JOI to the World

Menachem Lehrfield
  • 5.0 (4)
  • Judaism
  • Updated Weekly

JOI to the World is a collection of podcasts by Rabbi Lehrfield of JOI that explore diverse aspects of Jewish life, learning, and culture. Each episode offers a unique perspective, drawing from the rich tapestry of Jewish thought and tradition. You can subscribe to this podcast to get weekly episodes or you can subscribe to the individual shows to receive the monthly episodes as they air.Zero Percent: Discover the profound outsided impact of a people that make up less than 0.2% of the world.Dear Rabbi: Practical answers to questions about Judaism.reConnect: Bridging the gap between ancient wisdom and modern life, this series offers a deep dive into the relationships that matter most.Yada Yada Yiddish: A Jewish perspective on Seinfeld, using the show’s iconic moments as a springboard for exploring Jewish concepts and values.Kids Say the Deepest Things: Meaningful lessons from the funny and insightful things kids say, with reflections on life, parenting, and Jewish tradition.

  1. 3d ago

    Parshat Shelach: Belief Shapes Reality

    📖 Parshat Shelach This Week: Ten spies and two enter the same land. They see the same giants, they see the same walls, they see the same challenges. But the ten say, "We cannot do it." Yehoshua and Kalev say, 'We can do it.' Same reality. Different conclusions. Who’s right? The actual story? They both are.” The people who think they’ll win and the people who think they’ll lose are both making prophecies that come true. Because belief makes reality. If you enter a challenge thinking you are going to fail, you have already lost. If you go in thinking you're going to win, you've already won. The mind is won or lost first on the battlefield. Your beliefs are not just mirrors of reality; they are creators of it. What world are you building with your beliefs? Shabbat Shalom. 🧠 Follow us for more: Website - https://www.joidenver.com Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/joidenver Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/JOIdenver YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/JOIdenver Pinterest - http://pinterest.com/jewishdiy Subscribe to "JOI to the World" to access all our podcasts, including Yada Yada Yiddish, Kids Say the Deepest Things, Reconnect, and Dear Rabbi.

    1 min

  2. 5d ago

    Why Don't Jews Mix Milk and Meat?

    🎧 Listen to this and other episodes at www.joidenver.com/podcasts In this episode of Dear Rabbi, I answer a fundamental question about Jewish dietary laws: Why don't Jews mix milk and meat? The short answer is simple: because God said so. But there's so much more to understand about this ancient practice. I explain that kashrut laws are essentially a spiritual diet for our souls. Just as certain foods clog our physical arteries, there are foods that clog our spiritual arteries. God shares this with us because if we want to get the most spiritually out of life and be open to spiritual realities, we must ensure our diet is in line with that goal. When we explore reasons for specific mitzvot, we need to understand that these reasons are layered, not definitive. The Hebrew word for reason is "tam" the same word as "taste." Just as God could have created bland food for survival but instead made magnificent foods with beautiful colors, tastes, and textures, the reasons for mitzvot enhance our intellectual and spiritual connection to them. There are multiple reasons given for not mixing milk and meat. On the practical side, pagan idolaters mixed milk and meat, so by avoiding this practice, Jews distinguish themselves from pagan worship. On the kabbalistic side, milk represents life (it's white, representing purity and sustenance), while meat represents death. By keeping them separate, we acknowledge the clear distinction between life and death two fundamental forces we must never intermingle. CONNECT WITH US: 🎧 Listen to all our podcasts: [www.joidenver.com/podcasts] Follow us for more: Website - https://www.joidenver.com Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/joidenver Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/JOIdenver  YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/JOIdenver Pinterest - http://pinterest.com/jewishdiy Subscribe to "JOI to the World" to access all our podcasts, including Yada Yada Yiddish, Kids Say the Deepest Things, Reconnect, and Dear Rabbi. Join us as we uncover the treasures in our backyard and explore what makes the Jewish people extraordinary! 🕎📚🎙️

    4 min

  3. Jun 5

    Parshat Beha'alotcha: Enough is a Mindset

    📖 Parsha Beha’alotcha This Week's: The Jewish people are eating manna, the perfect food. It tastes like whatever they want, is totally nutritious, and leaves no waste. But they whine. They want the meat. God sends the quails. Finally! They think, I will be happy! But they are still not happy. Why?' Happiness was never about the meat. It’s about our innate human desire to want what we don’t have. We go after the next promotion, the bigger house, the new car, thinking, 'I'll be happy when I get this.' Then we get it and we feel hollow. The actual story? Happiness isn’t an event. It’s a mentality. It’s understanding that everything you have been given is yours to finish your mission. “You don’t need what you don’t possess. That’s not compromise, that’s wisdom. Shabbat Shalom.🙏🏻 Follow us for more: Website - https://www.joidenver.com Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/joidenver Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/JOIdenver YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/JOIdenver Pinterest - http://pinterest.com/jewishdiy Subscribe to "JOI to the World" to access all our podcasts, including Yada Yada Yiddish, Kids Say the Deepest Things, Reconnect, and Dear Rabbi.

    2 min

  4. Jun 3

    Why Can Jews Charge Interest to Non-Jews?

    🎧 Listen to this and other episodes at www.joidenver.com/podcasts In this episode of Dear Rabbi, I address a question about Jewish lending practices: Why are Jews allowed to charge interest to non-Jews? The answer reveals deeper Jewish values about family, community, and morality. First, let me be clear: there's nothing immoral about charging interest. If I rent out a car, there's a price for that rental. If I rent out my money, there's a price for that too. Interest is simply the price for renting money; it's a fair economic transaction. The reason Jews don't charge other Jews interest is because we see the entire Jewish people as a family. While there's nothing wrong with charging someone interest in a business transaction, if your brother asks to borrow money and you charge them interest, it's not the nicest thing to do. The Torah sets a very high bar for us, demanding that we lend to our brothers and sisters without interest. We lend to them because it's the right thing to do and because we love them and care for them, not because of the interest we might gain. This practice reflects the Jewish principle of seeing our people as one family bound together by covenant and mutual responsibility. CONNECT WITH US: 🎧 Listen to all our podcasts: [www.joidenver.com/podcasts] Follow us for more: Website - https://www.joidenver.com Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/joidenver Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/JOIdenver  YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/JOIdenver Pinterest - http://pinterest.com/jewishdiy Subscribe to "JOI to the World" to access all our podcasts, including Yada Yada Yiddish, Kids Say the Deepest Things, Reconnect, and Dear Rabbi. Join us as we uncover the treasures in our backyard and explore what makes the Jewish people extraordinary! 🕎📚🎙️

    2 min

  5. May 28

    Parsha Nasso: When nobody owns it, everything fails

    📖 Parshat Nasso This Week: This emphasizes the critical role of assigning specific roles to foster a sense of ownership, a cornerstone of effective leadership. When individuals are given clear responsibilities, it significantly boosts employee engagement and overall team motivation. This approach aligns with sound management principles, demonstrating how understanding motivation theory can lead to greater success in any endeavor. Follow us for more: Website - https://www.joidenver.com Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/joidenver Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/JOIdenver YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/JOIdenver Pinterest - http://pinterest.com/jewishdiy Subscribe to "JOI to the World" to access all our podcasts, including Yada Yada Yiddish, Kids Say the Deepest Things, Reconnect, and Dear Rabbi.

    1 min

  6. May 27

    Should Jews Buy German Cars?

    🎧 Listen to this and other episodes at www.joidenver.com/podcasts In this episode of Dear Rabbi, I tackle a sensitive question: Can or should Jews drive Volkswagens or other German-made vehicles? I like how you asked both "can" and "should" because honestly, that's the distinction. First, the legal answer: A Jew is absolutely allowed to buy a German car. There's nothing in halakha (Jewish law) that forbids it. But with that said, there's definitely a sensitivity about not supporting those who tried to exterminate every single Jewish person  man, woman, and child from the world. I explore the dark histories of German car manufacturers. Auto Union (Audi's parent company) recently admitted to using concentration camp inmates to produce cars. BMW used slave labor and supported the Nazi war effort by making aircraft and motorcycles. Volkswagen, Daimler, and Mercedes-Benz did the same. Ferdinand Porsche, the famous engineer, was a Nazi Party member who invented the Volkswagen Beetle specifically on Hitler's orders. But here's the important point: if we're going to boycott companies with dark antisemitic pasts, we need to be consistent. Henry Ford was one of the most vile antisemites ever - he bought a newspaper specifically to spread antisemitic propaganda across America. The founders of Adidas and Puma were brothers and both Nazi Party members. Hugo Boss made uniforms for the SS and Hitler Youth, yet many people wear his clothes without hesitation. IBM allegedly provided extensive support to Nazi Germany. The reality is that many companies have dark antisemitic histories. Beyond the past, there are current companies signed onto the BDS movement (boycott, divest, sanction Israel) that refuse to acknowledge Israel's right to exist. The list is quite large. Personally, I'm not comfortable driving a German car or Ford car. I'd choose Häagen-Dazs over Ben and Jerry's because of their stance on Israel. But this is a personal choice, not a religious requirement. I'm not making judgments about others, it's a sensitivity that people either have or don't. CONNECT WITH US: 🎧 Listen to all our podcasts: [www.joidenver.com/podcasts] Follow us for more: Website - https://www.joidenver.com Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/joidenver Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/JOIdenver  YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/JOIdenver Pinterest - http://pinterest.com/jewishdiy Subscribe to "JOI to the World" to access all our podcasts, including Yada Yada Yiddish, Kids Say the Deepest Things, Reconnect, and Dear Rabbi. Join us as we uncover the treasures in our backyard and explore what makes the Jewish people extraordinary! 🕎📚🎙️

    5 min

  7. May 27

    You Get More Than You Give : Rabbi Bernard Heitner

    🎧 Listen to this and other episodes at www.joidenver.com/podcasts. Why Real Entrepreneurs Go From Failure to Failure Real talk: entrepreneurship isn't about avoiding failure; it's about moving from one failure to the next until something works. The difference between those who make it and those who don't? How you treat failure when it happens. What you'll get from watching: Why failure is part and parcel of being an entrepreneurThe mindset shift that separates successful business owners from everyone elseHow giving back creates more fulfillment than any financial successWhy you get more than you give (and the proof behind it)The small daily actions that define true generosityHow one person's example can transform an entire communityIf you're building a business, struggling with setbacks, or wondering what really matters when it's all said and done, this conversation will shift your perspective. 👉 Hit subscribe if you want more real conversations about entrepreneurship, giving, and making a difference. CONNECT WITH US: 🎧 Listen to all our podcasts: [www.joidenver.com/podcasts] Follow us for more: Website - https://www.joidenver.com Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/joidenver Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/JOIdenver  YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/JOIdenver Pinterest - http://pinterest.com/jewishdiy Subscribe to "JOI to the World" to access all our podcasts, including Yada Yada Yiddish, Kids Say the Deepest Things, Reconnect, and Dear Rabbi. Join us as we uncover the treasures in our backyard and explore what makes the Jewish people extraordinary! 🕎📚🎙️

    38 min

  8. May 20

    Is Being Anti-Israel the Same as Being Antisemitic?

    🎧 Listen to this and other episodes at www.joidenver.com/podcasts In this episode of Dear Rabbi, I tackle a great and very timely question: Is it antisemitic to be anti-Israel? This is a nuanced issue that requires careful understanding of the difference between legitimate criticism and hate. I lived in Israel for about nine years, and I can tell you that nobody is more critical of Israel than Israelis themselves. Well, maybe the UN, but aside from them, Israelis are Israel's harshest critics. There's nothing antisemitic about being against a specific aspect of the Israeli government or a particular policy they've implemented. Democracies invite and require criticism that's healthy and normal. But with that said, there is a very fine line. We're finding that so much antisemitic rhetoric and antisemitic tropes that have existed for thousands of years are being rebranded as anti-Zionism or anti-Israel sentiment, and that IS antisemitic, and it IS a problem. I point to concrete evidence: During the clash between Gaza and Israel in May 2021, antisemitic attacks around the world, including here in the United States, skyrocketed. There was a direct correlation between anti-Israel rhetoric and antisemitic violence. People were being beaten up on the streets of the United States who had no connection to Israel or anything specifically happening in the Middle East. The key question to ask yourself: Am I criticizing the policy of a democratic country (which is totally okay), or am I trying to delegitimize Israel's right to exist? The former is legitimate political discourse. The latter is another form of antisemitism that's becoming increasingly popular today in the United States. If you follow the trends, it's actually quite scary.

    2 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

JOI to the World is a collection of podcasts by Rabbi Lehrfield of JOI that explore diverse aspects of Jewish life, learning, and culture. Each episode offers a unique perspective, drawing from the rich tapestry of Jewish thought and tradition. You can subscribe to this podcast to get weekly episodes or you can subscribe to the individual shows to receive the monthly episodes as they air.Zero Percent: Discover the profound outsided impact of a people that make up less than 0.2% of the world.Dear Rabbi: Practical answers to questions about Judaism.reConnect: Bridging the gap between ancient wisdom and modern life, this series offers a deep dive into the relationships that matter most.Yada Yada Yiddish: A Jewish perspective on Seinfeld, using the show’s iconic moments as a springboard for exploring Jewish concepts and values.Kids Say the Deepest Things: Meaningful lessons from the funny and insightful things kids say, with reflections on life, parenting, and Jewish tradition.

Information

  • Creator
    Menachem Lehrfield
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    186
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright Menachem Lehrfield
  • Show Website
    JOI to the World

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