S1E103 - Rabbi Joshua Davidson on Genesis 18 and Genesis 22 – “Abraham: Our Complicated Father”

Mark is delighted to welcome Rabbi Joshua Davidson to the podcast today. A graduate of Princeton, and, like Mark’s wife, a graduate of Hebrew Union College as well, Rabbi Davidson is currently the Senior Rabbi of Congregation Emanu-El of the City of New York, having previously served as senior rabbi of Temple Beth El of Northern Westchester in Chappaqua, New York. He is involved in numerous social justice issues and organizations, and, in 2009, was honored for his interfaith efforts by the Westchester Jewish Council and the AJC. On today’s episode, Rabbi Davidson has chosen to discuss Genesis 18 and Genesis 22 and the relationship between them. Throughout the episode, the Rabbi offers both his summary of these passages as well as his perspective on their various lessons and interpretations. Touching upon such notions as God’s love of a good argument, what God and Abraham teach each other, and the differences between the public and private aspects of both righteousness and the lives of public figures, he and Mark highlight the dual elements of Abraham’s personality and what we can learn from it. As you listen in, you will quickly discover that the analysis of these two seminal passages of the Torah here today, by these two insightful seekers of biblical truth, truly brings to life ‘both their depth and their relevance to our present struggles, challenges, and opportunities’. Episode Highlights: · Rabbi Davidson’s summary of the passages, how they relate, and their significance for him · God’s love of a good argument · Abraham stepping out of comfort to argue with God · What God and Abraham are teaching each other · Privately righteous and publically righteous people · Public figures and their private lives · Some different interpretations of the Akedah · The multiple potential lessons from it · The dual elements of Abraham’s personality · The lessons that Rabbi Davidson has learned about humankind  Quotes: “Even though Abraham is a junior partner in the project of teaching humanity, Abraham is still a partner.”  “