Musings from Students of the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem
Posted on December 16, 2011 by Barer
This week’s parsha is full of the narrative action we have become familiar with in Bereishit, with this parsha in particular being so great as to be turned into a Broadway musical (Joseph and the Amazing Coat of Many Colours). However, a less-known fact is that the Rashbam chooses the beginning of this parsha to Continue Reading »
Posted on December 9, 2011 by Barer
This week Meesh discusses the troubling episode of the rape of Dina vayishlach 5772
Posted on December 8, 2011 by Barer
This week’s parsha has so much going on that it is hard to figure out one thing to talk about. I want to focus on something that occurs simply on the level of the text itself, without considering any commentators. Over the course of Bereishit so far, a number of people have had their names Continue Reading »
Posted on December 4, 2011 by Barer
Deborah grew up in Amherst, Massachusetts, where her family was active in a local chavura, as well as a Conservative shul. When Deborah was eight years old, her mother decided to attend the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College (RRC), and her family moved to the Philadelphia area. While studying at RRC, her mother also became very involved Continue Reading »
Posted on December 2, 2011 by Barer
Rav Meir discusses barrenness and infertility in the matriarchs in this week’s podcast: VeYetze 5772
Posted on December 1, 2011 by Barer
This week’s parsha presents a number of fascinating narratives, as it deals with the major portion of Yaakov’s adult life prior to his children taking center stage in the narrative. On the cursory reading that time allows me, the interactions between Yaakov and his father-in-law (and uncle) Lavan are extremely hard to follow. It may Continue Reading »
Posted on November 29, 2011 by Barer
I recently overheard, and then jumped into, a conversation in the halls of Pardes (a truly wonderful place) about whether the experience of suffering placed an extra burden on the sufferers to better act to prevent further suffering. In practical parlance, the common argument goes: ‘Jews suffered immeasurably during the Holocaust (and throughout their history) Continue Reading »
Posted on November 25, 2011 by Barer
This week we have an older podcast from Rav Meir about Yitzchak Listen here: Toldot 5766
Posted on November 25, 2011 by Barer
One of the things that stayed with me after spending most of my four months in Chumash class last year at Pardes studying this week’s parsha is how important it is to consider Yitzchak’s mindset as he blesses his sons. This is someone who probably had a very rocky relationship with their own father, and, Continue Reading »
Posted on November 20, 2011 by Barer
Naomi grew up in a Modern Orthodox community in South Miami, where her family helped found a Young Israel. She was immersed in Judaism from a young age – shul, day school, day camp – but rarely in a community as diverse as Pardes. It is in a Modern Orthodox community that Naomi feels most Continue Reading »
