Musings from Students of the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem
Posted on May 11, 2012 by Barer
In this week’s podcast, DLK discusses particularism and universalism. Behar 5772
Posted on May 11, 2012 by Barer
This week’s parsha is one of the shortest in the Torah, only including 57 psukim (verses). One of the main themes discussed in the parsha is that of yovel, the Jubilee Year. Every fiftieth year, all land would return to its original owner. This included slaves, and the rabbis of the Talmud were eager to Continue Reading »
Posted on May 4, 2012 by Barer
In this week’s podcast DLK talks about arguments that are not lishma. Emor 5772
Posted on May 4, 2012 by Barer
In this week’s parsha, all the holidays are described in order (starting with Pesach). Immediately afterwards, the text details the rituals associated with the objects within the קודש, the Holy on the Mishkan and later the Temple. Mussaf Rashi, a compilation of scattered commentary attributed to Rashi, notes that this is a hint to the Continue Reading »
Posted on April 27, 2012 by Soffer
Originally posted at my blog: What an exciting time it is in the Jewish calendar! In the span of just three weeks Jews throughout the globe have reaffirmed our freedom with the holiday of Pesah, we have celebrated renewal Rosh Hodesh Iyar, and we danced through the streets of Yerushalayim on Yom Haaztmaut, as we Continue Reading »
Posted on April 27, 2012 by Barer
In this week’s podcast, Michael Hattin discusses the prohibition of shatnez – wearing garments of mixed materials. Acharei Mot-Kedoshim 5772
Posted on April 27, 2012 by Barer
This week’s double parsha contains many portions central to Jewish life today, and they are widely discussed, both this week and year-round. I want to focus, instead, of an issue of form I noticed. Early in the week’s reading, there are a number of laws laid out – e.g. laws related to human and non-human animal Continue Reading »
Posted on April 20, 2012 by Barer
In this week’s podcast, we travel back to 2006 to hear Rav Meir speak about ritual impurity and the host of laws described in the doube-parsha in connection to it. Tazria-Metzora 5766
Posted on April 20, 2012 by Barer
This week’s double parsha is some of the densest and hardest-to-apply material in the Torah, in dealing with seemingly endless details of various bodily ailments and skin maladies. In trying to find a window into some of the meaning that these chapters might hold for us today, I think it might be helpful to consider Continue Reading »
Posted on April 11, 2012 by The Director of Digital Media
Rabbi David Levin Kruss shares two back-to-back podcast lessons with us this week: 5772 — Pesach 8th Day: Messianism Today. DLK discusses Messianism, a theme of the Haftorah for the eighth day of Pesach celebrated outside of Israel. Click here for the handout. 5772 — Shemini: Strange Fire. Click here for the handout.