Moshe Koppel: Artificial Intelligence and Torah [Prayer Re-Release]

18Forty Podcast

18Forty

Judaism, Religion & Spirituality

4.7 • 704 Ratings

🗓️ 6 October 2025

⏱️ 77 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

As a hint at our next new series, we want to share with you our 2023 episode with Moshe Koppel—a computer scientist and Talmud scholar—about Torah and its intersection with artificial intelligence.

In a world in which technology puts vast libraries of Torah at our fingertips, we are tasked with thinking more deeply about what essentially human abilities we bring to the enterprise of Torah and tefillah. In this episode we discuss:

What computer-based innovations are on the horizon in the realm of Torah study?
Will AI ever be able to reliably answer our halachic questions?
Will advances in technology drastically change the experience of Shabbos observance?

Tune in to hear a conversation about how AI has the potential to make our Jewish lives richer—if we use it wisely.

Interview begins at 18:21.

Dr. Moshe Koppel is a computer scientist, Talmud scholar, and political activist. Moshe is a professor of computer science at Bar-Ilan University, and a prolific author of academic articles and books on Jewish thought, computer science, economics, political science, and other disciplines. He is the founding director of Kohelet, a conservative-libertarian think tank in Israel, and he advises members of the Knesset on legislative matters. Dr. Koppel is the author of three sharply thought books on Jewish thought and previously joined 18Forty to talk about Halacha as Language.

References:

“Funes the Memorious” by Jorge Luis Borges

The Mind of a Mnemonist by A.R. Luria

Surfaces and Essences: Analogy as the Fuel and Fire of Thinking by Douglas R. Hofstadter & Emmanuel Sander

Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid by Douglas R. Hofstadter

Meta-Halakhah: Logic, Intuition, and the Unfolding of Jewish Law by Moshe Koppel

2001: A Space Odyssey

DICTA: Analytical tools for Hebrew texts

“Digital Discourse and the Democratization of Jewish Learning” by Zev Eleff

Tzidkat HaTzadik: 211 by Tzadok HaKohen of Lublin

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Transcript

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0:00.0	You know what made Rabbi Sachs distinctive?
0:03.0	He created Torah commentary for this generation, people who want to engage thoughtfully with the world while staying rooted in tradition.
0:11.0	He didn't ask you to choose between serious Torah study and intellectual engagement with contemporary ideas.
0:17.0	Instead, he showed how Torah wisdom can engage with philosophy, science, ethics, the big questions
0:23.2	thoughtful people care about. Now his approach is available in complete Chumish format. It's called
0:29.7	the Rabbi Sachs Chimish, and his commentary is integrated right with the Torah text alongside
0:35.5	Rashi and Unkelis. If you're someone who wants Torah study that engages seriously with the intellectual currents of our time, this is the Torah commentary for our generation. Now available at koranpub.com. That's k-O-R-E-N-P-U-B-com or at your local bookstore.
0:55.4	And I'll just add, just on a personal note, I have seen the Rabbi Sacks-Klemish.
0:59.7	It is really incredible, and I think Rabbi Sacks as a translator, in the greatest sense of the word, when I say translator, I don't mean somebody who took a word from one language and rendered into another
1:12.3	language. What I mean is somebody who is able to translate ideas and values in a way that
1:18.1	preserves the timelessness and eternity of those ideas, yet is able to translate them in a way
1:24.5	that resonates for our generation. I have seen the Rabbi Sachs-Homish.
1:29.2	I have learned it. I have studied from it. And I could not recommend it more to our listeners.
1:34.3	This should be in every Jewish home. It's now available at corinpub.com or at your local bookstore.
1:41.2	Buy the Rabbi Sachs-Humish now.
1:55.0	Thank you. your local bookstore by the rabbi sacks humesh now hello and welcome to the 1840 podcast where each month we explore different topic balancing modern sensibilities with traditional sensitivities
1:59.5	to give you new approaches to timeless
2:01.8	Jewish ideas. I'm your host, David Bischefkin, and this month we're exploring prayer.
2:07.0	This podcast is part of a larger exploration of those big, juicy Jewish ideas, so be sure to
2:12.1	check out 1840.org where you can also find videos, articles, and recommended readings.
2:17.1	There is a fantastic short story
2:20.0	that somebody told me in the library of YU. I think one of the reasons why I remembered is because
	...

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