Podcast Episodes
Back to SearchR. Avi Killip on 17 Tammuz: When Longing is the Relationship
Those who mourn tremendous losses know that the rupture is ongoing and often cannot be contained by marking a single anniversary. When was the last c…
3 years, 1 month ago
R. Elie Kaunfer on Hukkat-Balak: Praying to God as a King
What does it mean to call God a king in our prayers? What kind of king is God, and how might we as worshipers engage with that metaphor?
3 years, 2 months ago
R. Shai Held: The Radical Social and Theological Vision of Deutoronomy
A close reading of Devarim 15 explores such questions as: What kind of social ethic does Devarim seek to instill? How does it work to ensure that the…
3 years, 2 months ago
R. Elie Kaunfer on Parashat Korah: Striving to be Holy
In ancient times, in order to come as close as possible to God’s presence in the Temple, one had to be considered holy—fully purified and separate. W…
3 years, 2 months ago
R. Micha'el Rosenberg: Righteous Anger, Useful Anger
Even though the dominant view of anger in Jewish tradition is that it is a bad character trait that should be avoided, there is one passage from the …
3 years, 2 months ago
Let it Move You: The Tisch with Dena Weiss #10
One of the distinctive features of traditional Jewish prayer and study is shuckling, moving back and forth. The Zohar explains that this movement of …
3 years, 2 months ago
R. Elie Kaunfer on Parashat Shelah: Speaking Directly to a God Who Sees Us
Moshe addresses God three times in one verse with the word “You.” In our prayers, we speak directly to God, calling God “You.” Why is this so, and wh…
3 years, 2 months ago
Judging with the Whole Picture: The Tisch with Dena Weiss #9
When the Torah outlines the need for judges and enforcers, it takes pains to say that they should judge the people with a righteous judgment - but is…
3 years, 2 months ago
Does God Perform Miracles? The Tisch with Dena Weiss #8
Perhaps the most miraculous time described in the Torah are the events of Yetziat Mitzrayim, the Exodus from Egypt. In fact, God says explicitly that…
3 years, 2 months ago
R. Elie Kaunfer on Parashat BeHa'alotkha: Praying for Healing—Urgently
Praying for the sick is a core part of Jewish worship. One of the earliest examples of this is Moshe’s prayer for Miriam in Parashat BeHa’alotkha, on…
3 years, 2 months ago