Rabbi Elie Kaunfer on Genesis 15:1-8 – “Prayer: An Invitation to Express Doubts”

Mark is delighted to welcome the President and CEO of the Hadar Institute, Rabbi Elie Kaunfer, to today’s episode. In addition to his work with this great institution of adult jewish learning in the world, Elie has also been named one of the top fifty Jewish leaders by The Forward, and one of Newsweek's top fifty rabbis. When asked to guest on the podcast to discuss prayer, the topic of his upcoming book, Elie chose Genesis 15:1-8 to discuss with Mark. He begins the conversation by summarizing the passage, and sharing why it is meaningful for him. He and Mark then explore the complexities of Abraham’s relationship with God, the promises that God made to Abraham, and the lessons to be learned from the reference to stars in the passage as well as Abraham’s struggle with faith. Elie then explains what this passage has to do with prayer, offers his advice to those who, like Mark, are unable to connect to God through prayer, and reviews Judaism’s emphasis on the communal aspect of prayer. Elie concludes the episode by offering a glimpse into his upcoming book, as well as the lessons he has learned about mankind. As Mark notes, he always learns so much from his conversations with Elie, particularly about the multiple meanings that can come from the same text, and today is your opportunity to do the same during this fascinating and informative examination of this highly important biblical passage. Episode Highlights: Elie’s summary of the passage and why it is meaningful to him The complexities of Abraham’s relationship with God in this passage God’s promises to Abraham Lessons to be learned from the reference to stars in the passage and from Abraham’s struggle with faith What this passage has to do with prayer Elie’s advice to those who can’t connect with God through prayer Judaism’s emphasis on the communal aspect of prayer Elie’s new book The lessons he has learned about mankind Quotes: “It’s a different window into Abraham’s relationship with God that’s actually much more complex than blind faith.” “It’s n