Episode 84: Why soldiers wept when Ran came home, lessons from Tu Bishvat

Episode 84: Why soldiers wept when Ran came home, lessons from Tu Bishvat

This week, Israel finally brought home the remains of its last hostage, 24-year-old Ran Gvili. To outsiders, the sheer scale of the national sacrifice and the collective exhalation of relief that followed his return can seem like a mystery. Every nation honors its fallen, but few go to the lengths Israelis do to reclaim a body from the hands of the enemy.


In this episode, we use the upcoming holiday of Tu Bishvat as an entryway into the Jewish psyche. We explore the idea of "hesed shel Emet" -- the "true kindness" of a dignified burial, which is called "true" because it can never be reciprocated. We dive into a world where a dignified burial is more than a ritual; it is a declaration that even in death, a human being remains a reflection of the divine. Through the teachings of the Malbim and the Sfat Emet, we re-examine Tu Bishvat not as a simple children’s holiday, but as a sophisticated meditation on the human condition. From the sap stirring in the dead of winter to the "inner light" hidden within the shells of the Seven Species, we discover a "New Year of the Human"—a day that honors our unique mission to find meaning in our mortality and uncover the sacred within the broken.


--


This episode was sponsored by an anonymous donor who asked to dedicate it to all our fallen soldiers and to the sacrifices of the reservists and their families, from October 7 until today. Thank you for your sponsorship.


--


If you would like to sponsor an episode, please email us at haviv@askhavivanything.com⁠.


Musical intro by Adam Ben Amitai.

Jaksot(96)

Episode 27: Music amidst trauma - a conversation on life in a war with Aya Korem and Adam Ben Amitai

Episode 27: Music amidst trauma - a conversation on life in a war with Aya Korem and Adam Ben Amitai

There are many ways to process and manage painful and difficult times. After the massacre of October 7 and the multi-front war that ensued, many Israelis turned to music, and often to the powerful bal...

7 Heinä 202555min

Episode 26: How Iran’s regime subverted Shia Islam - with Hussain Abdul-Hussain

Episode 26: How Iran’s regime subverted Shia Islam - with Hussain Abdul-Hussain

The Iranian regime has long claimed to be the bearers of Shia Islam's vision of messianic redemption. The Supreme Leader, who ruled under regime founder Ruhollah Khomeini's ideology of "wilayat al-faq...

4 Heinä 202553min

Episode 25: What is happening in Gaza?

Episode 25: What is happening in Gaza?

A bombshell Haaretz report last Friday concluded that IDF soldiers were responsible for a great many of the deaths of Gazan civilians outside aid distribution centers in Gaza.What should we make of th...

1 Heinä 202547min

Episode 24: With Iran down, Turkey steps into the breach - a conversation with Dr. Hay Eytan Cohen Yanarocak.

Episode 24: With Iran down, Turkey steps into the breach - a conversation with Dr. Hay Eytan Cohen Yanarocak.

(Update: audio issues corrected)Turkey was the first Muslim country to recognize Israel. I was an ally and vital trading partner for decades -- until the rise of Recep Tayyip Erdogan, head of the Isla...

26 Kesä 20251h 4min

Episode 23: Iran bows out

Episode 23: Iran bows out

There's now a ceasefire between Israel and Iran. Who won the war? And what happens now?We offer some preliminary conclusions as the dust settles.This episode is sponsored by the Peters family, Tom, Sh...

24 Kesä 202546min

Episode 22: A new dawn in the Middle East?

Episode 22: A new dawn in the Middle East?

The United States has struck the Iranian nuclear program, marking a watershed moment for the region.It will take days to determine the scale of the damage and many years to understand the implications...

22 Kesä 202547min

Episode 21: Why won’t Haredim serve in the IDF? A deep dive with Shmuel Rosner

Episode 21: Why won’t Haredim serve in the IDF? A deep dive with Shmuel Rosner

Haredi Israelis make up some 13% of the population but have extremely low rates of workforce participation and military service. The growing welfare subsidies that sustain their communities have incre...

20 Kesä 202559min

Episode 20: Regime change in Iran? What the 1979 revolution can teach us.

Episode 20: Regime change in Iran? What the 1979 revolution can teach us.

Twenty-four people have been killed in Israel since the outbreak of the direct Israel-Iran war. The Air Force is busy hunting launchers inside Iran to constrain Iran's ability to fire missiles at Isra...

16 Kesä 202535min

Suosittua kategoriassa Historia

olipa-kerran-otsikko
gogin-ja-janin-maailmanhistoria
mayday-fi
huijarit
mystista
totuus-vai-salaliitto
tsunami
rss-ikiuni
konginkangas
rouva-diktaattori
rss-subjektiivinen-todistaja
rss-i-dont-like-mondays-2
sotaa-ja-historiaa-podi
rss-peter-peter
tiedetta-ja-sirkushuveja-vanhojen-aikojen-podcast
rss-kirkon-ihmeellisimmat-tarinat
rss-kalmakabinetti
rss-sattuu-sita-suomessakin
maailmanpuu