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PODCAST

The Pillars: Jerusalem, Athens, and the Western Mind

Lobel Center for Jewish Classical Education

Welcome to The Pillars: Jerusalem, Athens, and the Western Mind, a podcast that tells the story of the prophets, philosophers, and poets who created the West. In this podcast, Rabbi Dr. Mitchell Rocklin guides listeners through more than 3,000 years of Western history, offering a coherent, civilizational story of how the West came to be—along with a deepened understanding of the challenges it now faces. While many of the texts discussed will be familiar to students of the humanities, Rabbi Rocklin

history judaism

All Episodes

33:05

The Enlightenment: Philosophy Par Excellence?

The Pillars: Jerusalem, Athens, and the Western Mind ·

2026/02/18

Western thought will begin to shift towards universal laws and individual rights with the advent of the Enlightenment. As we unpack that idea, we'll address the following questions: In what way was the notion of progress emphasized in the Enlightenment? Why did Enlightenment thinkers begin to see all human beings as fundamentally the same? How did the Enlightenment lead to the notion that the purpose of society is the preservation of individual dignity?

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56:20

French Drama and Culture: Moliere and Racine

The Pillars: Jerusalem, Athens, and the Western Mind ·

2026/02/12

Out of the seventeenth century would emerge two of France's greatest playwrights: Moliere and Racine. To help us learn more about them, we'll address the following questions: How did French Neoclassicism develop in response to the political tension between France and Spain? In what sense did the Neoclassical spirit inspire French drama and distinguish it from English drama? Was Moliere truly the revolutionary that later republicans assumed him to be? Recommended Reading: Aslanov, Cyril. New

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30:26

Milton, Selden, and Harington: Scholars of the...

The Pillars: Jerusalem, Athens, and the Western Mind ·

2026/02/04

The work of the major seventeenth century Christian Hebraists led to important advances in the development of the individual. As we learn more about this topic, we'll address the following questions: How does Milton's knowledge of Midrash support his retelling of the Biblical stories in Paradise Lost? In what sense were Milton's views on marriage and divorce informed by his love of the individual? Why did Selden turn to the Talmud to try to and reconcile reason, natural law, and tradition?

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33:22

Donne, Dryden, and Pope: 17th Century English Poets

The Pillars: Jerusalem, Athens, and the Western Mind ·

2026/01/28

The great poets of the seventeenth century are noteworthy in their innovations in engaging with earlier literature to promote their own ideas. As we explore why they are still relevant, we'll also answer the following questions: How did John Donne's love poems reflect the inward shift from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance? What was particularly innovative about John Dryden's translation of Virgil's Aeneid? How did Alexander Pope use poetry to transform the medieval story of Abelard and Heloise?

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35:35

Newton and Leibniz: Of Universal Laws and Geniuses

The Pillars: Jerusalem, Athens, and the Western Mind ·

2026/01/21

Many people know about Isaac Newton and his proverbial apple, but he and his contemporary, Leibniz, were responsible for a much wider array of scientific and mathematical advances. As we learn about these two thinkers, Rabbi Rocklin will help us answer the following questions: How did Isaac Newton build on the newer tradition of inductive reasoning rather than the older, scholastic method of assumptions? According to Newton, how do the universal laws of nature bolster one's faith in and

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39:20

Empiricism and Astronomy: Copernicus, Galileo, and Bacon

The Pillars: Jerusalem, Athens, and the Western Mind ·

2026/01/14

There are some figures of the Scientific Revolution who stand out in the annals of history. As we study a few of those monumental figures, we'll explore the following questions: Why did Copernicus dedicate his scientific book, On the Revolutions, to the pope? How did Galileo mount a religious defense of Copernicus' heliocentric model of the solar system? According to Bacon, in what sense did logic become a problematic discipline within the study of philosophy? Recommended Reading: Copernicus,

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38:15

From Natures to Nature: The Scientific and...

The Pillars: Jerusalem, Athens, and the Western Mind ·

2026/01/07

The Scientific Revolution will change the way humanity understands and relates to the natural world. As we learn more about this period, we'll uncover answers to the following questions: How did the Scientific Revolution lead to an English sensibility that things ought to be useful? In what sense did Newton's universal laws lay the groundwork for a decline in religious observance? Why was the Julian calendar replaced with the Gregorian calendar during this period?

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38:37

Europe Goes to War: The Shift from French to British...

The Pillars: Jerusalem, Athens, and the Western Mind ·

2025/12/31

A series of wars in the eighteenth century will eventually lead to a recently-unified Britain as the new, dominant world power. As we move forward in history, Rabbi Rocklin will help us answer the following questions: How did the French and English responses to their respective financial crises pave the way for future English dominance? Why were the wars of the eighteenth century characterized by fewer casualties overall than the wars of both prior and later centuries? How did Maria Theresa manage

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43:03

Of Manners and Mores: The Socioeconomic Modernization...

The Pillars: Jerusalem, Athens, and the Western Mind ·

2025/12/24

As culture changed across Europe, social and economic expectations shifted accordingly. On today's episode, Rabbi Rocklin will help us answer the following questions: How did the growth of high culture lead to a decline in local dialects and a rise in vernacular languages? Why was there a crackdown in the seventeenth century on carnivals and similar types of entertainment? When it came to changing European diet and culture, why was sugar crucial?

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38:47

Austria, Prussia, and Russia: The Rise of Central and...

The Pillars: Jerusalem, Athens, and the Western Mind ·

2025/12/17

While Poland will weaken and will eventually collapse, Austria, Prussia, and Russia will rise as they begin to consolidate power. To help us dive deeper into the topic, we'll address the following questions: Why were Poland and the surrounding territories particularly conducive for Jewish life to flourish? Even as European society modernized, why were Prussian aristocrats still drawn to military service? Why had Russia historically been culturally distinct from western Europe, and why did Peter the

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41:51

Descartes and Pascal: The Emergence of the French Mind

The Pillars: Jerusalem, Athens, and the Western Mind ·

2025/12/10

The fields of modern mathematics and philosophy owe a great deal to René Descartes and Blaise Pascal. As we learn more about the two thinkers, we'll explore the following questions: How did Descartes balance the tension between skepticism and certainty in his philosophical writings? According to Descartes, why is it important to study foreign languages? Why did Pascal sharply criticize Descartes' approach to reason? Recommended Reading: Decartes, René. Discourse on Method. Barzun, Jacques. From

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27:35

The Rise of Western Europe II: Revolutionary England...

The Pillars: Jerusalem, Athens, and the Western Mind ·

2025/12/03

While the king in France amasses more power and splendor to himself, the English monarchy undergoes a drastic change. To help us unpack the topic, Rabbi Rocklin will answer the following questions: How did the English Bill of Rights establish the strength of the English parliament? Under the leadership of Louis XIV, how and why did France become the envy of Europe? How did the War of Spanish Succession threaten to reshape Europe?

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40:17

The Rise of Western Europe I: The Netherlands and...

The Pillars: Jerusalem, Athens, and the Western Mind ·

2025/11/26

The balance of power in Europe will shift dramatically in the seventeenth century. On today's episode, we'll uncover answers to the following questions: For such a small country, how did the Netherlands succeed in becoming a dominant power in Europe in the seventeenth century? Why did Englishmen place great value in this time on being a landowner? What brought about the English Revolution? Why was the monarchy restored after the death of Oliver Cromwell?

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38:35

Don Quixote II: Towards A New Model of Heroism

The Pillars: Jerusalem, Athens, and the Western Mind ·

2025/11/19

Miguel de Cervantes will propose a new type of hero for an age that has moved beyond the knight in shining armor. As we continue our survey of Don Quixote, Rabbi Rocklin will answer the following questions: How does Don Quixote's title, "Knight of the Sorrowful Face," reflect Cervantes' critique of modernity? In what sense is there a small piece of Don Quixote in every man? In spite of all his antics and madness, how can Don Quixote be a model for behavior for the reader? Recommended Reading:

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37:23

Don Quixote I: The First Modern Novel

The Pillars: Jerusalem, Athens, and the Western Mind ·

2025/11/12

The first modern novel employs humor and satire to explore what it means to be an individual. To help us in our survey of Don Quixote, we'll focus on the following questions: How does Don Quixote both mock the past and emphasize the value of tradition? Even if Don Quixote is objectively mad, how do his wild imaginings critique modernity? What are we to make of and learn from Don Quixote's insistence that he knows exactly who he is? Recommended Reading: Cervantes, Miguel. Don Quixote. Trans. Edith

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36:23

Italy and the Jews: A Vital Center for Isolation and...

The Pillars: Jerusalem, Athens, and the Western Mind ·

2025/11/05

The Jewish communities of Renaissance Italy were unusual in their interactions with their Christian neighbors. As we explore this topic, we'll find answers to the following questions: Why did early Renaissance Italian humanists turn to Jews to inspire Christian thought? In what ways were the Jews involved in developing the Renaissance culture of Italy? How did the Jews of this period lay the groundwork for the development of the modern Hebrew language?

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31:27

Shakespeare the Bard: A Man for the Ages

The Pillars: Jerusalem, Athens, and the Western Mind ·

2025/10/29

For good reason, Shakespeare is one of the most famous and most influential writers of the English language. To help us unpack that topic, we'll explore the following questions: In contrast with the greatness of man to be found in Hamlet, how does the relative bleakness of Macbeth resonate with a listener? Of all the bard's plays, what makes As You Like It a good one to introduce students to Shakespeare? Can The Merchant of Venice be understood in a way that is sympathetic to Jews?

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43:03

Shakespeare's Hamlet: The First Modern Play

The Pillars: Jerusalem, Athens, and the Western Mind ·

2025/10/22

Arguably Shakespeare’s greatest play, Hamlet will catapult us into the modern era of literature. To unpack that notion, we’ll explore the following questions: In what sense does Hamlet have a foothold in both the classical and modern eras? How does Hamlet grapple with the Biblical, covenantal tension between man’s significance, on the one hand, and insignificance, on the other? Why is Hamlet’s conversation with his conscience an answer to Machiavelli? Recommended Reading: Shakespeare, William

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34:25

Montaigne and Shakespeare: The Rise of the Individual

The Pillars: Jerusalem, Athens, and the Western Mind ·

2025/10/16

Modernity continues to emerge with the writings of Montaigne and Shakespeare. On today’s episode, Rabbi Rocklin will help us address the following questions: Why did Montaigne love history as a tool to understand the human character? How does Montaigne’s approach to education diverge from his contemporaries’ such that we might recognize his approach in today’s world of education? What sets Shakespeare’s plays apart from his contemporaries’ and makes his works relevant throughout the centuries?

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40:39

Kabbalah: Mysticism and Science

The Pillars: Jerusalem, Athens, and the Western Mind ·

2025/10/09

The study of Kabbalah—Jewish mysticism—will play an outsized role in shaping not only Western thought but even modern science. To explore the topic, we’ll turn to the following questions: What is Kabbalah and why did it become important, as an area of study, for Christian thinkers and scholars? How does Kabbalah further develop the notion of human agency? What role did Kabbalah play in the development of modern science? Recommended Reading: Coudert, Allison P. Hebraica Veritas: Christian Hebraists

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113 results

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