A discussion of the weekly Torah portion with traditional and not so traditional insights from the Jewish tradition.
Welcome to The Dot: The Podcast of Co/Lab: Reimagine Jewish. In this first episode, we (try to) add some insight into Ye's anti-Semitism and how culture can be an antidote to hate.
We're talking a lot about leaders these days, but not a lot about leadership. Parshat Tetzaveh highlights some important ideas that we might consider in our leaders and in ourselves.
Taking, giving, the Chatam Sofer, Talmud Berachot 35a-b - what else could a person want? Listen to find out.
This is a rebroadcast of Mishpatim 5778. A powerful teaching from the Shem Mishmuel a favorite teacher of this podcast.
Unraveling the knot of time in the first two verses of the Song of the Sea. David Hartman, Rashi and Mekhilta will help us untie.
A new feature of the podcast, in which I'll share teachings in 120 seconds or less.
What the Torah, Rashi and the Kotzker have to teach us about sleeping soundly - and a reflection on collective responsibility.
Why is Moses so resistant to God's will? What are we to learn from the fact that our greatest prophet rejected God's plan so many times? Is it humility? Or something else?
Midrash Rabba, Rashi, Ramban and the Netziv all focus on this strength of Moses, which opens the door to revelation.
The first verse of our parshah takes us through the Sifrei, Rabbeinu Bahya, and the Netivot Shalom. We wrap up with his practical and beautiful advice on the work of Teshuvah.
A beautiful piece of Talmud (Shabbat 77b) from Rav and Rav Yehudah, as presented by the Kotzker gives us a way to understand past 'mistakes.'
Two teachings of the Kotzker Rebbe about the Month of Av and why you should care about it.
Why does Balaak bless Israel - and then later in the Torah Moses rebukes Israel? A midrash and the Shem Mishmuel have a pretty powerful insight.
A strange episode with snakes in the Torah this week leads us on a journey toward a practical and spiritual takeaway that is key to our happiness. Along the way we get to learn why a word is not just a word, and to learn from the Akedat Yitchak's (15th c) beautiful grammatical-spiritual insight into one word in particular....
I bit of a departure from the usual format. On the eve of Independence Day, we explore the relationship of Jews and Jewish values to America. This podcast briefly discusses the weekly portion but we'll return next week to the usual deep dive on the parshah.
In this week's Parshah Study on parshat Shelach L'cha, we explore the true error of the scouts. We'll look at Rashi, Ramban, and the Shelah to see what we can learn from this episode.
Aaron, the Israelites, Rashi, Midrash Tanchuma, the Shem Mishmuel and the Kotzker teach a lesson about drawing on who you are not in order to be who you are.
The census in the Torah portion, the Talmud's reflection on the problem of counting people, and a magnificent teaching from Kedushat Levi.
A stunning teaching about self restraint and ego from the Mei HaShiloach. Along the way, a little Sifra, a little Rashi, a little Seforno, and a plug for our June 8th Program with Congregation Pnai Or.
Fast forwarding through the Movie of Your Life (to find the plot twist), understanding the counting of the omer through the lens of manna, and Rav Ashlag on the Zohar.
Understanding the prohibition against idolatry in verse 4 through the lens of Rashi, the Talmud (Shabbat 149) and the Degel Machaneh Yehudah leads us to a reflection on the difference between mindfulness vs. da'at.
Why is confession important in Jewish life and why does it matter so much today? A little Torah, a little Rambam, a little Soloveitchik to get some insight into the meaning of the confession that is still part of our liturgy and our lives.
Spirituality, Ethics, Maimonides, Soloveitchik, Alshich and Rebbe Nachman rolled into One.
A reflection on the essence of slander and what it says about human life. I want to give a shout out to the essay "Self Actualization and Society" by Rabbi Shagar (Shimon Gershon Rosenberg) z"l which appears in his book Faith Shattered and Restored: Judaism in the Postmodern Age. That essay pointed me to some sources that I wouldn't have otherwise thought to connect with the ideas here.
How do we encounter God in the world? And is a life of mitzvah in tension with a life of experiencing God?
A succession of three instances of compassion followed by acts of courage lay the groundwork for the entire Jewish story, and all three appear in this week's Torah portion.
The great father and Rabbi, Emanuel Rose, joins me for a discussion about despair, hope and this week's Torah portion.
What is the Jewish attitude toward confrontation and troublemaking?