Podcast Episodes

Parshas Toldos (Rebroadcast)

Season 1

In Parshas Toldos we meet twin boys that are polar opposites: Esau, beloved by his father Isaac, is a man of the fields; while Jacob is loved by his mother Rebecca and prefers to dwell in the tents o…

Published on 6 years ago

Chayei Sara – The Four Ways to Die

Season 1

This podcast contains two ideas on Parshas Chayei Sara. First, we examine the Torah’s unusual description of Sarah’s location of death. Then we probe the identity and nickname of Abraham’s second wif…

Published on 6 years ago

Parshas Chayei Sara (Rebroadcast)

Season 1

Some of the highlights of this week’s parsha: Immediately after the Binding of Isaac, Sarah passed away at the age of 127, and soon afterward Abraham had to procure a burial spot for her. In addition…

Published on 6 years, 1 month ago

Vayeira – Abraham’s Failures?

Season 1

A casual reading of our parsha would give the impression that Abraham fails at everything he tries: He tries to feed guests, yet we find out that they are angels who need no food; He tries valiantly …

Published on 6 years, 1 month ago

Lech Lecha – How Small Steps Yield Huge Results + New TORCH Initiative

Season 1

This week’s Parsha orients around our patriarch, Abraham, and more specifically his 10 tests that formed his spiritual makeup, and more broadly the spiritual fabric of our nation. In this podcast, we…

Published on 6 years, 1 month ago

Noach – How to Become a Tzadik

Season 1

Only one man is classified by the Torah as a “Tzadik”, the eponymous hero of our Parsha, Noah. “Tzadik” is generally translated as “righteous” or “upstanding”. Why doesn’t the Torah apply that appell…

Published on 6 years, 1 month ago

Bereishis – Ramban’s Introduction to the Torah

Season 1

In his introduction to Torah, Ramban discusses some of the most critical questions about the Torah: He discusses the Torah’s authorship and its writing process; the nature of its content; and the var…

Published on 6 years, 1 month ago

Parshas VeZos HaBeracha + Plans for Year 4 of the Parsha Podcast

Season 1

The final parsha of the Torah details the blessings that Moshe conveyed to the tribes of Israel immediately prior to his passing, and the Torah ends with the description of the death, burial, and eul…

Published on 6 years, 1 month ago

Parshas Ha’Azinu

Still in the final day of Moshe’s life, he conveys to the nation a 43-verse Song predicting the contours of Jewish history, both past, present, and future. The patterns are familiar to the readers of…

Published on 6 years, 2 months ago

Book of Jonah: Studying the Yom Kippur Reading on a Deeper Level (Chapter 1)

On Yom Kippur afternoon, we read the 48-verse Book of Jonah, which tells of a renegade prophet, Jonah, who defies the directive of God and refuses to castigate the people of Nineveh and instead escap…

Published on 6 years, 2 months ago