Episode 41: Dr. Brian Keating "God and the Astrophysicists"

Episode 41: Dr. Brian Keating "God and the Astrophysicists"

Author: Ben Koren and Benzi Siouni | A Geonic-Maimonidean Approach to Torah Through the Ages and Today January 30, 2023 Duration: 49:27
Dr. Brian Keating's book 'Losing the Nobel Prize' is a memoir about his scientific and personal journey. In one of his talks, he said, "searching for God was in a way searching for my father." He explains how being estranged from his father impacted his relationship with God. Raised Catholic by his stepfather, he spent a year as an altar boy, but his spiritual search eventually led him to becoming a Baal Teshuva. We discuss how Judaism requires one to ACT, not necessarily to BELIEVE. Discover how this particular fact about Judaism shaped who he is, why he returned to his roots after becoming an atheist, and how he reconciles the seeming tension between religion and science. Also, it seems that scientists are reverting to the Eternal Universe Model to avoid the implications of the Big Bang (via the Multiverse theory). Many scientists insist that if God were to exist, something MUST have created Him, yet they don't apply the same logic to the universe. In this sense, is science any different than dogmatic religion? On another note, he explains how space and time are related and why this is so fundamental. We also touch on the big question about mathematics: Is it hardwired into the fabric of the universe, or are we creating it to understand and navigate our world? Lastly, we ask the professor if he thinks aliens exist, which is always a fun topic. (His talks with Ben Shapiro, Lex Fridman, Avi Loeb, Dennis Prager, Eric Weinstein, and Neil Degrasse Tyson are available on all major platforms.) • Thank you to friend of the podcast Zev Gotkin of Zev Media for guest co-hosting this episode!

In a world of soundbites, JUDAISM DEMYSTIFIED | A Guide for Today's Perplexed: Torah Foundations, Reason, and Tradition offers a different space: long, thoughtful conversations that delve into the questions and concepts often passed over. Lifelong friends Ben Koren and Benzi Siouni host this series, bringing together voices from across disciplines-religious thinkers, scientists, historians-to examine Jewish wisdom through a specific lens. Their approach is rooted in the Geonic-Maimonidean tradition, a classical stream of Jewish thought that champions reason alongside deep faith, and they thoughtfully engage with the modern intellectual legacy of Rabbi Jonathan Sacks. This isn't about simple answers, but about rediscovering the robust, foundational frameworks of Torah that can speak to contemporary complexity. Each episode aims to build a bridge between ancient text and modern perplexity, reigniting a genuine passion for tradition by taking it seriously as a living, intellectual pursuit. The resulting discussions in this podcast are nuanced, patient, and designed for anyone who feels that standard explanations have left gaps in their understanding. You'll hear explorations where tradition meets rigorous inquiry, where historical context illuminates enduring principles, and where the goal is a more coherent, personally owned Jewish life. It’s a guide for the curious, the skeptical, and the devoted, all seeking a deeper anchor in timeless wisdom.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 139

JUDAISM DEMYSTIFIED | A Guide for Today's Perplexed: Torah Foundations, Reason, and Tradition
Podcast Episodes
Episode 36: Professor Yaacob Dweck "The Scandal of Kabbalah" [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:36
Who was Rabbi Leon de Modena and why did he dedicate much of his life to fighting against the Zohar and its influence? Dr. Dweck explains how Modena's reputation within traditional Judaism suffered for a number of reason…
Episode 35: Dr. Bernd Wollschlaeger "My Nazi Father & Jewish Soul" [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:36:32
As a teenager, Bernd Wollschlaeger uncovered a very dark secret about his family: that his father was a decorated, high-ranking Nazi who was very proud of his role as a tank commander in Hitler’s army and played a part i…
Episode 34: Rabbi David Rosen "Defining Our Jewish Identity" [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:10:31
Rabbi David Rosen makes a passionate case for a new (yet old) approach to building a strong, sustainable Jewish identity, and how rallying around a flag or conjuring up the holocaust must not be the determining factors o…
Episode 33: Rabbi Dr. Elie Feder "Gematria Refigured" [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:41:27
Gematria is one of the methods of Aggadic interpretation but unfortunately it has developed a bad reputation as something that can be easily manipulated to "prove" any idea. As a respected mathematician and a critical th…
Episode 32: Hakham Mordehai Ish Yemini "Why Even Be Maimonidean?" [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:14:12
The Hakham returns and delivers yet another explosive interview. This time he makes a strong case for the practical reasons Jews should return to the classical Sepharadi tradition and explains why the alternative path ha…
Episode 31: Dr. Susan Weissman "Ghosts, Purgatory & the Undead" [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:38:50
Dr. Susan Weissman delivers a thorough examination of particular areas of Sefer Hasidim by Rabbi Yehuda HaHasid. In her book titled 'Final Judgment and the Dead in Medieval Jewish Thought', she presents how influential t…
Episode 30: Mitchell First Esq. "Jewish Roots & Rituals" [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:13
Mitchell First Esq. examines pre-exilic acrostics that point to the Hebrew letter Pe preceding Ayin in the original order of the Hebrew alphabet (as in Eikhah chaps. 2-4, and based on recent archaeological findings) and…
Episode 29: Rabbi Jonathan Livi "Adam, Eve & The Human Condition" [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:18:54
Rabbi Jonthan Livi, host of 3 Podcasts on Apple (The Parasha Podcast, The Navi Podcast, The Tehillim Podcast), carefully analyzes the nuances of the Garden of Eden narrative and uncovers some of its deepest lessons. The…
Episode 28: Rabbi Moshe Ben-Chaim "A Return to Fundamentals" [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:13:23
Rabbi Moshe Ben-Chaim makes a strong case to return to fundamentals by using sources and common sense. He explains how Judaism in the modern age has regressed into magical thinking and superstition. We discuss the follow…
Episode 27: Professor Matt Goldish "The Sabbatean Prophets" [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:11:35
Dr. Goldish provides a detailed analysis on the history of messianic movements, with a specific focus on a relatively recent false messiah, Shabbetai Ẓevi. We discuss the influence on Zoharic and Lurianic Kabbalah on Ẓev…