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What is Darkness? Was it created, or just our description of 'lack of light'? What does science have to say, and do we care? All this and more, in our new 7 minute format, Abridged Jewish Thoughtflow

INTRODUCING A BRAND NEW FORMAT!!! For those who don't have a 45 minute attention span, we have condensed the basic sugya into a manageable 7 minutes. For more information, please listen to the regular version!

Were the Luchos written in Ksav Ivri or Ksav Ashuri? Is there psak in Hashkafa? Did Ezra really create a new Ksav? Did the Jews steal their holy ksav from the goyim? Was the ע in the Luchos floating? Join Jewish Thoughtflow as we tackle these questions and more on the latest episode - The Luchos - Ksav Ivri or Ashuri?

A fascinating read on it's own right, the Megillah contains amazing hints to the history of the Jews. From the Pogroms in 1648, to the holocaust, the letters in the Megillah foretell the future suffering at the hands of Amalek through history. Perhaps the most famous of which, is the hanging of the ten Nazis following WWII. While many have heard of the famous words shouted at the gallows, the immense amount of hints and references contained in the Megillah will amaze even the most skeptical mind! The exact year of the hanging, the amount of Nazis hanged, the axis alliance, and even the name of the hangman! Join Jewish Thoughtflow as we do a deep dive in to the fantastic predictions from the Megillah and the Gemara, regarding the Nazis, the modern manifestation of Amalek.

Although Hashem tells us 600,00 Jews left Mitzrayim, and traveled through the desert, many academics don't understand how it's possible. Where is the archeological evidence? Wouldn't that make them the biggest nation? Why are there so few firstborns? How did they eat?  To many of you who graduated 3rd grade, these questions should sound familiar, and the answer clear. Unfortunately, most biblical critics, and even scholars, appear to have been absent those days. Join Jewish Thoughtflow as we deal with all the questions, as well as an in depth look into the methodology of archeology and population estimates, exposing the flaws, assumptions, and ignorance of those who question the Torah.

What is darkness? Is it just the absence of light, or is it an independent existence which expresses itself outside of light. Why does the Maharsha say it is heresy to say Hashem didn't create darkness? Why is this question relavant?Join Jewish Thoughflow in another fascinating episode, where we do a deep dive into the nature of darkness, the difference between theory and Torah, and the distinction between absence and nothing. More than just a fun mental exercise, understanding this will help one comprehend Yichud Hashem and even has interesting Halachik ramifications! If you enjoyed this episode, or any of our previous ones, please make sure to share with your friends and family! Email us at Jewishthoughtflow@gmail.com with any comments, questions, or compliments. 

Pamphlet Regarding the species of the Chilazon - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1JwOXsYuawlltkpzLYgfv7YbEhbOqq2yC/view?usp=sharing Pamphlet regarding sources in gemara and rishonim dealing with the Chilazon chapters:  2-3 -  https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-nmQrxrkit6LDfhFNnOXg_bBigClkyle/view?usp=sharing 4-7 - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1QEeLBSeVu6R1KZbvGirOrRQtUYRQHC5w/view?usp=sharing 7-8 - https://drive.google.com/file/d/12pwWVExIJOPxvEBS_ytndQm0X0N25Lak/view?usp=sharing Teshuva from Rabbi Kleinman - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1r-N1QQkMcilK7y7JS8sHghD-fEtmURc1/view?usp=sharingfile:///Users/user/Downloads/Chilazon%20Identity%20Chapter%202-3.PDF 

With the rediscovery of the Murex's dying capabilities came a reborn interest in finding the Chilazon, the source of the 'Biblical Blue' Techeiles. From Reb Herzog's thesis, to Prof. Elsner's discovery, and finally Rabbi Eliyahu Tavger co-founding the ptil-tekhelet institute, the Murex has a rich history, and has convinced many that we have finally found the elusive chilazon. However, many remain unconvinced. Despite the fact that we have found mounds and mounds of Murex shells in obvious dying industries in the exact locations the Talmud tells us the chilazon was found, despite the fact that many rishonim identified the chilazon as a certain snail, despite the fact that the word chilazon MEANS SNAIL, despite the fact that the ancient decrees against Murex use explains its gradual disappearance from Jewish life, many in the ultra orthodox world won't wear Murex Techelis Tzitzis. Why not? Join Jewish Thoughtflow in the most comprehensive review of the Murex as the chilazon that can be found, and learn a new, yet unexplored angle that may change the way you view the topic of Murex Techeiles, and perhaps academia at large, forever.

Were the branches of the menorah straight or curved? If you ask your average person (try it) you will generally recieve the response: It's a machlokes Rishonim. If you ask a more academic leaning person, the answer may be 'it was definitely rounded, haven't you seen the arch?'. However, the Lubavitcher Rebbe was adament that it was in fact straight. Who is correct? Please subscribe to Jewish thoughtflow's WhatsApp status. An easy way to stay up to date, and discuss the episodes. All you have to do is click the link, add our contact, and we will add yours! https://wa.me/message/V7Y76456IVZQK1 Sources used in the episode: תרומה כה:לב - וְשִׁשָּׁ֣ה קָנִ֔ים יֹצְאִ֖ים מִצִּדֶּ֑יהָ שְׁלֹשָׁ֣ה ׀ קְנֵ֣י מְנֹרָ֗ה מִצִּדָּהּ֙ הָאֶחָ֔ד וּשְׁלֹשָׁה֙ קְנֵ֣י מְנֹרָ֔ה מִצִּדָּ֖הּ הַשֵּׁנִֽי רש'י תרומה כה:לב. - לְכָאן וּלְכָאן בַּאֲלַכְסוֹן, נִמְשָׁכִים וְעוֹלִין עַד כְּנֶגֶד גָּבְהָהּ שֶׁל מְנוֹרָה שֶׁהוּא קָנֶה הָאֶמְצָעִי. רמב'ם ביאת המקדש 3:2 - וְשָׁלֹשׁ רַגְלַיִם הָיוּ לָהּ. וּשְׁלֹשָׁה כַּפְתּוֹרִים אֲחֵרִים הָיוּ בִּקְנֵה הַמְּנוֹרָה שֶׁמֵּהֶן יוֹצְאִים שֵׁשֶׁת הַקָּנִים. שְׁלֹשָׁה מִצַּד זֶה וּשְׁלֹשָׁה מִצַּד זֶה. פירוש המשניות מנחות ג:ז. - ראיתי לצייר בכאן צורת המנורה שלימה... ואני מצייר עכשיו הצורה הזאת שהגביעים צורת דבר משולש והכפתור עגולה והפרח חצי עגולה כדי שיהיה קל להצטייר שאין הכוונה בצורה הזאת להודיע בה צורת הגביע על אמתתו לפי שכבר בארתי אותו לך אבל הכוונה להודיע בה מספר הגביעים וכפתורים והפרחים ומקומותם והשיעור הנשאר מעמוד המנורה שאין בו שום דבר והמקומות שהיו בהן הפרחים והכפתורים וכולה איך היתה וזו היא צורת כל זה: אברהם בן הרמב'ם תרומה כה:לב - בכור שור תרומה כה:לא - וכל הקנים היו שוים במדה אחת ועשוים כמין ענפי האילן קנה גוף המנורה גבוה מכולם שנים שבצדו נמוכים ממנה מעט כפי האלכסין והשנים נמוכים מן הראשונים כפי שהם יוצאים בנמוך והשלישיים יותר כפי שהם יוצאים בנמוך Menachos 28b - ר' יוסי בר רבי יהודה אומר אף של עץ לא יעשה כדרך שעשו מלכי בית חשמונאי אמרו לו משם ראיה שפודים של ברזל היו וחיפום בבעץ העשירו עשאום של כסף חזרו והעשירו עשאום של זהב אבן עזרא כה:לב - וששה. טעם קנים. עגולים ארוכים חלולים braaisa in midos 46 (yalkut brings down pretty much the same) - שבעה נרותיה כנגד שבעה כוכבים המשמשין את העולם ואלו הן שצ״מ חנכ״ל https://templeinstitute.org/menorah-archeological-evidence/ https://outorah.org/p/5720/

After shedding light on the history of the Chilazon and the Murex respectively, we know turn our attention to the descriptions given in the gemara and rishonim, starting with the most important question: What species was the Chilazon? After establishing the species, the aesthetic of the Chilazon must be compared to our foundering candidate. What does a fish look like? What color is the sea? Think those are easy questions? Think again. Join us in part two of the fascinating topic sweeping across Judaism: The Great Techeiles Debate!

נשים דעתן קלות - Roughly translated as "Women's intellect is light/weak", this phrase has, by many, been slotted into the "ancient misogynistic attitudes" category. For, as is well known, women are just as capable as men at intellectual capabilities. Differences between men and women are caused by social stigma, and have been rapidly decreasing as our societies become more egalitarian. Just look at average SAT math scores, which had men outperforming women at rates of 10:1 in the 80's, and just 2.5:1 in the 90's as the women's rights movement gained in popularity. So why would the Talmud make such a claim about women? Join Jewish Thoughtflow in their long awaited episode exploring the intellect of the man and the women, as well as the implications for our every day life.

In part 1 we examined a few different methods of having morality without religion, ranging from an innate sense of morality, to a strictly logical (slightly robotic) version aimed at creating the perfect society ("perfect" again being subject to numerous theories). In Part two we begin to question these theories. Is it truly possible, without a God, to come up with rules which will actually lead to a Perfect society? If the only reason I'm listening to God is because this will lead to the best society, or best personal perfection, can that really be called service of God? Is it heretical to propose that God is limited to being Moral? And lastly, but most importantly, why should we follow this emotion called "morality" more than any other? Join us for part 2 of the Morality trilogy, as we take conversations to paths rarely treaded, and thoughts to conceptual planes most minds flee from, all in the hopes of spreading the beauty of Judaism, God, and the Torah.

Where does morality come from? Is it an innate sense of justice that all humans share? Is it a system of "should"s and "shouldn't"s aimed to create the best society? The best personal experience? Or can it only exist in a God-Given Code of rights and wrongs?

After establishing the rules of reinterpretation in episode one, we move on to the greater challenge of actually dealing with the problem at hand. The verses say one age, thee science says another. What to do, what to do. Perhaps if the verses can't be taken non-literally, science can. Maybe the scientists have made a colossal blunder! Perhaps the light moves faster than we think, every dating method is off (conveniently so, as the mistake doesn't apply to any of the practical sciences), and fossilization happened within the past 6000 years! Maybe, but probably not so defensible for anyone with even a basic level of scientific knowledge. (this is not to say the science is perfect, it is too suggest there is a range of reasonably expected error, a topic Jewish ThoughtFlow will go more in-depth at a later time) Another famous explanation coined the Omphalos Hypothesis is that Hashem created the world in a completed state. Put simply, Hashem wanted a functioning universe for man. In order to do so, he created a world that was inhabitable. This includes full mountains, rivers, sun with starlight reaching the earth, and all the other luminaries. As simple as it sounds, this answer actually raises many philosophical problems. First, if we are assuming the world was created formed, with a suggested but non-real history, what is stopping us from suggesting that the world was in fact created last Thursday!? This is termed the "Last Thursdayism Problem", and is the main attack on the Omphalos Hypothesis. Second, the Omphalos Hypothesis is by definition unfalsifiable. There is no way to disprove that the world was created formed. If so, this should make it scientifically untenable. Third, the suggestion that the world was created old is to suggest that Hashem is misleading us with information. He is expecting us to believe Him and not our own eyes. Is this really what Judaism expects from us? Lastly, what is the purpose? I understand Hashem wanted a complete world. Fine. I can accept that part of a functioning world is sunlight, starlight, etc. Fine. But why the Earthly history? Why the fossils of animals that never really existed? Why the history of humans who never existed?? Why are there strata of Earth, suggesting an evolution which never happened? What is the purpose? As usual, Jewish ThoughtFLow goes where few have gone before, delving into the opposition to make sure the Torah perspective, perfect as we know it to be, can be understood by those with questions. And the way to figure out the answers? Delving into the sources to reveal the way Hashem wants us to view the world.

The Age of the Universe has been debated for millennium. The Jewish perspective through the years has been, for the most part, that the universe was created approximately 5781 years ago. The Non-Jewish perspective has shifted from Eternal, popularized by the great philosophers Aristotle and Plato, to a more finite number in the mid 19th century, which has slowly (and sometimes quickly) grew from 10's of millions, to the current number scientists run with today; 13.81 billion years old. As we know, the scientific assumption has never really matched, or been close to the number a literal reading of Genesis will give us. So what do we do..... Well, the simplest thing to do, when dealing with an issue of a text and empirical data, is reinterpret the text. Unfortunately, in this case, the text is the Torah, and the writer was the greatest prophet in history, transcribing Hashem's story to the Jewish people, making it more difficult to just allegorize. In "The Age of the Universe: Part 1", we go in depth into the four rules of reinterpretation, so beautifully categorized by the Great 10th century Rabbi, Rav Saadia Goan, in his magnum opus, Emunos V'Daos. Think all Verses are literal? Think again! Think no verse needs to be understood literally? Think again! Learn (or hear again) the difference between logic and reason, vision and extrapolation, Aristotle and Plato, and much much more in the latest episode from JewishThoughtFlow!