In Chayei Sara we read the story of Abraham commissioning his servant to search for a wife for his son Isaac. Abraham is certain that he does not want a wife from any of the local families in Canaan. Why? But he is also very certain that he does not...
This is an audio lecture by Rachel Elior, a Professor of Jewish Philosophy and Jewish Mystical Thought at the Hebrew University, a talk given in front of an audience of peers. Her research is current and meticulous and often challenges the status quo thinking. She answers a question many who...
As soon as Jacob resolved to head back home to Canaan, he knew he would be in danger because of his brother. Him and his entire family. So, in Gen 32:12, Jacob prays - hatizileni na meyad achi “Deliver me please from the hand of my brother.” Jacob was...
In our parsha, Vayera, we read the story of Sodom and Amorah, the story of true sinners in the hands of an angry God. Only things are a bit different. In Torah we see Abram and how he graciously pleads for the evil people of Sodom, imploring God not to...
The role of the prophet is not to predict what is to come, but to speak into their present moment, so how does Revelation fit into the prophetic category? We also discuss how the author uses imagery to connect the dots between the ideas of a suffering Messiah and a...
Have you been fascinated by the Book of Revelation but felt that something must be missing in modern interpretations of this anti-Roman, Jewish document? In this week's episode, we explore what books like Enoch or Baruch or what geography and the Torah have to do with interpreting the...
What is apocalyptic literature, and how does it change the way we read Revelation? What were the cultural developments that birthed the apocalyptic genre, and is that genre a Greco-Roman or Jewish style of literature? This week we talk about the overall context of Revelation and why pop culture has...
In Gen 1:14-19 the Torah says that Hashem has set the lights in the sky for several reasons. First - to separate the day from the night. Second - to serve as signs for the times, days, and years. In other words to display stable predictable patterns to help...
"A person is not what he knows, a person is not what he does. A person is what he is longing for." Rabbe Nachman of Breslov When making an acquaintance, it is common for people to ask each other what they do for a living. Occupations can somewhat...