Podcast Episodes
Back to SearchR. Elie Kaunfer on Parashat VaYeishev: The Meaning of Judaism
As we begin to close the Amidah, in the penultimate blessing that we call Modim, we say to God: “modim anahnu lakh,” we modim you. Drawing from the r…
3 years, 8 months ago
R. Avi Strausberg: The Before and After - The Sudden Deaths of Nadav and Avihu
The sudden death of Aaron's sons Nadav and Avihu leaves readers stunned and grappling for answers. By turning to a modern midrash in the form of an o…
3 years, 8 months ago
R. Elie Kaunfer on Parashat VaYishlach: Dressing for Prayer
Ya’akov is preparing to encounter God directly through sacrifice, an analog to our experience of prayer. It has been decades since Ya’akov actually e…
3 years, 8 months ago
R. Elie Kaunfer on Parashat VaYeitzei: The Meaning of God's Holiest Name
In our prayers, we do not shy away from calling God directly by name, using the most holy four-letter name of God (although we don’t pronounce it exp…
3 years, 8 months ago
R. Aviva Richman: Living in God's Shadow
Our tradition sometimes uses the image of a shadow to describe human experience with God. This rich metaphor, which captures both a sense of safety a…
3 years, 9 months ago
R. Elie Kaunfer on Parashat Toldot: Blessing God
A major theme of Parashat Toldot is “ברכה - blessing.” This root appears 32 times in this parashah, more than in any other in the Torah. In prayer, w…
3 years, 9 months ago
R. Shai Held: A God Who Weeps
In several passages in the book of Jeremiah, the prophet seems to cry over the bitter suffering of his people; accordingly, Jeremiah has sometimes be…
3 years, 9 months ago
R. Elie Kaunfer on Parashat Hayyei Sarah: Personal Prayer and the Amidah
How are we meant to pray words that we didn’t write? And how are we meant to pray those same words, multiple times a day?
3 years, 9 months ago
R. Elie Kaunfer on Parashat VaYera: Compromise and Acceptance
Avraham alludes to a phrase found in our daily Amidah: "the King Who loves justice (tzedakah) and judgment (mishpat)." What does this phrase mean, an…
3 years, 9 months ago
R. Ethan Tucker: Do We Really Think Monotheists Believe in the Same God?
Questions of theology pervade efforts to facilitate cooperation and dialogue across religions. We often search for what is common in order to build …
3 years, 9 months ago