Jew Oughta Know

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17. Two Wives for the Price of Two Aug 12, 2017

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Jacob crosses the threshold on the hero's journey, dreaming of a ladder with angels going up and down. He marries both Rachel and Leah, who then compete with each other to produce male heirs. This is what we call in Hebrew a balagan.

16. The Jason Cake Aug 12, 2017

Show notes

Esau sells his birthright -- the family inheritance -- to his younger brother, Jacob, who connives with his mother, Rebecca, to deceive his father, Isaac. But the story is also a metaphor for the historical Kingdom of Judah.

15. Isaac, the John Adams of Jewish History Aug 12, 2017

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Abraham sends his servant to find Isaac (the under-appreciated patriarch) a wife. We meet Rebecca, a decisive and kind woman who seizes her destiny to become a Jewish leader.

14. The Death of Sarah and Abraham Aug 12, 2017

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Judaism's second holiest site is the cave where Sarah and Abraham are buried. But for someone so connected to the Promised Land, Abraham still felt like a stranger.

13. Fortunate Son Aug 12, 2017

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Abraham attempts to sacrifice Isaac but is stopped at the last second. Why did he do it?

12. Current Events: Settlements and Amona Aug 12, 2017

Show notes

Taking a break from the Bible to catch up on current events in Israel this past week: the evacuation of Amona, a West Bank settlement, and the Knesset's approval of a law that allows Israel to seize private Palestinian land.

11. Sodom and Gomorrah Aug 11, 2017

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Justice, divine punishment, hospitality, sexual deviancy, kindness to strangers, people getting turned into salt -- all this and more as Abraham argues with God, and opens up a new relationship between the human and the divine.

10. The Couple From Ur Aug 11, 2017

Show notes

We begin the story of a great adventurer: Abram, and his wife Sarai. Starting at the age of 70, Abram will travel across the known world, sell his wife as a mistress to Pharaoh, kill some kings, circumcise himself, exhibit great generosity, try to murder his own son, and buy a crucial piece of real estate. He's also the first Jew.

9. Friends In (Actually High) Places Aug 11, 2017

Show notes

So there was a major flood, Noah built an ark, and successfully landed it back on dry land. What happened next connects today's Jews with the Armenian people across a familiar historical narrative. Plus we get the first set of seven laws to govern humanity. Nice!

8. Nudity! Snakes! Murder! Aug 11, 2017

Show notes

The human adventure begins. And almost comes to a crashing halt. From eating from the forbidden tree, to getting kicked out of the Garden of Eden, to lying to God, to murdering brothers, what are these first humans trying to tell us about the nature of humanity, freedom, and moral choice?

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