Simply Deep

The Torah (Shmos 2:11-15) describes Moshe’s initial entrance into Egyptian society. While the pshat describes a basic story of Moshe killing the Egyptian, Rashi adds many details to the story. This episode analyzes these details and shows how the midrashim provide a deeper insight into Moshe’s personality.

Rashi in Shmos 2:9 teaches that the daughter of Pharaoh unknowingly conveyed a prophecy when she told Yocheved, “take your own son”. This episode analyzes this enigmatic Rashi.

This episode deals with Ayala Cohen’s question on the episode about Shechem being a bad place.

This episode discusses the significance of the Rambam’s 12th Ikkar: Yemos Hamoshiach. By analyzing the text of the Rambam, we discover new insights into this fundamental principle.

In Parshas Vayechi, Yaakov wanted to tell his children about the of days, but HaShem prevented him. This episode takes up why he wanted to tell and why Hashem prevented him?

At the end of Vayigash, the Torah tells us how Yosef managed the land of Egypt during the years of famine. Among other things, he moved all Egyptians from city to city. Rashi (47:21) says that this illustrates the greatness of Yosef - for his intent was to prevent his brothers from being called ‘exiles’. This episode raises a few questions on this interpretation. The answers reveal a deeper insigh...

Ayin hara is often viewed as a mystical power to harm other people. This episode analyzes various Torah sources regarding ayin hara to derive a different approach. Based upon this explanation, we discover three ways to avoid the negative effects of ayin hara.   This episode was given as a shiur for the first yahrtzeit of my mother, Shani Feder AH. 

I was asked a practical question about the appropriateness of hakaras hatov to someone who helps you and subsequently harms you. To answer this question, this episode probes various sources to gain a deeper understanding of the concept of hakaras hatov.

While the pshat of the Torah has no open miracles to Yaakov Avinu, the midrashim (cited by Rashi) have many. This epsiode considers five of these midrashic miracles in light of their absence from the pshat. It provides an explanation for why the midrash "invents" these miracles and simultaneously explains why the Chanuka miracle was needed.  

Jon asked me a follow-up question on my shiur on Yaakov’s Neder. Rashi (35:1) says that Dinah was attacked as a punishment for Yaakov's delay of his neder. Why would Yaakov delay and why is this a just punishment?

At the beginning of Va’yetzei, HaShem promised Yaakov to take care of him etc. Yaakov then vows that if HaShem takes care of him, then he’ll set up a place of worship to HaShem and give maaser. Given that HaShem just promised this, what is the function of the neder? This episode addresses this question.

In Breishis 37:14, Rashi says that Shechem is a place which is prepared for bad (puranus) because of the three bad events which occurred there. In this episode, we present an explanation for Rashi’s seemingly strange claim.

When encountering miracle stories in the Gemara, we can’t help but wonder whether or not these are meant to be taken literally. Based upon the ideas developed in the episode “Chanukah: The End of all Miracles,” this episode develops a methodology for answering this question, and provide examples for employing this methodology.

The Gemara in Yomah 29a says that the Chanukah miracle marks the End of all Miracles. To understand this claim and to gain insight into why there are no miracles today, this episode delves into the Torah’s unique perspective of miracles and how we should relate to them.

People often struggle with balancing their commitment to Torah on the one hand and their commitment to modern science (which embraces evolution) on the other hand. This episode provides a methodology (which is rooted in Torah sources) for approaching and resolving potential conflicts between these two sources of knowledge.

Many people have problem with the midrash which teaches that Rivka was 3 years old when she married Yitzchak. Are we supposed to take this literally? If not, what is the midrash trying to teach us? This episode will decode this enigmatic midrash while simultaneously presenting an approach towards understanding midrashim in general.

This episode is the fourth of the original four part series of shiurim developing a theory for explaining Chazal's usage of gematria. It discusses the usage of a reverse gematria which suggests that Avraham's 318 men are Eliezer alone. 

This episode is the third of the original four part series of shiurim developing a theory for explaining Chazal's usage of gematria. It discusses the usage of gematria regarding Yaakov's claim to Eisav that Im Lavan Garti v'taryag mitzvos shamarti, I lived with Lavan and guarded the 613 mitzvos. 

This episode is the second of the original four part series of shiurim developing a theory for explaining Chazal's usage of gematria. It discusses the usage of gematria regarding the 613 Mitzvos and the 30 days of Nazir. Interestingly enough, it also connects gematria with fine tuning.

The book Gematria Refigured is based upon ideas developed in a series of shiurim given in 2017. This episode presents the first gematria which was the foundation for the book's theory of explaining gematrias. It deals with Hashem's blessing Avraham "bakol, with everything." 

What's the Torah's perspective on Mazal? Is it the same at the mystical concept of luck? By analyzing various gemaras and Rishonim, this episode elucidates this concept and identifies its role in our lives.