Ep. 129 - Judaism’s Loving Heart

One of the misconceptions about Judaism is that the religion is concerned primarily with justice and the law, not love and grace. That’s precisely backward, argues Rabbi Shai Held, president and dean of the Hadar Institute in New York and author of the new book Judaism Is About Love. Jewish theology, spirituality, and ethics emerge as free responses to a generous, loving God. On this episode, Held speaks with associate editor Griffin Oleynick about how recovering this more accurate view of Judaism can help believers and non-believers alike lead richer, fuller, more joyful lives. For further reading: Why Christians should read Leviticus and Deuteronomy Tzvi Novick on Jewish memory after October 7 An update on Jewish-Christian dialogue