Into the Verse - Exclusive Podcast

Parshat Vayera includes one of the Torah’s most memorable conversations: God and Abraham negotiating about whether God will destroy the city of Sodom. But there’s another fascinating conversation right before that one. Abraham and Sarah receive the message that Sarah will bear a son… but Sarah laughs because she and Abraham are already so old. And God actually comments on her laughter! What’s that...

Parshat Chayei Sarah begins with the death of our matriarch, Sarah. In this week’s episode, Rabbi Fohrman reflects on her impact and finds a clue to the lasting legacy of Sarah’s life by looking, in all places, at the Torah’s description of her death. That clue hinges on a seemingly technical fact found in the parsha’s opening verse: the number of years Sarah happened to live, 127.  It seems like...

This week’s parsha contains the only story in the Torah in which the patriarch Isaac takes center stage. No, it’s not the Akeidah (that was mostly about Abraham), and it’s not the story about the blessing of the firstborn (that story is really about Jacob and Esav). It’s the time Isaac goes around digging wells! Is this the illustrious legacy of our great forefather Isaac? Why does the Torah waste...

Parshat Vayeitzei opens with Jacob on the run, experiencing a dream with angels on a ladder. Jacob’s ladder, with its angels ascending and descending, is probably one of the most iconic images in all of Genesis. It’s so iconic, we can miss a basic question about it - and that is - why is it actually here ? Does the ladder add something to this vision? Why is it here at all? In this week’s episode,...

Jacob and Esau haven’t seen each other for 20 years, ever since Jacob took their father’s blessings and Esau threatened to kill him. Now they’re headed toward one another – Jacob with his family and his riches, and Esau with 400 of his henchmen. Jacob’s got so many things on his mind at this moment: Keeping his family safe. Placating his brother. Using his wits to get out of the situation without...

Parshat Vayigash opens at a very tense moment. Joseph’s brothers are standing in front of him, not knowing who he is. All they know is that this powerful Egyptian official has threatened to keep Benjamin in Egypt as his slave. So Judah steps forward to plead for returning Benjamin to their father… and Joseph bursts into tears and reveals his identity to them. The long separation from his family is...

Why do we fast on this day? What makes the events of Asara B’Tevet so important that we still fast thousands of years later? What did you think of this episode? We’d genuinely like to hear your thoughts, questions, and feedback. Leave us a voice message – just click here , click record, and let your thoughts flow. You may even be featured on the show!

Why does it matter that Aaron is rejoicing? Yes, he’s going to see his long-lost little brother. Yes, he’s going to be the spokesman who helps Moses carry out his mission. But why is it so important for God to note that Aaron is happy about this? And… how will this tiny detail shed light on a mysterious midrash about Moses and the bones of Joseph? Join Ari Levisohn and Beth Lesch as they explore t...

In this week's parsha, God introduces Himself to Moses as YHVH , but then He says something surprising: "I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as Kel-Shakai , but My name of YHVH , I didn't make known to them." If we have been reading the Torah up to this point, we will have heard the name YHVH countless times! So what does God mean by saying that the forefathers only knew Hi...

Parshat Bo is where the Exodus really happens. God sends the last plagues and tells the Israelites to prepare for liberation, and on the night of the tenth plague, Pharaoh finally gives the order: Leave now. But just when the Israelites are gearing up to get out of Egypt, there are a few details that seem to slow the action down. For one thing, there are God’s instructions: “Get your shoes on, be...

Parshat Beshalach tells the story of the end of the Exodus and the crossing of the Red Sea. And after all of that, we get three short stories of stops that the Israelites took while journeying from the Red Sea to the Sinai desert, each one involving some kind of food or water crisis that leads the Israelites to complain. It seems pretty clear that these stories are connected, but what are we suppo...

Parshat Yitro includes the Revelation at Mount Sinai, one of the most dramatic moments in the Torah. But this week on Into the Verse , we zoom in on a moment shortly before that, one that’s easy to miss. God gives Moses instructions for the Israelites, so they can get ready for the giving of the Torah. And what’s the first thing God wants them to keep in mind, on the brink of this historic moment?...

Parshat Mishpatim tells us what should happen if people get hurt because of someone else's actions – fighting, stealing, keeping dangerous animals around the house. In each case, the Torah explains what should happen to the offender, but what's interesting is that the same injury doesn’t always carry the same penalty. Sometimes it depends on the person's intentions: Were they actual...

Parshat Terumah kicks off the "not so exciting" section of the Torah all about the detailed construction of the mishkan (tabernacle). But what if those details contain the secret key to understanding one of the greatest questions facing any 21st-century believer: How do we reconcile the creation story in Genesis with everything we know about modern physics and the Big Bang? Glossary of H...

There's a saying that Purim has a lot in common with a certain other Jewish holiday. But unlike Purim, that other holiday isn’t exactly known for parties, costumes, and sweet treats. No, it’s Yom Kippur, a day of fasting and atonement. So where’s the similarity? In this week’s episode, Rabbi Fohrman and Rivky Stern go back to the Torah’s description of the Yom Kippur service and uncover a who...

Parshat Ki Tisa has one of the all-time low points in the Torah. The Israelites just received the Torah back in Parshat Yitro. All they need to do now is wait for Moses to finish up a bit of paperwork with God. But when he doesn't come back right away, they go to Aaron and ask him to...  make them a golden calf. It's a disaster. God sends Moses back down the mountain and punishes the peo...

Observing the Sabbath involves rules about a long list of actions, from cleaning to writing to making things with our hands, and more! Right before the start of construction on the mishkan , the Tabernacle, Parshat Vayakhel reminds us to observe Shabbat. Building the mishkan was a huge project, one that required all kinds of creative activities. So keeping Shabbat must require us to refrain from t...

We’re starting Sefer Vayikra this week! But if we’re honest, Leviticus isn’t the easiest book to be excited about. Genesis and Exodus have so much drama: the family stories of our patriarchs and matriarchs, the liberation from Egypt, the great encounter with God at Mount Sinai. Whereas Vayikra... so much of it is about animal offerings, or how the priests need to do their jobs in the mishkan, the...

Passover is a week away, and as we stock up on matzah and kiss goodbye to bagels, you’ve got to wonder: What’s the big deal about leavened bread, anyway? Why don't we eat it on Passover? Easy question, right? Because of the matzah we ate when God took us out of Egypt. But if you think about it, this prohibition is pretty strange. The commandment could just have been to eat matzah in commemora...

In last week’s episode , Imu and Rivky pointed out that the only two places where chametz (leavened bread) is forbidden are our homes on Passover and all year round in the Mishkan (Tabernacle). In this week’s episode, Ari Levisohn, notices that this isn’t the only connection between the Mishkan and the Israelites’ homes on that original Passover. These connections lead to a fascinating exploration...

What does Tzara'at have to do with the revalation at Sinai? Why did Miriam get tzara'at? In this week's episode Tikva Hecht untangles a web of intertextual parallels, that all revolve around the transformative power of speech. What did you think of this episode? We’d genuinely like to hear your thoughts, questions, and feedback. Just press record and let your thoughts flow. You may...

The developments surrounding the return to the Land of Israel and the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948 seem to be prophetically predicted in the verses of Psalm 107. That’s why Israel’s Chief Rabbinate selected this salvation-themed chapter to be recited on Yom Ha’atzmaut, Israel’s independence day. But there is one verse that seems completely out of place. In this week’s episode, Ari...

During the time between Passover and Shavuot, we “count the Omer,” marking the number of days since the Omer offering would have been brought . Why is this Omer offering so important that we have to mention it 49 consecutive nights, and how is it still relevant if we haven’t even had the Temple for 2000 years?  Join Rabbi Fohrman and Rivky Stern as they explore a tantalizing intertextual triangle...

Why does the Book of Leviticus end with scary curses, and why does the Torah link these curses to the mitzvah of Shemittah? Join Adina Blaustein and Ari Levisohn as the journey through this week’s double parsha and its haftorah to find an inspiring understanding of Behar-Bechukotai and the entire Book of Leviticus.  What did you think of this episode? We’d genuinely like to hear your thoughts, que...

How does "Numbers" make sense as a title for the Bible's fourth book? How is that name connected to what the book is about? Join Rabbi Fohrman and his daughter, Ariella, as they explore the titles of the Bible's books and stitch together the powerful story they tell. Download your FREE SHAVUOT GUIDE today! Just give us your email and we’ll send it right to your inbox. What did...