Parsha Stories

Check out the full telling of Va'Yeshev from last year here Check out an alternative telling of Va'Yeshev from last year here. Yakov favors his son Yosef, which makes his brothers very angry. They throw him in a pit and eventually sell him to a caravan of Ishmalites on their way to Egypt. Yosef's story becomes even more dramatic landing him in jail. What we find out this week is that t...

Check out last year's telling of Vayishlach. Before Yakov re-encounters Esav he is confronted by a mysterious being that ends up having the divine power to bless him with a new name - Yisrael. A Midrash suggests that this encounter was an epic cosmic battle between the mortal Yakov and Esav's arch-angel that elevates Yakov to a super-natural being. Yes, this is Torah not Harry Potter.

Check out last year's telling of Va'Yetze here! After a very successful 20 years in Haran, Yakov decides that it is time to leave his father-in-law/uncle's home. He departs in secret with his wives, children and his amassed wealth. Lavan is not thrilled with the idea but he is prepared to end things with Yakov on good terms as long as he returns one thing that Yakov, unknowingly, broug...

Click here for last year's telling of Toldot! In between the dramatic encounters between Yakov and Esav, Yitzhak has his own dramatic moments with the locals of Canaan when a terrible famine the Holy Land. Yitzhak leans on his connection to God and his connection to his father to find success in unlikely places.

Click here for last year's podcast on Hayei Sarah! Sarah and Avraham both die, leaving the next generation to carry on the legacy that they leave behind. The Haftarah from this week, captures the same theme as David Ha'Melech (King David) lays on his deathbed and is forced to choose a successor from among his sons. All of the people in David's life begin to jockey for power with a new...

Click here for last year's episode of Vayera! After Avraham is forced to send away his eldest son Yishmael, he tracks his son down to find him married to a woman that does not share his values. Avraham is deeply committed to the mitzvah of hachnasat orchim and he expects his sons and nephew to live up to his high standard. It isn't until Yishmael's second wife that he finally gets the...

Click here for last year's account of Lech Lecha!⁠ In this Midrash we learn Avraham's origin story about how he becomes the chosen founder of monotheism. Even before God calls to a young Avram, he can tell that the polytheistic, idol worshipping lifestyle just does not make sense. But when he shines a light on the absurdity of this philosophy he makes enemies and needs God to save him for...

God is displeased with the terrible choices that humans continuously make and decides that only one family is worthy of living on earth. He tells Noach to build an ark, offering plenty of time for Noach to save others as well - though Noach doesn't take the bait. After the flood, God seems to regret the choice and creates a rainbow as a symbol of peace and celebrating diversity.

Dr. Jonah Hassenfeld has been writing the theme songs for our podcasts for the past year and a half. He decided to write a whole new song with a new tone that perfectly captures the spirit of Simchat Torah and our commitment to re-starting a Torah learning. Enjoy his new song as a way to get into the spirit of a new Torah reading cycle!

For the first time ever, this episode tells a story that is a Rabbi Tilles original! Based on two midrashim about the four species (lulav, etrog, hadas and arava) the question is asked, what is so special about these four plants. The answer is their willingness to see the specialness inside of each other!

Moshe changes his tune...literally. He moves from a sermon to a song, speaking in metaphor about the Heavens and the Earth. At first the celestial beings are miffed that Moshe would lump them in with mortals, but we come to understand that he meant Heaven and Earth as a metaphor for body and soul. This song is the perfect lead up to the end of his life and to our Shabbat Shuvah.

The Haftarah for Rosh Hashanah tells the story of how we learned how to pray with words. Hannah is jealous of her sister wife, Penina, as she struggles to have a child. Sacrifices to God are not working and, in desperation, she taps into her deep emotions to pray from her heart. Spoiler alert...it worked!

Moshe tells the people that all of B'nai Yisrael, including the lowly wood-chopper and water-bearer will be a part of the Eternal Covenant with God. Yehoshua, Moshe's apprentice, takes note of this reference to the wood-chopper and water-bearer and uses it later when he is a leader of the people against the sneaky Givonim. Yehoshua learns to use his wit and the teachings of Moshe to enrich...

Moshe describes a dramatic scene that was set to unfold once B'nai Yisrael enters the Land in which farmers would bring their Bikkurim, their first fruits, to the Temple and offer their food to God as a thank you. The Mishnah describes an even more elaborate and festive experience!

Moshe turns his attention to the ethics of war as he continues to prepare the people for their conquest of the Holy Land. Inserted in his list of laws about warfare, he includes a Mitzvah about sending away the mother bird if you take her eggs. The rabbis have a lot of questions about this Mitzvah and the Zohar offers an uplifting story about how it represents God's unending compassion for us!

Moshe reminds the people that he will not be in the Promised Land to help them adjudicate tough decisions in their ultimate pursuit of Justice. B'nai Yisrael is commanded to establish a judicial system that all leaders will respect, as described in a dramatic account found in the Talmud.

Moshe reinforces that abundance of food that is awaiting B'nai Yisrael when they enter the Land but reminds them the importance of sharing the wealth. A familiar complaint resurfaces and a crazy story about the Talmud's Dr. Doolittle (Reb Pinchas) helps us understand why the complaint is unfounded.

Moshe's words to the people remind them that IF they don't follow the Laws of the Torah that God will keep rain from falling on the luscious Promised Land. We learn later on that King Ahab ignored the Torah and that it still rained, which made Eliyahu Ha'Navi very upset. We learn that God works in mysterious ways.

The message of this week's Haftarah was popularized by the band Safam and one of their song composers, Joel Sussman. Joel joins the podcast to explain his inspiration and thoughts about the message from the book of Isaiah and how it ties to our feelings as we come out of Tisha B'Av.

Moshe begins to review the story of the Israelite journey through the Midbar with the people as a way to reenforce the message that God had been with them through all of their battles with neighboring nations. A reaffirmation of God's power seems to be compelling for the Israelites of Moshe's generation but less so for the Jews of Isaiah's generation who foresees the impending destruct...

According to a Midrash, God's command to maintain vows is transgressed by Tzidkiyahu Ha'Melekh drawing the ire of the Babylonian Emperor, Nebuchanezzar. With the Emporer betrayed, he takes his anger out on the Sanhedrin and the entire Jewish people by destroying Jerusalem and the Holy Temple. All of this, of course, had been prophesied by Yirmiyahu while he was still in his mother's wo...

The story of Pinchas is about one zealot who stands up to a straying Israelite nation. In this week's Haftarah, an infantile prophet, Yirmiyahu, is told that he will share troubling news with a straying Israelite nation as well.

The story of Balak is so memorable that it echoes through the generations from Shmuel to Yiftach to Micah.

Korach throws the leadership system into chaos with his failed rebellion. Many generations later, the Israelites have convinced God to abandon the Prophetic leadership structure in favor of a monarchy, leaving Shmuel very angry.

Join us in celebrating a full Torah reading cycle of our Parshat Podcast! This Parsha was our first Parsha Podcast and now we tell the story again! B'nai Yisrael is nervous about what life might be like in the Land of Israel. Moshe sends scouts to bring back reports of the Land and they return with mixed results!