Tag: justice

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#93 The Twelve Minor Prophets (4)

David Solomon examines the prophets who lived during the period after Israel’s return to Zion, following the Babylonian exile, namely:

  • Hagai
  • Zechariah
  • Malachi.
David Solomon podcast on the prophets Hagai,Zechariah, and Malachi.
Zechariah as depicted by James Tissot. Public domain.

With their unique post-exilic messages, these three prophets addressed the concerns of a population grappling with rebuilding Jerusalem after generations away. Some of the ideas expressed in their powerful prophetic books include:

  • the need to rebuild the leadership of Israel
  • the importance of building a new temple in Jerusalem
  • a call to do teshuva
  • rebuilding oneself through dialogue with God
  • the failure of previous generations
  • creating righteous leadership
  • ecstatic visions
  • the implications of changing geopolitical realities
  • false prophecy
  • the end of the prophetic epoch.

David closely examines key passages of these biblical texts, explaining their meaning and  the implications of their messages.

As always, he places the prophets, their lives, and their words in historical context. He also emphasises the lasting importance of their ideas for the Jewish people as a nation and for us all as individuals.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:28:10 — 85.0MB)

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#90 The Twelve Minor Prophets (1)

This first lecture in David’s four-part series on the Trei Asar, the twelve minor prophets, explores how these remarkable biblical figures transformed the idea of religious practice – in particular, the way in which nations and individuals should worship a divine entity that cannot be seen.

In this talk, David examines the lives and messages of the first three of these twelve prophets:

  • Hoshea (Hosea)
  • Amos
  • Yoel (Joel).
Amos, circa 1896–1902, by James Jacques Joseph Tissot (French, 1836-1902). Public domain.

Throughout the lecture, David discusses the prophetic themes contained within the books, including that:

      • God is the God of the whole world
      • nations are judged
      • Israel is judged on its behavior as a society of individuals
      • the importance of teshuva for individuals and nations
      • the messianic age
      • God’s relationship with the people of Israel
      • justice is more important than sacrifice.

The talk outlines the historical and geopolitical contexts for these prophets and their messages. David also flags the cultural and spiritual legacies of these remarkable biblical figures.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:34:10 — 89.9MB)

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#55 The Prophets: The Twelve ‘Minor’ Prophets

A Podcast on the Prophets of Israel in Tanach (Hebrew Bible)

The Trei Asar, known in English as the twelve ‘minor’ prophets, have been fundamental to the transmission of ideas and moral perspectives through the past two and a half millennia. In this podcast episode, the final instalment of this four-part series on the prophets of Israel for Elul, David explores the fascinating lives, historical context, and profound messages of these spiritual giants. In dynamic succinctness, David marches through the short but canonical texts of Hosea, Yoel, and Amos; Ovadiah, Yonah, and Micah; Nachum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah; Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi. David explains the importance of each book and their contributions to Jewish and world spirituality.

Find ‘Collected Talks of David Solomon’ on the Jewish podcast rating list at Feedspot.

Sophonie s’adressant au peuple. Valenciennes – BM – ms. 0007 (f. 183). 16th century. Public Domain.

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#54 The Prophets: Ezekiel

A Podcast on the Prophets of Israel in Tanach (Hebrew Bible)

The Book of Ezekiel has been enormously influential on Jewish spirituality for two-and-a-half millennia, including as the foundational inspiration for subsequent Jewish mystical ideas and texts. In this podcast episode, David examines the life and work of the Prophet Ezekiel (Yechezkel), believed to be among the first wave of exiles taken into Babylon. It is in the Book of Ezekiel, largely set during the Babylonian exile after the destruction of the First Temple, that we find an array of profound concepts about ethical existence and societal responsibility that remain startlingly relevant until today – in particular, we can extract much from Ezekiel’s insights into teshuva and Jewish spiritual practice in times of change and uncertainty. David also explores other remarkable elements of the book, including the extraordinary descriptions of G-d’s chariot and the valley of the dry bones, as well as providing insights into the social, political, and spiritual turbulence of the time.

Scan of a Gustave Doré engraving “The Vision of The Valley of The Dry Bones” – 1866. Public Domain.

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