Category Archives: Parsha

The Golden Calf: A Scriptural Analysis

Podcast: Download (Duration: 1:31:33 — 41.9MB)

Subscribe: RSS

The Jewish attitude to Torah study has always been to not accept the words on a simplistic and superficial level. We view the text of the Torah as having infinite depth and subtle nuances and meanings. In this class we will attempt to dissect and unravel perhaps the most challenging episodes in the Torah: the Golden Calf story of Exodus Chapter 32. We will begin by reading the words at face value and then we’ll try analyzing and critically assessing the words and the narrative in an attempt to plumb deeper and deeper into the endless ocean of Torahidic insight.

Reflections of Genesis: How the Forefathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob Built the Spiritual Profile of Our Nation

Podcast: Download (Duration: 1:04:09 — 29.4MB)

Subscribe: RSS

The narratives of Genesis mustn’t be read and understood as important stories or historical context; The Torah in it’s entirety is instructive. The manner in which the Forefathers are presented in the Torah and the content of those narratives and dialogues are reflective of the lessons that they exemplified and perfected that the Torah wants us – the readers – to incorporate into our behavior and spiritual makeup. Indeed, each of the forefathers mastered one of the three qualities that uphold the world: Torah – Jacob; Avodah – Isaac; Chessed (Kindness) – Abraham.

The Mission of Transmission: Why Jews must Believe that the entire Written and Oral Torah is Divine and how that is a Reasonable and Logical

Podcast: Download (Duration: 1:12:21 — 33.1MB)

Subscribe: RSS

Maimonides, in including this as the ninth of the thirteen principles of faith, makes it abundantly clear: If you do not believe that every word of the Torah is true you have no place in the Jewish people. The Talmud further clarifies (Sanhedrin 99a) that even if someone acknowledges that all the Torah is divine save for a single kal vachomer (Talmudic syllogism) or gezeira shava (analogy by common term) then he has no portion in the world to come. The seriousness of this requirement demands us to investigate this issue in depth. Here we go!

Lessons in Suffering from Jacob and Joseph

Podcast: Download (Duration: 1:42:21 — 46.9MB)

Subscribe: RSS

Jacob’s life was a seemingly endless streak of suffering and challenges. His own brother was hellbent on murdering him; his father in law tricked him into marrying the woman whom he did not desire to marry; his father in law also marginalized him professionally. Joseph’s life path follows a similar line: His brothers conspire to murder him; ultimately settling on selling him as a slave. Joseph is wrongly accused of misdeeds of carnal nature and unjustifiably imprisoned. These two forbears of Judaism can teach us a lot about the Jewish perspective on challenges, pain and suffering.

This Class was delivered at Shalom Cypress in Cypress, TX

Breakneck through the Bible (Genesis Chapter 31)

Podcast: Download (Duration: 1:02:10 — 28.5MB)

Subscribe: RSS

Learn about Jacob informing his wives’ about his proposed clandestine flight away from his father in law’s home. What lessons can we deduce from the peculiar methods Jacob employs when trying to convince Leah and Rachel of the merits of leaving?