The Tanakh Podcast

Chapter 1 of Bamidbar counts the nation by their males (age 20+). Why now? What is the purpose of taking a national census?

Ch.27 deals with all sorts of donations to God.What happens if I donate my own value to God?How do I redeem a field or an animal that I have donated to God?But why is this the final chapter of the book? It even seems like an appendix to ch.25! Why is this the close of Vayikra?

Today we reflect on the Blessings and Curses:1. Why are the curses longer than the blessings?2. Why are the curses incremental - stage by stage?3. Why are the blessings and curses this worldly rather than other-worldly?Lastly, we discuss the analogy of the blessings to the Garden of Eden.

This chapter is an economic chapter.It starts with the Sabbatical and Jubilee years - Shemitta and Yovel - and then engages in a series of paragraphs which describe an individual who gets deeper and deeper into financial distress. The key words- fall, brother, and redemption - give us a sense of what is at stake and how small acts can redeem our world.

An intriguing episode about a man who doesn't find his place in the camp, and takes his rage out against God, pronouncing God's name and blaspheming God. The man is put to death.This story bears a striking resemblance to a Story about Moshe! What is the difference?

Chapter 23 is one of the most comprehensive depictions of the chagim - the annual cycle of festivals. But it has a rich usage of words whose meaning is unclear: Moed, Mikra Kodesh, Shabbaton. We attempt to deepen our understanding of these words and to reach the deep-meaning of the chapter.

Today we address four dimensions of Kiddush and Hillul Hashem - the Sanctification and Desecration of God's name.

The priests, the kohanim, have special rules about their marriages, haircuts, mourning practices, impurity. They can also be disqualified from active service due to a variety of physical disfigurations.Today we attempt to lend some explanation to the unique role and rules of the Kohanim.

What is the prominence of idolatrous warnings in our chapter?Why do we hear - twice - a list of abhorrent sexual practices?And how does this relate to "Hukot Hagoy" - the notion of the ambient culture of Canaan.Today we explain the unit of ch.18-20 and what it seeks to say about the Torah's ethical lifestyle in contrast to the degenerate ways of the Canaanite nations.

Today we discuss the structure and form of chapter 19 as well as the famous dictum, "Love your Neighbour as Yourself."

In this podcast we discuss Rav David Zvi Hoffman's division of Vayikra into two halves, each with a particular language and a very different orientation.

Our chapter deals with meat sacrificed or slaughtered OUTSIDE the Mishkan. When is it permitted? When is it prohibited? We demonstrate that the ethical and religious concerns here are not timeless; they are highly contingent upon circumstance and context.

Its Yom Kippur in the Sanctuary.And the High Priest does a lottery.Two goats. One as a sin offering to God; the second sent to "Azazel"What is Azazel? Why this lottery? What does it mean?

Our chapter describes the nature of various bodily fluids, some natural, others involuntary, and speaks of the Tum'ah that they create and the rites of purification.Today we speak about various perspectives about the nature and effects of "Tum'ah" and whether sometimes God prefers Israel even in an impure state of being.

Why is the Tzara'at of houses contained in a separate section to the Tzaraat of skin and clothing?We explore two opposite and yet complementary dynamics in Hazal's explanation of this plague.

Is Tzaraat (sometimes translated incorrectly as leprosy) a medical ailment or a spiritual one?The Tanakh speaks of several instances of people afflicted by Tzaraat. What causes this condition?

A woman who births a child contracts impurity! Why?And she has to bring a sin offering?What sin did she incur?We will frame this episode in the broader framework of these chapters, which will go some way to answering these questions.

In this chapter we hear the laws of forbidden foods - Kosher animals, fish, birds and insects.But why are some animals forbidden and others allowed? Is there a logic to the particular animals that are banned for consumption? And why do non-kosher animals engender ritual impurity?

On what should have been the happiest day, tragedy strikes in the Mishkan. Nadav and Avihu, young priests - Aharon's sons - bring foreign fire and are struck down - by fire - before God. Why did they break the protocol of the Temple?What motivated them flout the laws and recklessly disregard the Temple service?

"The Eighth Day" is the day "that God will appear" to the nation. It is purported to be the day in which the Tabernacle/Mishkan reaches its climax - God's fire will descend to the nation.But we reach into the silent gaps in this story through Midrash and Rashi and speak of the hidden drama in this narrative; one of apprehension, guilt and brotherhood.

Today we try to get to the essence of the Miluim, the 7-day consecration of the Priests. We will discover that they are almost becoming part of the architecture of the Temple itself!

As Prof Yechezkel Kaufman pointed out, the Temple is a world of silence. There are no prayers or curses or incantations. Just silence. What should we make of this?

Why does chapter 6-7 repeat all the sacrifices a second time?Why does the opening paragraph about the Olah actually discuss the ash and the fire rather than the Olah itself?

In chapter 5 we see two categories of sin-offering:* korban oleh ve-yored* AshamWe will discuss the states of mind that underpin these two sin-offerings.

We all sin! Sin is endemic to human nature: "There is not even a righteous person in the world who fails to sin." said Kohelet.But our chapter directs attention not to the sin of the ordinary Israelite but to the sins of leaders: The High Priest, the judiciary and the political leadership.Are their sins more egregious, or are they merely more prone to sin? Or are they possibly to set an example to us all?

Today we discuss the Shelamim, a joyous sacrifice, eaten with friends, expressing the bond that humans make with God.

Vayikra ch.2 describes and outlines the FIVE types of Korban Mincha - an offering of flour and oil. Why does it come in five recipes? What does this vegetarian korban represent?

We haven't brought sacrifices-korbanot for 2000 years.What does the word "korban" mean?And how have major Jewish thinkers understood the rationale for Korbanot? Can we, as modern people, come to an appreciation of their significance?

Shemot ends with the assembly of all the constituent parts of the Mishkan and God's "glory-Kavod" resting within the Mishkan.We spend todays podcast discussing the structure of Shemot according to two systems - that of Ramban and that of Rashi. They each teach different messages about the spiritual thrust of the book.

What is the connection between the Mishkan, Creation, and Shabbat?

The washbasin, the kiyor, was a feature of the Mishkan.What purpose did it serve? How does Halakha reflect its use even today?Our chapter informs us that the kiyor was constructed from donations of women's mirrors. To what might this detail be alluding?

The Ark sits at the epicenter of the MishkanWhat does it symbolize?In fact it is not just one of the Temple vessels but two parts that have a dynamic relationship between them.

The boards of the Mishkan are pretty large; too large to be constructed from the Acacia trees in the Sinai desert! So where did the timber come from?

The details of the Tabernacle are repeated over and over in chapter 35-40. Why? We have a tradition that the Torah is highly economical with its language, but these chapters seem to contradict that assumption. Why the detailed recapitualations?

Are the second tablets the same as the first?On the one hand - yes! They are a renewal of the covenant!And yet, the rabbis saw an innovation here that was critical to the work of human application and interpretation.

After the great sin of the Golden Calf. How are God and Israel to move on together?In this chapter we see:1. Israel expressing remorse2. Moses arguing with God to eek out a mechanism whereby God might coexist with a sinful nation.

Our chapter tells the story of the Golden Calf.Did the Israelites, who heard God speak from heaven, genuinely think that they could exchange God with an image of a calf that they had constructed? How did they fall so swiftly into idolatry?

Our chapter introduces the artisans of the Mishkan - Betzalel and Oholiav - and this gives us the opportunity to explore Judaism's attitude to art.

Ch.30-31 give us 7 appendices to the instructions of the Mishkan. We focus today on the contribution of the half-shekel - where does it originate and what was the money used for?

In this chapter we speak about the "Miluim" - a seven day inauguration of the Mishkan and the Kohanim.And we ask why Channuka is 8 days.

Chapter 28 describes the special robes of the HIgh priest.But what is written upon them??

Chapter 27 closes with the instruction to contribute oil for the Menorah and to light the candles from evening to morning. Why is this paragraph here? And what might it tell us about Channuka?

Today we speak about:1. The multiple coverings of the Mishkan. Why is the Mishkan so rich inside and so plain on the outside?2. We speak about the engaging language that depicts the coverings and boards of the Mishkan: sister to sister; brother to brother. What does it mean?

Why did God command Israel to build a sanctuary?If God cannot be contained by a physical structure, what do we mean by: "Make me a Sanctuary that I may dwell among them"(25:8)?What is the focal point of the Sanctuary?And

In this chapter the Jewish people make a covenant at Sinai.They proclaim "Naaseh VeNIshma - We will do and we will hear!"But what is the conent of this covenant?And when exactly did it happen?

This chapter offers an eclectic mix of topics; from judicial procedure, to Shabbat and Shemitta and the festivals, and it ends with a projection and a strategic plan of how the nation will enter the land of Canaan. We try to look under the surface of this chapter and the society is envisages.

Do not curse "Elohim"! Is that God or the Judiciary?Here we discuss the weighty role of government and the courts in leading society, the responsibility they bear and the need to protect the systems that govern our lives.

Up to this point, Shemot has been a flowing narrative.Now we take a sharp turn to a detailed legal text. What is the nature, structure and purpose of this text?

Today we try to say something about the structure, texture and tone of one of our most iconic and covenantal texts.

Chapter 19 depicts the lead-up to revelation.God approaches the nation to gat their consent prior to giving the Torah. The Torah is not imposed. This is a covenant and it can only take place of both sides are willing.We also discuss the terms of revelation. How close will God be? Is this a moment of listening or a full sensory experience. And why do the people run away, fleeing from God's power?

Yitro is the priest of Midyan.And yet, in our chapter we find him proclaiming his faith in God, sacrificing to Him and creating a Justice system for the people of Israel.What is the religious faith of Yitro? What is his affinity to the God of Israel?