Pinchas - Finding Peace

What is the idea of Peace? Why is this blessing of peace given to Pinchas? How does his act of killing someone who is publicly desecrating Hashem's name create Peace? What are the 'Torah's paths of Peace?' Why do we ask of a person's peace on his return from a trip? Why is Peace the 'vessel that holds blessings?' How do we find Peace for ourselves? Why do the humble and the righteous receive Peace? How do we deny the Evil Inclination of his 'demands?'

Find out in this week's parsha podcast.

Running time: 28:43

Ki Savo - Hearing the Call

 What is the idea of Moshe 'calling' to all of the people of Israel? Why does this phrase appear in our parsha, in speaking about the miracles of the 40 years in the wilderness, and also in the context of the revelation at Sinai? Why is the word 'kriah' - 'calling' also used in the context of reading from the Torah? Why do the 3 verses read correspond to Avraham, Yitzchak and Yakov; or Moshe, Aharon and Miriam? What is the idea that Hashem only calls to all of the people of Israel, and none can be missing? Why does a teacher need everyone to be there before the class begins? Why did Hashem call to Moshe from the top of the mountain, and why did Moshe emulate this calling, as well?

Find out in this week's Parsha Podcast.

Running time: 23:51

Re'eh - Times of Challenge and Expansion

 What is the idea behind the fact that originally eating meat was completely prohibited unless as part of a korban? Why did Hashem permit it when 'He will expand your borders?" Why would Yosef have been happy enough even if he would have been released without being made into a king? How does this parallel what has happened with the Jewish people? How does it parallel what will be in the future? What is the power of the challenge that, when passed, brings us to a greatly expanded reality?

Find out in this week's Parsha Podcast.

Running time: 24:24

Ekev - Of Horns and Heels

 What is the idea behind the prohibition of assembling the pieces of a candelabra on Shabbos? What is the idea of the first Shabbos that was kept by the entire Jewish people? How does one 'enjoy' the Shabbos? Why do we receive spiritual rewards for physical enjoyment on Shabbos? What does the midrash mean when it says the rewards are 'in the end?' Why is that end also referred to as a 'horn?' Why does Yaakov - whose name is related to the word Ekev-heel - relate both to the concept of beginning and also to the concept of the end?

Find out in this week's Parsha Podcast.

Running time: 23:40

Devarim - Love and Rebuke

Why does Moshe start his final speech with words of rebuke? What is the contrast between how Moshe speaks on behalf of Klal Yisrael in front of Hashem when they have sinned, and how he speaks to the Jews themselves? Why is it that the wicked Bilaam is the one who speaks highly of the Jewish people, while it is Moshe who gives them rebuke? How can we find the proper balance between love and rebuke?

Find out in this week's Parsha Podcast.

Running time: 19:18

Fall of the 70 Nations

What is the concept of the 70 bulls that are brought as sacrifices on the first seven days of the holiday of Succos? Why does the number of sacrifices steadily decline? Why does it skip from seven down to one? Why do we read about the apocalyptic war of Gog and Magog during the holiday of Succos? What is that war really about? What is unique about the relationship of the Jewish people and Hashem, as opposed to all the other nations?

Find out in this week's Parsha Podcast.

Running time: 22:00

Balak - Expansion in Constricted Vessels

Why did Hashem offer expanded prophesy, wealth and world dominion in equal proportion to the Jewish people and to the nations of the world? What was the difference between the way that the Jews received it, as opposed to the way the nations received it? What is the difference between the times of Moshiach ben Yosef and the times of Moshiach ben Dovid? What happens when someone tries to access that future world before its time? How can we receive that expansion without our vessels being destroyed?

Find out in this week's Parsha Podcast.

Running time: 21:41

Moshiach's Staff and the Fall of the Haughty in the End of Days

Why does Hashem use tiny creatures to punish the haughty? Why is this the tool He uses in the End of Days? What is the concept of the staff of Aharon? What is the significance of it having been used by Yehuda, Moshe, the Kings of Israel, and ultimately by Moshiach? Why are there so many examples of righteous individuals who had wicked parents - Avraham from Terach, Mordechai from Shimi, and many others? Why do we go through so many questions in our process of trying to understand that Hashem is behind it all?

Find out in this week's Parsha Podcast.

Running time: 25:26

The time from 20 Sivan to Tisha B'av

What was the mistake of Aharon and Miriam in speaking negatively about Moshe? Why was this story placed by the Torah immediately before the sin of the spies? What is unique about the period of time from the 20th of Sivan until the 9th of Av? How does it parallel the period from Pesach to Shavuos? What is the root of the sin of Lason Hara (gossip)?

Find out in this week's Parsha Podcast.

Running time: 25:08

Shavuos-Naso

How do we see that there was a greater and lesser revelation within the awesome experience at Sinai? How does it parallel the revelation of Moshe as the redeemer, as well as the future revelation of the Moshiach? How does it also parallel the merit of the Patriarchs and the Matriarchs? What is the idea behind Hashem 'seeking and gathering the prayer and learning' of the Jewish people in order to bless them?

Find out in this week's Parsha Podcast.

Running time: 26:01

Bamidbar - Spiritual Centering

What is the concept of the flags of the encampments of the Children of Israel? Why do the nations of the world ask the Jewish people to be their leaders? What is the response of the Jewish people? How does this relate to the encampments? How do we assure that the Tabernacle, which represents our spirituality and our relationship with Hashem, remains the center of our lives? What is the idea behind Jerusalem being a place of Awe and Completion?

Find out in this week's Parsha Podcast.

Running time: 24:58

Tetzaveh - From Mind to Heart

Why did the Jewish people need the Divine Presence in order to remember that Hashem took them out of Egypt if they had just experienced it? How does one move the experiences that make an impression intellectually into one that is also felt emotionally? Why did Elijah pray that the Jewish people be affected positively by the miracles they were about to witness? How does the belief in one's teacher help bridge the gap from mind to heart?

Find out in this week's Parsha Podcast.

Running time: 22:53

Yisro - Results Belong to Hashem

What is the essence of the concept of Shabbos? Why is Shabbos so intertwined with the Mon (Manna)? Why is the rest of Shabbos related to the work of the six days of the week? Why is rest a positive creation of Hashem?

Find out in this week's Parsha Podcast.

Running time: 28:06

Shoftim - Finding the Center

Why is the highest court of the Jewish people found in Jerusalem on the Temple Mount? What does the verse mean when it says that we are to do as the judges tell us 'from that place Hashem shall choose?' What does the verse mean when it says not to turn away from their word neither to the right nor the left? Why is there a reference to the 'nations around them' in the verse speaking about the appointment of a king? What is the concept of his being 'chosen by Hashem' and how does it relate to the 'place chosen by Hashem' in the previous discussion?

Find out in this week's parsha podcast.

Running time: 24:10

Bamidbar-Shavuos - True Power

Why do the nations of the world ask the Jewish people to be their leaders? What is behind the response of the Jewish people when they say that they prefer the encampments and flags of the wilderness? How does this relate to the holiday of Shavuos? What is the idea of power? How does one direct and protect one's power?

Find out in this week's Parsha Podcast.

Running time: 22:44

Behar-Bechukosai - Facing Redemption with Faith

What is the concept of faith as opposed to 'keri' - happenstance? How does the challenge of faith apply someone who already has faith in Hashem? Why is the punishment for lack of faith worse than just not doing Hashem's will? What is the unique challenge of our times - the lead up to the Messianic age?

 

Find out in this week's Parsha Podcast.

 

Running time: 27:11

Tazria-Metzora - Love vs Gossip

What can we uncover by looking at the punishment the Torah metes out for the sin of gossip? Why is he sent out of the encampment when he is stricken with spiritual leprosy (tzara'as)? Why does he call out 'impure, impure?' Why are the merits of the one who spoke gossip taken away and transferred to the one he spoke about? What is the depth of the concept of loving one's neighbor as oneself? How does one develop that love?

Find out in this week's parsha podcast.

Running time: 29:12

Vayakhel-Pekudei - Spiritual Source

Why does the Torah tell us of Betzalel's family origins? What is the significance of the 'intellect, wisdom and knowledge' with which he was endowed? Why was it important that the mishkan (santuary) be built with these aspects? How does it parallel the creation of the world? Why does the Torah stress that Hashem was the source of these powers of Betzalel? How does the mishkan serve to atone for the sin of the Golden Calf? What was the difference between the way the Jews brought their gold for the calf, as opposed to how they brought their gold for the mishkan?

Find out in this week's parsha podcast.

Runing time: 25:01

Tetzaveh - Lighting and Oil

What is the concept of Olive Oil? Why does the Torah specifically ask us to use it for the lighting of the Menorah in the sanctuary? Why are the Jewish people compared to an olive? How does this reflect the special nature of the Jewish people as a 'light to the nations?' How does the study of Torah serve to shine that light?

Find out in this week's parsha podcast.

Running time: 24:37

Nitsavim-Vayelech - Return to Paradise

Why does the Torah preface the commandment to repent (Teshuva) with a description of what life will be like after the Messiah's arrival? What is the difference between our state at present, and the way it will be when the Messiah arrives? What is the concept of the orlas halev (barier on the heart)? How does one do Teshuva? What is the effect of doing Teshuva (repenting)?

Find out in this week's parsha podcast.

Running time: 26:58