The Tanakh Podcast

The poet in this Psalm appeals to God for assistance, and affirms his personal integrity, his honesty and decency. As a result he anticipates that God will support and protect him form those who seek to harm him.

Today we discuss the verse שויתי ה' לנגדי תמיד

Who may dwell in God's tent, Who may dwell on His holy mountain? Is it the person who brings the fattest ram or the finest goat? Or possibly some other requirement?

This Psalm closes the series of Psalms dealing with the righteous being victimized by the evil. We will address the question of how "There is no God" relates to unscrupulous conduct.

This chapter turns from deep despair to exaltation. How does it happen? How does one have faith that fortunes will reverse, that exile will become redemption? - That might well be the secret of Pesach. Yonatan Razel - link Aharon Razel - link

When speech loses its integrity, society abandons trust. What happens when language is abused, and instead of truth, it is merely about what gets me ahead?

What does a person do when society turns to violence, when law and order fall apart? Does one "run to the hills" or does one stay and have faith in God?

Is it blasphemy to challenge God in times of distress? In this chapter the author of Psalms challenges God with the question as to why the innocent suffer, and the butchers of history are not brought to justice? This is a question asked from the Israelites in Egypt to the works of Elie Weisel. "On Being" Interview with Elie Weisel is here Opening music: Leonard Cohen - You Want it Darker

A chapter of joy, of victory against our enemies, of the restoration of justice and order in the world, an almost messianic reality.

Is humankind insignificant and lowly, or just a little lower than God?

What does a person do when they are falsely accused, pursued for no fault of their own?

This chapter is the text that we use for Tachanun, in the rabbinic phraseology, "Nefilat Apayim - falling on one's face." As we shall see, this chapter tells a tale of intense dejection and sudden salvation.

Tehillim have fascinating and complex headings known as superscriptions. But what do they mean? Do they denote authorship, musical notation or historical context?

What does a person do when they are falsely accused? How do they cope with the emotional fallout? Our chapter divides into two sections (with two inclusios) v.1-4 prayer against those who defame v.5-9 - sleeping soundly due to trust in God

David is pursued into exile by his son in a mutiny, and he cries out to God. This psalm reassures the person in distress: "I lie down, and I sleep; I awake, for God supports me." Due to this verse, this chapter is included in the prayers before a person goes to sleep at night.

This "royalty psalm" underscores the intimate relationship between God and the king.

Our Psalm/Mizmor contrasts the path of the wicked with that of the righteous. The wicke dlook active, but it is all bluster. Only the person attached to Torah is genuinely rooted, and will endure. Our Patreon page is here if you would like to offer some financial support. https://www.patreon.com/user?u=51407457

What is Psalms about? Who wrote the Psalms? Today we introduce this important book.

Malachi is the final prophet. After this, there is no prophecy. But why did prophecy end?

Today we speak of: 1. The role of priests 2. The impeccable standards necessary for Torah teachers 3. The debate in Malachi about intermarriage.

Today we introduce Malachi and the period in which he prophecizes. We then move to explain the first two polemics of ch.1

War in Jerusalem. Revelation. Universal recognition and worship of God

We are still on "that day" - a day which is part apocalypse, part redemptive. This chapter speaks about the purging of Jerusalem.

Chapter 12-14 describe an "end of days" global battle against Jerusalem in which God will fight the nations, save his city and his people. Today we study the first installment of this heady drama.

The "sheep of the slaughter" - one of the most mysterious and cryptic chapters in Tanakh.