Category Archives: Parsha

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Eikev – Well-Heeled

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If the Almighty promises to give you a blessing, your ears should perk up. If God promises to give you abundance, health, prosperity, fertility, security, and all manner of blessing, your question should be – what must I do to be deserving of this? Our Parsha begins with such a promise. In the event that we steadfastly and here to a certain category of mitzvos, the Almighty promises to give us all these blessings. The precise identity of the mitzvos that engender those blessings is somewhat obscure. In this very special edition of the Parsha Podcast, we explore what our Sages mean when they talk about “mitzvos that people tend to trample upon with their heels.” If we follow their guidance, we will emerge well-heeled in more ways than one.

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This Parsha Podcast in loving memory and leilui nishmas Ronit bat Elimelech – whose yahrzeit is today. May her neshama experience an aliyah to the highest heights through these words of Torah.

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Parshas Eikev (Rebroadcast)

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We pick up where we left off last week amid Moshe’s speech to the nation before his passing, and as in the previous few weeks, Parshas Eikev is jam packed with insights and timeless lessons. Moshe pivots between looking back on the conduct of the nation in the preceding 40 years and admonishing them for their misdeeds, and gazing forward to the conquest of Canaan and the secrets to making their settlement peaceful, prosperous, and secure.

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Vaeschanan – Linked to Sinai

Podcast (parsha): Download (Duration: 55:24 — 25.4MB)

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Although he was the paradigmatic leader of all time, Moshe was barred from crossing the Jordan River and entering the Land. Joshua his student was to succeed him and lead the Nation into the Promised Land. Why was Moshe not allowed to enter? For the sin of striking the rock instead of speaking to it. Our Parsha begins with Moshe retelling how he pleaded with God, without success, to have this decree revoked. In this special edition of the Parsha Podcast we explore the intricacies of the question of Moshe entering the Land, learn the essence of our personal relationship with Torah, and discover the critical – life and death – importance of the relationship between Torah teacher and student.

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This Parsha Podcast is dedicated in loving memory and leilui nishmas Yehudit bat Yehoshua Mordecai and Leah, Judith Cantor – the mother of our dear friend Mark Cantor – who passed away last week at the age of 93. She was a remarkable woman, a scion of an illustrious rabbinic family — May her soul be elevated in Heaven.

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Parshas Va’eschanan (Rebroadcast)

Podcast (parsha): Download (Duration: 1:04:11 — 29.4MB)

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This week’s parsha continues Moshe’s monologue to the nation in the weeks preceding his passing. He begins by recounting his repeated efforts in trying to convince God to rescind His decree that Moshe not enter the Land; Moshe then begins the retelling of the Torah; and we read many warnings and predictions about proper behavior and the consequences of abandoning Torah and mitzvos. This is a parsha replete with iconic verses and big themes!

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Devarim – Human Fallibility and What to Do About it

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Parshas Devarim begins the Book of Deuteronomy, the final installment of the Pentateuch. Moshe is destined to pass and he gathers the nation to prepare them for the day after. How will the nation endure after they lose the greatest leader the world has ever known? How will their survive and flourish after Moshe is no longer in their midst? In this podcast we dissect Moshe’s opening message to the nation and we discover the secret to flourishing notwithstanding weaker and diminished leadership.

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Parshas Devarim (Rebroadcast)

Podcast (parsha): Download (Duration: 49:44 — 22.8MB)

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5 weeks before his passing, Moses gives a three-parsha-long speech to the nation, which constitutes his last will and testament. He begins with a retrospective of the history of the nation over the past 40 years since the Exodus – subtly rebuking the nation, guiding them, admonishing them, ensuring that they don’t repeat their mistakes of yore.

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Sponsorship: Please consider sponsoring a podcast 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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Mattos & Masei – Contrarian Guide

Podcast (parsha): Download (Duration: 51:50 — 23.7MB)

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This week we conclude the Book of Numbers with a double-Parsha, the sole double-Parsha of this calendar year. Of the myriad of interesting subjects found in our Parsha is the long and detailed negotiations between Moshe and the tribes of Reuben and Gad. These tribes sought to permanently settle on the East Bank of the Jordan and not on its Western side, in Canaan proper. For 42 verses, the Torah records their dialogue and negotiation. In this special edition of the Parsha Podcast we propose an explanation of this protracted negotiation. What emerges is an authoritative guide for contrarians.

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This Parsha Podcast is dedicated in honor of a new baby: Ezra Gershon, newly born son of our dear friends, Albert and Alexandra Budnitskiy. May young Ezra grow and flourish and bring joy and pride to his family, his community, the Jewish people, and of course his Creator!

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Sponsorship: Please consider sponsoring a podcast 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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Pinchas – Staying Hungry

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Although a paternal grandson of Aaron the Kohein, Pinchas was not initially – prior to his heroic act of martyrdom – a Kohein. The law stated that only Aaron and his sons were to be anointed as Kohanim. All sons born to Kohanim subsequently were to be Kohanim, but Pinchas who was alive at the time of anointing of Aaron and his sons was excluded from this exalted fraternity. When he zealously ended the plague, a divine dispensation ruled that he was to be elevated to being a Kohein – a High Priest no less. In this podcast we study Pinchas’ unusual career trajectory and posit a pedagogical device designed to get the most out of ourselves and our charges.

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Sponsorship: Please consider sponsoring a podcast 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 Pinchas (Rebroadcast)

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Pinchas was a man of action, a zealot who avenged God’s vengeance and was handsomely rewarded for it. In this parsha we read about his reward, Moses’ succession plan, the methods through which the Land will be divided, and another census is done.

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Sponsorship: Please consider sponsoring a podcast 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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Balak – A Single Point

Podcast (parsha): Download (Duration: 53:32 — 24.5MB)

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Our nation has no shortage of enemies. This is not new. Even in antiquity, our nation was always a target. Laban, Jacob’s father-in-law, try to smothered the Jewish Nation in its infancy. I’m this week’s Parsha, to fearsome, shadowy figures try to do the same. Balak, king of Moab, commissions Bilaam, master sorcerer and prophet, to curse and decimate the nation. Although their diabolical scheme fails, the lessons that we learn from this parsha are transformative.

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This Parsha Podcast is dedicated in honor of two Genecov Birthdays: Happy birthday Dr. Lisa Genecov and happy birthday to her son Max Genecov. May the Almighty bless them with joy and insight on these auspicious days and may they experience many happy and healthy returns.

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Sponsorship: Please consider sponsoring a podcast 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 Balak (Rebroadcast)

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After the Jewish nation trounced the mighty kingdoms of Sichon and Og in last week’s parsha, the comparatively smaller and weaker kingdom of Moab resorted to unconventional warfare to attack the nation by hiring the prophet of the nations, a wily and devious character named Bilaam, to curse the Jews. It did not work out as planned.

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Sponsorship: Please consider sponsoring a podcast 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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