Dr. Ora Wiskind: How do you Read a Mystical Text? [Mysticism 2/3]

18Forty Podcast

18Forty

Religion & Spirituality, Judaism

4.6 • 638 Ratings

🗓️ 27 October 2020

⏱️ 68 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we sit down with Dr. Ora Wiskind, professor and author, to discuss her life journey, both as a Jew and as an academic, and her attitude towards mysticism.

Ora grew up in a Reform family in Ohio, receiving a top-notch secular education but a minimal Jewish one. After studying in France and Germany she found herself in Israel, eventually becoming Orthodox despite her rebellious nature. With her background in literature, she has contributed unique, hermeneutic perspectives on some Hasidic masters, like Rebbe Nachman of Breslov, and continues to break new ground with her scholarship on mysticism.

-What are mysticism and rationalism, and what are the appeals of both mindsets?
-How did someone with Ora’s background end up writing about the mystical works of Rebbe Nachman?
-How has her background in literature influenced her writings?
-How does she approach her work as a religious academic, where she must stay objective about the content she studies despite it giving her religious inspiration?
-And how has being an Orthodox woman shaped her career?

Tune in to hear Ora Wiskind discuss mysticism in the modern world and its relation to her academic work.

For more, visit https://18forty.org/mysticism/#wiskind.

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

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Hi friends, a few months ago we advertised the birth of a new community in Israel.
0:05.4	Eden Bait Shemesh, a community tailored made for all those of us in need of a five-year plan,
0:12.6	and let's face it, we are living in a time when every single one of us should be drafting the five-year plan for our futures in Israel.
0:20.7	Our own listeners from within the 1840 community have purchased in Eden, an opportunity which
0:26.4	they will longingly watch unfold into a reality, a shul, and a community.
0:32.2	I am so proud that the leaders behind Aden are none other than Rabbi Benny and Khani Krohn. I know them personally
0:39.3	because they are the rabbi and Rebitten of my own personal community and they are the ones leading
0:45.1	this new development community. And I know for my own life that their stewardship, their leadership,
0:51.4	is you know this is going to be a welcoming, joyous, incredible
0:55.7	community where everyone is going to be able to feel comfortable and build a home.
1:00.2	On June 29th, Eden will be hosting a webinar to speak in detail about the vision for this project.
1:07.6	In order to register, please click the link below or email info at
1:12.8	Edenbateshemesh.com to find out more. Once again, that's info at Edenbateshemesh.com
1:20.2	to find out more. The Koran Tanakh of the land of Israel offers a groundbreaking way to experience the Hebrew Bible,
1:31.2	spearheaded by editor-in-chief David Arnowitz and featuring a fresh English translation by Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks Zatzal.
1:40.8	This edition brings the biblical world to life by blending the sacred text with
1:46.5	cutting-edge insights from archaeology, history, and ancient near-eastern studies. Unlike
1:52.7	traditional editions, this Tanakh places the events, laws, and prophecies of the Bible into
1:58.5	the rich, historical, cultural, and geographic context in which they
2:03.3	occurred, offering a deeper, more accurate understanding of the text. Readers explore the world of the
2:10.2	Tanakh as it truly was, from architecture and politics to poetry and language, making ancient
2:16.7	stories vivid, relevant, and alive.
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from 18Forty, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of 18Forty and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.