Rav Joe's 929 Tanakh Podcast

Ilana Stein considers Yonah in lockdown, the silence of the chapter compared to the intense action of the previous chapter, and brings insights to the chapter that she learned directly from Nechama Leibowitz z"l. Text here: https://www.sefaria.org/Jonah.2

Yes, we have arrived at the book of Trei Asar that we all know and love. The prophet who runs away, is swallowed by a big fish, who grudingly gives prophecy to a gentile nation, and then to his horror is massively successful! Calev Ben Dor starts us on our Yonah journey - considering the context of when Yonah lived and the king he served, and concluding with suggesting a number of frames with whic...

In a single day today we get to learn a whole book of Tanakh - the shortest book there is, Ovadya. Text here: https://www.sefaria.org/Obadiah.1.1?ven=Tanakh:_The_Holy_Scriptures,_published_by_JPS&vhe=Miqra_according_to_the_Masorah&lang=bi

Audio today from Calev Ben Dor considering that most intriguing of verses - that as God took Israel out of Egypt so did he take the Philistines from Kaphtor and Aram from Kir. Calev considers the implication that God is actively involved in the history of many nations, what this means for the concept of chosenness, and what impact this verse had on Martin Buber's Zionism.https://www.sefaria.or...

Text here: https://www.sefaria.org/Amos.8

In a showdown with the priest Amatzia, we receive valuable biographical information about who Amos is, even if we might be surprised by his claim that he is not a prophet - לא נביא ולא בן נביא. Aliza Libman Baronofsky thinks deeply about the various interpretations of Amos' profession and origins and what they might mean for how we can understand his role. Text here: https://www.sefaria.org/Am...

In Ch.4 the navi describes the many warnings and punishments that God has sent Israel - the line that repeats ולא שבתם עדי - you have not returned to me. Ch.5 gives us a dirge, a description of the day of the Lord and the lines which Martin Luther King would quote: "Let justice roll down like water, and righeousness like a mighty stream" Ilana Stein presents ch.5 and concludes with a ref...

Our chapter begins with the stark claim that Israel's should not understand God taking them out of Egypt as imparting a luxury of chosenness rather they should understand it to mean that they will be truly held accountable. In my recording today I ask the question of what yetziat mitzrayim meant for Amos and offer three deeply challenging perspectives our navi has on the significance of the ex...

Delighted to welcome back Aliza Libman Baronofsky who describes how Amos's critique skilfully weaves references and allusions to the Torah's obligations of how to treat those who are unable to protect themselves - connecting well to my audio yesterday that the way the nevi'im give their critiques is to use the terms and references of Am Yisrael's history to show them that they are...

In my audio today I try to give a sense of the themes of the book and how our chapter is illustrative of what separates Amos from Plato, prophecy from philosophy. Text here: https://www.sefaria.org/Amos.1

Audio exploring the connection between our chapter and Yizkor - what God can forgive the nations for and what He cannot. Text here: https://www.sefaria.org/Joel.4

Honored to have audio today from Rabbi Dr Shlomo Zukier who explores the many connections between our chapter (and Yoel as a whole) with the story of yetzitat mitzrayim with a particular focus on the plagues, many of which appear here in Yoel as well. Shlomo, aside from being a great educator and a dear friend, has been writing some of the most interesting Jewish reflections on COVID. Following is...

An old and dear friend, and even former Tanakh chevruta, Harris Lorie, shares his thoughts on our chapter today with particular focus on the parallels and differences between Yoel's take on teshuva and that of Moshe's in Shemot after the golden calf. As Harris presents it, Yoel has a very original take on Hashem's attitude to repentance but not one that the Jewish tradition has really...

A terrifying plague (of locusts), economic collapse and the demand for a spiritual response. Sound timely? Delighted to welcome Ariel Koschitzky, a long time follower but first time presenter for this group who provides an excellent introduction to the themes and structure of the sefer, probes the question of when Yoel lived, and powerfully explores the themes of the chapter - that every significa...

The final chapter of Hoshea, and one of the most famous chapters in the Tanakh on the topic of teshuva (so much so that it is even the haftara of Shabbat Shuva, the Shabbat inbetween Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur). Text here: https://www.sefaria.org/Hosea.14

Audio follows on the loyalty of Yaakov, the disloyalty of Israel and the imagery of clouds in Tanakh. Text here: https://www.sefaria.org/Hosea.13

In ch.11 God's anger and resentment towards Israel is overwhelmed by his tenderness for them, while in ch.12 Hoshea turns his attention to the stories of Yaakov Avinu -an almost unique chapter for a navi to provide an interpretation to the stories of the Avot. Text can be found here: https://www.sefaria.org/Hosea.11

Calev Ben Dor uses our chapter as a glimpse into the geopolitical difficulties that the northern kingdom finds itself in. Samaria’s monarchy is vanishing Like foam upon water. Text for this chapter can be found here: https://www.sefaria.org/Hosea.10

In my audio I attempt to explain why this chapter is illustrative of what makes nevi'im acharonim - the prophets of Hoshea's epoch - so unique compared to those who came before them. Text here: https://www.sefaria.org/Hosea.9

More metaphors of Israel aberrant politics: reaping the whirlwind and like a lonely desert ass. Text here: https://www.sefaria.org/Hosea.8

In today's audio I try to consider what this metaphor might mean - for the leadership of a people to be compared to the science of baking. Text here: https://www.sefaria.org/Hosea.7

Today we are honoured to receive another recording from the bard of London, Rafi Addlestone, as he reflects on Hoshea chapters 5 and 6, channeling John Legend and A.J. Heschel to unpack Hoshea's philosophy of divine love and the prophet's unique innovation of the concept of da'at elokim - not just knowledge of God, but empathy and identification. https://www.sefaria.org/Hosea.5⁠ https:...

The prophet directs his criticism at the people, suggesting that perhaps they should have protested against their leadership. The chapter culminates on a rather harsh note, "a people that is without sense must stumble." The recording today focuses on the first few verses, trying to understand the connection between environmental harm and the verse "Let no man rebuke, let no man prot...

Ilana Stein shares Torah with us from a wintry Johanesburg with a powerful reading of the adjusted metaphor as portraying a relationship with God in the reality of exile. Text here: https://www.sefaria.org/Hosea.3

If yesterday's chapter contained some of the harshest verses of rebuke in the Tanakh, today's chapter has some of the most beautiful uplifting language of God's love for Israel וארשתיך לי לעולם. Text here: https://www.sefaria.org/Hosea.2