Pastoral Parsha

As we close the book of Bereshit and end our podcast series, we ask ourselves what keeps families together, and why do they fall apart. Thank you to everyone who has come along with us on this journey, and for giving us a chance to explore the Torah in a new and fascinating light. “We believe…that pastoral issues are incredibly important, and the more that we can talk about them as they relate to our own lives and as they relate to the Jewish community, the healthier our relationships will be and the healthier our Jewish communities will be. And ultimately, hopefully we will build more loving and caring societies.” - Hody Nemes

How can we as people in positions of authority or management, behave in such a way that creates respect, and not resentment? This parsha serves as the prime example of mismanagement and/or power gone too far, as the effects of this week's parsha can be felt in the upcoming Saga of Shemot.

Everyone talks, but not everyone is heard. Why do some people just assume leadership and everyone follows suit, while others try their best but are ultimately ignored? In this week's episode, we utilize the two models of leadership exhibited in the parsha to answer this question.

There are moments in life where good people allow other people to do bad things, and we would like to know why? What allows people to compartmentalize the way that they do, and how can we prevent ourselves from doing that?

Everyone has the capacity to change, but what happens when we have other people in our lives who count on us? How can we evolve when other people count on us to be consistent? What affects can that have on our lives and the lives of others? In this week's episode, our hosts tackle that complex situation, both inside our Parsha, and in our lives as well.

Our Torah begins with the commandment to be fruitful and multiply, but we constantly find our ancestors struggling with that very commandment. Why? What could the reason be, and how could infertility impact the relationships between spouses and their children? We discuss these questions and more in this week's episode of Pastoral Parsha.

In this week's episode, we discuss the dual personalities presented in our Parsha, and how the way we behave as a child can have serious effects on who we become.

As the saying goes, "You never know what you have until it's gone", and in this episode we explore some examples of that saying in the relationships in our Parsha, while also discussing showing gratitude for the people in our lives while they are still around.

In this week's episode, our hosts discuss the story of Lot, and how things could have ended up differently, had he simply had a friend to help him find his way.

This week's Parsha tells us the story of Avraham and the beginnings of Judaism, but it also tells us the story of Hagar, which serves as a reminder of the responsibilities that people in power have to act morally and fairly towards people in their lives who are in lesser positions of power, and thus more vulnerable.

In this episode, our hosts explore the anxieties that comes with our current climate conditions, and how we can have the courage to face them, much like Noah did when facing the flood.

How did the Garden of Eden create a world of moral complexity? As we begin the Torah anew, our hosts ask some of the bigger questions about the Bible's opening story, as well as how to appropriately apply complex moral choices to the grey areas of our daily lives.

In this week's episode, we discuss the concerns of aging loved ones, and how we can be there for them, even when they might not want our help.

Parshat Haazinu - Ethical Wills by Yeshivat Chovevei Torah

In this episode of Pastoral Parsha, Hody, and Dr. Friedman discussed the seasonal process of repentance, and how you don't need to be doing something wrong to improve yourself.

In this week's episode, Hody Nemes and Dr. Friedman discuss an issue that plagues so many of us. Whether it is in the form of friends or members of our communities, we all know someone going through a rough time, potentially suffering from some form of mental illness, or as the Torah might call it, a curse. But how do we properly identify friends and family who are suffering from mental illness, and how do we assist them in their time of need? Our hosts explore these questions and more in this week's episode of Pastoral Parsha.

In this week's episode of Pastoral Parsha, Dr. Friedman and Hody Nemes explore a question as old as time. Why do humans care so much about how we, and how other people, look? Why don't we judge others by values alone, rather than by outfit or hairstyle?, and where do we draw the line for caring about our appearance too much?

While we have a pretty clear understanding of how the justice system should treat criminals, many are at a loss as to how communities should treat them? Is public shaming ever justified, and is shame something that we consider a valued aspect of society? Dr. Friedman and Hody Nemes discuss these questions and more in this week's episode of Pastoral Parsha.

This week's Parsha presents us with numerous decisions and choices, and life is no different. Every single day, we all make countless decisions, and while we usually have a general idea of right and wrong, there are questions with no clear right answer. In this week's episode, Dr. Friedman and Hody discuss ways we can navigate those moments in life when we simply don't know what to do.

How does one be a good parent, and can G-d's relationship with us be a good tool in answering that question? Find out in this week's episode of Pastoral Parsha.

In this week's episode of Pastoral Parsha, Dr. Michelle Friedman and Hody Nemes ('21) discuss one of the central themes of the Jewish Sinai Experience, and how we can incorporate a core value from that experience into our individual confrontations with religious and/or spiritual doubt.

Parshat Devarim - Truth and Memory by Yeshivat Chovevei Torah

In this week's episode, Dr. Friedman and Hody Nemes ('21) explore the complicated psychological world of the accidental murderer and the "Cities of Refuge", and how someone can live with guilt for mistakes they made in the past.

Parshat Pinchas - Raising Good Children by Yeshivat Chovevei Torah

In this week’s episode, Hody and Dr. Friedman use Bilaam’s relationship with nature to comment on how most human beings relate to nature, and the devastating effects our attitudes towards nature can have on the world if left unchecked.

In this episode, Dr. Friedman and Hody explore the tragic episode of Moshe and the Rock and consider how we as readers can try to more acutely feel his pain, as well as the pain of those closest to us.

In this episode, Dr. Friedman and Hodi consider the dangers of Charisma, as presented in the character of Korach in Sefer Bamidbar, and discuss how and when charisma is good, and how you can tell when it is bad.

Bemidbar is a book about journeys. After a loss, some members of a family may move on more quickly than others. This can lead to difficult feelings and relationships. Michelle and Hody look at many examples in the Torah of this theme - of loss and moving on.

Michelle Friedman and Hody Nemes talk about the difficulty of eulogizing a person who had fraught relationships in life. How do we deal with the sins of our fathers and mothers? Are we destined to repeat the mistakes of our parents and how can we heal some of these psychological wounds through Jewish rituals of burial and mourning?

Michelle and Hody pick up from last week's vignette and relate the story of security and threat in light of past sexual abuse to this week's parsha.

Dr. Friedman and Hody examine the verse about an eye for an eye and discuss two vignettes about people dealing with the difficulty of making peace with past wrongs.

Second-year rabbinical student, Hody Nemes, is the new moderator of the Pastoral Parsha. Every week, he and Dr. Michelle Friedman, director of pastoral counseling at YCT, will look at the parsha through a psychological lens.

You might think finding psychological meaning in the book of Leviticus would be a challenge - prepare to be surprised.

In this week's parsha Aaron is made the high priest and the people are build the mishkan, repairing two broken relationships with G-d, and proving that sin creates only temporary distance between G-d and the Jewish people.

Why do the people drink the water with the ashes of the golden calf? What is the key to putting a family back together in the wake of adultery?

The children of Israel act out of anxiety when Moses disappears on the mountain. Moses is put in the difficult position of having to defend to G-d the people who have just betrayed him.

How do clothes feature in the Torah? How do the priestly garments reflect the weight of the job?

The children of Israel donate and work together to build something that will stand as an important symbol of their community, and their relationship with G-d.

Dr. Friedman and Dr. Yehuda wonder why the first law that our chapter opens with is slavery and what that might mean for a nation that has just been liberated.

Yitro stands as an unparalleled example of excellence in mentorship in the Torah.

When the people complain might it be a reflection of a deeper and more complex relationship with G-d emerging in our parsha?

The plague of darkness in Parshat Bo, this week's Torah portion, is described in vivid detail. Drs. Friedman and Yehuda find the description reminiscent of the psychological plague of melancholic depression.

How is the word heart used in other contexts in the parsha that might shed light on the hardening of Pharaoh's heart? Why do people hold on to the hardness in their own hearts despite the pain that it causes others?

Moses grew up in Pharaoh's house but in the first chapter of the Book of Shemot he is forced to make a choice. What are the psychological factors in Moses's identity struggle and ultimate choice to claim his birth status?

Drs. Friedman and Yehuda look at the "blessings" Jacob bestows upon his sons at the end of his life. How did Jacob, who had so much success in his life, had a large family, end up before Pharaoh speaking of bitterness. What are some lessons we should learn about aging gracefully?

Joseph's identity is finally revealed in this incredibly dramatic, penultimate parsha in Genesis. Joseph breaks down and the question he asks is... is my father still alive?

Why does Joseph have to leave the room to cry? The pastoral team delves into the complex emotions that can be triggered by traumatic memories.

As the family grows we no longer face a binary choice between rivals - who of the 12 children will prove worthy of the leadership of Israel?

Esau and Jacob meet again in a moment rife with tension and drama. The power pod team unpacks the nature of reconciliation and the internal process of change that is a necessary predicate to coming together again.

A deep dive into dreams in our parsha. What did Yaakov's dream mean? What do we do with dreams in therapy and how does this change our reading of dreams in the Torah?

The Pastoral Parsha team talks about the tension between Jacob and Esau, and the role parents have in encouraging or diffusing sibling rivalries.