Live From Shavua HaSefer!

[00:00:14] Speaker A: Hello and welcome back to the Corin podcast. It's that time of year again. Shavua Hasefir, bookweek here in Israel. Aryeh and I spent the evening at the book fair at Jerusalem's first station to catch up with some of your favorite authors to talk about their books. Al Raghel Akhat. We were also joined by a very, very special guest, somebody featured in the new Yomichad Bektober, the forthcoming one day in October, the english edition of the book telling the stories of 40 heroes from October 7. So make sure you stick around to the end to hear that brief conversation with Ariye and Avi. If you're listening to this, the day it comes out and you're in Israel, please do stop by at Shavah Sefer until June 30. If you're not in Israel, you can still come. Or just check out corrinepub.com, where all of our books are available worldwide. But that's enough words of introduction. Let's jump right in. All right. We're joined now by David Cohen. Usually we ask all of our guests to teach us the whole Torah Al Reg Alachat, because we're at Shroud ha Sefer. We're going to be asking our authors, can you teach us your sefer al Raghelachat? Can you teach us your book standing on one leg? [00:01:26] Speaker B: Wow, that's quite a task. Well, my book is about Qohelet. It's called a map to Eden. It's talking about the connections between. [00:01:37] Speaker C: The. [00:01:38] Speaker B: Life of Shlomo Melech, between the life of the author of Kohelet and the life of Adam Ari Shol, the beginning of the Book of Bereshit. And so certainly my book on al Ragha Lachat would be the very last verse of Qohelet, which talks about how the, the entire purpose of man is to keep the commandments. And it's not just man, it's the man. It's Adam. It captures the entire point of Qohelet in my eyes in that one last verse. Some people think that verse is just kind of tacked on to make the book end at a positive note. But I think actually, that's where the whole olive Kohelet is actually leading to that final verse. [00:02:13] Speaker A: Right. And I mean, you mentioned, you know, people think of it as being tacked on just to end on a positive note, because Kohelet, we do seem to think of it as being a bit heavy and pessimistic at times. So what is it about that last puzzle that really encapsulates the whole thing. [00:02:31] Speaker B: So I agree that Kohelet has, if it's, as I understand it, a reflection of Shlomo's life and even more a reflection of Adam Ari Shon's life, which the two of those lives had so many parallels. There's a lot of sadness in the story, a lot of disappointment. They both started life on a very positive note and ended in, you know, basically defeat and tragedy. But what Qohelet teaches us, I think, is that there's room for hope, there's room for Chuvah. And by doing that, there is a way to come back from those. From those depths, which is incredibly powerful. Otherwise, if you felt, if you ended the book that way without that note, you think, well, there really wasn't anything else to go for. It's almost saying there's no point in everything doing but what he says in his life. Looking back, if he had only kept God's commandments, if Adam Arishon only kept that one commandment that he was commanded to, then they could have been closer. That was the whole point. That's all they really needed. They both had a unique relationship with God that no one else really could match, and they wish they could just restore that intimacy with God. And that's something we all can aspire to. So that actually leads to the positive note. There is hope, there is Chuvah. Ohelet gives that opportunity. [00:03:36] Speaker A: Wow. Fantastic. And so your book came out only about a year ago. We're standing now in June 2024. The book came out June, July 2023. And so, you know, it's a book about Kohela. It's a book about sefer Borasia. This year, obviously, people were a little bit distracted, especially when those two books were so, so relevant. Looking at those things, looking at the ideas that you bring in the book, you know, what looking at through that lens, I suppose, what's the last nine months? The next nine months, hopefully, you know, what are the things that you're thinking about through that prism? [00:04:14] Speaker B: It's a really interesting question, because on a very personal level, I had been preparing that book for a long time. I wrote over the course of about five years. The peak of everything was Sukkot of last year. When I was promoting the book and talking to people all about the book, that was the main thing I was working on. And obviously, when Cohel was read, everyone was talking about it. I expected that to be the big thing. I was wondering myself, what's going to happen after Sukkot's over? I didn't obviously have any anticipation, certainly on the level of tragedy that occurred. But in the months leading up to Sukkot, the country was very much divided in understanding how we intend to be governed, what's the nature of how the relationship between the leaders and the people should be enacted in terms of the judicial reform, the protests, and all that kind of thing? My book isn't political, but it does deal with those tensions of leadership. Talks about Shlomo and how he was dealing with the people. It goes into other areas, like Korach and Moshe, and a lot of these things being discussed. I think that there isn't necessarily, in my book any direct relations to the events of the tragic events, October 7 and the things that are going after. But ultimately, we as a nation, we as a people, need to sort of determine where we want to go, how we want to relate to our country and our leaders. And I think there's a lot of lessons there from Kohelet about understanding the people's obligation to follow the laws, the leadership's obligation to be attentive to what the people really want, finding ways to not end up in the divisions that followed both Adam Ari Shon's life with his divisions in Kayn Heves, you know, literally brother killing brother. The same kind of divisions that you find with right after Shlomo, with Rehavam and Yerevan. Those divisions. Those are divisions we still, unfortunately, as we record today, are incredibly relevant. We need to make sure that the unity that we saw as a lesson of the past nine months is maintained. That, I think, is something to learn in Qohelet, both from Madame Rochelle and from Shlomo, how to avoid those divisions. [00:06:13] Speaker A: 100%. So our final question, I suppose, aside from Kohelet, the map to Eden, aside from your own book, I saw you walking around the whole of Shaw, the whole book fair here, but especially the Karin Magid stands. What's one book that's really piqued your interest, one book that you think people really should be paying attention to right now? [00:06:30] Speaker B: Oh, gosh, that's really hard. There's so many. I mean, the most obvious one, and I guess you could say this, you know, there's a saying. There's the Cole de var yeshua fidel sefer shatrashe be'echal. So Shlomo Brody, who I respect very much, wrote this book well in advance of the events. And his book on military ethics is fascinating. I've heard him interview many times. That's a book that I think anyone wanting to understand what we're doing really needs to read his book. So I probably say that has to be the number one for anyone trying to understand what's going on and the, the justice of our cause and how our nation is acting and doing the best we can to be that moral army and try and defend what's going on here. [00:07:03] Speaker A: Fantastic. So if you're in Israel, please do come down to Shabbat Sefa, pick up a copy of David Kirwin's book, Koheletz of Matt to Eden, or Shlomo Reddy's book, Ethics of Advisers. Thank you so much, David, for joining us. [00:07:13] Speaker B: Hugh, thank you for having me. [00:07:16] Speaker D: We're very excited to be joined now at Shabu Asefr by Rabbi Yaakov Beasley. Rabbi, great to see you here. How are you doing? [00:07:22] Speaker E: Thank you very much. And thank you very much for having me. This is very much an exciting happening place here at court and all around the Tachna Rishana. [00:07:29] Speaker D: And you came to sign copies of your book and to see your book here out in the wild. How's it been received so far, the books? [00:07:39] Speaker E: It's interesting. The compliment I get the most of it is actually the beginning where I try to write a little short story to give people an introduction into the world of traasar. And people tell me this opens the study of Na'vi in the ways that a general academic work or any technical work is unable to. So I'm hoping that I'm successful to my kids like to say, make Traesar great again. [00:08:03] Speaker D: So it's a great aspiration to have, and I think it's definitely already having that effect. This is the second volume in the Maggid Sadi's internal series on Trayasah. He published Nachum, Chabakuk and Sofania with us a couple of years ago. And now we have Yoel, Ovadia and Miha. Got that right. And just tell us a little bit about the latest volume and why you decided on those naveem. [00:08:25] Speaker E: So if I just, can I start with Nachom, Chaba Khakin? Briefly, there are three very small naveem, but they all prophesied at a very, very interesting time in jewish history in the 600s BCE. And all of am Yisrael has been completely defastated. Remember, the Assyrians invaded in 701 bce, and not only did he leave behind physical destruction, but absolute spiritual devastation. Menasha is the king for 55 years. He's an idol worshipper. The Torah is almost entirely forgotten. And you have three prophets who slowly and patiently try to rebuild the spirit of the people and the hope of the people and the faith of the people, that God is there, God is listening, and things will be better. So having done the post 701 world, which was Nachem Chabania, it was fascinating to go back now to the prophets who won, definitely, and the two ghazal at least point to as taking place before 07:01, before when the Assyrians are coming. What do you do in time of crisis? How do you deal with challenges you are faced? And what's the proper religious response before it happens? And people ask me, why are you not putting out books on relevant topics? You know, sneeze, you know, social media, ethics of the fighters. That's a great book. I've got five boys in the army, and, you know, these are topical ideas, but I thought about it, I don't accept the premise of the question. Joel describes an invading army that comes and devastates the land. Ovadi describes the betrayal of the jewish people by people who were supposed to be our closest allies, our friends. And Miha is determined and adamant that the problems that we face externally, whether political, military, are solved by fixing the internal risks within the jewish people, the social, the religious, all these. If we handle our own issues and we take care of the small things, then everything else will take care of itself ultimately. And that's why it's called facing the storm. When the storm is coming and you have a chance to react, what is the proper religious response of the dude, a Jewish. Of a jew? And what are we supposed to do now? Very relevant, if you ask me, for our times. [00:11:01] Speaker D: Right, right. I mean, often Triassai is translated as twelve minor prophets, and that's obviously a misnomer for lots of reasons. [00:11:12] Speaker E: Treasar has been a rediscovered, even in academia the past 30 years. They have rediscovered or they've found treassar, because all of a sudden, these are prophets who are masters of the hebrew language, masters of Tanakh. Aside from the poetic issues, they draw upon earlier stories in the Tanakh, that because these books are not generally spoken about or studied, we miss the echoes. And one of the main goals I had in writing these books was to try to find all the parallels from previous prophets or previous. Well, for example, a very simple one. Miha gives a speech at the end, God will throw your sins into the sea. And we say this on Tasha, that's literally those last three verses. But very few people noticed that there's a whole series of parallels between Miha and Kiryatiyam. And when you say, once you see that? You say, of course, it is because God threw the Egyptians into the sea. And Micah says, God will throw your enemies into the sea nowadays. But what Micha does is clever. Who is the enemy of the jewish people? It's not the Assyrians, although that's clearly the case when the Miha is speaking, but it's themselves. God will throw your sins into the sea. He takes this parallel from an earlier story, but he adds this little twist. If I can quote Pogo the great, you know, the great american comic from many years ago, Miha tells the jewish people, we have seen the enemy, and he is us. If we can simply fix our own internal issues, heal the rifts in our people, then nobody else from the outside can hurt us. It's really ultimately very optimistic because it gives us control back over our destiny. That's what I think, what all the prophets try to do. And Yoel, of course, draws on many themes when describing the locust. He's drawing on the egyptian tradition. But whereas within the time of Egypt, the Jews are passive observers, watching locust devastate something else, now they're facing that challenge. But Yol says, there's a way to react to this. And ula, yinecha, meshem, maybe God will listen. Maybe God will show mercy. And he's so optimistic at the end, because God will not only solve the locust issue, he will bring about a level of knowledge of God, you know, to be. To do the right thing upon the people. There's going to be. And he says, if we do it right, we can even bring mashiach. That's what the ending of y'all is, from a simple locust invasion to the, you know, to the aspiration of all the dreams of the jewish people. It's a very. It's a great transformation. [00:13:52] Speaker F: Wow. [00:13:53] Speaker D: Wow. So there's obviously lots of more amazing insights to be found in both of your books. And, and we encourage everyone listening, obviously, either to come to Shavu Asafe, if they're here in Israel, to pick them up, or to buy them through our website. Very much recommended and talk. You have recommendations. Before you go, what book can you recommend to our listeners if they're coming to Shabu Asafe? Should they definitely be picking up while they're here, apart from your two books, Elizabeth? [00:14:16] Speaker E: Well, one of the things I noticed, I teach in an american yeshiva, in yeshiva, Teher Levator. And one of the challenges, the challenge we face in the past five years, six years, seven years, is, of course, the addiction. And there's no other word for to social, to cell phones, social media. And this has become a new challenge to try to introduce people who, like, we're a text based religion in a Twitter world, and it's a very difficult challenge. The first book on my recommendation list is Rabbi Ziering's book, Torah in a connected world. Torah in a connected world. And all the issues that it involved, that are connected to this is really, I think I started to leave through it, got to speak to Rabbi Ziering. He's also here tonight. Really fascinating. And I know Rabbi Ziying for many years. I know he did a great job on it. The other book that I'm looking at, and I have to make sure my wife doesn't see me by it, is the madwoman in the rabbi's attic, so by Gila Fine, which just is another interesting look at the role of women in talmudic times. And so I'm looking forward to. Those are the two books I have on my reading list. I'm actually flying to the States and then Canada tomorrow, where I'll be speaking in Teaneck and in Toronto, and I'll be talking about my books. But I've also ordered a copy there of ethics of the fighters. As I said, when you have five boys, and I know these problems, challenges, my boys, three of whom are in the army now, two of them down south, I know the challenges they face. And I'm looking forward to seeing, you know, how this fits into the larger picture of jewish tradition and jewish rabbinic thought. [00:15:58] Speaker D: Amazing. Well, thank you so much again for joining us and see you on safe travels. [00:16:02] Speaker E: Okay, thank you very much. [00:16:06] Speaker A: So we're joined now by Rabbi Jonathan Ziering, who was on our full podcast only a few weeks ago, where he spoke in great detail. And you, you should go back and listen to that about his book, Torah in a connected world. But here at Shavuot Hasefeh, Rabbi Zering, can you tell us what's the reaction to your book? You've been talking to some readers this evening. What's the reaction to your book been like? [00:16:28] Speaker G: Well, so far, what I found is that a lot of people are interested in the intersection between technology and halakhah. Honestly, what I've been hearing over the last few weeks is that in light of Jonathan Haidt's new book, the Anxious Generation, everybody is thinking about what cell phones have done to our brains. And I've heard a lot of people talking about it and asking me to talk about it because they want a Torah perspective on it, which has been nice and many of the people who have been coming have been asking me if I covered artificial intelligence in the book, and I can tell them no, but that's my next project. So what I've been seeing is just that a lot of people really do believe, and that's gratifying, that halakha has something to say and should have something to say about you, you know, every technological change that comes our way. So, you know, I'm glad that people are interested and I'm glad that they've been reaching out and having conversations with me and conversations among themselves. [00:17:21] Speaker A: So, I mean, so has there been anything not pushback? I mean, the book isn't, it's not a controversial topic. It's just a not oft spoken about sort of area of halakha, as you say. That's why you tackled it. But has there been any sort of, we discussed in our longer interview the idea of, you know, saying things so that halaka has already said something? Has there been any sort of pushback? I guess, have people come and say. [00:17:45] Speaker G: I haven't gotten pushback about it yet? I mean, we'll see what happens as things go on. I think when I say it, when I tell people that, like, you know, that this is a fundamental belief, that the Torah is always relevant and that when it comes to new technology, you need to start with the mitziyut and then look for things in Alacha and you will find something, you know, for people who really believe in Torah that resonates with them. I haven't found people pushing back more. What people have been asking is how do you do it? Because it really is hard. And what I have heard a lot is how do you make sure that you're being true to the sources and not, and not reading what you want into them. But in principle, I haven't gotten pushback, at least yet that halakha can and should do this. [00:18:25] Speaker A: So how do you, how do you make sure that you're reading the sources faithfully and not, I mean, look, we've. [00:18:30] Speaker G: Talked about it before. I mean, part of it is, you know, there's no great answer. Part of it, as we've talked about is, you know, it depends on integrity. But part of it is just that, you know, you have to be, you can't assume that you know, what the answer is going to be, right? You know, as we've talked about in the past, my goal is always to see what are the problems that are raised and then look for the sources that can speak to it, not what do I want them to say, right. I start with just identifying the problems and then identifying the topics in Torah that can talk about it. This way. I'm in the sources before I've come to any conclusions. Right. If you start with a conclusion, then obviously it's much easier to just, you know, make them. Then make the sources say whatever. Whatever you want them to say. [00:19:08] Speaker A: Right. And so just before you go, because I know that you've. You're on your way out, have you been here this evening with your family? You've been looking around. What is the one book, aside from your own, that you think people should be paying attention to right now? [00:19:20] Speaker G: What is the one book? So I've said this before, but I really think that, you know, the timing of Rory Brody's book, Ethics of our fighters, is, you know, I don't want to say lucky, but. But serendipitous. I don't know. But, you know, Roy Brody's book, at least for me, really, really gives off that same belief. Right. The idea that in the middle of war, there's something that the Torah can say profoundly that's different than what you would find if you opened up, you know, Michael Walzer's book on just wars or anything else, that Torah has something really unique to say. I think for anyone who has been, you know, either who cares about the jewish people and has seen all the discussions about are we fighting this correctly? And the pushback, both amongst people who believe that big adult, we're doing the right thing and those who don't, to be able to have a language to explain why what we're doing is right and when it's not, to be able to do it better and take Torah as our guide. I think that's really important. So if you haven't read Ray Brody's book, I'll put my plug in for Ray Brody's book. And I think Rai Feldman's book also is super important to understand that, you know, you were talking before about how do you know you're doing things with integrity. But his book, which talks about when it's legitimate to use loopholes and when it is, when isn't it, I think, cuts to the heart of that question. And if these are the types of things that bother you and that you think about, then Ray Brody, then Feldman's book should also be on your to buy list. [00:20:50] Speaker A: Fantastic. So anyone who is able to, whether it's at Shavuor, Hasefeh or online, should definitely get copies of Torah in a connected world by Rabbi Ziering or on his recommendation, his wonderful recommendation that we obviously agree with ethics of our fighters by Rabbi Brody, or letter and spirit by Rabbi Feldman. So, Rabbi Zurich, thank you very much for joining us again on the current podcast. [00:21:07] Speaker G: My pleasure. Great to see you. [00:21:08] Speaker A: See you soon. So we're being joined now by Yair Ettinger, who is the author of Frayed, which was a finalist for the National Jewish Book Award. And really taking them all by storm, so literally. Yair, can you talk about your book on one leg for the listener? Yair is unfortunately carrying an injury, so. [00:21:31] Speaker C: We'Re gonna keep it, like, really, literally one leg. Yeah. So, yeah, about my book. So this is, my book is trying to look into what is the new, I don't know, new elite of Israel, which is the. The Datil umi religious zionist community in Israel, which is so varied and so important and so different, and there are different segments and slices and all, and is struggling within, on the inside between different forces. It was always like that. And I think also today, and, you know, my book was published just, I think, just days before the war. Right. So. And I think that what is frustrating and also gives me hope about. Gives me hope about the book is that every day there is a new chapter that I missed that I. Something that is still going on. And if you follow the news in Israel, if you follow just, for instance, what. What's going on now with the team Lumim and the haredim and the question of the army, the draft law? I mean, every day there's a new chapter, everything new challenge, and it's really fascinating. [00:22:57] Speaker A: So, I mean, the title of the book, frayed, which is sort of. It's a play on words, but more from the hebrew edition from Im, which is both, you know, from. To be, you know, religious orthodox, whatever. [00:23:09] Speaker C: And also, it's like the opposite of Sogim. [00:23:12] Speaker D: Right. [00:23:12] Speaker A: Exactly. [00:23:13] Speaker C: Which is frayed. [00:23:14] Speaker A: Right. So I guess, you know, what is that element that's frayed? Like, the book goes into this idea that there are disagreements, there are differences of opinion that are fracturing or potentially could fracture both the religious Zionists or the Datilo Umi community, but the society at large. So what's, like, is there an overarching message or theme of the book, or is it really what each chapter of its own? [00:23:38] Speaker C: So the book is following, actually a few different disputes, which are ideologic, halachic, Torah politics disputes. For instance, the question of Temple Mount. Is it allowed? Is it good to go on Temple Mount not because of politics, but because of Alakha? Is it the question of women going to the army, the team, the religious woman, religious young woman going to the army, the question of ordaining rabbis and LGBT and women. And so all these questions, every chapter is following one dispute, giving you the background, the halachic background, and what is going on on the surface. Like, what is. How does it. What's the expressions of these disputes? Sometimes stories from synagogues, stories from, I don't know, from politics, like in the national level, and something is local and national, and I'm trying to tell the story about. Of this specific dispute for readers from the inside and from the outside. [00:25:00] Speaker A: Right? I mean, just to pick up on the inside and the outside for a long, long time, even, you know, post 1948, until very recently, perhaps even still today, sort of the Jews in the diaspora often, or at least, you know, the idea of deciding halacha came from yeshivot in America or in Europe, whatever, but in recent history, it's really shifted towards Israel and yourself being, you know, an orthodoxy Israeli jew. How do you feel that this book can speak to jewish communities outside of Israel? Facing, you know, the idea of women going to the army doesn't necessarily apply in better commons to Jews in America or Jews in the UK or South Africa, but it definitely does here. So how do these disputes, do you think, resonate with Jews outside of Israel? [00:25:46] Speaker C: So I have no doubt that, for instance, our generation is. One of the biggest challenges are the question of women in religious life in our synagogues, in Halachic. I don't know, like, routine every day. So I think same challenges sit here in Israel and in the diaspora for no doubt, especially in the United States, Britain, so I know, and sometimes in the hebrew book, I also tell stories about what's happening abroad. I felt there's no need to do that in the english version. So same challenges. The big challenges, I think, are the same, but also some, I would say religious trends are coming from Israel and are imported from Israel to the diaspora and from the diaspora to Israel. So, like, religious orthodox feminism is. No doubt. I mean, is was developed in America and other places. So the connection between the two continents is really important. I will just give you another example of something that appeared in Israel, like the trend of neo hasidic yeshivot. And this is something really Datili on me. And now you can see that also in America. So I think it's really important. It's a small world and we all live in an orthodox world, but also in a western world. And there are two forces that all the time struggle in each other. So and so people from in the diaspora will understand, I think, really deep, all these disputes, for sure. [00:27:41] Speaker A: And so one final question here at Shabbat, walking around, aside from your own, aside from frayed, what's one book you think everyone should be reading right now? Whether it's to deal with the war, to deal with its developments in Orthodox Judaism, whatever it is, what's one book people should be reading? [00:27:57] Speaker C: Okay, so there is one book of Corinne, which is Yomicha de October. And I'm not j say, saying that, just to say, oh, this is Coren's podcast. No, not because of that, or not only because of that. I will tell you why. My feeling, as I said before, the book was published just days before the war, and I didn't even have the chance to tweet. I have my new book coming in English. And you know what? And then it took me months to do that. And you know why? The answer is that I felt, and I still feel that all of our books are our movies, our documentaries, our culture, the culture will have to change. We'll have to rewrite it. After October 7, something really big changed. That was my feeling. I still feel a little bit. So I think many books are outdated. I mean, it's sad to say, because I know people are writing books. You know, people wrote books and they found out that 7 October, it's not irrelevant. Maybe it's a little bit radical. I don't think it's. I don't think the same way now. I think we still have culture, we still have things that's going on. But what I like about Yomicha be October is that it's a new trying to. It's an inspiring book and still new with the new reality of Israel, of the jewish people. [00:29:33] Speaker A: So that's frayed by Yara Essinger, a fantastic book looking at orthodoxy, religious Zionism in Israel and in the diaspora. But of course, as well, Yomich Habakkuk, which will be out in English soon, one day in October, coming later in 2024. So thank you so much, Jair, for joining me. [00:29:48] Speaker C: Thank you so much. [00:29:49] Speaker D: Bye bye. Okay, we are delighted to be here at Shavu Asepha with Rabbi doctor Tzvi Ron. Great to see you here tonight at shabu Sefer. [00:29:56] Speaker H: It's great to be here. It's a lot of fun here. Nice energy. Good energy here. [00:30:00] Speaker D: Tell us a little bit about how it's been tonight. [00:30:02] Speaker H: I mean, just people coming one after the other, asking about the book. Tell me about the book. What's going on. Then they tell me about their own background and ethnicity, the kind of stuff they would do in their homes. And then we talk about what's in the book. Very, very exciting. [00:30:18] Speaker D: Amazing. And tell us a little bit about, I mean, those who didn't hear our previous episode with Reverend. Those who did, we had amazing feedback from it, lots of mind blown. But those who didn't hear it, tell us a little bit about the book. [00:30:29] Speaker H: Well, in the book, we take up a few topics and we explore them from the beginning to how they turned into what they are now. One of the major things that comes out in the book is that customs are constantly changing. For example, we talk about the custom of eating an etrog on Rosh Hashanah, which is not something that many people do nowadays because it by now turned into an apple in honey. But we talk about how originally it was really to eat an Etch rogue on Rosh Hashanah. But I guess etchrogues are not as readily available as apples. So things shifted around a little bit on that. [00:31:05] Speaker D: The market is a bit out of sync there. They usually come out a bit later, a little bit. [00:31:08] Speaker H: But I will tell you a fun fact. Just, you know, a pro tip for the audience. You go over to someone selling Lulavim, and you ask him for the reject etrogues that he can't sell. Sometimes they have a few read, even at Rosh hashanah time. [00:31:21] Speaker D: Okay, good tip. Good tip. [00:31:22] Speaker H: And then we talked to somebody about the way that they grew up, the halot in their family, because he was of iraqi descent, and they had only round halot all the time. And. And then there was next to him another person who's also sephardi background, grew up in England, though, and they started using braided Halot, which is an ashkenazic thing. And we're talking about how that came to be because it's also a chapter in the book, how Halot went from the plain round to the braided that we're familiar with today. A lot of us. [00:31:54] Speaker C: Right. [00:31:54] Speaker D: I don't have too many spoilers for the previous episode, because if you haven't heard it yet, you should definitely hear it. [00:31:59] Speaker H: There you go. [00:32:00] Speaker D: But I will tell our listeners, I mean, they're definitely. I have friends now who, on Friday night, they're very careful about what they do when this Torah is lifted. They're very careful with what they do with their hands. [00:32:10] Speaker H: That's right. That's right. We're just spreading knowledge. It's good stuff. [00:32:13] Speaker D: And I guess last knowledge to spread here at Shabu Asef. We've got lots of books that we've published at Corinth over the years. Can you make one recommendation to our listeners? [00:32:22] Speaker H: I'd like to slip in if I can, too. First of all, Jarl Ziegler's book, an Eicha, very, very powerful. And it's also good for this time of year especially. Listen. Underrated. I know a lot of people during keynote, sometimes they're looking for something to read as the keynote continue going. This will be a great book and very appropriate for the day. [00:32:44] Speaker D: And that's available now in Hebrew and in English. [00:32:47] Speaker H: That's really, really a winner. Really. Also, when you're looking for something to read on Tish above afternoon and not feel guilty about your life, that would be a thing to do right there. And also, if I could slip in a recommendation for Chaim Angels book on the last Naveem Hagai Zechariah Malachi. That's great stuff. Those Naveen people should really learn more about them. Very underrated. [00:33:12] Speaker D: Amazing rev run. Great to see you as well. [00:33:13] Speaker H: Great to see you too. And come down to Shavuot Sefir. It's a lot of fun here. [00:33:17] Speaker D: Thanks so much. We are here at Shavua Sefer with Yair Agmon, one of the authors of Yom Echad Ba October, the best, stunning book here in Israel and soon to be out in English as one day in October. Yair, thank you so much for joining us here at Shabu Asafa. [00:33:33] Speaker I: Thank you. And I apologize for my bad English. [00:33:36] Speaker D: It's fine. Tell us a bit about how it's been this evening, people you've spoken to. [00:33:42] Speaker I: The vibe, actually, it's very hard to me to be here because it's hard, like, to sell books and to stand in front of people and to talk with people. For me, it's not like easy. [00:33:52] Speaker D: Yeah. [00:33:53] Speaker I: But this book is important and we have hero here, Avi, that come also to sign books. So for me, it's like, it's a good, it's a good excuse to stay here. [00:34:08] Speaker D: Tell us about, I mean, I guess for us at Korean and Magid, we're very known for Asfarim Siddurim Mahsorim. Tell us why. This book is, sits nicely in Korean, but it's also different from anything we've done before. [00:34:22] Speaker I: Yeah, actually, I didn't know that Korean is also doing, like, normal books, not a religious book, even though it's a very holy book. I now realized that, but for me, it was just some woman that walks in Magid like Kwen. She called me. She told me, hi, Ayr. My name is Auria. We are doing a book about the heroes of October 7. Let's do it together. And for me, it's. [00:34:57] Speaker D: That's where I started. [00:34:58] Speaker I: Yeah. That started. I didn't want start to do it because I was very depressed at these days. It was like two weeks after, and I was so sad in my home and so ashamed of my. I don't know, as a father. So it was like a very weird situation because I didn't want to write anything. [00:35:22] Speaker D: Yeah. [00:35:22] Speaker I: And she asked again and again and again. And the third time, I said, let's do one story and we'll see. And from the first story, I understood that these heroes, these stories, this is my medication. This is like, the thing that will, I don't know, give me redemption for this situation. I was so sad in this. [00:35:46] Speaker D: Yeah. And if people are thinking, you know, that we've read articles online or we've watched videos about the stories, what's unique about the stories in this book or the way you tell the stories in the book that they won't find anywhere else. [00:35:58] Speaker I: Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'll tell you that. Many times I finished the work about, like, one story, and then I was so, like, emotion. So I searched for videos, like articles and something online on Facebook. And every time I was watching the article, I was shocked. Like, how that's low. You miss the person. You miss the story. Like, I think book have something. [00:36:32] Speaker D: To. [00:36:33] Speaker I: Give in this story. First of all, it tells the meaning of what happening. I don't know if it was. And also, we spent a lot of pages on this book, not about this day, but about these people. For me, it was more important that you will understand. For example, who is Netta Epstein? Who jump on grenade. Like, who is he really? Who is this person? So I want you to know how he was as a. I don't know, as a son, as a. With his fiance. Like, I want you to understand him. [00:37:14] Speaker D: Yeah. [00:37:15] Speaker I: And then we will talk about, like, how hero is. So for me, the balance between the big story and the big and the small person, this is the achievement of the book. You can feel the people. [00:37:28] Speaker D: Yeah, for sure. Okay. There's a million things we could talk about, but don't take up too much your time. But thank you so much for joining us tonight at Shavu Asafa. [00:37:36] Speaker I: Thank you. And I'm sorry. In Hebrew, it sounds so much better. [00:37:40] Speaker D: It's fine. When Bezrat Hashem? Soon. In a few months, people are going to get a chance to read the book in English and hopefully in the future, other languages as well. They'll see this amazing, amazing book and amazing contribution that you've done. So thank you so much. [00:37:53] Speaker I: Thank you. And you have to interview Avi like he is the big deal. [00:37:58] Speaker D: Okay, thanks so much. [00:37:59] Speaker I: Thank you, man. [00:38:00] Speaker D: And we're delighted to be joined or honored to be joined by one of the heroes of the book. So why don't you introduce yourself and tell us a bit about yourself? [00:38:07] Speaker F: So, hello, everyone. My name is Avi of Kowski. I live right near Jerusalem. October 7, day none of us can forget. I don't think ever we're gonna forget it. October 7. My brother that's in the army in Miloum woke me up and he told me that something bad is going on. And I volunteer for United Atala four or four years now. He told me that something bad is going on and I should get up. I told him that I don't really want to get up for Shachar. So I'm giving my blanket back and I went back to sleep. And he came back after around 15 minutes and he told me, it's bad. I woke up and I started. My phone was just hundreds of calls and phones from the dispatch center. They volunteer there, by the way. So every time there's something big or that they need help in the dispatch center, then they call me. And because I live close, then I come to help them. So I called them back and my friend answered me, Danny, and he told me, go down south. If you don't have to get there, then come here. There's hundreds of phone calls. So I called a friend that lives right near me with an am. I know he's with an ambulance in Khatoa. And I drove to him with my car, took my ceramic vest and drove to him. And we went. Drove together down south. And what we saw, the air, we can't explain by the beginning, we were supposed to get to this center, this big place where the dispatch decided no one should go further. It's a little bit before Sederot, and when we got there, the dispatch on the map that we went through that line. So he told us where you're going to. So we just turned off the walkie talkie and we just continued. Um, we took it out over the whole day from Kfaraza Barry, all the roads around Gaza from the Nova festival, we took it out. I think there's another unit that didn't go through our ambulance that day. Really? I can say today that everyone who came alive onto our ambulance is alive today, and that for us, we can understand why we did what we did. And it means so much to us. We just went in and out the whole day, taking soldiers, policemen, civilians who were injured, took them out to helicopters. We were waiting to take them to the hospital, other ambulances. And I really think that I have more time. If you say one small story, I remember that one of the times we have someone who was one day, 23 year old, maybe he was injured in the Nova pastoral. He was hiding the whole day. We got to him around 09:00 at night. He was hiding, breathing the whole day. When we got to him, we took him out, and we got to back to somebody that. Where the helicopters were landing and all the other ambulances were waiting for us. And when we got there, I remember there was a. There was a special unit helicopter from the army that was waiting for people injured to take them to the hospital. And in each helicopter, there's room for two people, and there was one person who was inside the rally, so there was room for one more. And we got there with someone who was injured. And together with us, another ambulance came with a soldier who was not conscious. He was injured very, very badly, and he needed the helicopter more. And the doctor came into our ambulance and checked our patient and went to the other ambulance and checked the other patient, and he came back to me and he said, avi, put your patient in the helicopter. So I looked at him and I said, doctor, why the other guy needs it much more. And what he told me is that our patient has much more chances to survive. That's the decisions we needed to make that day. That's what we went through the whole day. We got to places where there were ten people injured, and we just needed to pick what two to take and take them and come back. There were times when we were taking eight people out together in the ambulance. And I think that the koach of Am Yisrael, the amount of people that went special to the ear, people who don't live there, people who went special to the ear to go help and to give support and help any way they can, I think that's how that day ended. I'm Israel Chaya, and we should dance together by the Besa Makadush. [00:43:30] Speaker D: Amen. One last question. Just tell us a little bit about the process of being a part of this book and telling your story and now seeing your story in this book, and what's that been like? [00:43:39] Speaker F: So it's. It's emotional because, like, I'm, I'm a regular guy from Jerusalem, you know, and all of a sudden people come to us and want to make books about it. And this book specifically is, I don't read the books. I can't sit for, for not ten minutes, five minutes, I can't say, and I don't read the books, but this book really, they gave it to me as a present after they wrote it. And I just got home and I sat down and started reading it, and I just couldn't stop. And after me, my whole family and all my friends, it's just, it's amazing to read all the stories. I don't really understand why I'm supposed to be in that book. There's people who did really, really crazy stuff and really stuff you can't imagine. And that's amissrael. That's who we are. [00:44:34] Speaker D: Amazing. Avi, thank you so much for joining us. Ashabu Asafer, thank you for what you did on that crazy day for Am Yisrael, and thank you for being a part of this project. We really appreciate it. [00:44:45] Speaker F: Thank you. [00:44:46] Speaker A: That's all we have time for this week. Thank you again to all of our authors for stopping by, especially to Avi, who's featured in Yom Echad by October, the hebrew edition, and the forthcoming one day in October, which is available now for pre [email protected]. if you're in Israel and listening to this when it comes out, please do feel free to stop by the Koran bookstand, either in Sirona market in Tel Aviv or Jerusalem's first station until June 30, where there are some incredible deals to be had and also authors every night to sign books and to Shmooz. If you're not in Israel, check out chironpub.com, where you can get 10% off your entire order with promo code podcast if you want to be in touch with us, you can reach us via email, podcasthiranpub.com or on social media at chironpublishers. We'll be back in a couple of weeks time with another episode of the Chiron podcast, Al Raghelach hut with a fantastic special guest. Until then, this has been the Corin podcast. Goodbye.