Enjoy educational seminars organized in a series of add-free videos (most are exclusive to pshir.com) Open each topic to see the full series.
Did you know that in antiquity, most people believed that gods were tied to specific lands and territories. Consequently, every country and land had its own local deities. Israel stood out sharply among the nations by worshipping a very different God. Thousands of years ago, Hebrews believed that their God...
These seminar videos touch on the foundations of "Distinction Theology" - a teaching that maintains the continuity of the relevance of Israel and Jews and recognizes the nations that embrace Israel's God in solidarity with Israel but distinct from Israel. The video sessions touch on the...
The book of Acts mentions the church, which is a translation of the Greek word "ecclesia." This Greek term is ancient, but the word "church" is actually not. Where does this new word come from? What does it mean? How did the early Christ-followers see and...
As an educator, I experiment with different types of teaching. Most often, in my videos, I present all sorts of academic, historical, biblical, and religious information in lecture format. Occasionally, I lead spiritual discussions, which are also educational, but they are meant to be a learning of a different sort....
In Genesis 49, Jacob blesses each of his sons. The words he speaks are beautiful but could be hard to understand. When he gets to Dan, he compares his son to a serpent. A strange blessing for a child. Thus, commentary on this imagery has brought forth some very curious...
These videos are inspirational talks and teachings about love. It is not an academic topic but an interactive conversation about the meaning of love and how we should make sense of it. The talk was recorded in front of a live audience, and a number of interactions with the audience...
The lectures presented here were recorded with live audience participation and many of the questions and comments from the auditorium are included in the videos. The full Shema consists of Deuteronomy 6:4–9, 11:13–21, and Numbers 15:37–41. Its words communicate an entire set of deeply...
In Jewish life, Shema is not exactly a typical prayer. It's a recitation of 3 paragraphs from the Torah: Deuteronomy 6:4–9, 11:13–21, and Numbers 15:37–41. What stands behind these sentences, however, communicates an entire set of deeply held spiritual beliefs, practices, and...
This is a shiur, a recording of short thematic live and interactive teaching (broken up into 3 segments, about 50 minutes long in total). The lesson surveys the commandments and customs of the Festival of Tabernacles and examines some ancient texts that possibly reflect on the Sukkot customs practiced during...