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PODCAST

JOI to the World

Menachem Lehrfield

JOI to the World is a collection of podcasts by Rabbi Lehrfield of JOI that explore diverse aspects of Jewish life, learning, and culture. Each episode offers a unique perspective, drawing from the rich tapestry of Jewish thought and tradition. You can subscribe to this podcast to get weekly episodes or you can subscribe to the individual shows to receive the monthly episodes as they air.Zero Percent: Discover the profound outsided impact of a people that make up less than 0.2% of the world.Dear

religion & spirituality judaism

All Episodes

3:21

Why Does God Stay Hidden?

JOI to the World ·

2026/04/15

🎧 Listen to this and other episodes at www.joidenver.com/podcastsIn this episode of Dear Rabbi, I address a profound spiritual question: Why does God want some distance? Even when we draw close with broken hearts in prayer, why does God remain hidden? I explore this concept through the lens of Purim, where God is famously hidden throughout the entire story. In the Book of Esther, which we read on Purim, God's name is never mentioned explicitly. Yet our sages tell us the name is there, hidden. Every

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0:52

Parshat Shemini: You Are What You Consume

JOI to the World ·

2026/04/10

Parshat Shemini This Week: The Torah gives us kashrut, laws about what we can and cannot eat. But it’s not just about food.We are what we consume. What we surround ourselves with. The people we follow, the music we listen to, the movies we watch, and the social media we scroll—all of it is absorbed through osmosis into our personalities, our psyches, and our souls.Often, we don’t even realize the effect it’s having on us. Kashrut reminds us: what you imbibe affects who you become. Before you scroll,

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1:12

Parshat Tzav: When It's Not Inspiring, Do It Anyway

JOI to the World ·

2026/03/27

📖 Parshat Tzav This Week: Last week's Vayikra covered the big concepts behind sacrifices: the philosophy and the meaning. This week? Tzav gets unromantic. It's all the nitty-gritty details: how the kohen actually performs the service day in and day out. No drama. No inspiration. Just showing up.The Korban Tamid—the daily offering—is mentioned specifically because it represents consistency. Not the days you feel spiritually high. Not when it's easy. But the 'ugh, another day' moments. When you show

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3:03

If Torah Says Don't Add to Mitzvot, How Do Rabbinic...

JOI to the World ·

2026/03/25

🎧 Listen to this and other episodes at www.joidenver.com/podcastsIn this episode of Dear Rabbi, I tackle an excellent paradox: The Torah explicitly states that one is prohibited from adding or subtracting from the mitzvot. So how then do rabbinic mitzvot come to be? Isn't that adding to the Torah? You're correct that the Torah forbids us from adding or detracting from it, and both adding and detracting are equally problematic. Your question is so good that the Rambam (Maimonides) himself asks it:

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1:11

Parshat Vayikra: Judaism is About What You Do

JOI to the World ·

2026/03/20

📖 Parshat Vayikra This Week: At a YU commencement, Rachel Goldberg-Polin said, "Judaism is not about what you think. It isn't about what you learn. It isn't about what you say. Judaism is about what you do.' The sacrifices in this parsha seem archaic, but here's what we can connect to: when something was wrong, you didn't just feel bad; you brought an offering. You took action. You noted that something was out of alignment and needs to change. Today, when we're stuck, when we mess up, when we need

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2:25

Do Jews Believe in Reincarnation? Gilgul Neshamot...

JOI to the World ·

2026/03/18

🎧 Listen to this and other episodes at www.joidenver.com/podcastsIn this episode of Dear Rabbi, I answer a question that surprises many people: Do Jews believe in reincarnation? The short answer is yes. Judaism does believe in the concept of gilgul neshamot (reincarnation of souls), according to many of our sages.Practically all of us alive today are reincarnations of previous souls and lives. What this means is that if a person, for whatever reason, did not fulfill their purpose in this world

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1:11

Parshat Pekudei: When Inspiration Needs Accountability

JOI to the World ·

2026/03/13

📖 Parshat Pekudei This Week: The Mishkan is complete. Donations poured in. Gold, silver, and precious materials. But then the Torah does something unexpected: it provides a detailed accounting of every single donation. Wait, why? Nobody was accusing Moshe of embezzlement. Because inspiration is intoxicating. When we're caught up in a mission that feels good, we can skip the details, assuming 'if it feels right, it must be right. ' The Torah says, "Pause." Slow down. Account for everything. Make

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2:44

How Do I Start Being More Involved in Judaism?

JOI to the World ·

2026/03/11

🎧 Listen to this and other episodes at www.joidenver.com/podcastsIn this episode of Dear Rabbi, I answer a question many people ask: What is the best way to get started in wanting to be more involved in Jewish life? The answer might surprise you with how accessible and flexible it actually is.Luckily, Judaism is not all or nothing. It's better to do something than to do nothing at all. While that might sound obvious, it's not the way many Jews approach Judaism. I hear people say all the time,

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1:30

Parshat Ki Tisa: From Mount Sinai to Golden Calf

JOI to the World ·

2026/03/06

📖 Parshat Ki Tisa This Week: Immediately after the highest spiritual moment in history, receiving the Torah directly from God at Mount Sinai, comes the Golden Calf, one of the lowest points in Jewish history. How does that happen? How do you fall so far, so fast? The lesson: inspiration is not permanent. That spiritual high, that moment of clarity, that burst of motivation it fades. Always. And if you're not ready for that, the fall can be steep. If the Jewish people at Mount Sinai could sink so

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1:33

Can Someone With a Tattoo Be Buried in a Jewish...

JOI to the World ·

2026/03/04

🎧 Listen to this and other episodes at www.joidenver.com/podcastsIn this episode of Dear Rabbi, I answer one of the most common misconceptions about Jewish law: Can a person with a tattoo be buried in a Jewish cemetery? The short answer is yes - even someone with a tattoo can absolutely be buried in a Jewish cemetery.That's not to say tattoos are condoned by Judaism. The Torah (the Bible) makes it very clear that it is forbidden to get a tattoo. But why? I explain that we look at our bodies as holy

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1:39

Parshat Tetzaveh: Why Jews Dress Differently

JOI to the World ·

2026/02/27

📖 Parshat Tetzaveh This Week: Jews have long been in the 'schmatta business,' not just a Marvelous Mrs. Maisel stereotype but reality. Many Jewish fashion icons trace their roots to the garment industry. Why this connection? Look at this week's parsha: an entire Torah portion obsessed with what the Kohen Gadol wears, not what he does, but what he wears. The subtle point: before serving God, the kohen must feel the weight of responsibility. His clothing reminds him he represents something bigger

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40:33

From Vietnam to Philanthropy: The Life I Never...

JOI to the World ·

2026/02/25

🎧 Listen to this and other episodes at www.joidenver.com/podcasts.Welcome to Zero Percent, the podcast that explores the outsized impact of the Jewish people! 🌟Vietnam veteran and healthcare entrepreneur Stephen Rosedale built one of America's largest post-acute care systems, but his most defining moments happened long before that. In this episode, Stephen shares how a chance encounter in college led him to Israel, how combat in Vietnam forged an unbreakable promise to be his "brother's keeper,"

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2:32

Where Did the "All Jews Are Rich" Stereotype Come From

JOI to the World ·

2026/02/25

🎧 Listen to this and other episodes at www.joidenver.com/podcastsIn this episode of Dear Rabbi, I tackle a persistent stereotype: Where did the idea come from that all Jews are rich? I can assure you it's not true in my case, and we all know Jews who are wealthy and Jews who are struggling, just like all of society. But the origin of this stereotype reveals something profound about Jewish values. I share a fascinating insight from Mark Twain, who once wrote an article addressing the root causes of

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1:09

Parshat Terumah: God Doesn't Need a House, We Do

JOI to the World ·

2026/02/20

📖 Parshat Terumah This Week: God doesn't need a palace. He doesn't need gold, silver, or a physical home. So why command us to build the Mishkan? Because WE need it. We're physical beings living in a material world, constantly absorbed in the tangible. God is teaching us: you can elevate it all. Don't think you're 'too materialistic' or 'too physical' to be spiritual. Take those physical materials, gold, wood, and fabric, and make me a home. By doing so, you remind yourself that you're truly

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3:06

Can You Buy a Mezuzah Online? What You NEED to Know...

JOI to the World ·

2026/02/18

🎧 Listen to this and other episodes at www.joidenver.com/podcastsIn this episode of Dear Rabbi, I answer a crucial question: Is there anything wrong with buying a mezuzah online or at a gift shop? The answer might surprise you and could save you from making an expensive mistake. First, let me clarify we're talking about the mezuzah scroll itself (the parchment inside), not the decorative case. A mezuzah case doesn't have any inherent holiness and can be purchased anywhere you'd like. But the scroll

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0:39

Parshat Mishpatim: The Laws That Make Us Human

JOI to the World ·

2026/02/13

📖 Parshat Mishpatim This Week: Right after the drama of the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai, the Torah shifts to... civil law. Rules about damages, loans, workers' rights, and caring for the vulnerable. Why the sudden shift? Because the Torah is teaching us that spirituality isn't just prayer and study; it's how you treat your neighbor, your employee, the stranger. Being godly means not doing to others what you wouldn't want done to you. It means being kind, gentle, and caring. Judaism's foundation

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2:32

Where Did the "All Jews Are Rich" Stereotype Come...

JOI to the World ·

2026/02/11

🎧 Listen to this and other episodes at www.joidenver.com/podcastsIn this episode of Dear Rabbi, I tackle a persistent stereotype: Where did the idea come from that all Jews are rich? I can assure you it's not true in my case, and we all know Jews who are wealthy and Jews who are struggling, just like all of society. But the origin of this stereotype reveals something profound about Jewish values. I share a fascinating insight from Mark Twain, who once wrote an article addressing the root causes of

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1:16

Parshat Yitro: How Good People Become Corrupt

JOI to the World ·

2026/02/06

📖 Parshat Yitro This Week: When listing qualifications for judges, the Torah mentions capable, God-fearing, truthful, and last, 'hates gain' (integrity). Why last? Shouldn't integrity be first? The Torah teaches us that corruption rarely starts with bad people. It starts with good people making small compromises. Then another. Then another. Slowly, those compromises erode moral character until integrity is gone. We're all susceptible; you can be capable, well-intentioned, even truthful, and still

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1:29

Parshat Beshalach: Faith Requires the First Step

JOI to the World ·

2026/01/30

📖 Parshat Beshalach This Week: Trapped between the Egyptian army and the sea, the people pray desperately. God's response? 'Move forward.' But the sea doesn't split until Nachshon ben Aminadav steps in. Water to his ankles. His knees. His waist. His shoulders. Only when it reaches his nostrils does the sea miraculously part. This is Jewish faith, not blind belief, but active trust. God waits for us to take the first step, to show we're invested, that we care enough to act. Then He meets us there

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49:51

Robin Chotin: Living Forever Through Legacy - A...

JOI to the World ·

2026/01/30

🎧 Listen to this and other episodes at www.joidenver.com/podcasts.Welcome to Zero Percent, the podcast that explores the outsized impact of the Jewish people! 🌟Join us as Robin Chotin shares her deeply moving journey of Jewish philanthropy alongside her late husband, Stephen, of blessed memory, whose impact on Denver's Jewish community remains unparalleled. Discover how Robin's parents quietly instilled a sense of responsibility through their actions rather than words, teaching her that "if you

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