18Forty Podcast24 Juni 2025

A Debate Between Yitzchak Blau & Itamar Rosensweig: Does Morality Exist Outside of Judaism?

On June 29, Eden will be hosting a webinar to speak in detail about the vision for this project. In order to register please click here or email info@edenbeitshemesh.com to find out more.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, David Bashevkin moderates a debate between Rabbi Itamar Rosensweig and Rabbi Yitzchak Blau on whether morality exists independently of Judaism.

This is a recording of a live event hosted at Young Israel of Teaneck on May 4. In this episode we discuss:

What does it mean for God to be good, and who defines the “good” in the first place?
Do Torah Jews base their values on halacha, or something else?
Should we make any changes to halachic and moral education in the Jewish community?

Tune in to hear a conversation about how halacha and morality bring order and prioritization to our chaotic and confusing lives.

Debate begins at 10:57.

Rabbi Itamar Rosensweig is a professor of Jewish law and jurisprudence at Yeshiva University, a rabbinic judge and chaver beit din at the Beth Din of America, and the rav of the Shtiebel of Lower Merion. He holds a secondary appointment as an assistant professor of philosophy at Yeshiva College and serves as the chair of Jewish studies at the Sy Syms School of Business. He received his semikha, Yoreh Yoreh and Yadin Yadin, from RIETS, where he was a fellow of the Wexner Kollel Elyon and editor-in-chief of the Beit Yitzchak Journal of Talmudic and Halakhic Studies.

Rabbi Yitzchak Blau is the author of Fresh Fruit & Vintage Wine: Ethics and Wisdom of the Aggada and is Tradition's associate editor. He has taught at Yeshivat Hamivtar, Yeshivat Shvilei Hatorah, and the Yeshivah of Flatbush and currently also teaches at Midreshet Lindenbaum. Rabbi Blau has a BA in English Literature from YU, an MA in Medieval Jewish History from Revel, and semikha from RIETS. Rabbi Blau lives in Alon Shevut with his wife and four children.

References:

"Curb Your (Shul) Enthusiasm"

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis

Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis

Fresh Fruit & Vintage Wine: Ethics and Wisdom of the Aggada by Yitzchak Blau

HaEmunot veHaDeot by Saadia Gaon

Religion And Morality by Avi Sagi and Daniel Statman

Plato's Euthyphro

Genesis 9

The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky

Eight Chapters by Maimonides

Halakhic Man by Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik

A Theory of Justice by John Rawls

For more 18Forty:
NEWSLETTER: 18forty.org/join
CALL: (212) 582-1840
EMAIL: info@18forty.org
WEBSITE: 18forty.org
IG: @18forty
X: @18_fortyWhatsApp: join here

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

Det här avsnittet är hämtat från ett öppet RSS-flöde och publiceras inte av Podme. Det kan innehålla reklam.

Avsnitt(294)

Liel Leibovitz: Why the Talmud Is So Hard To Love—and Worth Loving

Today, we're sharing one of our episodes from our new program Talmud Daily, featuring our dear friend Liel Leibovitz. You can sign up for Talmud Daily at talmuddaily.org, and you can subscribe in your...

22 Sep 49min

YY Jacobson: The Teshuva of Coming Back to Yourself

This series is sponsored by Mira and Daniel Stokar.In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Rabbi YY Jacobson, one of the foremost online teachers of Torah, about how each of us can experien...

15 Sep 1h 50min

Etan Epstein: New Journeys in Torah Learning

This series is sponsored by Mira and Daniel Stokar.Join Talmud Daily! A new free program from 18Forty. Ten-minute episodes a day (video + audio). Plain English. No prior knowledge assumed. No Hebrew r...

8 Sep 1h 56min

Tania Friedlander: Teshuva and Becoming Capable of More

1 Sep 1h 36min

Ben and Yael de Toledo: Baalei Teshuva Building Community in Israel

25 Aug 2h 11min

Shlomo Pill: When a Rabbi Doctor Struggles With Addiction

19 Aug 1h 35min

Mendel Horowitz: A Good Enough Elul

Join Talmud Daily! A new free program from 18Forty. Ten-minute episodes a day (video + audio). Plain English. No prior knowledge assumed. No Hebrew required. Begins August 24, 2026. Join here: Talmudd...

13 Aug 1h 47min

Berel Leib Epstein: Why Be a Believer?

This episode is sponsored by Dina and Daniel Heiss, in honor of the 10th yahrzeit of Dina’s father, Zev Yehudah ben HaRav Yisrael Michel. May his neshama have an aliya. In this episode of the 18Forty ...

5 Aug 1h 44min