Podcast Episodes
Back to SearchR. Aviva Richman on Parashat Mishpatim: Undoing Slavery and Acquiring Ourselves
The very first law of the extended laws of Parashat Mishpatim starts with a horrifying phrase: “When you acquire a Hebrew slave.” We were just, two w…
4 years, 7 months ago
R. Yitz Greenberg: The Great, Mighty, and Awesome God Isn't What God Used to Be
The Rabbis lived in a very different world from the biblical “great, mighty, and awesome” God. Rabbi Yitz Greenberg explains how the Rabbis interpret…
4 years, 7 months ago
R. Aviva Richman on Parashat Yitro: Redemptive Relationship, Part 3
In Parashat Yitro we come to Sinai, the final formative scene in reading the Exodus as a story of how Israel and God "fell in love." Strands of our t…
4 years, 7 months ago
R. Aviva Richman on Tu Bishvat and MLK Day: Fruit Trees, Access, and Equity
In recent decades, Tu Bishvat has become a holiday for trees and to raise awareness and concern for our natural environment. This year, as we celebra…
4 years, 7 months ago
R. Aviva Richman on Parashat BeShallach: Redemptive Relationship, Part 2
Last week, we began an exploration of the different stories of how Israel “fell in love” with God. Far from a naive picture of the beloved who swoops…
4 years, 7 months ago
R. Aviva Richman on Parashat Bo: Redemptive Relationship, Part 1
Our tradition invites us to explore the nature of redemptive relationship. Instead of reading the Exodus as primarily historical or mythic, a promine…
4 years, 7 months ago
R. Shai Held: What if Shir HaShirim Really is an Allegory After All?
Some people see Shir HaShirim, the Song of Songs, as an allegory for the love between God and Israel. Some see it simply as a love poem. But what if …
4 years, 7 months ago
R. Aviva Richman on Parashat Va’Era: Calling God Into Being
Sometimes we need a new name for God. The ways we’ve known God so far may feel limited, inadequate, or even disappointing. Moshe is lucky enough to h…
4 years, 7 months ago
R. Aviva Richman on Parashat Shemot: Seeds of Slavery
Where does our story of slavery begin? These are times when our own ancestors mistreated or enslaved others, perhaps laying the groundwork for the ki…
4 years, 8 months ago
R. Avi Strausberg: Bones of My Bones, Flesh of My Flesh
Get to the roots of gender in the Torah by turning to the opening narratives of creation in Genesis 1 and 2. What might these two different accounts …
4 years, 8 months ago