The Fifth Question

Daniel Levine
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My name is Daniel Levine and I am a Rabbi and Jewish History Lecturer at UC Irvine! I have conversations about the most pressing issues facing the Jewish community with professors, Rabbis, and politicians with a wide range of views. Hope you enjoy :)

  1. 2 DAYS AGO

    Will AI Replace Artists and Rabbis?

    Welcome back to the Fifth Question Podcast — I’m your host, Rabbi Daniel Levine.In this episode, I sit down with Professor Mike Wirth (Queens University of Charlotte): artist, educator, and futurist. We start with a deceptively simple question—what is a futurist?—and end up in a wide-ranging conversation on Jewish futurism, story-space, Chassidic imagination, and what it means to “shape the future” by being fully present.Mike shares how Jewish time itself is a kind of futurist technology: Shabbat as a “time tunnel,” holidays that loop us back into ancestral memory, and the ritual language that always points forward—toward where we’re headed. From there, we explore how art can become a portal into Torah: inhabiting biblical narratives as lived worlds, and turning characters into avatars for communal creativity.Then we pivot to the modern world: AI and art. Mike breaks down the difference between art vs. design, why intention matters, and how AI can function as an ethical tool for ideation without replacing human authorship. We talk about what changes when you don’t know something was written by AI until after it moves you—and what that reveals about value, authenticity, and experience.Finally, we dive into Jewish framing: telos (“to what end?”) as a futurist discipline, the Golem of Prague as an AI parable, and a mystical counter-image: the Sar Torah—an “oracle” model for outsourced knowledge that raises a timeless question about what we gain…and what we risk losing.If you’re interested in modern Jewish thought, creativity, Jewish storytelling, education, futurism, AI, and the boundary between meaning and mechanism, this one is for you.Chapters / Key MomentsWhat a “futurist” actually isJewish futurism: time, ritual, and responsibilityTorah as immersive story-space (Noach, avatars, and imagination)Martin Buber and revaluing Chassidic spiritualityAI, authorship, and the difference between art vs. designTelos: “to what end?” and the ethics of shaping futuresThe Golem of Prague, truth, and the kill-switch problemNFTs, value, and why markets love storiesFollow / SubscribeIf you enjoyed this conversation, subscribe for more long-form interviews on Jewish ideas, culture, and the questions underneath the questions.#FifthQuestion #futurism #ai #MikeWirth #aiandfaith #aiandart #judaism #religion #chatgpt

    1 hr

  2. 12 FEB

    Why The Jews Rejected Jesus

    he second part of my conversation with  @DavidWilberBlog  about why Jews Do Not Accept Jesus.In this episode of The Fifth Question, we dive into one of the most sensitive and fascinating topics in Jewish–Christian dialogue: Jews for Jesus, Messianic Judaism, and why these movements are generally not accepted as part of the Jewish community.I sit down with Christian author and teacher David Wilber for a thoughtful, respectful conversation about:What Messianic Judaism claims and how the Jewish community draws its boundariesWhether Jews for Jesus represents Judaism or ChristianityPaul, the early Jesus movement, and the “parting of the ways”How Jews historically understood Messiah vs. how Christians understand JesusWhether the New Testament’s resurrection claims hold historical weightIf Isaiah’s “light to the nations” prophecy fits JesusThe philosophical question: What counts as evidence for the Messiah?We finish with a 30-minute debate on whether there is compelling evidence—in the Bible or in broader philosophy—for accepting Jesus, followed by my own 5-minute reflection on why Jewish-Christian conversations often feel asymmetrical and how centuries of history still shape interfaith dynamics today.If you care about theology, history, philosophy, or Jewish-Christian dialogue, this is an episode you won’t want to miss.#jesus #jewsforjesus #messianicjudaism #jesuschrist #jewishthought

    55 min

  3. 9 FEB

    Meet The Christian Who Keeps Jewish Law

    Welcome back to The Fifth Question Podcast — I’m your host, Daniel Levine. In today’s wildly unexpected episode, I sit down with ‪@DavidWilberBlog‬ — a popular Christian writer, teacher, and theologian — who makes a provocative case: Christians should be keeping Jewish (biblical/Mosaic) law.This is Part 1 of a longer conversation, and it focuses on David’s framework as a Christian who practices Torah observance through Messianic Judaism — what he describes as a “Jewish form of Christianity” rooted in first-century practice.✅ What We Cover in Part 1In this episode, we unpack:🔹 Torah & ChristianityWhy David believes Jesus and the apostles affirmed the Torah rather than abolishing itWhat “pronomian” theology is (pro-law) and why he argues “antinomian” Christianity (anti-law) misreads Scripture🔹 The Practical Questions Everyone AsksWhat does “keeping biblical law” actually mean day-to-day?Sabbath: how do you define “rest” without the Talmud?Kashrut (kosher laws): how do Messianic Christians decide what counts as kosher?Can you eat a cheeseburger if the Torah only says “don’t boil a calf in its mother’s milk”?🔹 Paul: Did He Reject Jewish Law?We go deep into the biggest controversy:The classic Protestant/Lutheran reading of Paul vs. newer scholarshipThe “New Perspective on Paul” (including E.P. Sanders)“Paul within Judaism” and scholars like Mark Nanos and Matthew ThiessenActs 21, James, and whether Paul’s practice was actually Torah-observant🔹 Anti-Jewish Theology & Church HistoryDavid’s experience being called a “Judaizer”Early Christian hostility to Torah practice (Justin Martyr, John Chrysostom)Why he argues many modern Christians are “not Protestant enough” — if Protestantism means returning to original roots🔹 Messiah, Law, and the End of DaysWe explore a fascinating philosophical/theological tension:If the Messiah has come (Jesus), why would the law still be necessary?Jewish mystical theories of law changing in the messianic age (Gershom Scholem, Kabbalistic thought)David’s argument from the prophets (Ezekiel 36; Torah “written on the heart”) and Matthew 5 (“not one jot or tittle…”)🎧 Part 2 Coming SoonBecause this conversation ran long, Part 2 will drop in a couple of days — and that’s where we flip the script and get into:Jews for JesusWhy Jews don’t accept JesusA 45-minute debate on “evidence” for Jesus as Messiah (Bible + philosophy + epistemology)➡️ Subscribe so Part 2 shows up automatically when it drops.👍 Support the ChannelIf you enjoyed this conversation, please like, comment, and subscribe — it genuinely helps the show reach more people.Now, here’s Part 1 with David Wilber.#christain #jesus #jewishthought #jewishlaw #rabbi

    58 min

  4. 5 FEB

    What Do I Think of Intermarriage? and Other Jewish Q's

    I recently appeared on the Rabbi Avi Show to unpack my views on a variety of hot topics including:Zionism, intermarriage, antisemitism, campus life, American politics, and much more!#interfaithlove #campus #trump #gaza #interfaith Please Like, comment, and subscribe :)

    1h 2m

  5. 3 FEB

    Everything You Need to Know about Jew Hatred w/ Andrew Pessin

    Andrew Pessin joins me again to trace the 19th-century ideas that made political Zionism feel almost inevitable—emancipation, nationalism, Marxism, Darwinism, and the rise of modern racial antisemitism. From there we unpack The Protocols of the Elders of Zion: what it claimed, where it came from, why it spread, and how conspiratorial antisemitism still echoes in the way Israel and Jews are talked about today.We also discuss why it was so hard for many Jews to “see the writing on the wall” in real time, how antisemitism shifts forms across eras, and Andrew’s new project: the Institute for the Critical Study of Anti-Zionism.Topics include:Why the 1800s set the stage for ZionismEnlightenment-era “emancipation” and its limitsNationalism and the “state within a state” fearDarwinism, “scientific racism,” and modern antisemitismThe origins and influence of ProtocolsHow conspiracy thinking mutates and survivesAndrew’s Institute for the Critical Study of Anti-Zionism#zionisme #rabbi #herzl #israel #palestine #gaza #holocaustremembrance #trump

    1h 15m

  6. 30 JAN

    Has Trump Made Things Safer or Worse for Jews? w/ Congressman Reid Ribble

    In this wide-ranging conversation, I’m joined by former Congressman Reid Ribble (Wisconsin’s 8th District) to unpack the biggest political questions shaping America right now: the rise of antisemitism across the political spectrum, Trump’s political impact (and contradictions), Israel/Ukraine and U.S. foreign policy, the national debt, entitlement reform, immigration, and why Congress feels increasingly broken.We begin with headlines and lived realities—from antisemitic violence and campus controversies to the broader cultural currents driving polarization—then zoom out to examine populism, institutional leadership, free speech vs. protection of Jewish students, and the politics of outrage in the social media era. Ribble also reflects on why he left Congress, how internal House rules changed lawmaking, and what it would take to restore bipartisan problem-solving.Topics include:Antisemitism and populism (right + left)Political leadership and institutional accountabilityTrump, Israel, and the “playing both sides” dynamicThe Antisemitism Awareness Act + IHRA definition debateFree speech vs. protecting students from intimidation/violenceWhy Ribble retired from CongressCongress, closed rules, and the concentration of powerNational debt: modern monetary theory vs. “borrowing from ourselves”Ukraine, Israel, and American support for alliesImmigration, workforce needs, and declining birth rates2028 presidential candidates and party realignment

    49 min

  7. 20 JAN

    Why I Hold Israel to a Double Standard

    I recently appeared on the Don't Know Much About podcast with Naya Lekht to discuss my philosophy of Israel and Jewish Education.To listen to the last episode I did with Naya see here: https://youtu.be/bsodVJMFX-U?si=0PpJzK31WNX9Kb1V#holocaustremembrance #israel #orthodoxjudaism #reformjudaism #jewishidentity Jewish History, Politics, Israel, Antisemitism, and Zionism - I cover it all.If you appreciate these episodes please like, comment, and subscribe!Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/daniel.levine.31/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rabbidaniellevine/#israel #rabbi #jewish #WhatisZionism #dojews ?

    1h 10m

  8. 17 JAN

    Martin Luther King Jr. Was a Zionist: Here’s Why That Matters

    Martin Luther King Jr. Day is often used to project modern political causes onto a man who can no longer speak for himself. In this episode, I take a closer look at how MLK’s legacy—particularly his clear support for the Jewish community and Zionism—has been reinterpreted, distorted, and in some cases erased by today’s activist movements.We talk about the growing trend of folding anti-Israel ideology into social justice spaces, the attempt to cast MLK as an anti-Zionist figure despite his own words, and why that framing collapses under even minimal historical scrutiny. From post-1967 geopolitics to campus activism, from media narratives to selective memory, this episode asks a simple question: why are people so determined to remake MLK in their own image?MLK was explicit about where he stood. Ignoring that isn’t progress—it’s revisionism.If you find this conversation valuable, don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe to help keep these discussions going.#mlk #blacklivematter #zionisme #israel #progressive #ice #abolishthepolice

    9 min
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About

My name is Daniel Levine and I am a Rabbi and Jewish History Lecturer at UC Irvine! I have conversations about the most pressing issues facing the Jewish community with professors, Rabbis, and politicians with a wide range of views. Hope you enjoy :)

Information

  • Creator
    Daniel Levine
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    167
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Daniel Levine
  • Show Website
    The Fifth Question

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