Category Archives: Parsha

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Korach – Debate and Switch

Podcast (parsha): Download (Duration: 1:07:22 — 30.8MB)

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Cousins don’t always agree on everything. Korach and Moshe had a disagreement, a debate. Moshe was instructed by God that the nation is limited to one high priest, Aaron. Korach argued that the entire nation is entirely holy, and why can’t everyone be a high priest? Korach has some apparent legitimacy to his perspective. Prior to the Sinai Revelation, Moshe told the nation that if they accept the terms of the covenant, they will be a “kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” The whole nation is holy; the whole nation is priests. But Korach’s debate is classified as a debate, “not for the sake of heaven.” When done properly, debate is utterly transformative. Not only is debate encouraged, it is one of the only pathways to achieve true individuality and distinction.

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Korach – The Jewish Kryptonite (5784)

Podcast (parsha): Download (Duration: 47:21 — 21.7MB)

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We all have weaknesses. Nations, as well, have witnesses. When the Almighty sought to give the Torah to the Jewish people at Sinai, He first offered it to all the nations. When they asked what was included in it, God revealed to them how the Torah disallowed that particular weakness that that particular Nation had. What is the Jewish weakness? What is our kryptonite? When we study the story of Korach we find the answer. Korach launched a rebellion against Moshe and Aaron by specifically trying to exploit the innate Jewish weakness.

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Parshas Korach (Rebroadcast)

Podcast (parsha): Download (Duration: 58:24 — 26.7MB)

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In this week’s parsha, Moshe and Aaron’s first cousin, a man named Korach, launches a rebellion claiming that Moshe is guilty of nepotism in appointing his brother as High Priest. What ensued should give one serious pause before engaging in any similar sort of divisive activities.

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Shelach – Founding Grandfathers

Podcast (parsha): Download (Duration: 54:58 — 25.2MB)

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The twelve men who Moshe sent to scout the Land were all righteous leaders of the tribes. There were not lightweights. In fact, Joshua, who would succeed Moshe as the leader of the people, was only the 5th greatest of this cadre. Yet ten of these men conspired to provide a deflating and slanderous report about the Land. What was their rationale? What did Joshua and Caleb understand that these ten failed to understand? In this very interesting Parsha podcast, we propose a fascinating explication of what was required to see through the fiction of the spies. We learn the secret that catapulted Joshua and Caleb to unprecedented heights.

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Shelach – Prophylactic Phylacteries (5784)

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Prior to initiating the war of conquest of the land of Canaan, the nation did the prudent thing: they undertook a reconnaissance mission to scout out the enemy defenses. Moshe selected 12 righteous men, one from each tribe, to traverse the land and inspect it from the inside. The result was a catastrophic disaster: the scouts brought a devastating report about the land, prompting the people to lose faith in God and in the prospect of entering Canaan. In this Parsha podcast, we explore three elements of the Parsha: the first segment orients around one of the descriptions of the land offered by the scouts. The second and third segments relate to the end of the Parsha: The execution of a person who was gathering twigs on Shabbos, and the commandment to tie fringes to corners of our garments.

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Parshas Shelach (Rebroadcast)

Podcast (parsha): Download (Duration: 57:32 — 26.3MB)

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The Jewish people were on the cusp of entering the Land of Canaan, and made a prudent, but ultimately tragic, decision: To send a contingent of scouts to reconnoiter the Land, to examine its vulnerabilities and weaknesses in order to best plan the conquest. Unfortunately, the report of the scouts sent the nation into a tailspin and caused them to remain in the Wilderness for 40 years.

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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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Behaaloscha – Shrieking Wilderness

Podcast (parsha): Download (Duration: 1:01:43 — 28.3MB)

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Parshas Behaaloscha contains a smorgasbord of fascinating narratives and storylines. In this interesting and fun edition of the Parsha podcast, we propose a theme that connects many of the intersecting storylines together. What does Aaron’s kindling of the menorah, the nation’s method of encamping and decamping, the makeup date for the Paschal offering for impure people, and Miriam’s episode of tzaraas have in common? At first glance, not much. But the idea that we share can serve as a powerful reframe that will enable us to achieve great heights in any circumstances.

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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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Behaaloscha – Honeymoon Phases (5784)

Podcast (parsha): Download (Duration: 59:17 — 27.1MB)

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After nearly a year at Sinai, the nation is on the move: in perfect formation, each tribe perfectly positioned and oriented, the nation finally departed the site of the Sinai Revelation. Following the cloud, the nation traveled. In this very special Parsha podcast, we go deep and deeper in trying to plumb the depths of the Torah to the best of our abilities. The first segment revolves around the nature of the nation’s frequent travels throughout the wilderness, in contrast with the year that they spent in one location at Sinai. The second segment focuses on two mysterious figures, Eldad and Meidad, who were catapulted prophecy. The final segment shares a fascinating and perhaps a bit terrifying insight into the nature of the arrival of Messiah and what to do about it.

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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 Behaaloscha (Rebroadcast)

Podcast (parsha): Download (Duration: 59:29 — 27.2MB)

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The Jewish nation has been encamped at Mount Sinai for nearly a year; in this week’s parsha they finally depart from the Mountain of God, and sadly leave gleefully as a child escaping school. This kick starts a series of missteps that carry harsh consequences.

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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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Nasso – Four Paces

Podcast (parsha): Download (Duration: 58:35 — 26.8MB)

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The longest Parsha in the Torah (Nasso) contains a seemingly unconnected string of subjects. It begins by detailing the responsibilities of adult working-age Levites from three Levite families, followed by a census of those Levites. In the middle of the Parsha contains the laws of the sotah (the suspected adulteress) and the Nazir (a person who accepts upon himself a vow to refrain from wine, coming into contact with the dead, and haircuts for a period of time, typically 30 days), and the priestly blessing (the special blessing formula that priests are commanded to bless Israel with). The Parsha ends with the special gifts and tributes given by the princes of the 12 tribes of Israel on the day of the inauguration of the Tabernacle and on the eleven subsequent days. At first glance, it seems very hard to find a common thread connecting these disparate subjects. In this very interesting and fun Parsha podcast, we share a powerful and counterintuitive theme that is strung throughout the Parsha. The takeaways for us are profound.

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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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Nasso – Gordian Knot (5784)

Podcast (parsha): Download (Duration: 48:19 — 22.1MB)

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Parshas Nasso is the longest Parsha in the Torah by verses. In this very special Parsha podcast we explore three different elements of the Parsha: We offer a deep examination of the banishment of the various impure people from the camp; a profound approach to the system of change featured in the Nazir; and a sharp analysis of Moshe’s role in constructing the Tabernacle.

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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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