The Tanakh Podcast

How to treat other nations? - Curiously we are to detest our cousins - Amon and Moav - Lot's descendants; but to resist the temptation to hate the Egyptians - our taskmasters. How does this make sense?

Chapter 22 has a huge range, from tzitzit to fallen donkeys, from a bird's nest to defamation in a toxic marriage. How do the varied laws in this chapter link together?

Chapter 21 depicts an expiation ceremony after a homicide. The Talmud asks: Why are the leaders, the elders, responsible for a murder they did not commit? That is the question we shall discuss.

As Israel prepare to embark on a long military conquest of Canaan, chapter 20 gives us the instructions for waging war. Interestingly, each segment of these directives, balance war with peace, the war front with the home front, and destruction with life.

Today we discuss an innocuous law - the prohibition of shifting a boundary marker, or a border fence. It seems like a small detail but it respecting boundaries is a key to keeping the peace within society.

What is the role of the prophet? Why is wizardry, ghosts and spirits forbidden? Does the prophet know the future?

What are the four powers of Judaic leadership according to Sefer Devarim? What is unique about the way these powers are legislated? And does Judaism believe in Democracy?

The depiction of the three "regalim" - the "pilgrim festivals" - has a particular emphasis on sharing with individuals who are often vulnerable, at the fringes of society. Why is this so central to Sefer Devarim, and indeed to the unique Jewish culture of celebration?

Devarim turn to economics - the annulment of loans in the Shemitta year, the obligation to finance the poor, and the freeing of slaves with a start-up bonus. What is the human and societal vision behind these laws?

Sefer Devarim speaks of Israel as God's children. Today we dwell upon that analogy and discuss the alternative model of the God-Israel relationship - that of husband and wife. Why does Sefer Devarim prefer the parent-child motif?

Our chapter gives 3 instances in which there are malicious forces of persuasion withing society, threatening to spread the culture of idolatry. In each instance the Torah responds with a death sentence.

Our chapter discusses a ban on sacrificial worship outside a central location - "the place which God will choose" - which 400 years hence became Jerusalem! Why are local altars banned if they are dedicated to God? Are there advantages to altars in multiple locations?

Our chapter speaks about rain. Why is rain a central feature of connectivity between God and Israel? Why is Egypt a "House of Bondage" whereas Eretz Yisrael is a "Land that God seeks perpetually"?

Today, to mark Yom Hashoah - Holocaust Remembrance Day - we speak about the tradition that "the tablets and the fragments of the tablets were both deposited in the Ark” (Bava Batra 14b) In memory of the sacred six million who were murdered in the Shoah.

Moses addresses the possibility that Israel will see themselves as virtuous, self-righteous and conceited as a result of their entry to the land. He warns the people of their tendency to reject God's teachings and regulations and reminds them that the land of Israel is a challenge, not a perk.

Again, a chapter with famous verses, and with the source for Burkhat Hamazon, the archetype of all our blessings over food and other areas of personal sustenance and pleasure. The danger in this chapter is not idolatry. It is prosperity, comfort, wealth, and lifestyle, standard of living. The opposite of the wealth in the natural land of Israel, is the wilderness. It is the memory of the wildernes...

What is the concept of the chosen people? It is mentioned by our chapter. Are we chosen because we are better? Or we called to act better?

Today we address three major topics: 1. The first line of the Shema - What does it mean that God is "one"? What is the connection between "shema" and the "love" of God? 2. The notion of "you shall teach your children" and the power of Talmud Torah as a major principle. 3. Is there an ethic independent of Halakha? - "You shall do that which is just and g...

Did God speak to the people or did Moses act as an intermediary, due to the people's fear of God's fire? Are the Ten Commandments in Devarim the same as Shemot or different? If they are the same, why is the text different? If they are different why is this an accurate rendition of the law?

In this chapter Moshe advocates for adherence to the covenant and warns against idolatry. We evoke the central themes and ideas of the chapter which read like a list of the key faith principles of Judaism. And we discuss two diverse motives for idolatry.

Today we discuss the story - according to peshat (the biblical text) and derash (Jewish legend) and try to probe the intriguing persona of Og, King of the Bashan.

Today we begin with an Introduction to the structure of Sefer Devarim. We then proceed to an analysis of the first speech of Devarim, and its message.

A class for Erev Pesach and Devarim ch.1 Devarim is called Mishneh Torah - the "review" of the Torah. But is Moshe repeating the stories and laws, or adapting them?

Here we see part 2 of the Daughters of Tzelophchad story. The Tribe of Menashe appeal God's decision regarding the daughters of Tzelophchad, claiming that it will hurt their tribal interests. We speak about situations in which a legal solution becomes a gateway for new problems.

Ch.35 describes the Levite cities. Why do Levites need special cities? And we also discuss the idea of Ir Miklat - cities of Refuge - and the law of the "blood avenger".