
Reading The Torah on Its Own Terms
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A Book Like No Other is a chance to learn alongside Aleph Beta Founder and Lead Scholar, Rabbi David Fohrman, a master close reader of Torah, as he embarks on his most far-reaching and in-depth explorations. Each season is a stand-alone journey into a different Torah text. Our only goal: reading the Torah carefully, on its own terms, and following wherever that leads. Together, we'll unwrap remarkable patterns and surprising connections that lie just beneath the Torah's surface, revealing the beauty and insight that truly make the Torah a book like no other.
Hosts

Rabbi David Fohrman
Founder and Lead Scholar

Immanuel Shalev
CEO

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February 11, 2024
Season 2 | Episode 5
What About Moses?
In the concluding episode of the season, Rabbi Fohrman and Imu delve deep into the perplexing issue of Moshe's legacy. In a thought-provoking discussion, they explore the paradox of Moshe – how could a leader uniquely equipped to empathize with those of mixed heritage, have no compassion for the Mekallel, a man who shared his challenging beginnings?
February 1, 2024
Season 2 | Episode 4
The Mekallel’s Return to Eden
Is there any redemption for the mekallel? In this episode, Rabbi Fohrman and Imu head back to Leviticus to explore a fascinating connection between the mekallel, the utopian laws of the Jubilee year, and the Torah’s original utopia, Eden. This new thread of evidence shines a more uplifting light on our dark text – while unlocking unexpected insight into how we as a society may be able to offer disenfranchised individuals, like the mekallel, a more genuine and meaningful sense of belonging.
January 28, 2024
Season 2 | Episode 3
The Philosophy of Blasphemy and Micah’s Idol in the Book of Judges
In this episode, Rabbi Forhman and Imu finally discuss two long-awaited topics. Firstly, what really is so wrong about blasphemy? After all, blasphemy is just words. How can words hurt God? And secondly, the much-promised epilogue to the story of the Mekallel, buried in the book of Shoftim (Judges). And as it turns out, the epilogue deals with the exact same theological issue: the human instinct to control God.
January 17, 2024
Season 2 | Episode 2
Moses and the Mekallel: A Tale of Two Outcasts
Rabbi Fohrman and Imu continue to search for justice in the mekallel’s harsh punishment. Does the answer lie in the strange connection they found last episode between the mekallel and Moses? To find out, they dive into Moses' coming-of-age story in Exodus, and discover an even deeper bond between these two men who on the surface couldn’t be more different.
May 5, 2024
Season 2 | Episode 1
The Blasphemer: Why Would Someone Curse God? [Full Season Now Available]
Rabbi David Fohrman and Imu Shalev study the tale of the blasphemer, a dark and puzzling episode buried deep in Leviticus. The details of this story are scarce: an anonymous man provokes a fight in the Israelite camp, curses God, and ultimately is stoned to death as punishment.

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