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The Great Sources with Rabbi Shnayor Burton

To help support this podcast, please consider making a tax-deductible donation via Zelle to [email protected]. Lecture series in Jewish Philosophy. What was the purpose of Creation? What is man's place in the world? What are prophecy and prayer about? What is the significance of Shabbos and the Promised Land? Explore these fundamental questions of Judaism from their sources, and become familiar with the systems developed by the great Torah thinkers: R' Saadiah Gaon, R' Yehuda HaLevi, R' Bachya ibn Paquda, Rambam and the school of the Mekubalim.

Rambam's Secret Interpretation of "An Eye for an Eye"

35 mins; February 11, 2026

S5, E63 Exodus, Exile and Redemption, Final Audio Message

18 secs; February 09, 2026

S5, E62 Exodus, Exile and Redemption, Sec. 5, Chapter 11: His Word, Shalom

8 mins; January 26, 2026

S10, E9 In Pursuit of Knowing Hashem: Why We Need the Torah and Why Freedom Is Impossible

114 hours 28 mins; January 22, 2026

S5, E61 Exodus, Exile and Redemption, Sec. 5, Chapter 10: A Most Peculiar and Remarkable Gematria

7 mins; January 12, 2026

How to Become a King: On Parables and Dominion

68 hours 15 mins; January 08, 2026

S10, E8 In Pursuit of Knowing Hashem: Why Do We Need the Torah?

71 hours 8 mins; January 06, 2026

S5, E60 Exodus, Exile and Redemption, Sec. 5, Chapter 9: Fear

8 mins; December 29, 2025

How to Wage War for Peace: Mashiach and the Divine Name "Shalom"

69 hours 3 mins; December 18, 2025

S5, E59 Exodus, Exile and Redemption, Sec. 5, Chapter 8: The Inheritance of the Hidden

6 mins; December 15, 2025

S5, E58 Exodus, Exile and Redemption, Sec. 5, Chapter 7: In the Shadow of the Word

8 mins; December 01, 2025

S10, E7 The New Knowledge of Hashem: From the Thousand-Year Providence to Prophecy 2.0

72 hours 53 mins; November 22, 2025

S5, E57 Exodus, Exile and Redemption, Sec. 5, Chapter 6: How to Dream True, a Primer

5 mins; November 17, 2025

S10, E6 The New Knowledge of Hashem: How to Reclaim Prophecy

94 hours 20 mins; November 11, 2025

S5, E56 Exodus, Exile and Redemption, Sec. 5, Chapter 5: A Failed Prophecy

6 mins; November 03, 2025

S5, E55 Exodus, Exile and Redemption, Sec. 5, Chapter 4: When Hatred of Evil Becomes Evil

5 mins; October 20, 2025

S5, E54 Exodus, Exile and Redemption, Sec. 5, Chapter 3: The Keeper of Pharaoh’s Peace

4 mins; September 25, 2025

S5, E53 Exodus, Exile and Redemption, Sec. 5, Chapter 2: The Dreamer’s Crime

7 mins; September 08, 2025

S10, E5 In Pursuit of Knowing Hashem: Can Da’as Hashem Inspire a Movement Without Becoming a Golden Calf?

87 hours 1 min; September 01, 2025

S5, E52 Exodus, Exile and Redemption, Sec. 5, Chapter 1: From Ladders to the House of God

5 mins; August 25, 2025

S7, E16 The Guide of the Perplexed, Rambam’s Messianic Vision (04): The Messiah, the Law, and the Unknowable King

80 hours 3 mins; August 06, 2025

S10, E4 In Pursuit of Knowing Hashem: The Prophets’ Four-Step Path to Da’as Hashem

94 hours 28 mins; July 31, 2025

S7, E15 The Guide of the Perplexed, Rambam’s Messianic Vision (03): Torah and the Parable Without a Meaning

76 hours 41 mins; July 29, 2025

S5, E51 Exodus, Exile and Redemption, Sec. 4, Chapter 5: Where Redemption Lives

4 mins; July 28, 2025

S7, E14 The Guide of the Perplexed, Rambam’s Messianic Vision (02): Do Not Say "Water, Water"

71 hours 32 mins; July 23, 2025

S7, E13 The Guide of the Perplexed, Rambam’s Messianic Vision (01): Rabbi Akiva and the Redemption of Kingship

76 hours 56 mins; July 16, 2025

S5, E50 Exodus, Exile and Redemption, Sec. 4, Chapter 4: The Counter-Testimony of the Prophet

11 mins; July 14, 2025

S10, E3 In Pursuit of Knowing Hashem: Psychology or Metaphysics?

109 hours 53 mins; June 30, 2025

S5, E49 Exodus, Exile and Redemption, Sec. 4, Chapter 3: A Heretical Torah Discourse

5 mins; June 30, 2025

S5, E48 Exodus, Exile and Redemption, Sec. 4, Chapter 2: Other Gods

6 mins; June 16, 2025

S5, E47 Exodus, Exile and Redemption, Sec. 4, Chapter 1: Manasseh’s Case for Idolatry

9 mins; June 03, 2025

S10, E2 In Pursuit of Knowing Hashem: How We Lost the Art of Knowing God

72 hours 19 mins; May 28, 2025

S10, E1 In Pursuit of Knowing Hashem: Man’s True Mission

69 hours 28 mins; May 23, 2025

S5, E46 Exodus, Exile and Redemption, Sec. 3, Chapter 21: Yitzchak Does Not Know

5 mins; May 19, 2025

S5, E45 Exodus, Exile and Redemption, Sec. 3, Chapter 20: Yaakov’s Imperfection Reconsidered

5 mins; May 05, 2025

S5, E44 Exodus, Exile and Redemption, Sec. 3, Chapter 19: Avraham’s Doubt and the Path of Torah

6 mins; April 21, 2025

The Work of Freedom: Avraham's Hidden Sin and the Ongoing Exodus from Idolatry

89 hours 14 mins; April 03, 2025

S5, E43 Exodus, Exile and Redemption, Sec. 3, Chapter 18: The Unknowable Ways of God

7 mins; March 31, 2025

S5, E42 Exodus, Exile and Redemption, Sec. 3, Chapter 17: The Prophet of Bondage

4 mins; March 17, 2025

S5, E41 Exodus, Exile and Redemption, Sec. 3, Chapter 16: Prayers of Ministers and of Slaves

5 mins; March 16, 2025

S5, E40 Exodus, Exile and Redemption, Sec. 3, Chapter 15: In Praise of Slavery

10 mins; March 03, 2025

S7, E12 The Guide of the Perplexed, The Revelation at Mount Sinai, 04: The Face of God and Eternal Miracles

74 hours 42 mins; February 26, 2025

S7, E11 The Guide of the Perplexed, The Revelation at Mount Sinai, 03: Echoes from a Silent World

59 mins; February 18, 2025

S7, E10 The Guide of the Perplexed, The Revelation at Mount Sinai, 02: How to Hear Hashem's Voice

74 hours 43 mins; February 12, 2025

S7, E9 The Guide of the Perplexed, The Revelation at Mount Sinai, 01: Was It Prophecy?

71 hours 49 mins; February 04, 2025

S5, E39 Exodus, Exile and Redemption, Sec. 3, Chapter 14: The Godly Power of Man

3 mins; February 03, 2025

The Rambam's Prediction That Was Not Fulfilled: Mishneh Torah, the Role of the Student, and "An Eye for an Eye" (Hebrew)

73 hours 33 mins; January 26, 2025

The Uniqueness of Eretz Yisrael

39 mins; January 26, 2025

S5, E38 Exodus, Exile and Redemption, Sec. 3, Chapter 13: The Prophetic Art

6 mins; January 20, 2025

S5, E37 Exodus, Exile and Redemption, Sec. 3, Chapter 12: Divine Design and the Role of Human Choice

9 mins; January 06, 2025

S5, E36 Exodus, Exile and Redemption, Sec. 3, Chapter 11: Sacrifice and Sin

3 mins; December 23, 2024

S5, E35 Exodus, Exile and Redemption, Sec. 3, Chapter 10: Mosaic Humility and Prophetic Pride

2 mins; December 22, 2024

Reclaiming the Mitzvahs: How to Revive a Prophetic Tradition

77 hours 18 mins; December 16, 2024

S5, E34 Exodus, Exile and Redemption, Sec. 3, Chapter 9: Moshe, the Master of Those Who Know

6 mins; November 25, 2024

S5, E33 Exodus, Exile and Redemption, Sec. 3, Chapter 8: Can Man See God?

5 mins; November 11, 2024

The Three Oaths; Young Israel of Cedarhurst Lawrence

65 hours 5 mins; November 01, 2024

S5, E32 Exodus, Exile and Redemption, Sec. 3, Chapter 7: The Impossibility of Knowledge

3 mins; October 28, 2024

S5, E31 Exodus, Exile and Redemption, Sec. 3, Chapter 6: Prophetic Antinomianism

5 mins; October 27, 2024

S9 E3, King Manasseh vs. the Prophet Isaiah: A Debate on Idolatry, pt. 3: How to Know Hashem

65 hours 3 mins; October 08, 2024

Teshuvah: The Need for Repentance and its True Method

75 hours 39 mins; September 30, 2024

S5, E30 Exodus, Exile and Redemption, Sec. 3, Chapter 5: What is Ours and What is God’s?

7 mins; September 23, 2024

S9 E2, King Manasseh vs. the Prophet Isaiah: A Debate on Idolatry, pt. 2: Isaiah's Case

39 mins; September 18, 2024

S9 E1, King Manasseh vs. the Prophet Isaiah: A Debate on Idolatry, pt. 1: Manasseh's Case

56 mins; September 10, 2024

S5, E29 Exodus, Exile and Redemption, Sec. 3, Chapter 4: On Animal Sacrifice

6 mins; September 09, 2024

S8, E2 Jerusalem and Athens: God-Centered vs. Human-Centered Governance, 02

54 mins; September 02, 2024

S5, E28 Exodus, Exile and Redemption, Sec. 3, Chapter 3: Prophets Against Toil

11 mins; August 26, 2024

S8, E1 Jerusalem and Athens: God-Centered vs. Human-Centered Governance, 01

50 mins; August 22, 2024

S5, E27 Exodus, Exile and Redemption, Sec. 3, Chapter 2: Embracing Contradictions in Torah Learning

4 mins; August 22, 2024

Why and When is Discouraging Gerus Justified

34 mins; August 15, 2024

S7 E8.2 The Guide of the Perplexed, The Problem of Evil, 04: Transcendent God, Moses, and the Body, pt. 2

18 mins; August 06, 2024

S7, E8.1 The Guide of the Perplexed, The Problem of Evil, 04: Transcendent God, Moses, and the Body, pt. 1

54 mins; August 06, 2024

S7, E7 The Guide of the Perplexed, The Problem of Evil, 03: The Good God, Evil, and the Body

66 hours 32 mins; July 30, 2024

S7, E6 The Guide of the Perplexed, The Problem of Evil, 02: Non-Existent Evil

59 mins; July 22, 2024

S5, E26 Exodus, Exile and Redemption, Sec. 3, Chapter 1: To Know or Not to Know

6 mins; July 15, 2024

S7, E5 The Guide of the Perplexed, The Problem of Evil, 01: What Does "Good" Mean & Why is Existence Good?

69 hours 14 mins; July 10, 2024

S5, E25 Exodus, Exile and Redemption, Sec. 2, Chapter 19: Revisiting Prophetic Judaism: The Paradox of Decline

4 mins; July 01, 2024

S5, E24 Exodus, Exile and Redemption, Sec. 2, Chapter 18: Criticism of the Bible Critics

3 mins; July 01, 2024

Galus, Gerus, and Yemos HaMashiach: The Dynamic Relationship Between Yisrael l'Amim

63 hours 53 mins; June 11, 2024

S5, E23 Exodus, Exile and Redemption, Sec. 2, Chapter 17: Walking the Path: A Guide to Spiritual Perfection

5 mins; June 03, 2024

Will We Redeem Ourselves or Will We Be Redeemed?

54 mins; May 30, 2024

How to Make the Torah Come True, pt. 2: Finding Unity Between Good and Evil

53 mins; May 23, 2024

S5, E22 Exodus, Exile and Redemption, Sec. 2, Chapter 16: Man’s Crooked Heart and its Remedy

3 mins; May 20, 2024

How to Make the Torah Come True: Sh'ma and the Redemption

54 mins; May 16, 2024

S5, E21 Exodus, Exile and Redemption, Sec. 2, Chapter 15: Baring the Soul before Hashem

8 mins; May 03, 2024

The Haggadah: Its Structure, Meaning and Message

48 mins; April 18, 2024

S5, E20 Exodus, Exile and Redemption, Sec. 2, Chapter 14: Funding the Divine: The Moral Foundation of Temple Economics

6 mins; April 15, 2024

S5, E19 Exodus, Exile and Redemption, Sec. 2, Chapter 13: The Temple Yaakov Didn’t Build

6 mins; April 01, 2024

S7, E4, The Guide of the Perplexed, Creation, 04: Creation ex Nihilo as the Essence of the Torah's Teaching

61 hours 45 mins; March 20, 2024

S5, E18 Exodus, Exile and Redemption, Sec. 2, Chapter 12: The Moral Limits of “An Eye for an Eye”

8 mins; March 18, 2024

S7, E3, The Guide of the Perplexed, Creation, 03: Is Creation ex Nihilo Known via Philosophy or Prophecy?

59 mins; March 13, 2024

S5, E17 Exodus, Exile and Redemption, Sec. 2, Chapter 11: The Development of Yaakov’s Character

7 mins; March 07, 2024

S7, E2, The Guide of the Perplexed, Creation, 02: Creation from Nothing and Legislated Beliefs

64 hours 5 mins; March 05, 2024

S5, E16 Exodus, Exile and Redemption, Sec. 2, Chapter 10: Analyzing a Tsaddik’s Character with Reverence and Truth

4 mins; February 28, 2024

S7, E1, The Guide of the Perplexed, Creation, 01: Why Creation from Nothing is so Central to Religion

67 hours 1 min; February 21, 2024

S6, E12 Shemona Perakim; Should a Person be Moderately Humble or Extremely Lowly?

55 mins; February 08, 2024

S6, E11 Shemona Perakim; Moderation vs. Extremism

56 mins; January 31, 2024

S5, E15 Exodus, Exile and Redemption, Sec. 2, Chapter 9: Yaakov’s Fear and the Unfinished Quest for Divine Understanding

6 mins; January 29, 2024

S6, E10 Shemona Perakim; Is a Good Imagination Part of Being a Good Person?

59 mins; January 25, 2024

S5, E14 Exodus, Exile and Redemption, Sec. 2, Chapter 8: Good Character

6 mins; January 15, 2024

S6, E9 Shemona Perakim; Which Parts of the Soul Participate in Human Excellence?

58 mins; January 11, 2024

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The Great Sources with Rabbi Shnayor Burton

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