Musings from Students of the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem
Posted on January 13, 2012 by Barer
For this week’s parsha, I wanted to give over a small portion of a class I had the privilege of attending given by Shmuel Klitsner, talking about the strange episode at the Malon (inn), in which Hashem, or some representative, tries to kill Moshe. Shmuel drew a number of fascinating connections between this episode and Continue Reading »
Posted on January 6, 2012 by Barer
In this week’s parsha, like at the beginning and end of each book of the Torah, DLK discusses the concept of al regel echad – on one foot. Vayechi 5772 Don’t forget to check out the handout for this podcast, downloadable from here
Posted on January 5, 2012 by Barer
This week marks the end of Bereishit (Genesis). The parsha is focused on the blessings that Yaakov/Yisrael gives his twelve sons, but I want to focus on the end of the parsha. After the blessings, Yaakov/Yisrael “expires” – the biblical phrase for dying. Since he asked to be buried in the Cave of Machpelah (which Continue Reading »
Posted on January 5, 2012 by Barer
by Zach Margulies (Year Program 2010-11): One of the central tenets of liberal Judaism is that we make informed choices. The Reform movement’s mantra of “Choice through Knowledge,” even if often ignored in the Reform movement itself, is still a significant thread that runs through the liberal Jewish world, and which I strongly believe in. Even Continue Reading »
Posted on December 31, 2011 by Barer
[Cross-posted from my blog] In Jewish culture, there is a high value placed not just on learning, but on learning lishma — learning for its own sake (a source for this would be much appreciated). This is not a familiar concept for secular academics, where knowledge gained has a practical purpose, even if that purpose Continue Reading »
Posted on December 31, 2011 by Barer
The podcast for the parsha that we read this morning features Michael Hattin discussing the birth of Yocheved on the way down to Egypt. Vayigash 5772
Posted on December 31, 2011 by Barer
This week’s parsha marks the end of the Yosef narrative (though he is still alive and present in at least one important scene in next week’s parsha too), where he is finally reconnected with his family, and, perhaps most importantly, with his father. There is an interesting verse when the brothers return to Yaakov/Yisrael where Continue Reading »
Posted on December 23, 2011 by Barer
This week’s parsha, which was playfully called The Empire Strikes Back parsha of Yosef’s saga, brought to light just how true it is that the texts that make up the Tanach are in dialogue with each other. Specifically, I saw multiple hints in the text of Miketz that are amplified in the story of Esther, Continue Reading »
Posted on December 23, 2011 by Barer
On this week’s podcast, James Jacobson-Maisels discusses Miketz and Chanukah through the eyes of the Eish Kodesh Miketz/Chanukah
Posted on December 16, 2011 by Barer
This week’s podcast features Neima Novetsky talking about the sale of Yosef: Vayeshev 5772
