The Great Sources with Rabbi Shnayor Burton

Rabbi Shnayor Burton
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  • JUDAISM
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

To help support this podcast, please consider making a tax-deductible donation via Zelle to jacoblightsfoundation@gmail.com. Lecture series in Jewish Philosophy. What was the purpose of Creation? What is man's place in the world? What are prophecy and prayer about? What is the significance of Shabbos and the Promised Land? Explore these fundamental questions of Judaism from their sources, and become familiar with the systems developed by the great Torah thinkers: R' Saadiah Gaon, R' Yehuda HaLevi, R' Bachya ibn Paquda, Rambam and the school of the Mekubalim.

  1. FEB 11

    Rambam's Secret Interpretation of "An Eye for an Eye"

    Rambam writes in the Guide, 3:41:The punishment meted out to anyone who has done wrong tosomebody else consists in general in his being given exactly the same treatment that he has given to somebody else. If he has injured the latter’s body, he shall be injured in his body… And he who has deprived someone of a member, shall be deprived of a similar member: “As he hath maimed a man, so shall it be rendered unto him” (Leviticus 24:20). You should not engage in cogitation concerning the fact that in such a case we punish by imposing a fine. For at present my purpose is to give reasons for the [biblical] texts and not for the pronouncements of the legal sciences. Withal I have an opinion concerning this provision of legal science, which should only be expressed by word of mouth. What was the secret opinion Rambam held regarding this law?

    35 min

  2. FEB 9

    S5, E63 Exodus, Exile and Redemption, Final Audio Message

    Written essays are published bi-weekly ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Please subscribe!

    18 sec

  3. JAN 26

    S5, E62 Exodus, Exile and Redemption, Sec. 5, Chapter 11: His Word, Shalom

    "Exodus, Exile and Redemption" is a study of the profound significance of Judaism's history. Written essays are published bi-weekly ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Please subscribe! This series is made possible by the Jacob Lights Foundation. To support this and other ongoing foundation initiatives, please consider becoming a paid subscriber to the Substack newsletter or making a tax-deductible donation via Zelle to jacoblightsfoundation@gmail.com.

    9 min

  4. JAN 22

    S10, E9 In Pursuit of Knowing Hashem: Why We Need the Torah and Why Freedom Is Impossible

    0:00 What is Judaism all about?2:00 Did the forefathers know the Name of Hashem or not?4:00 Exodus initiated two seemingly different things: knowledge of Hashem and freedom from bondage5:55 Where does the Torah fit into Exodus?9:00 "Nobody is free but for he who studies Torah" – how does the Torah make a person free?13:15 The prophets' opposition to sacrifices, in contradiction to the Torah18:45 Midrash is the insistence to read verses closely and exactly21:30 The focus of the prophets on da'as Hashem25:45 The response to "I am Hashem" is da'as Hashem29:30 Summary of the points made thus far32:00 Moshe asked to know Hashem, and his request was denied36:30 The contradiction between the Torah and the Prophets about whether Hashem can be seen38:30 Two meanings of "seeing" and two meanings of "knowing"43:00 A creature of super-human intelligence once visited earth and revealed that the totality of human knowledge is folly46:15 It's easy to see Hashem – but then you die48:00 Why sacrifices and da'as Hashem are mutually exclusive50:30 Why suicide is the root problem of philosophy1:02:00 Law is for those who don't have da'as Hashem1:13:00 Moshe thought that his mission was one of bringing da'as Hashem to the people, just like all the prophets1:18:45 Hashem told Moshe that the impossibility of da'as Hashem is also a fundamental component of the Torah1:20:30 The one who has da'as Hashem is truly free, since his mind is the mind of Hashem1:25:15 Judaism is fundamentally about freedom1:28:45 "They did not listen to Moshe because of shortness of spirit and because of hard labor" – they refused to embrace da'as Hashem1:31:30 You cannot understand anything about the Torah without realizing that there are two contradictory paths throughout the Torah1:33:30 Is it impossible to be completely free; human beings cannot allow themselves to be completely free1:36:30 In order to being thinking freely, there must be guardrails beyond which one wouldn't think1:41:45 How the Torah is a function of the servitude in Egypt1:43:30 True da'as Hashem is the hypothetical ideal 1:45:45 How the Torah supports the convincing illusion of da'as Hashem1:47:30 Many people make the mistake of trying to make the Torah make sense and have it replace da'as Hashem1:49:20 The stronger your da'as Hashem, the stronger your Torah needs to be

    1h 54m

  5. JAN 12

    S5, E61 Exodus, Exile and Redemption, Sec. 5, Chapter 10: A Most Peculiar and Remarkable Gematria

    "Exodus, Exile and Redemption" is a study of the profound significance of Judaism's history. Written essays are published bi-weekly ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Please subscribe! This series is made possible by the Jacob Lights Foundation. To support this and other ongoing foundation initiatives, please consider becoming a paid subscriber to the Substack newsletter or making a tax-deductible donation via Zelle to jacoblightsfoundation@gmail.com.

    8 min

  6. JAN 9

    How to Become a King: On Parables and Dominion

    A shiur on Mishlei as royal education: parable as a technology of rule; Shlomo and the language of animals; the snake as political challenger; and the stabilizing role of the god-fearing woman. How to govern without being governed by one’s own symbols.

    1h 8m

  7. JAN 6

    S10, E8 In Pursuit of Knowing Hashem: Why Do We Need the Torah?

    In this conversation, Zev and I discuss what role the Torah plays in the pursuit of knowing Hashem 00:30 Why do we require the Torah for the pursuit of da'as Hashem? 9:00 Can a person achieve da'as Hashem without the Torah? 16:30 Is the Torah the exclusive method that brings to da'as Hashem? 18:00 What is the Torah and to what genre does it belong? 21:45 It is impossible to disentangle Jewish values from the Torah 30:30 The Torah's words, narratives and practices anchor a person in da'as Hashem 40:00 Does all da'as Hashem trace its roots to the Torah? 51:00 Torah as Law and its difference from the Prophets: https://www.ebay.com/itm/364132946794... https://open.substack.com/pub/shnayor/p/ee-and-r-3_1-between-the-torah-and?utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web 52:00 Da'as Hashem is absent from the Torah; Moshe is higher than the prophets by virtue of his recognition that Hashem is actually unknowable 53:30 The Law as guardrails against absolute freedom of thought 54:45 We cannot and will not contemplate infinity, and therefore we need the finitude of the Law 56:00 Paradoxically, restrictions allow for freedom of thought 1:00:00 The Jewish People is the greatest mitzvah 1:05:00 Summary of how the Torah serves da'as Hashem

    1h 11m

  8. 12/29/2025

    S5, E60 Exodus, Exile and Redemption, Sec. 5, Chapter 9: Fear

    "Exodus, Exile and Redemption" is a study of the profound significance of Judaism's history. Written essays are published bi-weekly ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Please subscribe! This series is made possible by the Jacob Lights Foundation. To support this and other ongoing foundation initiatives, please consider becoming a paid subscriber to the Substack newsletter or making a tax-deductible donation via Zelle to jacoblightsfoundation@gmail.com.

    9 min
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To help support this podcast, please consider making a tax-deductible donation via Zelle to jacoblightsfoundation@gmail.com. Lecture series in Jewish Philosophy. What was the purpose of Creation? What is man's place in the world? What are prophecy and prayer about? What is the significance of Shabbos and the Promised Land? Explore these fundamental questions of Judaism from their sources, and become familiar with the systems developed by the great Torah thinkers: R' Saadiah Gaon, R' Yehuda HaLevi, R' Bachya ibn Paquda, Rambam and the school of the Mekubalim.

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