A Book Like No Other

Aleph Beta
  • 4.9 (145)
  • JUDAISM
  • UPDATED WEEKLY
A Book Like No Other

A Book Like No Other is a chance to learn alongside Aleph Beta Founder and Lead Scholar, Rabbi David Fohrman, a master close reader of Torah, as he embarks on his most far-reaching and in-depth explorations. Each season is a stand-alone journey into a different Torah text. Our only goal: reading the Torah carefully, on its own terms, and following wherever that leads. Together, we'll unwrap remarkable patterns and surprising connections that lie just beneath the Torah's surface, revealing the beauty and insight that truly make the Torah a book like no other. A Book Like No Other is a project of Aleph Beta, a Torah media company dedicated to spreading the joy and love of meaningful Torah learning worldwide. A Book Like No Other is made possible through the generous support of Shari and Nathan Lindenbaum. For our full library of over 1,000 videos and podcasts, as well as bonus content for Book Like No Other, please visit www.alephbeta.org.

  1. 18H AGO

    A Message from Imu

    PLEASE FILL OUT OUR SURVEY: https://bit.ly/BLNOlistenersurvey We’re so grateful you’ve been listening to A Book Like No Other. Now, we’d love to hear from you! Podcasts can feel one-sided — we talk, you listen. But your voice matters. Please take 3–5 minutes to fill out this quick listener survey and help shape the future of the show. 👉 Take the survey here: https://bit.ly/BLNOlistenersurvey Your feedback is invaluable and will help us grow this show and build our community together. Thank you! A Book Like No Other is a product of Aleph Beta, and made possible through the generous support of Shari and Nathan Lindenbaum. Aleph Beta is a Torah media company dedicated to spreading the joy and love of meaningful Torah learning worldwide.

    3 min
  2. S4 Ep. 3 Can We Really Know God? What Jacob’s Deception Reveals About Revelation

    6D AGO

    S4 Ep. 3 Can We Really Know God? What Jacob’s Deception Reveals About Revelation

    What if the Torah provides its own commentary on its most pivotal moments? In this episode, Rabbi Fohrman and Imu continue uncovering a striking web of connections between Jacob’s deception in Genesis 27 and the Revelation at Sinai in Exodus 19. As they explore these interwoven parallels, they reveal a profound shift in roles—Father becoming Son, Son becoming Father—and examine how God’s choice to reveal Himself through cloud and sound echoes Jacob’s own veiled encounter with Isaac. But these parallels aren’t just literary—they hold deep theological stakes. If Jacob’s disguise at the moment of blessing teaches us something about hidden identities, what does that mean for how we perceive God at Sinai? And by embracing our own limitations, could we, like Yitzchak, learn to truly listen? Check out the scene from Close Encounters of the Third Kind that Rabbi Fohrman referenced in this episode: Watch here.  For more on Rabbi Fohrman's reading of the deception story, see this essay from his book Genesis: A Parsha Companion. A Book Like No Other is a product of Aleph Beta, and made possible through the generous support of Shari and Nathan Lindenbaum. Aleph Beta is a Torah media company dedicated to spreading the joy and love of meaningful Torah learning worldwide.

    1h 27m
  3. S4 Ep. 2  Rethinking Chosenness: From Favoritism to Universal Blessing

    APR 22

    S4 Ep. 2  Rethinking Chosenness: From Favoritism to Universal Blessing

    What if one of the Torah's most troubling stories - Jacob deceiving his father to get a blessing - is actually the key to understanding why God chose the Jewish people? In this episode, Rabbi Fohrman and Imu make a surprising discovery: the story of Mount Sinai mirrors Jacob's deception in unexpected ways. But rather than just repeating a tale of favoritism, God transforms it into something beautiful: a story about being chosen not for power, but to bring blessing to all nations. Ready to see the Torah in a whole new light?  For more on Rabbi Fohrman's reading of the deception story, see this essay from his book Genesis: A Parsha Companion. A Book Like No Other is a product of Aleph Beta, and made possible through the generous support of Shari and Nathan Lindenbaum. Aleph Beta is a Torah media company dedicated to spreading the joy and love of meaningful Torah learning worldwide.

    39 min
  4. S4 Ep. 1 Reexamining Revelation: The Challenge of Chosenness

    APR 22

    S4 Ep. 1 Reexamining Revelation: The Challenge of Chosenness

    At the heart of Judaism's chosenness lies an unexpected twist that few have noticed. Rabbi Fohrman stumbles upon a shocking connection between two of the Bible's most pivotal moments - one that completely transforms our understanding of what it means to be chosen. This discovery not only challenges centuries of religious interpretation but might just change how you see your own relationship with God. For more on Rabbi Fohrman's reading of the deception story, see this essay from his book Genesis: A Parsha Companion. A Book Like No Other is a product of Aleph Beta, and made possible through the generous support of Shari and Nathan Lindenbaum. Aleph Beta is a Torah media company dedicated to spreading the joy and love of meaningful Torah learning worldwide.

    26 min

  5. MAR 9

    S3 Ep. 5 Esther as the Redeemer of the Garden of Eden

    In this final episode of the season, Rabbi Fohrman and Imu explore how Esther's narrative offers a redeemed perspective on Adam and Eve's story. Delving into Esther's courageous moments before King Achashverosh, Rabbi Fohrman highlights her heroism while challenging the simplistic view of Esther as merely a master manipulator. Instead, Rabbi Fohrman suggests a deeper understanding of Esther's character—one that transcends conventional morality grounded in objectivity and power. As they reflect on these insights, the conversation prompts a profound question: Could our true moral compass be rooted in our most intimate impulse—the impulse to love? A Book Like No Other is an exclusive product of Aleph Beta, and made possible through the generous support of Shari and Nathan Lindenbaum. If you loved this episode and are already a member of Aleph Beta, make sure you’re logged in to listen to upcoming episodes. We’ll even give you a private RSS feed so you can keep listening on your favorite podcasting app. Feel free to email [email protected] if you have any trouble.  And if you’re not a member…what are you waiting for? Click here and become a member to access this new season of A Book Like No Other, as well as our full library of over 1,000 videos and podcasts. A Book Like No Other is a product of Aleph Beta, and made possible through the generous support of Shari and Nathan Lindenbaum. Aleph Beta is a Torah media company dedicated to spreading the joy and love of meaningful Torah learning worldwide.

    58 min

  6. MAR 4

    S3 Ep. 4 A Competing Cast of Characters in the Megillah

    Rabbi Fohrman shares a dizzying discovery: a competing Tree of Knowledge story in the Megillah. But instead of replacing the first cast of characters, Rabbi Fohrman and Imu analyze how this discovery adds another layer of meaning embedded in the Megillah. Esther, in particular, moves into the forefront, and Rabbi Fohrman and Imu discuss how her actions can be understood as a redemption of the Garden of Eden. A Book Like No Other is an exclusive product of Aleph Beta, and made possible through the generous support of Shari and Nathan Lindenbaum. If you loved this episode and are already a member of Aleph Beta, make sure you’re logged in to listen to upcoming episodes. We’ll even give you a private RSS feed so you can keep listening on your favorite podcasting app. Feel free to email [email protected] if you have any trouble.  And if you’re not a member…what are you waiting for? Click here and become a member to access this new season of A Book Like No Other, as well as our full library of over 1,000 videos and podcasts. A Book Like No Other is a product of Aleph Beta, and made possible through the generous support of Shari and Nathan Lindenbaum. Aleph Beta is a Torah media company dedicated to spreading the joy and love of meaningful Torah learning worldwide.

    48 min

  7. FEB 25

    S3 Ep. 3 Haman’s Godly Ambitions

    Rabbi Fohrman and Imu discover that it’s not only Haman who has a counterpart in Eden. There’s a whole list of characters from Megillat Esther who are playing out a version of the Tree of Knowledge story. But what is the Megillah trying to tell us by taking this story from the beginning of Genesis and replaying it here at the end of Tanach? It’s not just about Haman’s being a supervillain. There’s something for all of us to learn here about what happens when humans try to play God. A Book Like No Other is an exclusive product of Aleph Beta, and made possible through the generous support of Shari and Nathan Lindenbaum. If you loved this episode and are already a member of Aleph Beta, make sure you’re logged in to listen to upcoming episodes. We’ll even give you a private RSS feed so you can keep listening on your favorite podcasting app. Feel free to email [email protected] if you have any trouble.  And if you’re not a member…what are you waiting for? Click here and become a member to access this new season of A Book Like No Other, as well as our full library of over 1,000 videos and podcasts. A Book Like No Other is a product of Aleph Beta, and made possible through the generous support of Shari and Nathan Lindenbaum. Aleph Beta is a Torah media company dedicated to spreading the joy and love of meaningful Torah learning worldwide.

    33 min

  8. FEB 18

    S3 Ep. 2 Finding Haman’s Character in the Garden of Eden

    Note for Premium Members: This episode is part of our free release of "A Book Like No Other." If you're a premium subscriber, you already have access to this content in your premium feed. Rabbi Fohrman and Imu explore parallels between Megillat Esther and the Garden of Eden, beginning from the hint in the Midrash that links Haman to the Tree of Knowledge. The familiar characters from these well-known stories suddenly appear in a new light, as Haman becomes even more villainous, and Adam’s defiance becomes even more shocking.  A Book Like No Other is an exclusive product of Aleph Beta, and made possible through the generous support of Shari and Nathan Lindenbaum. New to A Book Like No Other? Welcome! This is our first-ever free release of this premium series. If you enjoy this episode, become an Aleph Beta member to access our full library of over 1,000 videos and podcasts, including future episodes of this season. Visit alephbeta.org to join. Premium members: Already enjoying this series? Make sure you're logged in to access upcoming episodes through your private RSS feed. Need help? Email [email protected]. A Book Like No Other is a product of Aleph Beta, and made possible through the generous support of Shari and Nathan Lindenbaum. Aleph Beta is a Torah media company dedicated to spreading the joy and love of meaningful Torah learning worldwide.

    50 min
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Trailer

4.9
out of 5
145 Ratings

About

A Book Like No Other is a chance to learn alongside Aleph Beta Founder and Lead Scholar, Rabbi David Fohrman, a master close reader of Torah, as he embarks on his most far-reaching and in-depth explorations. Each season is a stand-alone journey into a different Torah text. Our only goal: reading the Torah carefully, on its own terms, and following wherever that leads. Together, we'll unwrap remarkable patterns and surprising connections that lie just beneath the Torah's surface, revealing the beauty and insight that truly make the Torah a book like no other. A Book Like No Other is a project of Aleph Beta, a Torah media company dedicated to spreading the joy and love of meaningful Torah learning worldwide. A Book Like No Other is made possible through the generous support of Shari and Nathan Lindenbaum. For our full library of over 1,000 videos and podcasts, as well as bonus content for Book Like No Other, please visit www.alephbeta.org.

Information

  • Creator
    Aleph Beta
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2025
  • Episodes
    26
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025 A Book Like No Other
  • Show Website
    A Book Like No Other

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