Answers WithHeld

Hadar Institute
  • 5.0 (48)
  • JUDAISM
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

A podcast where we confront big questions with bold thinking and honest searching. Each week, Rabbi Shai Held sits down with a leading thinker or teacher to explore one powerful Jewish idea. This podcast doesn’t have all the answers, but it can uncover new insights and model what it means to take Torah and Jewish thought seriously. 

  1. 2D AGO

    Is Torah Study the Highest Value?

    Is studying Torah really the most important thing a Jew can do? Or is that just something rabbis say—because they're the ones doing the studying? In this episode, Rabbi Shai Held talks with Rabbanit Devorah Zlochower about the value and limits of Talmud Torah. Together, they wrestle with classic rabbinic sources, the meaning of learning as a spiritual practice, and how Torah study connects (or sometimes disconnects) from justice, action, and everyday life. If you’ve ever wondered what makes learning holy—or whether it's enough on its own—this conversation is for you.

    43 min

  2. SEP 10

    Judaism and the Heart

    Is lighting candles, giving tzedakah, or saying a prayer enough if your heart’s not in it? Rabbis Shai Held and Josh Feigelson sit down to explore what it means to live a heart-centered Jewish life—and why it matters more than we often think. Together, they reflect on the perceived split between "the duties of the limbs" and "the duties of the heart," wrestle with the legacies of thinkers like Yeshayahu Leibowitz, and examine how cultivating the heart can help us live less reactive, more compassionate lives.

    38 min

  3. SEP 3

    Where is God? Lessons from the Book of Ruth

    What does it mean to embody God’s love in a world where God sometimes feels absent? In this episode, Rabbi Shai Held is joined by Christian biblical scholars Dr. Judy Fentress-Williams and Dr. Ellen Davis to explore what the Book of Ruth reveals—not just about loyalty and love, but about God’s subtle presence in human lives. Together, they ask: What does it mean for God to work through ordinary people? Can human faithfulness reveal divine faithfulness?

    42 min

  4. AUG 27

    Questions That Can't be Answered: The Theology of Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik

    What do we do with the questions that have no answers? How does Jewish faith confront suffering, loneliness, and finitude? And how did Soloveitchik's own life—marked by grief, tradition, and the tension between reason and revelation—shape his unique theological voice? In this episode, Rabbi Shai Held and scholar Arna Poupko Fisher explore the life and thought of Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik, one of the most important Jewish thinkers of the 20th century. Together, they examine Soloveitchik’s vision of a religious life, one that doesn’t solve every problem, but gives us the language to live with our questions—and find meaning in the asking.

    36 min

  5. AUG 20

    God in Search of Man: The Theology of Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel

    What if God isn't just the one we seek—but the one who seeks us? In this episode, Rabbi Shai Held is joined by Rabbi Dr. Michael Marmur for a profound and passionate exploration of the theology of Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel—one of the most influential Jewish thinkers of the 20th century. Together, they unpack Heschel’s daring idea that God is not a distant, unmoved mover, but a personal, passionate presence—a God of pathos who longs for humanity’s response. What does it mean to say that God is “in search of man”? Why was Heschel so critical of a purely rationalist or philosophical picture of God? And what kind of life are we called to live if we truly believe that God cares about justice, compassion, and the vulnerable?

    40 min

  6. AUG 13

    I and Thou: The Theology of Martin Buber

    Warning: This episode includes discussion of suicide. What does it mean to truly meet another person—or even God—as a “Thou” and not an “It”? In this episode, Rabbi Shai Held and Dr. Arnie Eisen dive into Martin Buber’s transformative philosophy of relationship. They explore how Buber’s I and Thou challenges us to encounter others with presence and vulnerability, how this vision shapes prayer and ethics, and whether such deep connection is possible—or sustainable—in everyday life. Along the way, they reflect on love, loneliness, and the sacred potential in human encounter.

    37 min

  7. AUG 6

    God Has No Attributes: The Theology of Maimonides

    Can we really describe God—or does every word fall short? In this episode, Rabbis Shai Held and Jason Rubenstein explore the bold theology of Maimonides, who argued that the only true way to speak about God… is not to speak at all. Together they unpack why saying “God is loving” might actually be misleading, what it means to worship a God beyond human understanding, and how silence, awe, and mystery can shape a meaningful spiritual life.

    40 min

  8. JUL 30

    What is Obligation?

    Rabbis Shai Held and Tali Adler explore one of the most provocative images in rabbinic tradition: that at Sinai, God held a mountain over the Israelites’ heads and threatened them into accepting the Torah. What does this say about the nature of faith, agency, and obligation? In this episode, Rabbi Shai Held and Rabbi Tali Adler explore deep questions about obligation, autonomy, commitment, and love. What does it mean to choose God in a world where God so often feels hidden? And how do commitment, tradition, and personal relationships shape a life of religious meaning?

    44 min
See All (21)

5
out of 5
48 Ratings

About

A podcast where we confront big questions with bold thinking and honest searching. Each week, Rabbi Shai Held sits down with a leading thinker or teacher to explore one powerful Jewish idea. This podcast doesn’t have all the answers, but it can uncover new insights and model what it means to take Torah and Jewish thought seriously. 

Information

  • Creator
    Hadar Institute
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2025
  • Episodes
    21
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Answers WithHeld
  • Show Website
    Answers WithHeld

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