Ep. 512: How Do We Respond to Arguments Claiming That Jews Are Racists?

Rabbi Jacobson will discuss the following topics:How does Elul empower us today?   How can we ensure that the 13 Divine attributes of compassion radiating this month manifest in our collective and personal lives – in helping secure the release of the hostages, in bringing us blessings in our livelihood, health, children etc.?  Should we buy lottery tickets this month?  What accounting (cheshbon ha’nefesh) should we be doing during this month?   Is Elul initiated from above or from below?  Why is it the “king” and not the “queen” in the field?  Is everything in Judaism centered around men?  How does the Alter Rebbe’s example relate to our times when kings don’t go out into the field?  Should leaders be going out into the “field”?  Why do we blow shofar every day in Elul in preparation for Rosh Hashana and don’t eat matzah every day for a month in preparation for Pesach?  Why do we pray at a tzaddik’s resting place during this month?  How is this reconciled with the prohibition of “praying to the deceased”?  What does the opening verse teach us about how to fight today's war?  What is its connection to Elul?  Do the laws of capturing enemy women apply today?  Why is the mitzvah of shiluach ha’kan related only in the book of Devarim?  What is it about Amalek that makes them our long-standing arch enemy?   How do we respond to arguments claiming that Jews are racists?  Why are Jews called the “chosen people”?  What is the Jewish view of non-Jews?  What do we learn from Parshas Ki Teitzei? Does Jewish supremacy have any basis?