Ken Spiro - Speaker, Author, Rabbi & Tour Guide

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Ken Spiro - Speaker, Author, Rabbi & Tour Guide Tons of audio, video and written content for free plus an online store to purchase my books and othe

21/10/2026

Nothing could be more appropriate when we come to the Torah portion of Noah and the flood than being on a boat, which is where I am now!

I’m currently traveling through Europe on a river cruise with J Gruen Travel, serving as their speaker in residence.

With a new cycle of Torah reading beginning, I wanted to share some thoughts on the stories of Noah and Abraham and what they can teach us today.

For more on Jewish history and the bigger picture of the Jewish story, visit KenSpiro.com.

18/10/2026

What does it actually mean to be humble?

Moses is described in the Torah as the most humble of all people, which raises an interesting question: how can someone recognize their own qualities without becoming arrogant?

I think that question goes much deeper than simply being modest. It touches on how we understand ourselves, our strengths, our challenges, and the role we are meant to play.

Ellie and I get into that idea in this episode.

Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/glm0PB56b7w

Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2SLztiVRN5XXmgCGokFuNE?si=RwOostUTRFOWzWWIVSJRbg

15/10/2026

The higher the position, the greater the responsibility.

That sounds obvious, but I think it is easy to forget. When you have real authority or influence, even decisions that might seem small can affect far more people than you realize.

That is part of what makes the story of King Saul so interesting to me. His story is not just about an ancient king. It gives us a way to think about leadership, accountability, and the consequences that come with responsibility.

Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/glm0PB56b7w

Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2SLztiVRN5XXmgCGokFuNE?si=RwOostUTRFOWzWWIVSJRbg

14/10/2026

There are moments in Jewish history that stay with you because they raise difficult questions without giving you an easy answer.

The story of the Lamed Hay is one of those moments. It raises questions about judgment, responsibility, and how we make decisions when the consequences can reach far beyond the people immediately in front of us.

That connects closely to the larger conversation Ellie and I have throughout this episode about King Saul and the danger of losing perspective when trying to do what we believe is right.

Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/glm0PB56b7w

Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2SLztiVRN5XXmgCGokFuNE?si=RwOostUTRFOWzWWIVSJRbg

13/10/2026

I think one of the most interesting questions in Jewish thought is what happens when a good quality is taken out of its proper framework.

The Jewish instinct to care for others and make the world better is deeply important. But having good intentions is not always enough. We also need a system that helps us understand how those values should actually be applied.

That is part of what Ellie and I explore through the story of King Saul and the idea of “Jewish hardware” and “software.”

Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/glm0PB56b7w

Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2SLztiVRN5XXmgCGokFuNE?si=RwOostUTRFOWzWWIVSJRbg

11/10/2026

One of the things I find fascinating about Jewish thought is how often it resists simple answers.

Justice matters. Compassion matters. But neither one can simply be applied without considering the circumstances.

The story of King Saul gives us a powerful way to think about that tension. It raises a broader question about how we take genuinely good values and make sure they are being applied wisely.

That is part of what Ellie and I explore in this episode.

Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/glm0PB56b7w

Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2SLztiVRN5XXmgCGokFuNE?si=RwOostUTRFOWzWWIVSJRbg

08/10/2026

We tend to think of compassion as an unquestionable virtue. But Jewish history gives us a more complicated picture.

The story of King Saul raises an important question: can a good quality become harmful when it is applied without judgment or context?

That is something Ellie and I explore through Saul’s story in the first episode of Season 6.

Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/glm0PB56b7w

Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2SLztiVRN5XXmgCGokFuNE?si=RwOostUTRFOWzWWIVSJRbg

07/10/2026

Empathy is essential. Without it, we have a hard time understanding other people or building meaningful relationships.

But one of the questions Ellie and I explore in this episode is what happens when a good quality loses its balance. King Saul gives us a fascinating example of how the same instinct that can make someone compassionate can also create serious problems when it is not guided by judgment.

It is a tension that goes far beyond Saul’s story.

Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/glm0PB56b7w

Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2SLztiVRN5XXmgCGokFuNE?si=RwOostUTRFOWzWWIVSJRbg

Season 6 of Remember What’s Next has begun.This season, Ellie and I are taking a closer look at the people who shaped Je...
05/10/2026

Season 6 of Remember What’s Next has begun.

This season, Ellie and I are taking a closer look at the people who shaped Jewish history. We’ll explore who they were, the choices they made, the challenges they faced, and what their stories can teach us about being Jewish today.

We’re beginning with King Saul.

One of the questions we explore is what happens when compassion becomes disconnected from judgment. Saul’s decision to spare Agag, the king of Amalek, gives us a fascinating example of the tension between mercy, responsibility, and leadership.

From there, we examine the idea of “suicidal empathy” and why empathy, as important as it is, needs to be balanced with good judgment.

What do you think King Saul’s story can teach us today?

Watch the first episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/glm0PB56b7w

Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2SLztiVRN5XXmgCGokFuNE?si=RwOostUTRFOWzWWIVSJRbg

02/10/2026

There’s something remarkable about completing the Torah cycle each year and remembering just how much history is connected to this book.

The Bible has influenced far more than Jewish life. Its ideas have shaped morality, human rights, freedom, and the development of societies far beyond the Jewish world.

That broader story is worth thinking about as we celebrate Simchat Torah.

Continue exploring Jewish history at KenSpiro.com.

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