Iyun Podcast

Rabbi Shraga Freedman, a resident of Baltimore, Maryland, has dedicated himself to restoring the centrality of Kiddush Hashem as a defining value in Jewish life. Through the work of the Living Kiddush Hashem Foundation, he has developed programs, educational materials, and practical resources designed to inspire Jews to live in a way that reflects honor, integrity, and moral beauty. In this episode, we explore the contours of this timeless Jewish concept through its classical Torah sources, consider how it may have lost some of its central place in contemporary religious consciousness, and discuss how to restore it to a position of primacy within the lived experience of Torah observance. You can visit livingkiddushhashem.org for a wide range of resources, including the videos and educational materials featured in this episode. Contact Rabbi Freedman at livingkidushhashem@gmail.comFor more quality content, join our weekly newsletter: https://iyun.org.il/en/join-our-newsletter Our Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Tzarichiyun

SHOW NOTES: PROFESSOR BENNY BROWN Professor Benjamin (Benny) Brown is one of the foremost experts on charedi ideology and identity in the modern Israeli academy. He has published widely on a range of topics, including mussar and chassidus, in addition to our topic on this episode, Daas Torah. We explore what Daas Torah means, how it evolved into the operational principle governing much of charedi life today, and how it fits into the broader trends of modernity.MORE ON DAAS TORAHProfessor Lawrence Kaplan, Daas Torah, A Modern Conception of Rabbinic Authority https://www.scribd.com/doc/39842329/Kaplan-Lawrence-Daas-Torah-A-Modern-Conception-of-Rabbinic-Authority Rabbi Anthony Manning’s English Bibliography on “Da’at Torah and Rabbinic Authority”: https://rabbimanning.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Daat-Torah-2017-Bibliography.pdfFor more quality content, join our weekly newsletter: https://iyun.org.il/en/join-our-newsletterOur Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Tzarichiyun

On November 19, 2025, Rabbi Nathaniel (“Nati”) Helfgot - a congregational rabbi and Judaics teacher at SAR in Riverdale - wrote an article at The Lehrhaus titled, “Ben Gurion and Hazon Ish: The Sequel.”In the article, Rabbi Helfgot traces the history of the iconic encounter between these secular-political and chareidi leaders, respectively, in the State of Israel’s earliest days. He then proceeds to document the little-known continuing correspondence between the two figures.This encounter - both the actual historical event and its larger metaphorical import - helps us understand the origins of the ideological fault lines that remain entrenched today, despite a heavily altered demographic landscape. We also examine ways in which chareidi norms have shifted since October 1952, and how the meeting in question might inform relations in our current moment.

We tend to assume that all chareidim sit on the political Right in Israel. This week’s interview with Pnina Pfeuffer interrogates that assumption. As a chareidi woman firmly stationed on the Israeli Left, Pnina Pfeuffer, founder of the “New Chareidim” organization, promotes the embrace of progressive values while maintaining fidelity to chareidi standards of observance and communal affiliations.

On Shmini Atzeret/Simchat Torah 5786/2025, the Jewish world lost a titanic leader, Rabbi Moshe Hauer, a man who modeled Jewish living and leadership in an extraordinary manner.Rabbi Hauer was the Executive Vice President of the Orthodox Union, as well as Rabbi Emeritus of Baltimore's Bnai Jacob Shaarei Zion.He spearheaded a wide variety of communal initiatives while occupying a rare "middle ground" - passionately committed to core Torah principles, but respectful of and connected to all precincts of the Orthodox community, and beyond.In tribute of this great figure, who exemplifies the ideals that Iyun promotes, we speak with Rabbi Yisroel Motzen, rabbi of the Ner Tamid synagogue in Baltimore, a longtime rabbinic student of the late Rabbi Hauer, as well as his associate at the OU.Rabbi Motzen helps us sketch the contours of Rabbi Hauer's unique personality and hashkafa, and shares principles of his that we might incorporate into our own lives.

Yitzik (pronounced "Itzkik") Crombie is a long-time tech entrepreneur who founded Mego, a training program aimed at integrating into the higher-level Israeli workforce. The work is supported through the Kemach Foundation.Yitzik also runs Bizmax, a co-working space geared for chareidim, among other ventures.Several years ago, he published a book, "When the Chareidim Will Be the Majority," (Hebrew) exploring the challenges and solutions relevant to this community, and beyond.

Iyun Institute founder and director Rabbi Yehoshua Pfefferrecently “put his body where his pen is,” enlisting in the IDF in its “Shlav Bet” program within the Homefront Command. Fresh off a month-long basic training, R’ Pfeffer shares his reflections and takeaways from the field.

Rabbi Dovid Eliezrie is a longtime Chabad Shaliach (emissary), co-director of the North County Chabad Center in Orange County, California. Author of the book Secret of Chabad, he has recently released a groundbreaking biography of the “Friediker Rebbe” - the Sixth Rebbe of the Chabad chassidic dynasty - called “Undaunted: How the Sixth Lubavitcher Rebbe Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn Saved Russian Jewry, Reimagined American Judaism, Ignited a Global Jewish Renaissance.”In this episode, we review Rabbi Eliezrie’s own background and this most recent work, then springboard into an analysis of Chabad’s perspective on Zionism, secular nationalism, army enlistment and the modern state of Israel.

Dr. Yechiel Reit is an American-born emergency medicine doctor, an IDF reserve combat physician and the author of "Applied Monotheism: The Chareidi Response to Modernity."In our wide-ranging conversation, we discuss Dr. Reit's IDF experience and his analysis of "Charediism," as he argues for an ideological, not cultural, definition.

Sam Sokol, Knesset Affairs correspondent at the Times of Israel, shares his in-depth knowledge of Israeli politics and the charedi parties, such as United Torah Judaism and Shas. He discusses his journey from political aspirations to journalism, emphasizing the importance of accountability in reporting on religious issues. The podcast delves into the complexities of navigating Haredi politics, including the ongoing debate over military service for yeshiva students and its implications, revealing evolving attitudes within the community.