Friday, January 29, 2016

Yisro - Godly Essence

Why does Hashem openly reveal Himself to an entire nation which is only freshly removed from its spiritual filth? What is the power of the statement 'naaseh v'nishma' - we will do and we will listen? Why does Hashem remove Moshe from his 'post' as messenger for the first of the ten commandments? Why is the first commandment not a command, but rather a statement?

Find out in this week's parsha podcast.

Running time: 20:15

Friday, January 22, 2016

Beshalach - Stages of Redemption

Why do the sons of Efraim try to leave Egypt thirty years early? Why is the verse which speaks of moshe taking Yosef's bones out of sequence? Why is the depth of the idea of Moshe 'grabbing a commandment?' Why is there a double oath to take Yosef's bones out of Egypt? Why does Yosef want his bones to be 'returned' to Shechem? What are the two stages of redemption? How do we 'remember' the future?

Find out in this week's parsha podcast.

Running Time: 26:47

Friday, January 15, 2016

Bo - Nissan Month of Redemption

What is the concept of Nissan being the first of the months? Why is this the first commandment the Jewish people receive as a nation? What is the idea of the 'keitz' and the 'ibbur' in regards to redemption? What is the concept of 'the first' and how does it relate to Hashem, Jerusalem, Moshiach and Nissan? Why do the Jewish people enter into and continue our relationship with Hashem on a mountain?

Find out in this week's parsha podcast.

Running time: 24:27

Friday, January 8, 2016

Vaera- Balancing Fire and Ice

Why is the seventh plague - hail - the first that is performed by Moshe alone? Why is there a stress on the fact that he raises his hands 'to heaven?' What does it mean that Moshe has power over heaven and earth? Why does the hail coexist with fire? Why does Hashem's mercy join here with the Divine court of justice to produce this plague? Why is it stressed here that the purpose of the plagues was really to cause Pharaoh to repent? Why does Hashem make rules and then suspend the rules?

Find out in this week's parsha podcast.
Running time: 26:38

Friday, January 1, 2016

Shemos - Meriting Redemption

What does it mean that Hashem redeems us for the 'sake of His name and the sake of His covenant?' What is the difference between 'seeing' and 'knowing?' Why does Hashem 'see' our sins, but 'know' about our good deeds? How can we be redeemed in the merit of something we will do in the future? What is the idea of Teshuva-repentance? How can we be redeemed in the merit of something our patriarchs did?

Find out in this week's parsha podcast.

Running time: 20:15