calendar - and learn why Jews brought palm fronds to the Temple in the fall!

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