Recent Posts
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Cup of Salvation Classic: The Current State of Jewish-Christian Relations
In this classic episode from 2017, David Nekrutman and Rabbi Pesach Wolicki discuss what Jews think of Christians, what motivates Christians who support Israel, and the current state of Jewish Christian relations. The discussion includes talk about the changes that have taken place, the current opportunities, and the possible threats that could negatively affect a healthy partnership between the two faiths.
We are grateful to our sponsors: June White in memory of Dolores Talley Brewer, Zion’s Gate International, and Sherry & Randy Lush.
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G-d is Not a Vending Machine: Removing Paganism from Our Biblical Faith (Episode 25)
When we read verses like Psalms 115:7, which rejects typical pagan attitudes, we often feel that we can safely join with King David in mocking such silly beliefs. But as Rabbi Pesach Wolicki and David Nekrutman demonstrate, this verse is criticizing us as much as it mocks ancient idolaters. Have we internalized pagan attitudes in our own worship – and if so, how can we purify our walk with G-d? For the unsettling answer to this, as well as for an important lesson in Biblical exegesis, listen to the Cup of Salvation podcast today.
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No Buttons to Push to Arouse the Gods (Episode 24)
At first glance, Psalms 115:6, which describes pagan gods as not hearing or smelling, seems to state the obvious. In that case, why would Rabbi Wolicki claim, “I believe that this is one of the most powerful verses in this entire series of Psalms”? What’s the connection between the sense of smell and worship? How does this play out in the pagan world and in our relationship with G-d?
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Relying on My Rabbit’s Foot: Inside the Pagan Mind (Episode 23)
“Pagans were not stupid.” With these rousing words, Rabbi Pesach Wolicki claims that our usual assumption that pagans were merely silly and foolish prevents us from understanding the real polemic against them in the Bible. If we understand what they were actually thinking, many seemingly innocuous verses in Scripture come alive with meaning. Along with David Nekrutman, Rabbi Wolicki examines Psalms 115:5, and it’s emphasis on an idol’s inability to see or speak (no, these terms are not random). Along the way, Rabbi Wolicki tells a story about an umpire who broke his glasses on the second pitch of a softball game in Virginia… and whether saying that “He’s being punished” is a religious or a pagan attitude.
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In G-d (and Money) We Trust (Episode 22)
At first glance, Psalms 115:4 seems to say nothing but the blindingly obvious: “Their idols are silver and gold; the work of human hands.” But Rabbi Pesach Wolicki tells David Nekrutman that King David uses a surprising term for “idol” which changes everything; that instead of repeating something we already know, he is teaching something important about human trust, toil, expectation, and disappointment. What does this have to do with United States currency? Leave it to David and Rabbi Wolicki to figure it out.
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The King’s Speech (Episode 21)
Did King David know how to write properly?! Because most translators act as if he made a simple mistake in composing Psalms 115:3! But instead of “correcting G-d’s grammar,” Rabbi Pesach Wolicki shows that the apparent glitch in G-d’s word actually points to a deep and powerful lesson about why G-d created with speech rather than with action. Along with David Nekrutman, they discuss the fallacy of translators who clean up inconsistencies, instead of using them to discover the incredible depths contained within. (And don’t miss the special Memorial Day message that opens the podcast.)
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