Category Archives: Parsha

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Vayechi – Anti-Oxidance

Podcast (parsha): Download (Duration: 1:17:18 — 35.4MB)

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Immediately prior to his passing, Jacob gathered his sons with the intention of revealing to them what will happen at the end of days. With his 12 sons coalesced around him, Jacob was forced to pivot: the Almighty withdrew His Shechinah from him, and he was no longer able to be able to convey to them what would happen at the end of days. Instead, he began saying other things. Going through his sons one at a time, he highlighted their qualities, flaws, and destinies. When Jacob concluded these deathbed blessings, he passed. In this podcast we explore the nature of these blessings and the profound and indispensable lessons that they provide for us.

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Vayechi – The Five Stages of Transformation (5781)

Podcast (parsha): Download (Duration: 39:14 — 18.0MB)

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The Book of Genesis is replete with interesting stories. We follow the narrative about Adam and Noah and their families, Abraham and his odyssey and trials, Isaac and his family’s challenges and triumphs, and of course Jacob and Joseph and their stories capture our imagination and curiosity. “Torah” means instruction. As part of the Torah, Genesis must be instructive. Where are the instructions of Genesis? Stories are great, but what are the lessons? In this Parsha Podcast we suggest several answers to this important question.

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Parshas Vayechi (Rebroadcast)

Podcast (parsha): Download (Duration: 52:31 — 24.0MB)

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Parshas Vayechi is the final portion of the Book of Genesis. Jacob is about to die and he tends to his affairs: He assures that he will not be buried in Egypt and will instead be interred in the Cave of Machpelah, he blesses Joseph and his sons, and he blesses/rebukes his twelve sons.

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Vayigash – Definition of Life

Podcast (parsha): Download (Duration: 1:03:21 — 29.0MB)

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Jacob relocates in our Parsha. Leaving Canaan once again, Jacob gathers his family and the possessions that he had acquired in Canaan and descends to Egypt to reunite with Joseph. In this Parsha Podcast we discover an unusual curiosity about Jacob’s dealings with his brother Esau. Over the course of their lifetimes, they made two transactions. The nature of these transactions and their timing presents a fascinating study.

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Vayigash – Fruitful Famine (5781)

Podcast (parsha): Download (Duration: 38:04 — 17.4MB)

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In Parshas Vayigash, the Joseph trilogy comes to a close. The saga that began when Joseph was 17 ends when Jacob is reunited with his favorite son, now viceroy of Egypt. In this special edition of the Parsha Podcast, we offer three interesting observations: On Yocheved’s border-crossing birth, on Jacob’s second bargain with Esau, and on why the years of famine were worth it.

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Parshas Vayigash (Rebroadcast)

Podcast (parsha): Download (Duration: 55:25 — 25.4MB)

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Twenty two years have passed since Jacob and Joseph were separated. Ever since Joseph was torn away from him, Jacob was bereft of prophecy and inconsolable. In Parshas Vayigash this long saga comes to an end and Jacob is finally reunited with his long-lost son.

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Mikeitz – Growing Pains & Paining Grows

Podcast (parsha): Download (Duration: 1:03:29 — 29.1MB)

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Joseph took a very unusual path to primacy: his brothers thought he was a good for nothing, and sold him as a slave. He was sold to Egypt, accused of a crime he did not commit, and thrown into prison for years. In a flash, he was elevated from prison and appointed as viceroy of Egypt. When his brothers came for food, they did not recognize that the viceroy was in fact Joseph. How do we understand the dissonance between what Joseph became and how the brothers viewed him? What is the secret of Joseph’s unusual ascent to greatness? In this very special Parsha Podcast, we present an answer that resolves the mystery of Joseph, and a host of other questions on his story.

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This Parsha Podcast is dedicated in the merit of Daniel Aaron (HaCohen) ben Deborah. Young Daniel injured himself a couple of days ago. Thank God, he is doing well, but we are dedicating the Parsha Podcast in his merit. May he have a complete recovery with no lingering effects, and may he experience only blessing and goodness and bestow much joy and pride to his family, community, entire nation, and of course, his Creator.

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DONATE: Please consider supporting the podcasts by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!

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Mikeitz – Talent Evaluation (5781)

Podcast (parsha): Download (Duration: 46:11 — 21.1MB)

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Joseph is one of the most impressive figures in Jewish history. His accomplishments are vast: His holiness under spiritually treacherous conditions are legendary, his faith in God remained unwavering, he is the paragon of seeing God’s Handiwork in the bad deeds of others. His accomplishments extend beyond the spiritual: At the age of 30 he undertook perhaps the most ambitious project in history: Organizing and stockpiling enough food to feed the entire world for 7 years. How is that for a Five Year Plan? Its astonishing to think about what goes into that, and Joseph pulls it off flawlessly. Joseph is the epitome of a wunderkind. Yet his brothers are blind to Joseph’s talent. In this podcast we explore the question of how Joseph’s brothers failed to recognize his prodigious abilities.

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DONATE: Please consider supporting the podcasts by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!

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Vayeishev – If You Hear Something, Do Something

Podcast (parsha): Download (Duration: 1:09:48 — 32.0MB)

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One of the most shocking events in the whole Torah occurs in our Parsha: Joseph’s brothers sell him as a slave to a caravan of traveling Ishmaelites. Two of his brothers helped ensure that he wasn’t killed. Reuben argued that he should be cast into a pit and not to slaughtered outright, and Judah urged them to sell him as a slave and not allow him to languish in the waterless pit. Why did Reuben and Judah, out of all the brothers, stand up to save Joseph? When we examine the sources, we make some interesting discoveries.

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This Parsha Podcast is dedicated in the merit of the complete, total, and speedy recovery of David Pinchas ben Reuven, who is experiencing some health troubles. May he merit a Refuah Shleimah

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Vayeishev – The Holy Hologram (5781)

Podcast (parsha): Download (Duration: 50:47 — 23.2MB)

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Joseph is one of the greatest heroes of Jewish history. His greatest deed was when he resisted temptation and rebuffed the seductions of his master, Potiphar’s, wife. Our Sages tell us that thanks to this valorous deed, Joseph became the viceroy of Egypt and merited to sustain the entire world! The Midrash tells us that the Splitting of the Sea was due to Joseph’s gallantry. How did Joseph muster up the courage to resist the Yetzer Hara’s onslaught? The Talmud gives a very interesting answer.

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DONATE: Please consider supporting the podcasts by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!

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Parshas Vayeishev (Rebroadcast)

Podcast (parsha): Download (Duration: 1:06:01 — 30.2MB)

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Parshas Vayeishev contains two intersecting, seemingly scandalous, storylines, that after all the dust has settled we can see are harbingers of the Messiah and Redemption: Joseph is hated by his brothers, and is eventually sold by them as a slave after they nearly killed him. By Parsha end, Joseph is languishing in an Egyptian prison after being falsely accused of attempted rape. Judah is also humbled in this week’s Parsha, after cohabiting with his daughter in law who masqueraded as a prostitute. In the moment, these scandals brought shame; but ultimately we can see the Divine Hand manipulating events to effectuate the salvation of the Jewish family and people.

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DONATE: Please consider supporting the podcasts by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!

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