A Book Like No Other

Yom Kippur and Yonah, Part 10

Why should God forgive us? Rabbi Fohrman and Imu trace Yom Kippur’s mystery through the Book of Jonah and across the breadth of the Torah. Want to check out the printable transcript and recap for this episode? It’s all here on our season page: https://bit.ly/4cK36DH Want access to the video version of this podcast, an exclusive ad-free feed, and all prior seasons of BLNO? Plus - support the Torah that you love? Become an Aleph Beta member: https://bit.ly/4dhyhGt For a dvar Torah from Rabbi Fohrman on this week’s parsha: https://bit.ly/3URLSxY For Rabbi Fohrman’s Q&A on teshuva and forgiveness: https://bit.ly/4j1Q9Zx For our Sukkot course on the arba minim (four species), including printable transcript: https://bit.ly/4Ah4VC8 Already an Aleph Beta member? To keep listening without ads, switch over to the exclusive, ad-free feed: https://bit.ly/4ru6aKl To watch the video version of this podcast: https://bit.ly/4ra1nxf We love to hear from you! Click here: https://bit.ly/4gnhtjl to share your thoughts, insights, questions, and reactions by voice note, or send us an email at info@alephbeta.org. 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.

Yom Kippur and Yonah, Part 9

Why should God forgive us? Rabbi Fohrman and Imu trace Yom Kippur’s mystery through the Book of Jonah and across the breadth of the Torah. Want to check out the printable transcript and recap for this episode? It’s all here on our season page: https://bit.ly/4xfYDzI Want access to the video version of this podcast, an exclusive ad-free feed, and all prior seasons of BLNO? Plus - support the Torah that you love? Become an Aleph Beta member: https://bit.ly/4igw8hH For a dvar Torah from Rabbi Fohrman on this week’s parsha: https://bit.ly/3Tp9SIi For “Rosh Hashanah: Day Of Judgment Or A Day Of Joy?”: https://bit.ly/4imgWzM For the High Holiday Reader: https://bit.ly/4r1K5Cm Already an Aleph Beta member? To keep listening without ads, switch over to the exclusive, ad-free feed: https://bit.ly/4h6ifAC To watch the video version of this podcast: https://bit.ly/4xfYDzI We love to hear from you! Click here: https://bit.ly/4gnhtjl to share your thoughts, insights, questions, and reactions by voice note, or send us an email at info@alephbeta.org. 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.

Yom Kippur and Yonah, Part 8

Why should God forgive us? Rabbi Fohrman and Imu trace Yom Kippur’s mystery through the Book of Jonah and across the breadth of the Torah. Want to check out the printable transcript and recap for this episode? It’s all here on our season page: https://bit.ly/4ytmdKG Want access to the video version of this podcast, an exclusive ad-free feed, and all prior seasons of BLNO? Plus - support the Torah that you love? Become an Aleph Beta member: https://bit.ly/4x7YMoP For a dvar Torah from Rabbi Fohrman on this week’s parsha: https://bit.ly/3TcQMVP For “Rosh Hashanah: Day Of Judgment Or A Day Of Joy?”: https://bit.ly/4igPhQI For the High Holiday Reader: https://bit.ly/3UvhXeX Already an Aleph Beta member? To keep listening without ads, switch over to the exclusive, ad-free feed: https://bit.ly/4iQA4pz To watch the video version of this podcast: https://bit.ly/4xMjuMg We love to hear from you! Click here: https://bit.ly/4gnhtjl to share your thoughts, insights, questions, and reactions by voice note, or send us an email at info@alephbeta.org. 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.

• Transcript

Yom Kippur and Yonah, Part 7

Why should God forgive us? Rabbi Fohrman and Imu trace Yom Kippur’s mystery through the Book of Jonah and across the breadth of the Torah. Want to check out the printable transcript and recap for this episode? It’s all here on our season page: https://bit.ly/45Ye6JN Want access to the video version of this podcast, an exclusive ad-free feed, and all prior seasons of BLNO? Plus - support the Torah that you love? Become an Aleph Beta member: https://bit.ly/3V9TY51 For a dvar Torah from Rabbi Fohrman on this week’s parsha: https://bit.ly/46y7dPw For “Rosh Hashanah: Day Of Judgment Or A Day Of Joy?”: https://bit.ly/4xyHja6 For the High Holiday Reader: https://bit.ly/4xATZxe Already an Aleph Beta member? To keep listening without ads, switch over to the exclusive, ad-free feed: https://bit.ly/4cXzylT To watch the video version of this podcast: https://bit.ly/45Ye6JN We love to hear from you! Click here: https://bit.ly/4gnhtjl to share your thoughts, insights, questions, and reactions by voice note, or send us an email at info@alephbeta.org. 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.

Yom Kippur and Yonah, Part 6

Why should God forgive us? Rabbi Fohrman and Imu trace Yom Kippur’s mystery through the Book of Jonah and across the breadth of the Torah. Want to check out the printable transcript and recap for this episode? It’s all here on our season page: https://bit.ly/4xFZlas Want access to the video version of this podcast, an exclusive ad-free feed, and all prior seasons of BLNO? Plus - support the Torah that you love? Become an Aleph Beta member: https://bit.ly/4clIPUG For a dvar Torah from Rabbi Fohrman on this week’s parsha: https://bit.ly/4ybYIFM For “Rosh Hashanah: Day Of Judgment Or A Day Of Joy?”: https://bit.ly/4cUkBkz For the High Holiday Reader: https://bit.ly/3SEzNv9 Already an Aleph Beta member? To keep listening without ads, switch over to the exclusive, ad-free feed: https://bit.ly/3T8Jq5D To watch the video version of this podcast: https://bit.ly/4wV3vdp We love to hear from you! Click here: https://bit.ly/4gnhtjl to share your thoughts, insights, questions, and reactions by voice note, or send us an email at info@alephbeta.org. 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.

Yom Kippur and Yonah, Part 5

Why should God forgive us? Rabbi Fohrman and Imu trace Yom Kippur’s mystery through the Book of Jonah and across the breadth of the Torah. Want to check out the printable transcript and recap for this episode? It’s all here on our season page: https://bit.ly/3UonSSP Want access to the video version of this podcast, an exclusive ad-free feed, and all prior seasons of BLNO? Plus - support the Torah that you love? Become an Aleph Beta member: https://bit.ly/4qL5hg4 For a Dvar Torah from Rabbi Fohrman on this week’s parsha: https://bit.ly/4hXDUwK Already an Aleph Beta member? To keep listening without ads, switch over to the exclusive, ad-free feed: https://bit.ly/4ce6erb Watch the video version of this podcast: https://bit.ly/4xYk2hI We love to hear from you! Click here: https://bit.ly/4gnhtjl to share your thoughts, insights, questions, and reactions by voice note, or send us an email at info@alephbeta.org. 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.

Yom Kippur and Yonah, Part 4

Why should God forgive us? Rabbi Fohrman and Imu trace Yom Kippur’s mystery through the Book of Jonah and across the breadth of the Torah. Want to check out the printable transcript and recap for this episode? It’s all here on our season page: https://bit.ly/4wPkYnK Want access to the video version of this podcast, an exclusive ad-free feed, and all prior seasons of BLNO? Plus - support the Torah that you love? Become an Aleph Beta member: https://bit.ly/4gni0Sn For a dvar Torah from Rabbi Fohrman on this week’s parsha: https://bit.ly/4qIY7c3 Already an Aleph Beta member? To keep listening without ads, switch over to the exclusive, ad-free feed: https://bit.ly/4qHsboo Watch the video version of this podcast: https://bit.ly/4qHamWC We love to hear from you! Click here: https://bit.ly/4gnhtjl to share your thoughts, insights, questions, and reactions by voice note, or send us an email at info@alephbeta.org. 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.

Yom Kippur and Yonah, Part 3

Why should God forgive us? Rabbi Fohrman and Imu trace Yom Kippur’s mystery through the Book of Jonah and across the breadth of the Torah. Want to check out the printable transcript and recap for this episode? It’s all here on our season page: https://bit.ly/4hXN1xC Want access to the video version of this podcast, an exclusive ad-free feed, and all prior seasons of BLNO? Plus - support the Torah that you love? Become an Aleph Beta member: https://bit.ly/4gVrEvK For a dvar Torah from Rabbi Fohrman on this week’s parsha: https://bit.ly/4qBKawl Already an Aleph Beta member? To keep listening without ads, switch over to the exclusive, ad-free feed: https://bit.ly/3UpskAM Watch the video version of this podcast: https://bit.ly/46pYNtq We love to hear from you! Click here: https://bit.ly/4gnhtjl to share your thoughts, insights, questions, and reactions by voice note, or send us an email at info@alephbeta.org. 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.

Yom Kippur and Yonah, Part 2

Why should God forgive us? Rabbi Fohrman and Imu trace Yom Kippur’s mystery through the Book of Jonah and across the breadth of the Torah. Want to check out the printable transcript and recap for this episode? It’s all here on our season page: https://bit.ly/4qFdOkh Want access to the video version of this podcast, an exclusive ad-free feed, and all prior seasons of BLNO? Plus - support the Torah that you love? Become an Aleph Beta member: https://bit.ly/45Q9zsU Already an Aleph Beta member? To keep listening without ads, switch over to the exclusive, ad-free feed: https://bit.ly/4gHNS3g Watch the video version of this podcast here: https://bit.ly/3SXi0zy We love to hear from you! Click here: https://bit.ly/4gnhtjl to share your thoughts, insights, questions, and reactions by voice note, or send us an email at info@alephbeta.org. 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.

Yom Kippur and Yonah, Part 1

Why should God forgive us? Rabbi Fohrman and Imu trace Yom Kippur’s mystery through the Book of Jonah and across the breadth of the Torah. Want to check out the printable transcript and recap for this episode? It’s all here on our season page: https://bit.ly/46w09CR Want access to the video version of this podcast, an exclusive ad-free feed, and all prior seasons of BLNO? Plus - support the Torah that you love? Become an Aleph Beta member: https://bit.ly/3Un8AxJ Already an Aleph Beta member? To keep listening without ads, switch over to the exclusive, ad-free feed: https://bit.ly/4cdUqFi Watch the video version of this podcast here: https://bit.ly/45VqsSS We love to hear from you! Click here: https://bit.ly/4gnhtjl to share your thoughts, insights, questions, and reactions by voice note, or send us an email at info@alephbeta.org. 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.

The Manna, Part 3

A bizarre moment in the Manna story occurs when the Jews lament that they should have been killed in Egypt by “the hand of God.” Was this a hand that benevolently pulled the Jews out of Egypt, or that hand that smote the Egyptian firstborn? How do we teach our children the truth of that fateful night of the Exodus? Our season finale tackles the big questions of food, trauma, and the Exodus. We love to hear from you! Click here to share your thoughts, insights, questions, and reactions by voice note, or send us an email at info@alephbeta.org. 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.

The Manna, Part 2

In this episode Rabbi Fohrman puts the bitter herbs - maror - under a microscope. Why do we need to hold onto a reminder of our slavery, during a Passover seder that represents freedom? Drawing from a principle of teshuvah - repentance, our hosts carve out an incredible principle in human psychology and what it takes to heal from trauma. Can't Skip the Bitter (to Get to the Sweet) (Verse 1) In Egypt the bread held the taste of our tears Sourdough—you couldn't tell where it stopped The sourness baked into four hundred years Until the whole batch was bitter and locked But God didn't hand us the honey that night Didn't say: forget it, here's something new He gave us flat bread with bitter alongside— Separated. Still there. Still true. (Chorus) You can't skip the bitter to get to the sweet You can't leave the sorrow behind The only way forward is going back through it One morning at a time (Verse 2) The manna came later, the honey came slow Forty years of daily bread Each day God was asking: do you believe now that you’re more than the tears that you’ve shed? And every spring we sit down at the table Flat bread and bitter, side by side Not because we're still slaves—because we remember What it took to come back alive (Chorus) You can't skip the bitter to get to the sweet You can't leave the sorrow behind The only way forward is going back through it One morning at a time (Bridge) Each day the same question falling Like bread upon the ground: Are you more than what was done to you? Are you more than what you've done? (Verse 3) Two families broken, made into one He said: leave the past where it lies Build something new now, the future's begun But nobody asked who we were before the goodbyes And forty years later I knocked on her door I said there's something I never did right I never once asked you to tell me the story Of who held your hand through the long, long night (Chorus) Tell me about your mother What was it like when she was yours? Tell me about your mother I should have asked you this before You can't skip the bitter to get to the sweet You can't leave the sorrow behind The only way forward is going back through it And that's what I'm doing this time You can also listen to this song on Youtube and Spotify. We love to hear from you! Click here to share your thoughts, insights, questions, and reactions by voice note, or send us an email at info@alephbeta.org. 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.

The Manna, Part 1

Could the flavor of Biblical food teach us about the Exodus? This new season kicks off with an unbelievable connection between how the Israelites ate manna in the desert, and how they ate their Passover meal before leaving Egypt. The secret lies in how each meal affected our tastebuds. You'll have to taste it to believe it! For more of the parallels we discovered, check out this chart. We love to hear from you! Click here to share your thoughts, insights, questions, and reactions by voice note, or send us an email at info@alephbeta.org. 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.

S6 Ep. 4: The Moment We Finally Understood the Shofar

This series finale literally has everything: a sweeping historical narrative, a textual thread that binds the Exodus to Sinai and beyond, and a gobsmacking conclusion to the question: what am I meant to feel when I hear the shofar on Rosh Hashanah? You can find the textual chart referenced in this episode by clicking here. We love to hear from you! Click here to share your thoughts, insights, questions, and reactions by voice note, or send us an email at info@alephbeta.org. 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.

S6 Ep. 3: The Shofar's Meaning: We Missed the Message of the Exodus

In our quest to discover the meaning behind the shofar blast, we continue to mine the Exodus story for a deeper meaning behind God's empathy, and why it was so important to communicate that message to Moses, to the enslaved Israelites, and to Pharoah himself. To watch the course on the Three Lies of the Exodus mentioned in the episode, you can watch it on the Aleph Beta site here: https://members.alephbeta.org/playlist/moses-exodus-miracles We love to hear from you! Click here to share your thoughts, insights, questions, and reactions by voice note, or send us an email at info@alephbeta.org. 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.

S6 Ep. 2: The Shofar's Cry Decoded: A Clue in God's Name

To get to the bottom of the shofar's secret, we need to travel back to the Exodus story. Looking closely, we can see that Moses' encounter with God at the burning bush was more than just a long job negotiation. God was trying to convey something extremely important. So important, in fact, that He encoded it into His own name. We love to hear from you! Click here to share your thoughts, insights, questions, and reactions by voice note, or send us an email at info@alephbeta.org. 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.

S6 Ep. 1: The Secret Message in the Sound of the Shofar

You sit in shul. The shofar blows. What do you feel? You may not want to admit it, but for many of us the answer is: nothing. For a long time, that’s how Imu felt also. Until a chance observation, one historic Erev Rosh Hashana, sparked a conversation with Rabbi David Fohrman that would change everything. Come along on this deep dive through the Torah, revealing a hidden story from the Burning Bush to Mount Sinai to the walls of Jericho—that will finally make the shofar blast truly meaningful. In this first episode of the new season, we begin that journey of discovery with a first look at the origins of the shofar in the Torah text. For the Rosh Hashana course Rabbi Fohrman and Imu discuss in this episode, click here. We love to hear from you! Click here to share your thoughts, insights, questions, and reactions by voice note, or send us an email at info@alephbeta.org. 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.

• Transcript

Show Update and Tisha B'Av Announcement

Come spend Tisha B'Av with us! We’re going to be having a live online event in the afternoon. It’s a chance to join hundreds of Jews from around the world to learn together, connect and make this day about community instead of being alone. Click here to learn more. We love to hear from you! Click here to share your thoughts, insights, questions, and reactions by voice note, or send us an email at info@alephbeta.org. 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.

S5 Ep. 4: Shir HaMaalot: When Pharoah Reminded Us About God

After thoroughly dissecting every verse of Shir HaMaalot, the season finale attempts to put all the pieces back together. The first three verses were about moving from dreams to true joy; the second three were about Joseph and Jacob's saga. Could both of these themes somehow be related? We love to hear from you! Click here to share your thoughts, insights, questions, and reactions by voice note, or send us an email at info@alephbeta.org. 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.

S5 Ep. 3: Shir HaMaalot: You Choose How Dreams Become Reality

Do you really know what Joseph's dream of the wheat sheaves was about? We'll bet you missed something big. And perhaps, so did Joseph. See how the ambiguity of the dream presents Joseph with a choice: am I destined for power, or for benevolence? We love to hear from you! Click here to share your thoughts, insights, questions, and reactions by voice note, or send us an email at info@alephbeta.org. 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.