Emunah & Bitachon Part 2

Hey prophets! Welcome back to the Beis for part 2 of our discussion on Emunah & Bitachon. Click here to download this week's episode or watch the YouTube video below.
Click here for part 1 of our discussion.

Continuing our discussion from last episode, we begin with living your life in the context of being Jewish, showing a lack of emunah and bitachon (5 minutes), the ideal level of emunah and bitachon (11), another definition of E & B (17), what do you do without experiencing God (26), what makes something beautiful (30), and the freedom afforded by bitachon (34).

As always, please contact us at backofthebeis@gmail.com with any questions, comments, or to sponsor an episode. We are available on Twitter (@Kumzitzguy) and Facebook, and all episodes are available on YouTube. Until next time, keep us on in the Back of the Beis!

Emunah & Bitachon Part 1

Hello Prophets! Welcome back! We hope you've enjoyed your summer and we hope you are prepared for some more great discussions in the back of the beis.
Please click here to download and listen to this week's episode.
We are back and putting together some great episodes for season 2. But before we get into that, we had a great conversation on the concepts of Emunah and Bitachon we wanted to share with you.
In this episode we discuss the movie Dunkirk along with other movies with little dialogue (4 minutes), the definition of Emunah and Bitachon (11), has God lost our trust (18), examining our relationship with God (19), developing E & B in stages (24), learning from God how to have a relationship with Him and people (29), and how the definition of humanity is work (42).
Stay tuned next week for part 2!

Contact us at backofthebeis@gmail.com with any questions, comments, or to sponsor an episode. We are also on twitter (@kumzitzguy) and Facebook, and all our episodes are available on Youtube. Until next time, see you in the back of the beis!

Truth & Whiskey #2- Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan & The Need for Content

Hey Prophets! Click here to listen and download to this week's episode or click the video at the bottom of the page.
BOTB is back after an early spring break and getting ready for season 2. But before that happens, we'd like to share our second Truth & Whiskey episode, the monthly episode where we talk about less intense topics and shoot the breeze a but more in our conversation. This conversation wasn't intended to be this way, but when we turn on the recorder, who knows where we end up!
We ended up discussing a figure in modern history who has made a big impact on our way of thought, Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan. We hope you enjoy our perspective, and as always, maybe you'll learn something too.
We discuss: the need for content (2 minutes), Aryeh Kaplan (5), the style of the Me'am Lo'ez (28), a little bit on meditation (38), believing in science but not in God (48), the respect you must feel while studying Torah (57), an advanced definition of Free Will (1:01), a little intro to our next topic- bitachon and emunah (1:09).

Contact us at backofthebeis@gmail.com with any questions, comments, or to sponsor an episode. We are also on twitter (@kumzitzguy) and Facebook, and all our episodes are available on Youtube. Until next time, see you in the back of the beis!

BOTB Update

Hey Prophets!
Thank you for all your support over our first two months. The response to our first seven episodes has been outstanding and we can't wait to share more from the back of the beis with you.
We will be on hiatus until after Pesach, and then dive right back in to the topics that you think you already know, but we guarantee you've never heard this way before! In the meantime, make sure to contact us at backofthebeis@gmail.com with questions, comments, suggestions for future episodes, or just  to say hi! We want to hear from you. We are both available on Facebook (just search for our names), and Yosef is available on twitter (@kumzitzguy).

Here's wishing you a great Chag, and we look forward to seeing you soon in the Back of the Beis!

Click here to visit our YouTube page, or click the links to the right to listen to all of our episodes.

Truth & Whiskey- Star Wars Episode 1: The Torah Perspective

Welcome to our first episode of Truth & Whiskey! Click here to download and/or listen to this week's episode. Or click the YouTube link below.

Once a month we will have a lighter, looser, but just as in-depth, discussion on something outside of our usual topics. It may lean towards Jewish ideas and thought, secular culture and lifestyle, or a combination of both.

This week we get in the weeds on one of Jude's favorite topics, Star Wars! Enjoy as we discuss the franchise from a POV you've never heard before. A few other topics are on the table as well, so make sure to listen to the whole thing!

As always, we want to hear from you! Contact us at BACKOFTHEBEIS@GMAIL.COM with any question, comments, or suggestions. Visit the blog at backofthebeis.blogspot.com, check us out on Facebook and Twitter (@Kumzitzguy), and be sure to check out our entire archive of episodes here on our Youtube channel.

Also, BOTB is now accepting advertising and sponsorships. Want to sponsor an episode in honor of a relative? Get the word out on your new business venture? Or how about sponsoring the whiskey for our next Truth & Whiskey episode? Contact us at backofthebeis@gmail.com for details.

Enjoy! Thanks for joining us in the Back of the Beis.

Amalek Part 2

We are back in the Back of the Beis! This week we have part 2 of our Amalek episode. Click here to download and listen to this week's episode. Or, click the video link at the bottom of the page.
Click here for part 1. BOTB is looking for sponsorships. If you would like to dedicate an episode in honor or in memory of a loved one, or if you are looking for a great advertising opportunity, please contact us! This week we start off with what is an Amalek (2 minutes), why we have to kill them (25 minutes), how it connects to purim (32 minutes), why bnei Rachel have more of an obligation to kill Amalek (40 minutes), and also some bonus content: some talk of middle brain functionality (56 minutes) and some technical talk about american football (1 hour). Contact us at backofthebeis@gmail.com with any questions, comments, or to sponsor an episode. We are also on twitter (@kumzitzguy) and Facebook. See you next time, prophets!

Amalek- Part 1

Welcome back to the Back of the Beis! Click here to listen and download this week's episode. Or click the Youtube link at the bottom.

BOTB is looking for sponsorships. If you would like to dedicate an episode in honor or in memory of a loved one, or if you are looking for a great advertising opportunity, please contact us!


This week, just in time for Purim, we bring you part 1 of our in-depth discussion about Amalek. If you've ever wondered what the big deal was about the nation of Amalek and why we are commanded to completely stamp them out, this podcast is for you!

We begin with some talk about the olympics, then dive right into our Amalek discussion with an overview of the mitzvah to destroy Amalek (4:30), explain exactly what 'zachor' and 'timche' mean (8:30), explain what Amalek actually did (20), what they were trying to do (31), why we have to physically kill them (34), what our mindset should be (37), and why we must eradicate their memory (52).
Stay tuned for Part 2 next week! Contact us at backofthebeis@gmail.com with any questions, comments, or to sponsor an episode. In the meantime, have a wonderful Purim!

Some listeners have contacted us with download issues. If you have had similar experiences, please let us know. Remember, all our episodes are available on Youtube!

Revelation and the Written Torah Part 2

We are back with part 2 of our discussion on Revelation. Click here to download and listen to this week's episode. Or click the YouTube link below.
For Part 1 click here. 

We begin by continuing our discussion as to why revelation was necessary, then continue by discussing the difference between Moshe and all other prophets (9 minutes). how to reach a high spiritual level and what that means (13 minutes), how do we know spirituality exists (15 minutes), and end with a discussion of where is God? (21 minutes), you know, the simple things in life. As a P.S., Jude discusses his experiences with "floating" (45 minutes).

This was actually the first conversation we ever recorded, so you can tell we are still figuring things out, but we were having so much fun at the same time.

Don't forget to email us your comments and questions at backofthebeis@gmail.com, find us on Facebook, Twitter (@kumzitzguy), and visit the blog itself at backofthebeis.blogspot.com. 
Until next time, Prophets!

Revelation & the Written Torah Part 1

Welcome again to the Back of the Beis! Click here to listen and download to this week's episode. Or click the video link at the bottom of the post.

This week we are discussing the validity of the Written Torah and the revelation at Har Sinai. We hit on how we know the stories in the Torah are true, the avos as real human beings (17 minutes), medrash and more stories not found in the Torah (28 minutes), revelation  (30 minutes), and how revelation might not even be necessary to prove the truth of the Torah (42 minutes).

And this is only part 1! Stay tuned next week for part 2. Don't forget to stay tuned to this site, check out our YouTube page, find us on Facebook, and on twitter (@kumzitzguy). It's only going to get crazier here in the Back of the Beis!

Oral Torah- The Vladity of and How it Applies to All Eras- Part 2

We are back with Part 2 of our discussion of the Oral Torah! Click here to download and listen to this week's episode.

This week, we continue our discussion of the accurate transmission of the Oral Torah, explain how arguments are still possible even with an accurate transmission (5 minutes), understand how complex the Oral Torah really is (9 minutes), explain why it was important for it to remain oral (20 minutes), and finish off by explaining the true meaning and best way of understanding the Oral Torah (29 minutes).
Please email us at backofthebeis@gmail.com with any questions, comments, or suggestions. And stay tuned to this page for more updates!

The Oral Torah- Proving Its Validity & How It Works Part 1

Welcome to BOTB! Click here to listen to and download this week's episode.

This week we bring you Part 1 of a discussion about the Oral Torah. We begin by discussing the name, "Back of the Beis". Then we begin by explaining exactly how the Oral Torah was given over (2:30), the concept of a 'living Torah (7 minutes), the structure of the Oral Torah (13 minutes), exactly what it means when we say it was "oral" (24 minutes), the concept of a 'halacha l'moshe m'sinai' (34 minutes), references within the Written Torah (39 minutes), proofs to the validity of the Oral Torah (44 minutes), the reality of the criminal justice system in classical Judaism (48 minutes), and how we can be assured of an accurate transmission (58 minutes).
If it sounds like a lot, it is! With even more coming next week in Part 2! In the meantime, email us at backofthebeis@gmail.com with any questions, comments, or topic suggestions.

Welcome to Back of the Beis!

Yosef Segal and Yehuda Rabin introduce their brand new podcast, "Back of the Beis". They'll be discussing Jewish ideas and philosophy with clear explanations for the modern day. With no fear of any question or topic, and along with a healthy dose of humor, Jude and Yosef will show how our ancient beliefs are more relevant nowadays than ever before. This intro was actually recorded before the name was settled on, so get ready for a behind the scenes look you may never get again! 

This podcast is available from the links posted here (audio and video) and soon on Apple Podcasts. 

The boys can be reached at backofthebeis@gmail.com, as well as on Facebook and Twitter (@kumzitzguy). Please contact us, we want to hear from you!