Why Rabbi Akiva Laughed at the Ruins

Episode details

Podcast: Three Weeks of Poetry: A Closer Look at the Kinnot

Episode date: Jul 2, 2026

Speakers: Rabbi Jay Kelman

Category: Tefillah (Prayer)

Episode description

The Temple is destroyed. Foxes are walking through the holy of holies. And then one rabbi starts laughing. This kinah tells you why, and what it means to choose hope when everything is broken.

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