Simply Deep

Though I usually only post episodes on Chumash or Hashkafa, I really enjoyed this Rav Chaim. It’s short, not too complicated, and IMO really gives an idea of the brilliance of Rav Chaim. The topic is when it’s permitted to abort a fetus/baby to save the life of the mother. If you're looking to save time, you can only listen to Part 2. But if not, I'd recommend listening to both.

Guest episode with Rabbi Zimmer: This is a compelling defense of Rashi from the accusation of modern academics that Rashi advocated the heretical position that the text of Tanach was amended by later scribes.

Rashi (45:27) says that Yosef’s wagons (agalos) contained a hidden message to Yaakov about egla arufa, the subject they were learning before Yosef was sold. This episode analyzes this strange connection.

This episode resolved an apparent contradiction between two Rashis which discuss the afflictions of Yaakov Avinu. It reveals an aspect of Hashem’s fine tuning in His treatment of humans.

This episode (a 2012 shiur on today's haftorah) addresses Shlomo's wisdom in suggesting to cut the baby in half.

Rashi (42:36) says that Yaakov suspected that the brothers killed or sold Shimon like they did to Yosef. But did Yaakov know what they did to Yosef? And why would they do anything to Shimon?

This episode discusses the purpose and ideas of Haneiros Halalu and Maoz Tzur.

Is Chanuka about the miracle of the oil or the miracle of the war? If both, how do they relate to one another? Also, why was the miracle of the oil necessary?

Rashi says that the wife of Potifar seduced Yosef for the sake of Heaven. This episode analyzes this incident and provides a new perspective on the wife of Potifar.

In Breishis 34:30, Yaakov gave a weak criticism to Shimon and Levi for their killing the people for Shechem. This episode analyzes why and generalizes to lessons we can learn about giving rebuke.

The Torah says Yaakov and the sons of Yaakov acted with mirmah, literally deceit. Rashi and Onkelos say that it really means with chochma, wisdom.

Why did the shepherds keep a rock on the well, why did Yaakov tell them to get back to work, and how and why did he remove the rock which the shepherds couldn’t?

Rachel named Yosef based upon the fact that his birth marked the end of her disgrace. Rashi gives two explanations: 1) Now it’s clear that Yaakov won’t divorce and she won’t end up with Eisav; 2) If things went wrong in the house, she now had Yosef to blame. This episode deals with these strange explanations.

Rashi cites many midrashim which paint Eisav as a much bigger rasha than implied by the plain pshat of the pesukim. This episode presents two approaches to dealing with this discrepancy and others like it.

This episode discusses Rashi and Radak’s explanations for how Yaakov was able to lie to Yitzchak and claim that he was Eisav.

Rashi (25:1) teaches that Ketura was Hagar. This episode questions why the Torah doesn’t tell us this openly and connects it with modern day antisemitism.

If the title sounds strange to you, have a listen…

In Breishis 18:21, Hashem describes the factors that He used to determine if Sedom should be destroyed. This episode analyzes this passuk with Rashi’s explanations.

What’s in a name? This episode discusses the significance of the name changes of Avraham, Sarah, Yaakov, and Yehoshua. Furthermore, it discusses what the name changes teach us about these different personalities.

Rashi (Breishis 19:26) says that Lot’s wife was turned into a pillar of salt because of her sin of depriving guests of salt. This episode analyzes the sense of this fantastic punishment.

The Gemara in Gittin 45a tells a story involving the daughters of Rav Nachman stirring a hot pot with their bare hands, Rav Ilish listening to the messages of the birds, and other strange features. This episode analyzes this puzzling Gemara.

Tehilim 121 (esah einai el he׳harim) teaches that when we are looking for help, it comes from Hashem - He will guard us from harm. This episode deals with the problem that this doesn’t always seem to be true - i.e. it seems that sometimes people put their trust in Hashem and still get harmed. We emerge with an approach on how to deal with our insecurities and how to take security in Hashem.

Rashi (Breishis 11:9) says that even though the sin of dor haflaga was seemingly worse than that of dor hamabul, the dor haflaga was saved because they had peace among the themselves, unlike dor hamabul. This episode deals with two major questions: (1) Is peace good at all costs? Even if used to rebel against Hashem? (2) If peace was so good, why did Hashem ruin the peace by spreading them out? We...

People wonder how they - as one individual - can do anything to help out the national Tzara. This episode discusses this issue and some ways we can respond in an eis tzara

The final Rashi in Noach tells us that until the time of Abraham, Hashem’s “anger”was expressed in the world. The midrash elaborates that once Avraham came around, Hashem began giving afflictions which come and go. This episode discusses this Rashi and applies it to our current eis tzara.