Ta Shma

Does God Perform Miracles? The Tisch with Dena Weiss #8 Jun 08, 2023

Perhaps the most miraculous time described in the Torah are the events of Yetziat Mitzrayim, the Exodus from Egypt. In fact, God says explicitly that Pharoah will delay “letting the people go” so that He can send even more miracles and wonders. The story of the Exodus reads in some way like a long advertisement for God’s power and strength.

But the Kedushat Levi knows that splitting the sea is no more difficult for God than making the sun rise, even though one of them looks miraculous to us and the other looks totally natural. So what is the point of God's miracles?

“Yemin Hashem” and “Nigun Hisva'adus” from RAZA Kapelya (2023) by Chana Raskin. Produced by Joey Weisenberg and Chana Raskin for Hadar’s Rising Song Records.

R. Elie Kaunfer on Parashat BeHa'alotkha: Praying for Healing—Urgently Jun 07, 2023

Praying for the sick is a core part of Jewish worship. One of the earliest examples of this is Moshe’s prayer for Miriam in Parashat BeHa’alotkha, one of the most intense and shortest prayers in the Torah. What can the form and style of Moshe’s prayer teach us about how to pray for the healing of others?

Me of Little Faith: The Tisch with Dena Weiss #7 Jun 05, 2023

Noah is sort-of a hero. On the one hand, he was selected by God to build the ark and save his family and a sampling of animals. On the other, there's no indication that he tried to save anyone else. The Kedushat Levi asks: why is it that Noah was the way he was? What lessons can Noah teach us about faith and self-esteem?

“Yemin Hashem” and “Nigun Hisva'adus” from RAZA Kapelya (2023) by Chana Raskin. Produced by Joey Weisenberg and Chana Raskin for Hadar's Rising Song Records.

Love is Hard: The Tisch with Dena Weiss #6 Jun 01, 2023

Welcome back to "The Tisch with Dena Weiss: A Taste of Hasidut,” a mini-series for Ta Shma. In this next batch of episodes, Dena Weiss introduces the Kedushat Levi, a classic work of Hasidic thought written by R. Levi Yitzhak of Berditchev.

Love and fear are often thought of as being very distinct, opposite poles of our relationship to God. The Kedushat Levi dismantles this paradigm and the strict division and argues that love and fear are closer than they appear, that love is, in fact, dependent on fear.

“Yemin Hashem” and “Nigun Hisva'adus” from RAZA Kapelya (2023) by Chana Raskin. Produced by Joey Weisenberg and Chana Raskin for Hadar’s Rising Song Records.

R. Elie Kaunfer on Parashat Naso: The End of the Amidah: A Blessing from God May 30, 2023

In Parashat Naso we read what is known as the Priestly Blessing, or Birkat Kohanim. This is a moment in which God blesses Israel, through the medium of the priests. This 15-word blessing became one of the most important liturgical pieces in Jewish tradition. Indeed, this serves as part of the conclusion to the public recitation of the morning Amidah. How are we meant to understand this blessing in the context of our prayers?

R. Avi Killip on Shavuot: The Beauty of Every Word May 22, 2023

Torah should be read slowly. Very slowly. One idea—and maybe even one word—at a time. To experience Torah at its most sensual, most fragrant, is to read it slowly and lovingly.

R. Elie Kaunfer on Parashat Bemidbar: Moderating Enthusiasm for God May 17, 2023

In Parashat Bemidbar, we see the critical importance of separation from the holy, violated by Nadav and Avihu's bringing "strange fire" to the altar. This is directly connected to Havdallah, when we separate between the holy day of Shabbat and the rest of the week.

R. Avi Strausberg: All the Torah I Never Learned May 15, 2023

Jewish sources come down hard on the evils of forgetting Torah, going so far as to consider one who forgets one item of learning "as if he were mortally liable!" Yet who among us hasn’t struggled to remember that piece of learning we did years ago...or even yesterday. As we approach Shavuot, a holiday in which we celebrate Torah by staying up late to learn Torah that we will most likely forget, we'll explore whether there might be positive value in forgetting Torah. No memorization required!

R. Elie Kaunfer on BeHar-BeChukkotai: Praying for Freedom May 10, 2023

The tenth blessing in the daily Amidah, which asks God to return those in exile, begins, “Sound the great shofar for our freedom…” What kind of freedom are we praying for? And why does a shofar blast herald this freedom?

R. Ethan Tucker: When an Angel is Not an Angel May 08, 2023

VaYikra Rabbah is one of the great midrashic collections from the land of Israel in the Talmudic period. In this 4-part class, we will examine one midrash each week, learning to appreciate the craft of this unique genre while holding tight to its spiritual messages.

R. Elie Kaunfer on Parashat Emor: "You Are Holy": Relationship After Disappointment May 03, 2023

One of the themes in Sefer Vayikra is the holiness of God. God calls Godself holy five times in the book. In some ways, this is the opposite of our liturgical experience, where we, the worshipers, address God directly and call God holy. What does it mean to say to God as part of our daily prayer: “You are holy”?

R. Avi Killip on Pesah Sheini: A Ritual Made for All May 01, 2023

Redemption cannot happen without everyone. We learn this lesson from the Seder ritual, when we open our homes by inviting guests and asserting that all who are hungry come and eat. But the idea of radical inclusion is perhaps most clearly found in the laws of the pesah sacrifice itself. Every person should join a group that will offer the pesah sacrifice and eat the entire offering together. Nobody can be left out. This mandate to include everyone in this sacrifice extends so far as to necessitate the creation of an additional make-up holiday for those who were unable to participate in the primary pesach offering. This second-chance holiday is called Pesah Sheini (“Second Passover”), and falls each year exactly one month after Pesah.

R. Elie Kaunfer on Acharei Mot-Kedoshim: When God Feels Distant: The Response of the Kaddish Apr 26, 2023

The Kaddish contains an anomaly: a liturgical phrase used to respond to God's name, but no triggering mention of God's name. Noting God’s missing name in the prayer, how are we meant to experience the Kaddish? This is a prayer that highlights our sense of the reality in which we dwell, where God’s presence is often experienced as distant. In a world with so much suffering and destruction, God can feel far away. This prayer, built on a response to the name of God that is never uttered, gives voice to that feeling of distance.

R. Avital Hochstein on Yom Ha-Atzma'ut: Sanctity and Land Apr 24, 2023

The concept of the “קדושת הארץ - sanctity of the Land” simultaneously gives meaning to, and creates a tremendous challenge to, life in the State of Israel. Yom Ha-Atzma’ut, the birthday of the State of Israel, is an opportunity to ask: What is the meaning of living in a place to which holiness is attributed? In what ways is it possible, worthwhile, and appropriate to exist on a daily basis in that holy place?

R. Elie Kaunfer on Parashat Tazria-Metzora: Praying for the Healing of Others Apr 19, 2023

Asking God for healing is a core aspect of prayer. But the ideal form of this prayer (as expressed in the Amidah) pushes us to widen the circle of our concern. What is the proper model for prayers of healing?

R. Avi Killip on Yom HaShoah: Legacy Apr 17, 2023

There is no Judaism—no understanding of Jewish history or culture or theology—without accounting for the Shoah. This part of the Jewish story is now canon. For the past eighty years, we have encountered this story directly from the people who endured it. When this last generation of survivors are gone, what will change? How will their absence impoverish us? How will their memory and lessons live on?

R. Elie Kaunfer on Parashat Shemini: Stoicism and Grief Apr 11, 2023

Imagine how Aharon must have felt, watching his sons die, on what should have been the greatest day of his life: the inauguration of the system of sacrifices meant to draw God and Israel closer to one another. What is the emotional stance encouraged by the Mourner’s Kaddish? How might the words of Mourner’s Kaddish reflect the grief that mourners experience?

R. Avi Killip: Hameitz and Uncovered Pits Apr 03, 2023

What can cleaning for Pesah teach us about the limits ownership and responsibility? R. Avi Killip shares reflections on the holiday from this year's Hadar Pesah Reader, "L'Or haNer: The Light of Discovery."

Feeling the Way You Should Feel: The Tisch with Dena Weiss #5 Mar 30, 2023

How can God command us to feel a particular emotion? While we often can't change feelings on demand, Shabbat offers a pathway for how actions and rituals can cultivate emotions.
"Mitteler Rebbe's Kapelya" and "Nigun Hisva'adus" from RAZA Kapelya (2023) by Chana Raskin. Produced by Joey Weisenberg and Chana Raskin for Hadar's Rising Song Records.

R. Elie Kaunfer on Parashat Tzav: The Eternal Nature of Gratitude Mar 29, 2023

How are we meant to conclude the Amidah? What is the emotional orientation to the end of an intense encounter with God?

On Being Essential: The Tisch with Dena Weiss #4 Mar 27, 2023

Every single Jewish soul is as integral to the Jewish people as every letter in the Torah scroll. No person is dispensable.
"Mitteler Rebbe's Kapelya" and "Nigun Hisva'adus" from RAZA Kapelya (2023) by Chana Raskin. Produced by Joey Weisenberg and Chana Raskin for Hadar's Rising Song Records.

With All of Your Might: The Tisch with Dena Weiss #3 Mar 23, 2023

It can feel impossible to approach an infinite and all-powerful God. But God desires closeness with us, with the limited power that we do have, in all of our imperfections and humanity.
"Mitteler Rebbe's Kapelya" and "Nigun Hisva'adus" from RAZA Kapelya (2023) by Chana Raskin. Produced by Joey Weisenberg and Chana Raskin for Hadar's Rising Song Records.

R. Elie Kaunfer on Parashat Vayikra: Repetition in Prayer: Constancy, Urgency, and Love Mar 22, 2023

There are many instances in our prayers where we repeat phrases, paragraphs, or whole sections. What is the significance of repetition in prayer? God's repeated calls of "Moshe, Moshe!" can help us look at this repetition in new ways.

Be Careful What You Wish For: The Tisch with Dena Weiss #2 Mar 20, 2023

On Shabbat, the liturgy is missing a central element: petitioning for our needs. What is the purpose of prayer on Shabbat and what can it teach us about having a relationship with God?
"Mitteler Rebbe's Kapelya" and "Nigun Hisva'adus" from RAZA Kapelya (2023) by Chana Raskin. Produced by Joey Weisenberg and Chana Raskin for Hadar's Rising Song Records.

Broken Tablets, Broken Hearts: The Tisch with Dena Weiss #1 Mar 16, 2023

The revelation at Mt Sinai transformed the relationship between God and Jewish people. After the sin of the Golden Calf, both had to find a way to move forward - not in spite of their broken-heartedness, but because of it.
"Mitteler Rebbe's Kapelya" and "Nigun Hisva'adus" from RAZA Kapelya (2023) by Chana Raskin. Produced by Joey Weisenberg and Chana Raskin for Hadar's Rising Song Records.

R. Elie Kaunfer on Parashat Vayakhel-Pekudei: "Moshe Rejoiced": Shabbat, Prayer, and Intimacy with God Mar 15, 2023

The rhythm of our week includes a day dedicated to feeling God’s presence differently from the rest of the week: Shabbat. A prayer recited only on Shabbat, beginning with the words Yismah Moshe (“Moshe rejoiced”), explores our connection to God and Shabbat through the lens of Moshe’s experience of God.

The Tisch with Dena Weiss: A Taste of Hasidut Mar 13, 2023

Welcome to a new mini-series for Ta Shma, the Tisch with Dena Weiss: A Taste of Hasidut. Each episode will feature bite-sized insights from Hasidic thought on spirituality, ethics, and character development. These episodes are short – but they are packed with big ideas. But first: what is Hasidut? How is it like or unlike other kinds of Jewish learning, and why should more people try it? To set the table, R. Avi Killip sat down for a discussion with the Tisch's host, Dena Weiss.
"Mitteler Rebbe's Kapelya" and "Nigun Hisva'adus" from RAZA Kapelya (2023) by Chana Raskin. Produced by Joey Weisenberg and Chana Raskin for Hadar's Rising Song Records.

R. Elie Kaunfer on Parashat Ki Tissa: Praying for Knowledge of God’s Essence Mar 08, 2023

Moshe asks to know God’s ways. But this is not a philosophical exploration about the nature of God. It is a question with a purpose. What is the knowledge we need in order to pray and to connect to God? How might this knowledge help us approach God, even if we might feel distant from God’s presence?

R. Avi Killip: Love and Hiddenness Mar 06, 2023

The revelation at Sinai is a high point in the Jewish story. It is the moment when God gives us the mitzvot—and we accept them. But, the Talmud tells us that the commandments were actually accepted twice: once at Sinai, and again in Persia, during the time of Ahashverosh. Exploring these two moments in tandem allows us to see how personal empowerment can lead us to approach God with love.

R. Elie Kaunfer on Parashat Tetzaveh: The Intimacy of Wearing God’s Name Mar 01, 2023

In the moment of prayer, how are we meant to feel close to God, beyond reciting the words of the Siddur? How might we feel a connection to God through our tactile experiences? The plate of the High Priest (tzitz) and our tefillin hold some answers.

R. Shai Held: (Where) is God in the Book of Esther? Feb 27, 2023

One of the classic questions about the book of Esther is: why isn’t God mentioned? What does this mean for the book and for us? R. Shai Held explored some of the most vexing theological questions in this recording from summer 2017.

R. Elie Kaunfer on Parashat Terumah: The Particular Holiness of a Place Feb 22, 2023

If God’s presence fills the whole world, why does it seem easier to connect to God in some places rather than others? This paradox is central to understanding the concept of the mishkan, God’s dwelling place on earth.

R. Nadav Berger: The Possibility of Intimacy with God and the Commandments Feb 20, 2023

The midrashic composition, Shir HaShirim Rabbah, develops the allegorical reading of Song of Songs as a love story between Israel and God. The verse "Let God kiss me with the kisses of God's mouth," for example, is read as reflecting a close, even radically close, intimacy between Israel and God. According to the midrash, the verse implies an instance of direct and close-up interaction with God and the Torah. R. Berger explores this midrashic idea and discussed the implications of such a relationship with God and the commandments.
This lecture was originally delivered as part of Hadar's Summer Learning Retreat in June 2022.

R. Elie Kaunfer on Parashat Mishpatim: The Moral Dimension of Opening Our Eyes in the Morning Feb 15, 2023

How are we meant to orient to our day when we wake up? In what ways can a short blessing about God opening our eyes set our intention for the day to come?

R. Avi Killip: Praying When the World is At Stake Feb 13, 2023

As we watch storms surge and fires burn, the changing climate has moved from an abstract fear to an ever-present reality. The enormity of this crisis demands a complex type of faith, a different kind of prayer, and a theological reckoning. How can we bring our fears and hopes to God? What might it look like to pray about climate change? In the Dr. Eddie Scharfman Memorial Lecture from January 2023, Rabbi Avi Killip explored the wisdom that Jewish tradition has to offer for this time of global crisis.

R. Elie Kaunfer on Parashat Yitro: Struggling to Pray with Intention Feb 08, 2023

Ideally, prayer is a pouring out of the soul. But in Jewish practice today, people don’t only pray when they feel moved to pray. We are mandated to say the Amidah multiple times a day, and we can’t guarantee that each of those moments will be characterized by intention, or kavanah. Should I pray even if I don’t know if my heart will be in it?

R. Avi Killip: The Gestation of a Tree Feb 06, 2023

Growth is gradual, so slow in fact that it cannot be tracked in real time. We need an annual date as a marker of a specific moment, before and after seasons of change. Like all birthdays, Tu Bishvat invites us to celebrate, to notice the beauty in slow growth, and to appreciate the potential of what is yet to be born.

R. Elie Kaunfer on Parashat Beshallach: Praying for Your Sake Feb 01, 2023

What does it mean to pray to God when we are experiencing pain? One approach understands God as intricately tied to our suffering, and indeed, in need of redemption as well. How might we understand that position, and where is it found in the liturgy?

R. Tali Adler and Joey Weisenberg: Elevating God and Us Jan 30, 2023

Rabbi Tali Adler teaches a beautiful combination of midrashim about the lulav and etrog—which completely rethinks our relationship with God and God’s relationship with us. Before and after, Joey Weisenberg plays one of his original compositions. Recorded in Summer 2020 as part of a course "Melody and Midrash."

R. Elie Kaunfer on Parashat Bo: Praying For—or Against—Our Enemies Jan 25, 2023

How do we relate to our enemies through prayer? Can we pray for their failure? Might we ever pray for their welfare?

R. Elie Kaunfer: Hannah as Rebellious Worshiper Jan 23, 2023

Our rabbis imagine an intense confrontation between Eli the high priest and Hannah, our model for how we recite the Amidah. Explore this fascinating midrash and think about the power of prayer in the hands of forgotten members of society. This lecture was originally delivered at the Summer Learning Retreat in 2021.

R. Elie Kaunfer on Parashat Va'Era: Eighty Years of Prayer Jan 17, 2023

Is it worth persisting in prayer, even if we aren’t answered right away? What does it mean to pray for something for years—or even decades? Moshe can serve as one model for addressing these questions.

R. Avi Killip: "Anti-Idolatry" - Talmudic Wisdom on Fighting Racism Jan 16, 2023

Anyone living in America today will eventually encounter racism they cannot easily fix or change, just as our ancestors could not entirely avoid or correct idolatry. What do we do when that happens? How can we reject ideas as pervasive and corrosive as racism? The Talmud’s reflections on the struggle against idolatry raise similar questions and offer instructions on how to actively demonstrate objection through our behavior so that we do not unintentionally uphold the status quo. The anti-idol mandate can teach us a lot about how to live in a culture we see as fundamentally evil, even when we do not have the power to change it. Transferring idolatry to racism, the entire tractate of Avodah Zarah can be read as an attempt to think through how to live an anti-racist life.

R. Elie Kaunfer on Parashat Shemot: Rethinking the Amidah Jan 10, 2023

Our most fundamental prayer, the Amidah, doesn’t mention Moshe by name. But the scene of Moshe at the burning bush is one of the central images of the Amidah’s first blessing. How does Moshe’s subtle presence change how we might experience the opening of the Amidah?

Dena Weiss: How to Have Difficult Conversations, Part 3 Jan 09, 2023

Are you permitted to lie if the truth might be worse? In this series, Dena Weiss considers Jewish texts that span time and space in order to arrive at a set of concrete guidelines and best practices for having painful conversations.
This lecture was originally delivered as part of Hadar's Winter Lecture Series in January 2021.

R. Elie Kaunfer on Parashat VaYechi: Waiting for God Jan 03, 2023

Where is God in my life and why am I stuck in a difficult place? Will God ever intervene on my behalf, and help me—and all of us—come to a better place? What if I am skeptical if God can rescue at all? These are questions so often on the mind of those who pray. How do our prayer texts themselves give voice to some of these wonderings?

Dena Weiss: How to Have Difficult Conversations, Part 2 Jan 02, 2023

How do you share painful or unsettling news? In this series, Dena Weiss considers Jewish texts that span time and space in order to arrive at a set of concrete guidelines and best practices for having painful conversations.
This lecture was originally delivered as part of Hadar's Winter Lecture Series in January 2021.

R. Elie Kaunfer on Parashat VaYigash: Prayer is About Coming Closer Dec 27, 2022

How might we come closer to God in prayer? What are the physical acts that deepen the potential for relationship with God while praying? The rabbinic understanding of Yehudah’s actions offers some insight on these questions.

Dena Weiss: How to Have Difficult Conversations, Part 1 Dec 26, 2022

What do you say—or not say—to someone who has lost a family member? In this series, Dena Weiss considers Jewish texts that span time and space in order to better understand those types of situations and arrive at a set of concrete guidelines and best practices for having painful conversations.

This lecture was originally delivered as part of Hadar's Winter Lecture Series in January 2021.

Yael Jaffe: I Know of Nothing But Miracles, Part 2 Dec 22, 2022

What do miracles tell us about God’s presence? How do we define the miraculous? Where does one miracle begin and human agency end? In this series, originally recorded in December 2021, we'll explore a text from Hadar's Hanukkah 5782 Companion, illuminating the evolving relationship between humanity and miracles.

R. Elie Kaunfer on Parashat Mikeitz: Facing the Truth Dec 21, 2022

How are we meant to admit sin in our prayers? What is the model for confession after having done something wrong?

R. Avi Killip: I Know of Nothing But Miracles, Part 1 Dec 19, 2022

What do miracles tell us about God’s presence? How do we define the miraculous? Where does one miracle begin and human agency end? In this series, originally recorded in December 2021, we'll explore a text from Hadar's Hanukkah 5782 Companion, illuminating the evolving relationship between humanity and miracles.

R. Elie Kaunfer on Parashat VaYeishev: The Meaning of Judaism Dec 13, 2022

As we begin to close the Amidah, in the penultimate blessing that we call Modim, we say to God: “modim anahnu lakh,” we modim you. Drawing from the root י-ד-ה, the word modim has multiple meanings, each offering very different understandings of this blessing. This root word is also core to what it means to be a Jew, as it is the root word of Judaism (יהדות) and describes two aspects of the name of our ancestor Judah/Yehudah (יהודה). What does modim mean?

R. Avi Strausberg: The Before and After - The Sudden Deaths of Nadav and Avihu Dec 12, 2022

The sudden death of Aaron's sons Nadav and Avihu leaves readers stunned and grappling for answers. By turning to a modern midrash in the form of an original short theatre piece written by R. Avi Strausberg, we attempt to pause time and make space to not only understand the motivations for their offerings, but also how their sudden deaths impacted their mother, their father, and their remaining brothers.
This session was originally delivered at Hadar's Summer Learning Retreat in June 2021.

R. Elie Kaunfer on Parashat VaYishlach: Dressing for Prayer Dec 06, 2022

Ya’akov is preparing to encounter God directly through sacrifice, an analog to our experience of prayer. It has been decades since Ya’akov actually encountered God in this way, and now he is preparing for this transition back into direct relationship. Critically, Ya’akov prepares by asking everyone to purify themselves and to change their clothes. What is the significance of changing clothes?

R. Elie Kaunfer on Parashat VaYeitzei: The Meaning of God's Holiest Name Nov 30, 2022

In our prayers, we do not shy away from calling God directly by name, using the most holy four-letter name of God (although we don’t pronounce it explicitly). What might this name mean, and what might it mean in the context of prayer?

R. Aviva Richman: Living in God's Shadow Nov 28, 2022

Our tradition sometimes uses the image of a shadow to describe human experience with God. This rich metaphor, which captures both a sense of safety and shelter as well as darkness and fear, helps R. Aviva to reflect on where we find ourselves in the complex and ongoing story of God and the Jewish people.
This lecture was originally delivered at Hadar's Summer Learning Retreat in June 2022.

R. Elie Kaunfer on Parashat Toldot: Blessing God Nov 22, 2022

A major theme of Parashat Toldot is “ברכה - blessing.” This root appears 32 times in this parashah, more than in any other in the Torah. In prayer, we use the Hebrew root ב.ר.כ as the main verb of our blessing formula. What does it mean to say, “ברוך אתה ה׳ - barukh attah Adonai,” usually translated as, “Blessed are You, God”?

R. Shai Held: A God Who Weeps Nov 21, 2022

In several passages in the book of Jeremiah, the prophet seems to cry over the bitter suffering of his people; accordingly, Jeremiah has sometimes been referred to as "the weeping prophet." But there is another, very different way to read these passages, according to which it is God, and not Jeremiah, who is crying. In this lecture, Rabbi Shai Held explores the arguments for seeing the God of Jeremiah as "the weeping God," probing the theological implications of this startlingly anthropomorphic image.
This lecture was originally delivered at Hadar's Summer Learning Retreat in June 2022.

R. Elie Kaunfer on Parashat Hayyei Sarah: Personal Prayer and the Amidah Nov 15, 2022

How are we meant to pray words that we didn’t write? And how are we meant to pray those same words, multiple times a day?

R. Elie Kaunfer on Parashat VaYera: Compromise and Acceptance Nov 08, 2022

Avraham alludes to a phrase found in our daily Amidah: "the King Who loves justice (tzedakah) and judgment (mishpat)." What does this phrase mean, and how might it relate to our own prayer lives?

R. Ethan Tucker: Do We Really Think Monotheists Believe in the Same God? Nov 07, 2022

Questions of theology pervade efforts to facilitate cooperation and dialogue across religions. We often search for what is common in order to build a sense of shared purpose across religious spaces that can look very different in practice. In this lecture, R, Ethan Tucker looks at some of the laws surrounding Avodah Zarah - the rabbinic term for foreign or forbidden worship - and explores whether a claim of shared monotheism is sufficient to ground a sense of overlapping religious purpose. How far we might stretch the definition of monotheism in order to facilitate sharing social and religious space?
This lecture was originally delivered at Hadar's Summer Learning Retreat in June 2022.

R. Elie Kaunfer on Parashat Lekh Lekha: Searching for Unexpected Moral Heroes Through Prayer Nov 01, 2022

In this week’s parashah, we meet a character who teaches us a lesson in morality, and also ends up in the first blessing of the Amidah, one of our most important prayers. Surprisingly, this character, Malki-Zedek, is not part of the Jewish people! Yet Malki-Zedek teaches Avram - and, in turn, all of us - how to avoid moral pitfalls.

R. Elie Kaunfer on Parashat Noah: Praying a Few Words at a Time Oct 26, 2022

What happens when we try to pray, but we just can’t make it work? Is there any hope, or any strategies, for those of us who can’t always reach the heights of connection with God in every moment of prayer? A particular interpretation to a strange phrase in this week’s parashah offers us some guidance.

R. Elie Kaunfer on Parashat Bereishit: Relational Prayer Oct 19, 2022

From the beginning of the Torah, humans have a fraught relationship with knowledge. The essence of da’at—knowledge—in Adam’s world is the tree of knowledge (עץ הדעת) of good and evil (Genesis 2:9). Adam is instructed to eat of all the trees, but not from the tree of knowledge (Genesis 2:17). When the snake speaks to the woman about the tree, he claims that once they eat of this tree, they will be like God, “knowing good and bad”—יודעי טוב ורע (Genesis 3:5).

Dena Weiss: Can We Reverse the Irreversible? Oct 03, 2022

We repent in order to go back to the way that things were, to repair what has broken, and to retrieve what we have lost. We often think of teshuvah as a type of reset button that enables us to erase the past, emerging healed and forgiven. But what if this understanding is erroneous? What if teshuvah does not change what we hope it will change and fix what we need it to fix? This lecture was originally recorded in Elul 2021.

R. Mich'ael Rosenberg: Return, Ascent, and Bloodied Wings Sep 22, 2022

The High Holidays are a murky time of transition. How can we balance the need to both take stock of our past and look forward to the future? In this lecture, Rabbi Micha'el Rosenberg considers different visions of teshuvah to guide us through this important part of the calendar. This lecture was originally recorded in Elul 2021.

R. Aviva Richman on Parashat Nitzavim: Torah of Teshuvah, Part 1 Sep 21, 2022

Parashat Nitzavim falls in the thick of the season of teshuvah in the calendar. This is no coincidence—it is the primary source in the Torah for the concept of teshuvah. Although we will sin and face the consequences of our failures, Nitzavim teaches that we can find our way back to a life of blessing.

R. Elie Kaunfer: The Deeper Meaning of Avinu Malkeinu Sep 19, 2022

Where does Avinu Malkeinu come from, why do we say it on Rosh Hashanah, and what does it mean to call God “Our Father, Our King?” Rabbi Elie Kaunfer considers these questions in his lecture, which was originally recorded in Elul 2021.

R. Aviva Richman on Parashat Ki Tavo: Reenacting Sinai Sep 14, 2022

In Parashat Ki Tavo, Moshe instructs the people to do an extensive ceremony when they come to a specific mountain after they enter the land. Many aspects of this ceremony are reminiscent of Sinai. A mountain, words of Torah written on stones, building an altar and offering sacrifices. It looks like a reenactment of entering into a covenant with God at Sinai and all of the obligations entailed by berit. But why is there a need to reenact Sinai? Wasn’t that one-time event powerful enough on its own to solidify entry into covenant for all future generations?

R. Elie Kaunfer: Who By Fire? The Most Controversial Prayer in Jewish Life Sep 12, 2022

Rabbi Elie Kaufner explores the themes and intertextual references in Unetaneh Tokef. This lecture was originally recorded in Elul 2021.

R. Aviva Richman on Parashat Ki Teitzei: Sexual Ethics - Consent, Community, Covenant Sep 07, 2022

Exercising leadership means taking responsibility. At the end of last week’s parashah, Shoftim, elders of a town closest to an unsolved murder proclaim they bear no responsibility for the murder and ask for atonement. Yet the Talmud learns from this ceremony of disclaiming guilt that leaders nonetheless bear responsibility—for example, to provide proper accompaniment as travelers leave their city. Blood of the heifer drips down their hands as they claim they have no blood on their hands.

R. Aviva Richman: Kingship in the Machzor Sep 06, 2022

Rabbi Aviva Richman examines the idea of God as King in the Musaf Amidah for Rosh Hashana. This lecture was originally recorded in Elul 2021.

R. Aviva Richman on Parashat Shoftim: Torah Fueled by Our Questions Aug 31, 2022

Parashat Shoftim deals with the structures and nature of leadership. Early in the parashah, one passage explains that someone who has a hard question should go to the centralized leadership to ask, and then must obey the answer, on penalty of death. The point seems to be about reinforcing the power and authority of central religious leadership. But in the arc of ongoing interpretation, these verses become a provocative jumping off point to reflect on the nature of the encounter between an individual’s religious question and religious experts. It becomes possible to find in them a voice for the importance of asking our questions, not primarily to ensure obedience but because our questions have an important role to play in the unfolding of Torah itself.

R. Aviva Richman on Parashat Re'eh: Eat, Crave, Love Aug 24, 2022

Parashat Re’eh speaks of “desire” multiple times. From a religious perspective, we often think of desire in terms of how we may control it, or even completely suppress it. But actually religious life without desire is flat and one-dimensional. Ultimately, the richness and depth of our religious experience hinges on appreciating, valuing, and even cultivating desire. In Parashat Re’eh, we can trace an approach that embraces human craving and desire as a powerful mechanism to fully live a life of mitzvot, meaning and integrity.

R. Yitz Greenberg: Recreating Ourselves Through Teshuvah Aug 22, 2022

In Halakhic Man, Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik suggests that teshuvah - usually translated as “repentance” - is not to be narrowly defined as turning from sin. Rather, teshuvah prompts us to reconsider all our habits and routines, including those that are not necessarily sinful. Doing teshuvah is really an expression of our capacity for self-creation and identifying and realizing our own potential. The goal is to attain our individuality, autonomy, uniqueness and freedom As we move through the Aseret Yemei Teshuvah (“Ten Days of Repentance”), we will explore Soloveitchik’s approach and grapple with what we are called to do during this important period.

R. Aviva Richman on Parashat Eikev: Being Like God Aug 17, 2022

Note: this Devar Torah relates to difficult subject matter, including loss and pregnancy loss.In Parashat Eikev, we are instructed to “walk in all of God’s ways,” but how is that possible for mortals? R. Yitz Greenberg has taught prolifically about being like God through a zealous commitment to the “triumph of life,” even when that is a challenging commitment to hold. Building upon his teachings, we can focus on an embrace of life that also involves integrating loss. Instead of loss as an obstacle that we try to defy, we can understand our capacity to hold loss as exercising a divine capacity we have, part of what it means to be created in the image of God.

R. Aviva Richman on Parashat Va'Ethanan: On Prayer and the Possible Aug 10, 2022

In Parashat Va'Ethanan, Moshe beseeches God. He doesn’t get his request. Interestingly, the sages peg this moment of prayer as the entryway to explore the meanings of prayer more widely, jumping off from the word va'ethanan to list ten kinds of prayer connected to different verbs and different figures in the Torah. Taking Moshe’s unanswered prayer as the lens, we are invited into an exploration of what prayer is, entirely detached from the question of whether prayer is answered.

R. Aviva Richman on Parashat Devarim: Moshe's Second Song Aug 03, 2022

In Parashat Devarim, Moshe gives an account of Torah, reframing the journey in the desert for the next generation that will enter the land. Some commentaries find not so subtle subtexts in Moshe’s introductory remarks that create a bleak picture of Israel’s propensity to sin. Parashat Devarim always falls before Tisha b’Av, and this motif of rebuke aligns with a day that brings failures and destruction to the forefront of our minds. But taken in context, as the beginning of Moshe’s final speech to the people, an emphasis on sin is a depressing frame for a recapitulation of Torah. Perhaps the focus on rebuke is meant to motivate the people to be more careful in their actions. Even so, some interpretations veer away from a theology that constantly points a finger at our failures. Instead, we encounter a sense of God who takes responsibility to proactively steer humanity towards success.

R. Aviva Richman: Words That Make Or Break Our World Aug 01, 2022

Proverbs teaches that "life and death are in the hands of the tongue." Rabbi Aviva Richman explores the power of words and how we can use speech to heal, rather than harm others. This lecture was originally delivered in January 2022 as the Dr. Eddie Scharfman Memorial Lecture.

R. Aviva Richman on Parashat Mattot-Masei: Moshe's Second Song Jul 27, 2022

In Parashat Masei, Moshe receives detailed instructions about setting up cities of refuge. Unlike other mitzvot introduced as being relevant to when the people enter the land, Moshe can actually fulfill this mitzvah, at least in part. He makes sure to set aside three cities on the east side of the Jordan river before he dies. This may seem tragic, a desperate grasp for a taste of entering the land when the full experience is entirely shut off. Instead, we can see his efforts as a climax of his life’s work, a moment when his heart sang because he so deeply appreciated the meaning and importance of refuge.

R. Yitz Greenberg: The Triumph of Life, Part 3 Jul 25, 2022

In the final part of this lecture series, Rabbi Yitz Greenberg speaks with Rabbi Tali Adler about how we can maximize the potential for life in our everyday actions. This lecture was originally recorded in Winter 2022 as part of a series in partnership with Adas Israel Congregation in Washington, DC.

R. Aviva Richman on Parashat Pinchas: Moshe's Mitzvah for God Jul 20, 2022

In this week’s parashah, we find a slight variation on one of the most common verses in the Torah. This minor shift in words reflects a profound revolution. At the end of his life, Moshe takes a leap in how he speaks to God, and how he shows up for the people.

R. Yitz Greenberg: The Triumph of Life, Part 2 Jul 18, 2022

In the second part of his lecture series, Rabbi Yitz Greenberg speaks with Rabbi Aaron Alexander. Rabbi Greenberg explores the commandment to have children, quality of life, and situations where preserving life overrules religious obligations. This lecture was originally recorded in Winter 2022 as part of a series in partnership with Adas Israel Congregation in Washington, DC.

R. Aviva Richman on Parashat Balak: A People’s Prophet, A Prophet’s People Jul 13, 2022

In Parashat Balak, the ruler of Moav calls on Bilam to curse Israel. God ends up putting words of blessing in his mouth, and he speaks prophetically about the people of Israel. The episode raises questions about prophecy—when it is and isn’t present, and for whom.

R. Yitz Greenberg: The Triumph of Life, Part 1 Jul 11, 2022

What does it mean to choose life in an imperfect world? Rabbi Yitz Greenberg, in conversation with Rabbi Lauren Holtzblatt, offers examples of how Judaism teaches us to repair the world in an effort to uphold the value of life. This lecture was originally recorded in Winter 2022 as part of a series in partnership with Adas Israel Congregation in Washington, DC.

R. Aviva Richman on Parashat Chukkat: Critique and Creativity Jul 06, 2022

In Parashat Chukkat, the people complain again about their food in the wilderness, but this complaint is different from earlier complaints. They don’t remember the food in Egypt with nostalgia, nor do they crave a particular item. They are disgusted with manna.

R. Aviva Richman on Parashat Korach: Fire and Flower Jun 29, 2022

In Parashat Korach, there are multiple accusations against Moshe and Aharon’s leadership and dramatic responses. Instead of viewing these through the lens of rebellion and punishment, one can view the various “demonstrations” as conveying divergent messages about the nature of God and what religious leadership looks like. Between the cracks of a fiery and violent display of God’s power, there is also a hint of a gentle, nourishing, but no less powerful, force.

Dena Weiss: Making Shabbat Your Own, Part 2 Jun 27, 2022

Dena Weiss studies the Meor Einayim and explores what it means to refrain from spiritual work, not just physical labor, on Shabbat. This lecture is part 2 in a series originally recorded in November 2021.

R. Aviva Richman on Parashat Shelach: Believing in Ourselves, Owning Our Inheritance Jun 22, 2022

In Parashat Shelach, twelve scouts scope out the promised land. They are on a mission to gain answers to specific questions, some about the land itself, and what kind of home it would be, and others about strategy for conquering the land. Fundamentally, it is a story of receiving an ancestral inheritance and doing the work to figure out what it will take to make it home.

R. Shai Held: Wanting God Near Us Jun 20, 2022

Rabbi Shai Held conducts a close reading of Psalm 139. He looks at the original Hebrew and multiple translations, arguing that the literary ambiguity showcases the psalmist’s relationship with God. This lecture was originally recorded in Summer 2020.

R. Aviva Richman on Parashat BeHa'alotekha: A Small and Steady Light Jun 15, 2022

In the simple instruction to kindle lamps in the mishkan, our interpretive tradition leaps into a theological spiral. What is the relationship between human light and divine light? The human role in creating light in the world becomes an opportunity to delve into the question of significance, or insignificance, of our efforts, and whether a sense of embarrassment is constructive or inhibiting.

R. Avi Strausberg: I Cannot Tell a Lie... Or Can I? Jun 13, 2022

If someone you wouldn’t endorse asks you for a recommendation, what would you say? Discussing the ethics around truth and lying, Rabbi Avi Strausberg presents multiple approaches to the topic and asks what to do when there may not be a clear answer. This lecture was recorded at the Hadar Rabbinic Yeshiva Intensive in 2020.

R. Aviva Richman on Parashat Naso: One Mitzvah at a Time Jun 08, 2022

Parashat Naso includes the ritual of sotah. A husband brings his wife whom he suspects of adultery to the mikdash (sanctuary) where a kohen gives her a potion of “cursed waters” that either acquit her or punish her. From our earliest sages to the present moment, many nuanced interpretations of this anomalous and troubling ritual have emerged. We will focus on one Rabbinic principle that applies to the procedure of sotah, but has much wider implications for other rituals, and paves the way towards a theology of mitzvot embedded in honoring the dignity of each individual.

R. Tali Adler: Words That Cannot Be Written Jun 07, 2022

It's easy to emphasize the giving of the written Torah at Mt. Sinai. But what if the focus should be on Oral Torah? R. Tali Adler looks at the essential role oral Torah plays as a part of the covenant between God and the Jewish people.

R. Aviva Richman on Parashat Bemidbar: Dismantling Holiness with Love Jun 01, 2022

As Israel traveled through the desert, they frequently erected the mishkan (tabernacle) anew. This means that they also deconstructed the mishkan frequently, dismantling what had been sacred. When we are so aware of the logistics involved in creating spaces to facilitate a sublime experience, it can become demystifying, for better and for worse. In Parashat Bemidbar, we get a behind the scenes view of the logistics of holiness, and a profound message about how to balance the mystique of kedushah alongside the very mundane—and relentless—work to sustain it.

R. Aviva Richman on Parashat BeHukotai: From Curse to Catalyst May 25, 2022

The curses of BeHukotai resonate, and we can point to various societal failures that have contributed to this reality, reasons for God to be “angry” at us. Perhaps there is some efficacy in the fear and guilt that undergird the curses as we reach for a sense of control and agency. But severe problems are hardly so simple. As we face what is not a nightmarish curse but a harsh reality of uncertainty about sustainability and abundance, the punishment and guilt model might not serve us well. We have to stare these problems in the face, together, and find pathways forward.

Dena Weiss: Making Shabbat Your Own May 23, 2022

What does it mean to have respect for Shabbat? Dena Weiss discusses how we can respect shabbat by making the day feel different through our clothing choices.

R. Aviva Richman on Parashat Behar: Shemittah - A Restrained and Wild Love May 18, 2022

Shemittah (the sabbatical year) is considered one of the hardest mitzvot. But the mitzvah might not only be about inculcating discipline to the extreme. We can also understand Shemittah and Yovel (jubilee) as mitzvot meant to inculcate an extreme love.

R. Shai Held and Shira Hecht-Koller: The World as a Gift May 16, 2022

Rabbi Shai Held and Shira Hecht-Koller take a deep dive into Psalm 104. Rabbi Shai Held explores the psalm line by line while Shira Hecht-Koller considers the perspective of a psalmist and what would inspire them to compose this type of poem.

R. Aviva Richman on Parashat Emor: God Who Desires Desire May 11, 2022

Parashat Kedoshim explored the centrality of consent in a relationship with God, that one can’t be “coerced” to bring an offering. The importance of our will in sacred relationship goes beyond the basic need for consent. In Parashat Emor, we will develop another dimension of human will in sacrifices: the importance of intention and attentiveness. Sacred relationship becomes an exercise of cultivating radical ratzon.

Dena Weiss: Pride and Privilege May 09, 2022

What is our responsibility towards others who may feel jealous of what we have? Dena Weiss explores how to think about privilege and how we can act in a way that is sensitive to the experiences of those around us. This lecture was originally delivered as part of the Orange County Jewish Community Scholar Program in January 2022.

R. Aviva Richman on Parashat Kedoshim: Radical Ratzon May 05, 2022

According to many interpreters, we achieve kedushah by curbing our desire. Holiness, in this view, inextricably entails suppression of our will. Taken to its extreme, this can lead to a notion that being in relationship with God requires blind obedience and negation of ourselves. In contrast, it is also possible to understand kedushah in a way that features—rather than suppresses—our will. Through an expansive reading of the concept of ratzon (will), we can strive for an ethics of kedushah that focuses on consent and mutuality as central to deep relationship, with God and others.

R. Shai Held: Theology in a Time of Climate Emergency May 02, 2022

We live in a time of unprecedented climate emergency: greenhouse gas emissions are causing vast and irreversible changes to the the Earth’s climate. How should religious people respond to the crisis? Rabbi Shai Held takes a theological approach and response to the climate crisis, considering how the Bible describes God’s relationship with the Earth and the challenges humans face when they forget the divine role in creation. This lecture was originally delivered as a part of the Big Bold Jewish Climate Fest in January 2021.

R. Ethan Tucker: Midrash and Rabbinic Imagination, Part 3 Apr 10, 2022

In some rabbinic midrashim, biblical characters cross over into different story lines, creating whole new backgrounds for their characters. Rabbi Ethan Tucker looks at the stories of Boaz and Job to demonstrate that, by reading these new storylines, we learn important lessons we would otherwise miss. This is part 3 of Hadar's 2021 Fall Lecture Series.

R. Aviva Richman on Parashat Metzora: Speech That Heals Apr 06, 2022

Last week, in Parashat Tazria, we saw that our capability to be full partners in Torah is anchored in the messy and sometimes disorienting details of our embodied lives. In Parashat Metzora, we see the importance of narration, how giving voice to our experience plays an important role in a model of Torah and halakhah that conveys dignity and is a source of healing.

R. Ethan Tucker: Midrash and the Rabbinic Imagination, Part 2 Apr 03, 2022

>Who are Hur, Yair ben Menashe, and Serah bat Asher and why do these minor biblical characters appear in midrash far removed from their own stories? Rabbi Ethan Tucker looks at each of their stories to demonstrate that their insertions are not random, but are based on close reading of the biblical narrative and a rabbinic desire to emphasize certain morals in the text. This is part 2 of Hadar's 2021 Fall Lecture Series.

R. Aviva Richman on Parashat Tazria: Torah Rooted in the Real Mar 30, 2022

Tazria is a parashah that people often find more repelling than compelling. Why so many words dedicated to bodily emissions and the intricate appearance of skin diseases? This Torah of the body touches on the relationship between halakhah and individuals’ embodied experiences.

R. Ethan Tucker: Midrash and the Rabbinic Imagination, Part 1 Mar 27, 2022

When a midrash seems so fantastical and outlandish that you conclude it must be made up, you are probably not reading the text as closely as the midrash. Rabbi Ethan Tucker demonstrates how the midrash justly describes the reemergence of early biblical figures in later biblical narratives, and uses these figures to teach values and fill in gaps in the text. This is part 1 of Hadar's 2021 Fall Lecture Series.

R. Aviva Richman on Parashat Shemini: Whiplash and Endurance Mar 23, 2022

It is hard to imagine a parashah more devastating than Shemini, or more of a testament to the stamina of enduring relationship despite all. When we experience the events of this day through the inner worlds of Aharon and his wife Elisheva, there is much to learn about relationship that persists through guilt, anxiety, and loss.

R. Avi Strausberg: The Danger of Hope Mar 20, 2022

In times of despair and sadness, hope plays an important role. But can there be danger from too much hope? R.Avi Strausberg explores a wide variety of sources from the Talmud to modern poetry to explore how we can incorporate hope into our lives without being crushed by hope of a world that never comes. This lecture was originally delivered as the Dr. Eddie Scharfman Memorial Lecture in January 2021.

R. Aviva Richman on Parashat Tzav: Constancy and Intermittence Mar 16, 2022

Parashat Tzav opens with an image of constancy, the fire on the altar that always burns, never extinguished. The unextinguished fire is not just practical, burning sacrifices throughout the day and fats throughout the night; it represents an ongoing and unwavering connection between the people and God. Yet, an honest religious life involves flux, times when we do feel strong connection and times when we don’t.

R. Aviva Richman on Parashat Vayikra: "Calling In" Mar 09, 2022

The first verse in Vayikra seems mundane and predictable; God speaks to Moshe in the mishkan (tabernacle), as God does throughout much of the Torah. Yet, the call of Vayikra is an unexpected gesture of intimacy. Through this lens, the whole book of Vayikra represents an invitation into relationship across apparent obstacles and boundaries. Vayikra asks of us: what are the ways in which we feel distant from God or others? What does it mean to hear a call beckoning us close in those very moments of distance?

Dena Weiss: The Lost Sons of Avraham Mar 07, 2022

How can Avraham bear to sacrifice his son Yitzchak without any show of emotion or despair? Dena Weiss offers an explanation to this question, using midrash to view the text through an emotional lens. This lecture was originally delivered as part of Hadar’s Summer Learning Retreat in June 2021.

R. Aviva Richman on Parashat Pekudei: Shifting Expectations Mar 02, 2022

The Book of Shemot ends in a striking tension: God’s presence fills the mishkan but also precludes Moshe from entering. Having shepherded the people into relationship with God, and having fought so hard to maintain that, Moshe now faces the possibility that the terms of his own relationship with God have drastically changed, as he is shut out of the mishkan. What can we learn from the model of Moshe about how to adapt to unexpected twists and turns in our own roles and relationships?

R. Elie Kaunfer: The Strange Case of Moshe's Death Feb 27, 2022

In rabbinic midrash, Moshe brings his case for immortality to God. What does Moshe argue and why does he believe he should be exempt from death? As R. Elie Kaunfer guides us through a text from Devarim Rabbah, we learn not only about Moshe’s fear of mortality, but also about our own anxieties around death and running out of time. This lecture was originally delivered as part of Hadar’s Summer Learning Retreat in June 2021.

R. Aviva Richman on Parashat VaYakhel: Moshe's Gamble Feb 23, 2022

There is a classic debate about the order of the Torah with respect to the passages about the mishkan (tabernacle) and the golden calf. In one view, it was written in order, with God’s intention for the mishkan derailed by the people’s sin, but ultimately restored as they achieve forgiveness. In the other view, the text is out of order, and the mishkan came only in response to the people’s sin. When we integrate the insights of both sides of this debate, we land on a third approach that emphasizes the power of taking initiative in relationships, even though we aren’t certain what to expect.

R. Aviva Richman on Parashat Ki Tissa: A Radical Shabbat Feb 16, 2022

For most of the week, and most of our lives, we devote ourselves to the hard work of slowly getting closer to what we most hope for and long for, in terms of who we can become, the relationships we have, and what our world can be. We are always aware of the work that remains to be done. We take a break from this work on Shabbat, not just because we are tired and need time off, but to bring a sense of our true selves into clear focus, and to know that what feels like the unattainable vision towards which we strive can actually be real.

R. Shai Held: When Mercy Trumps Justice Feb 14, 2022

“God said, 'let us make human beings in our image'” (Genesis 1:26). Who is God speaking to and what does it mean to be made in God’s image? Rabbi Shai Held dives into the midrash on this text, offering rabbinic explanations to these questions and unearthing the theological and ethical questions that come up along the way. This lecture was originally delivered as part of Hadar’s Summer Learning Retreat in June 2021.

R. Aviva Richman on Parashat Tetzaveh: The Pulse of Prayer Feb 09, 2022

Terumah and Tetzaveh offer a visual landscape of the mishkan, its structure, its furnishings and the dress of those who served in it. One thing that is lacking from this picture is a soundscape. The Torah doesn’t indicate that any words were recited in the mishkan, in prayer or in song. In fact, if we picture the mishkan based on this week’s parashah, the only sound was from the jingling bells on the bottom of the robe worn by the Kohen Gadol. The resonant sound of these bells evokes the steady rhythm of the high priest in worship, but also carries painful overtones of what is most haunting and unresolved as we try to approach the Divine.

R. Avi Killip: Modern Women's Midrash as a Tool for Reading our Most Difficult Texts Feb 06, 2022

For centuries, midrash has helped reconcile problematic, troubling, and hurtful texts by understanding them in a new light. In this lecture, Rabbi Avi Killip studies modern women’s midrash from the book “Dirshuni” that offers one approach to hearing, and maybe even healing from our most difficult texts. That is the power of midrash. This lecture was originally delivered as part of Hadar’s Summer Learning Retreat in June 2021.

R. Aviva Richman on Parashat Terumah: Redemptive Relationship, Epilogue Feb 02, 2022

Parashat Terumah brings us to what is a sort of epilogue—though also, in some ways, a prologue—of the love story in three scenes we saw between Israel and God in earlier parshiyyot of Shemot. Beyond Sinai (articulating commitment and marriage), we come to the moment of “moving in” as we build a home in the form of the mishkan. Through intertwined acts of human and divine hospitality, Parashat Terumah teaches us to cultivate a readiness to give of ourselves to shelter and care for another, even when we cannot always clearly envision the recipient—or even the utility of what we have to give.

R. Aviva Richman on Parashat Mishpatim: Undoing Slavery and Acquiring Ourselves Jan 26, 2022

The very first law of the extended laws of Parashat Mishpatim starts with a horrifying phrase: “When you acquire a Hebrew slave.” We were just, two weeks ago, freed from being Hebrew slaves. How could the Torah possibly articulate the words “Hebrew slave”? This first law in Parashat Mishpatim forces us to confront the fact that oppressive structures become entrenched, and won’t disappear overnight. The dramatic liberation story is over. Now starts the much harder work of finding redemption within unideal and often harsh realities.

R. Yitz Greenberg: The Great, Mighty, and Awesome God Isn't What God Used to Be Jan 23, 2022

The Rabbis lived in a very different world from the biblical “great, mighty, and awesome” God. Rabbi Yitz Greenberg explains how the Rabbis interpreted this depiction of God in a time of human free will and limited divine power. This lecture was originally delivered as part of Hadar’s Summer Learning Retreat in June 2021.

R. Aviva Richman on Parashat Yitro: Redemptive Relationship, Part 3 Jan 19, 2022

In Parashat Yitro we come to Sinai, the final formative scene in reading the Exodus as a story of how Israel and God "fell in love." Strands of our tradition depict Sinai as a kind of wedding between us and God. In some depictions, Israel blindly agreed to enter this relationship even without knowing all the commitments involved. In other traditions, each person was fully informed of the details beforehand. Exploring these different versions of Sinai we see the importance of informed, affirmative consent as the bedrock of any relationship of intimacy. At the same time, it reminds us that in the deepest relationships of our lives, we can never fully know what might be required of us.

R. Aviva Richman on Tu Bishvat and MLK Day: Fruit Trees, Access, and Equity Jan 16, 2022

In recent decades, Tu Bishvat has become a holiday for trees and to raise awareness and concern for our natural environment. This year, as we celebrate Tu Bishvat in the midst of a Shemittah year, it is a powerful opportunity to notice the ways Jewish laws on produce and agriculture come at the intersection of the natural environment and social equity. Particularly on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, this intersection is especially poignant. As we celebrate Tu Bishvat of Shemittah this year, let’s remember that we must build a world where blessings are not only shared, but shared in effective ways with those whose access may be riddled with obstacles and hazards.

R. Aviva Richman on Parashat BeShallach: Redemptive Relationship, Part 2 Jan 12, 2022

Last week, we began an exploration of the different stories of how Israel “fell in love” with God. Far from a naive picture of the beloved who swoops in to make everything better, digging deeper into these texts we find a more rugged texture of how redemptive relationship interfaces with complex realities. This week, we will explore the relationship between parents and children, their respective relationships with God, and how these webs of relationship shape each other.

R. Aviva Richman on Parashat Bo: Redemptive Relationship, Part 1 Jan 04, 2022

Our tradition invites us to explore the nature of redemptive relationship. Instead of reading the Exodus as primarily historical or mythic, a prominent strand among our sages interprets the Exodus intimately and poetically, through the lens of the Song of Songs. The narrative becomes the origin story of our covenantal relationship with God — or, one might say, the story of how we fell in love.

R. Shai Held: What if Shir HaShirim Really is an Allegory After All? Jan 04, 2022

Some people see Shir HaShirim, the Song of Songs, as an allegory for the love between God and Israel. Some see it simply as a love poem. But what if it’s both?! R. Shai Held takes us through intertextual references in Shir HaShirim and the history of ancient perfume to try to convince us that maybe Shir HaShirim can be both an allegory and literal text at the same time. This lecture was originally delivered as part of Hadar’s Summer Learning Retreat in June 2021.

R. Aviva Richman on Parashat Va’Era: Calling God Into Being Dec 29, 2021

Sometimes we need a new name for God. The ways we’ve known God so far may feel limited, inadequate, or even disappointing. Moshe is lucky enough to have God disclose a new name, one that will usher in redemption. Learning new names for God that represent a different kind of relationship, or new ways for God to show up in the world, is not generally so straightforward. Sometimes we have to be proactive, whether out of gratitude or desperation, and call God into being in new ways.

R. Aviva Richman on Parashat Shemot: Seeds of Slavery Dec 22, 2021

Where does our story of slavery begin? These are times when our own ancestors mistreated or enslaved others, perhaps laying the groundwork for the kind of oppression that would end up enslaving us. Noticing these moments is about becoming aware of how our choices about how to exercise power shape the communities and world our descendants will inhabit.

R. Avi Strausberg: Bones of My Bones, Flesh of My Flesh Dec 21, 2021

Get to the roots of gender in the Torah by turning to the opening narratives of creation in Genesis 1 and 2. What might these two different accounts of the creation of the first man and first woman imply about the Torah's understandings of gender and gender roles in relationships? Moving beyond the Torah, we meet Lilith, the woman who breaks the mold and challenges stereotypical notions of gender. Through a close encounter with Torah, traditional midrash, and contemporary interpretations, we'll examine and reexamine notions of gender and relationships in hopes of better articulating our understandings of gender and gender roles in relationships. This lecture was originally delivered as part of Hadar's Summer Learning Retreat in June 2021.

R. Aviva Richman on Parashat VaYechi: Unfinished Reconciliation Dec 16, 2021

Yosef and his family are reunited, and we might hope to find meaningful resolution and reconciliation between brothers. Instead, we discover communication gaps, accompanying persistent guilt and fear. When we embrace the mess of Sefer Bereishit that has so much unresolved conflict, we can be inspired to expand our views of reconciliation and forgiveness.

R. Tali Adler: Murder in a Midrashic Key Dec 14, 2021

In the Bible, where characters are generally multifaceted, the first murderer in the Bible, is a notable exception -- until we consider the world of midrash. R. Tali Adler teaches about Kayin through the lens of midrash and discusses how this character might serve as a surprising religious role model. This lecture was originally delivered as part of Hadar's Summer Learning Retreat in June 2021.

R. Aviva Richman on Parashat VaYigash: Leaning In - With Reckless Compassion Dec 08, 2021

What is the tone of Yehudah’s approach to Yosef? Surprisingly, early traditions emphasize the aggressiveness of the encounter, suggesting that Yehudah approached “for war.” Even more surprisingly, we learn that we are meant to adopt this very stance in our own daily prayer. We too must cultivate the capacity to fight for what conviction and compassion demand, day in and day out.

R. Aviva Richman on Parashat VaYeishev: Sexual Ethics, Part 2 - Integrity Nov 24, 2021

In Parashat VaYeishev, Yosef repeatedly resists the advances of Potifar’s wife. In the wake of modern and contemporary sexual revolutions, there has been pushback on a sexual ethics based on boundaries and “purity” in favor of a sexual ethics that focuses primarily on consent. Consent is critical, but sometimes too narrow a lens to understand the significance of sexuality in our lives. Upon closer look at Yosef’s encounter with Potifar’s wife, we find an approach to sexual ethics that intersects with fundamental questions of identity and purpose.

R. Aviva Richman on Parashat VaYishlach: Sexual Ethics, Part 1 - Voice and Dignity Nov 18, 2021

The most devastating part of the story of Dinah is that the Torah does not share Dinah’s perspective. We have no idea if this was “the rape of Dinah” or an encounter she desired. This gap is not surprising, but as inheritors of Torah we must ask ourselves how we inherit this part of our Torah responsibly.

R. Aviva Richman: Rain, Dew, Wind, and Storm: The Quest for Nourishing Torah Nov 15, 2021

Through a discussion of midrashim on the Book of Devarim, Rabbi Aviva Richman dives into the various roles of Torah as intermediary, a place for grief, joy, atonement, darkness, and more. She teaches the Torah, like rain, is limitless. Listen in to enjoy the journey of inspiring Torah thought.

R. Aviva Richman on Parashat VaYeitzei: Facing Our Blessings, Part 2 Nov 11, 2021

"Recognition”—or lack thereof—emerges at pivotal moments of Yaakov's unfolding story, and reverberates to his children as well. Following the theme of recognition in Ya’akov’s journey allows us to address these fundamental questions for ourselves: Do we deserve the blessings we have? Do we get the blessings we “deserve”?

Book Talk Ft. Rachel Sharona Lewis and Sigal Samuel Nov 10, 2021

What does a fictional mystery-solving queer woman rabbi have in common with a real-life 17th-century woman rabbi, scholar, and miracle-worker? In this episode, Sigal Samuel and Rachel Sharona Lewis, both Yeshivat Hadar alumni, share more about their groundbreaking books, “The Rabbi Who Prayed with Fire” and “Osnat and Her Dove: The True Story of the World's First Female Rabbi.” This conversation was moderated by Hadar’s Editorial Director, Dr. Elisheva Urbas, and was originally held on April 26, 2021.

R. Aviva Richman on Toldot: Facing Our Blessings, Part 1 Nov 03, 2021

R. Aviva Richman shares her thoughts on Parashat Toldot. When Yitzhak blesses Ya’akov, disguised as Esav, it introduces a gap between being seen for who we are and finding blessing. It leaves us yearning for the kind of blessing that comes not from hiding ourselves but from being fully recognized. We’ll explore different aspects of the relationship between recognition and blessing over this week and next. This week, our focus will be the significance of faces and being seen.

R. Tali Adler: The Torah of Reopening Part 3 Nov 01, 2021

In this episode, Rav Tali dives into the overall picture of what returning and rebuilding will look like in the communal spaces in our lives. What might it look like to return to institutions that we left behind? To the shuls and workplaces and schools? Rav Tali explores the return of the Jewish people from the Babylonian exile and draws comparisons to our experience today.

R. Tali Adler: The Torah of Reopening Part 2 Nov 01, 2021

In this episode, Rav Tali delves into the experience of the messy emotions of reuniting with loved ones after the pandemic. Times of extended separation can change the nature of a relationship and Rav Tali offers tools to navigate the changes. Rav Tali makes space in this talk for some of the more difficult emotions.

R. Tali Adler: The Torah of Reopening Part 1 Nov 01, 2021

In the spring of 2021, as many Covid-19 restrictions were lifted and more people began re-entering their social worlds, R. Tali Adler gave Hadar’s Spring Lecture Series on the “Torah of Reopening.” In this episode, Rav Tali addresses the oh-so-complicated array of emotions that arise as we explore re-engaging with the world, dealing in particular with “fear before we open the door.” Rav Tali’s wisdom will help you reflect and feel inspired and we hope you enjoy this episode.

Ta Shma Trailer Nov 01, 2021

Welcome to Ta Shma, a new podcast where you get to listen in on Hadar’s Beit Midrash. Whether you’re at home or on the go, come and listen to recordings from recent Hadar classes, lectures, programs. Ta Shma is hosted by R. Avi Killip of the Hadar Institute.

Embracing an Overlooked Patriarch Oct 27, 2021

From Sacrifice to Care: Tending the Fire of the Akeidah Oct 20, 2021

Unlikely Origins of Prayer Oct 13, 2021

Staying Afloat in a World of Loss Oct 08, 2021

Our Troubled Origins: Creating Something From Something Oct 07, 2021

Resurrection as a Core Tenet of Judaism Oct 06, 2021

Choose Life: The Central Message of the Covenant Aug 31, 2021

The Age of Chastisement is Over Aug 25, 2021

The Travesty of Agunot Aug 17, 2021

Justice, Justice Shall You Pursue Aug 11, 2021

What Can We Learn From the War on Idolatry? Aug 03, 2021

The Great, Mighty, and Awesome God Isn’t What S/He Used to Be Jul 29, 2021

When Exodus Replaces Creation (Or Not) Jul 20, 2021

Not the Vision, but the Journey Jul 08, 2021

The Chain of Life Jun 29, 2021

Prophetic Plurailism Jun 22, 2021

Responsa Radio Episode 75: How Will We Return to Running Minyanim Virtually and In-Person? Jun 17, 2021

Understanding the Mystifying Jun 15, 2021

The Truth About Power and Divine Service Jun 08, 2021

Mediating Between the Divine and the Human Jun 01, 2021

From God, With Love May 19, 2021

The Limits of Numbers May 12, 2021

Judaism’s Utopian Vision of Universal Equality May 04, 2021

Partners With God Apr 27, 2021

A Torah to Live By Apr 20, 2021

Purity-Impurity: A Code of Life and Death Apr 13, 2021

Kashrut: Eating as an Act of Choosing Life Apr 07, 2021

An Exodus for Egyptians? Reading Genesis and Isaiah Together Mar 24, 2021

Does God Want Sacrifices—or Not? Mar 23, 2021

The Pollution of Non-Acts Mar 17, 2021

Announcement: Pre-Pesach Responsa Radio Live Mar 16, 2021

Sacred Space, Sacred Time Mar 09, 2021

God, as Defined by God (With a Little Help from Covenantal Friends) Mar 02, 2021

On the Priesthood, Or: Holiness is Living in the Fullness of Life Feb 23, 2021

"The Torah Speaks in the Language of Humanity" Feb 16, 2021

The Book of the Covenant Feb 09, 2021

What Happened at Sinai?: From Revelation to Entering the Covenant in Love Feb 02, 2021

I've Been Offered the Covid Vaccine—Now What? Jan 27, 2021

"Do Not Rely on a Miracle" Jan 26, 2021

The Hebrew Calendar is the First Commandment Jan 22, 2021

Reading the Psalms: Episode 5 Jan 13, 2021

You Are Not Free Until You Are At Home Jan 12, 2021

The Exodus as Orienting Event Jan 05, 2021

Reading the Psalms: Episode 4 Dec 30, 2020

The Covenant Between the Generations Dec 29, 2020

Can the essence of obligation to visit the sick and comfort mourners really be fulfilled over Zoom? Dec 24, 2020

Can We Save the Unity of the Jewish People? Dec 22, 2020

Reading the Psalms: Episode 3 Dec 17, 2020

Learning the Lessons of Hanukkah - Parashat Mikeitz 5781 Dec 15, 2020

Highlighting Our Joy Dec 10, 2020

Reading the Psalms: Episode 2 Dec 09, 2020

The Messianic Life Force - Parashat VaYeishev 5781 Dec 08, 2020

Our Name is Israel - Parashat VaYishlach 5781 Dec 01, 2020

Reading the Psalms: Episode 1 Nov 25, 2020

The Journey to Maturation in the Covenant - Parashat VaYeitzei 5781 Nov 24, 2020

Rivkah Imeinu/Our Mother Rebecca: The Most Influential Matriarch - Parashat Toldot 5781 Nov 17, 2020

Zooming Out, Zooming In: Risk, Values, and Hard Choices with Aviva Richman and David Slusky Nov 11, 2020

The Torah Came to Make a Mensch - Parashat Chayyei Sarah 5781 Nov 10, 2020

We Are Born Of Risk with Aviva Richman and Chavi Karkowsky Nov 05, 2020

Your Arm’s Too Short to Box With God—Or is it? - Parashat VaYera 5781 Nov 04, 2020

Dignity and Risk with Aviva Richman, Jess Belasco, and Jonathan Malamy Oct 29, 2020

Covenantal Pluralism - Parashat Lekh Lekha 5781 Oct 27, 2020

Covenant - Parashat Noach 5781 Oct 20, 2020

Creation - Parashat Bereishit 5781 Oct 13, 2020

For We Are Waiting for You: Enthroning God When We Feel Immobilized - Rosh Hashanah Drasha Sep 23, 2020

Embracing Vulnerability: Teshuvah, Ethics, and the Age of Covid - Elul Drasha Sep 22, 2020

Parashat Devarim: A Bolt from the Blue, Or: When God Falls in Love Jul 24, 2020

Parashat Pinhas: Accepting the Consequences Jul 17, 2020

Parashat Mattot-Mas'ei: Balancing Freedom with Responsibility, and Individual Needs with Communal Needs Jul 17, 2020

Parashat Chukkat: When everything starts to look the same Jul 07, 2020

Parashat Korach: On Illness Jun 30, 2020

Parashat Shelach: Growing Where You Already Are Jun 23, 2020

Parashat Beha'alotekha: It's Not About You Jun 09, 2020

Parashat Naso: Gender and the Priestly Blessing Jun 02, 2020

Shavuot 5780 - Redemption After Loss: Marriage, Rebirth, and the Book of Ruth May 21, 2020

Parashat BeMidbar: We Are Each Pearls - The Impossibility of Counting May 19, 2020

Spiritual Ownership: Yom HaZikaron - Yom Ha'Atzma'ut 5780 Apr 27, 2020

The Essence of Kaddish: Saying Kaddish in a World Without Minyanim Apr 27, 2020

Pre Pesah Mini Yom Iyyun: Going At It Alone, Together Apr 07, 2020

Pre Pesah Mini Yom Iyyun: Can People Change? The Haggadah and Self-Transformation Apr 07, 2020

Pre Pesah Mini Yom Iyyun: The Necessity of Exile or, Why Backpacking Is A Good Thing Apr 07, 2020

Pre Pesah Mini Yom Iyyun: This is My God Apr 07, 2020

Pre Pesah Mini Yom Iyyun: Mah Nishtanah HaPesach HaZeh Apr 07, 2020

Bite-Sized Insights From the Haggadah: Dayyenu Apr 07, 2020

Bite-Sized Insights From the Haggadah: Sympathy for the Egyptians Apr 07, 2020

Redemption Comes at Night Apr 02, 2020

Parashat Tzav: No More Magic Eight Ball Mar 31, 2020

Saying Kaddish in a World Without Minyanim: The Essence of Kaddish Mar 27, 2020

Must Hiyyuv Divide Us: Intensive Talmud Class: Hullin Mar 24, 2020

The Triumph of Creation Mar 23, 2020

Parashat Tetzaveh: Between Ecstasy and Constancy Mar 18, 2020

Parashat Ki Tissa: From the Burning Bush to Sinai Mar 18, 2020

Parashat VaYakhel-Pekudei: Theory and Practice Mar 18, 2020

Why I Still (Sometimes) Believe in God Mar 16, 2020

Caring or Curing Mar 16, 2020

Can We Still Believe in A God of Love in a World of Suffering? Mar 16, 2020

“Leave Me Alone, God”: Reading Psalm 39 Mar 16, 2020

Weekday Amidah: Nusach and Binah's Niggun Mar 16, 2020

To Satisfy All of Your Desires Mar 16, 2020

Sacrifices and Prayer: The Blessing of Retzeih Mar 16, 2020

What is the Story of the Jewish People? Mar 16, 2020

Discovering the Wisdom of the Haggadah Mar 16, 2020

From Slavery to Slavery: The True Meaning of Pesach Mar 16, 2020

Open House or Members Night?: Whom to Invite to the Seder Mar 16, 2020

The Torah Was Not Given to Angels, part 3 Mar 16, 2020

The Torah Was Not Given to Angels, part 2 Mar 16, 2020

The Torah Was Not Given to Angels, part 1 Mar 16, 2020

Why Forbid Food? Learning from the Forbidden Fruit Mar 16, 2020

The Impossibility of Knowing: Siyyum on Daf Yomi Berakhot, 5780 Mar 06, 2020

Purim: The (Unexpected) Peoplehood Holiday Mar 01, 2020

Parashat Terumah: Divine Fire in Our Homes - The Intimacy and Mystery of the Menorah Feb 25, 2020

Parashat Mishpatim: You Are the Perpetrator Feb 18, 2020

Parashat Yitro: Shamor and Zakhor Feb 11, 2020

Parashat BeShallach: Walking through the Heart of God Feb 04, 2020

Parashat Bo: Commemoration or Reenactment? Jan 28, 2020

Parashat Va'Era: Living in the Double Exposure Jan 21, 2020

Parashat Shemot: Gratitude and Liberation Jan 14, 2020

Parashat VaYechi: Seeing in Genesis Jan 07, 2020

Parashat VaYigash: The Meanings of Approach Dec 30, 2019

Parashat Mikkeitz: From the Sons of Israel to Benei Yisrael Dec 24, 2019

Responsa Radio Episode 68: Why Don't Jews Proselytize? ...Can They? Dec 19, 2019

Parashat VaYeishev: Election and Service Dec 17, 2019

Hanukkah 5780: If Our Breath Was Light Dec 12, 2019

Parashat VaYishlach: To Be Angelic, Not Perfect Dec 10, 2019

Responsa Radio Episode 67: If I Can Pronounce the Hebrew, Do I Need To Understand It? Dec 05, 2019

Parashat VaYeitzei: Can We Be Grateful and Disappointed at the Same Time? Dec 03, 2019

Parashat Toldot: To Offer Rather than Obey Nov 26, 2019

Responsa Radio Episode 66: What To Do With Grandma's Treyf China Nov 21, 2019

Parashat Chayyei Sarah: Isaac's Search Nov 19, 2019

When Good Torah Happens to Bad People Nov 14, 2019

Parashat VaYera: Every Guest an Angel Nov 12, 2019

The Halakhah of Whisper Networks Nov 07, 2019

Parashat Lekh Lekha: To Be More Like God: The Power to Self-Define Nov 06, 2019

When Everything Goes Dark: Exploring Psalm 88 Oct 31, 2019

Parashat Noach: People Have Names: The Torah's Takedown of Totalitarianism Oct 29, 2019

How Can We Bless God?: The Meaning(s) of “Barukh Attah HaShem” Oct 25, 2019

Parashat Bereishit: A Shabbat of Your Own Oct 23, 2019

Morality of Torah: Case Study in the Rebellious Son Oct 17, 2019

Covenantal Joy Oct 10, 2019

Parashat Ha'azinu: To Listen With Intent Oct 08, 2019

Beyond Introspection Oct 03, 2019

Parashat VaYeilekh: Acknowledge and Overcome Oct 02, 2019

Sacrifice: What It Is, What It Could Be, Why It Matters Sep 26, 2019

Parashat Nitzavim: From Chopping Down to Raising Up Sep 24, 2019

When Repentance is (Im)possible (High Holidays 5780) Sep 19, 2019

Parashat Ki Tavo: Chased by Blessing Sep 17, 2019

What Redemption Are We Praying For? Sep 12, 2019

Parashat Ki Teitzei: Explicit Forgiveness Sep 10, 2019

“And Those Not With Us Here Today”: Reflections on Obligation and the Nature of the Jewish People’s Covenant with God Sep 05, 2019

Parashat Shoftim: Prompt Replies Sep 03, 2019

(Why) Should We Care What God Wants? Aug 29, 2019

Parashat Re'eh: Gods Children Aug 27, 2019

Responsa Radio Episode 65: How Do We Use Space During Yom Kippur Services? Aug 22, 2019

Truth and Obligation: When Must We Decide for Ourselves? Aug 21, 2019

Parashat Eikev: Think Before You Pray Aug 20, 2019

Because I Said So: When Chiyyuv Falls Short Aug 15, 2019

Parashat Va’Etchanan: Think Before You Pray Aug 13, 2019

Tisha B'Av 5779: The Torah of Tears Aug 09, 2019

Responsa Radio Episode 64: Can I Extinguish My Gas Burner on Yom Tov? Aug 08, 2019

Parashat Devarim: A Man of Many Words Aug 06, 2019

Parashat Matot-Masei: Poetic License Jul 30, 2019

Responsa Radio Episode 63: Can I attend the theatre on Shabbat? Jul 25, 2019

Parashat Balak: Structure for Success Jul 16, 2019

Parashat Chukkat: Solving the Mystery Jul 09, 2019

Parashat Korach: The Sting of Accusation Jul 02, 2019

Responsa Radio Episode 61: Are non-Jews allowed to take on mitzvot? Jun 27, 2019

Parashat Shelach: Send Yourself Jun 25, 2019

Parashat BeHa’alotekha: Eye Contact Jun 18, 2019

Responsa Radio Episode 60: Can I See My Therapist on Shabbat? Jun 13, 2019

Parashat Naso: Beneath the Surface Jun 11, 2019

Parashat BeMidbar: Heavenly Hosts Jun 04, 2019

Shavuot 5779: What Fireflies Can Teach Us About Love Jun 04, 2019

Parashat BeChukotai: Worth the Effort May 28, 2019

When Learning Torah Was Deadly: The Relevance of Lag Ba-Omer May 23, 2019

Parashat BeHar: "Just" Joking May 21, 2019

ישראל יהודית ודמוקרטית: סוגיית גר-תושב בראי הלכה ומוסר May 21, 2019

Born of Fire and Water: The Necessity of Queer Inclusion (Pesach Sheini 5779) May 20, 2019

Parashat Emor: On Bows and Arrows May 14, 2019

Parashat Kedoshim: Sacrality in Seclusion May 07, 2019

Pirkei Avot 1:1-3 May 02, 2019

Parashat Acharei Mot: Entry and Entitlement Apr 30, 2019

Four Different Questions: A Chassidic Approach to the Beginning of the Seder Apr 18, 2019

Responsa Radio: Pesach Special Edition Apr 18, 2019

Parashat Metzora: In Praise of Privacy Apr 09, 2019

When Redemption Comes At Night: A Dvar Torah for Passover Apr 08, 2019

Parashat Tazria: The Wisdom of Others Apr 02, 2019

Parashat Shemini: Free as a Fish Mar 26, 2019

Parashat Tzav: Priestly Impostors Mar 19, 2019

Mordekhai: A Threefold Tale that is Easily Unraveled (Purim 5779) Mar 14, 2019

Parashat VaYikra: The Sacred Pause Mar 12, 2019

We Are But Dust: Confession, Accusation, Hope Mar 11, 2019

Parashat Pekudei: Being Accountable Mar 05, 2019

Parashat VaYakhel: Detail-Oriented Feb 26, 2019

Parashat Ki Tissa: When God Prays Feb 19, 2019

Parashat Tetzaveh: Between Economy and Luxury Feb 12, 2019

Parashat Terumah: Giving Back the Gift Feb 05, 2019

Parashat Mishpatim: Spiritual Progress Jan 29, 2019

Parashat Yitro: Perfect Individuality Jan 22, 2019

King and Kook: Do the Ends Justify the Means? Jan 21, 2019

Trees that Transgress: Tu Bishvat 5779 Jan 16, 2019

Parashat BeShallach: Between Immanence and Transcendence Jan 15, 2019

Is Self-Love a Virtue or a Vice? Jan 10, 2019

Parashat Bo: The Greater Wrong Jan 08, 2019

All Revelation Begins With Heartbreak: Radical Faith in Torah and Ourselves, From Maimonides to Plaskow Jan 08, 2019

Was Esav Jewish? (Global Day of Jewish Learning 2018) Jan 03, 2019

Parashat VaEra: Recognizing the Voices Jan 01, 2019

Parashat Shemot: Addressing Your Distress Dec 25, 2018

Parashat VaYechi: Prepare for the Positive Dec 18, 2018

Parashat VaYigash: Difficult Conversations Dec 11, 2018

Parashat Mikeitz: Clothes Don’t Make the Man Dec 04, 2018

Hanukkah 5779: Celebrating in Darkness Dec 03, 2018

Hanukkah 5779: Communal and Private (Re)dedication Dec 03, 2018

Jews in the Modern World: Looking Back, Looking Forward Nov 28, 2018

Parashat VaYeishev: The Way of Small Things Nov 27, 2018

Parashat VaYishlach: Unmaking Assumptions Nov 20, 2018

Parashat VaYeitzei: Praying as You Are Nov 13, 2018

Parashat Toldot: Tough Love Nov 06, 2018

Parashat Chayyei Sarah: Choosing Meaning Oct 30, 2018

Parashat Lekh Lekha: Growing with Authenticity Oct 16, 2018

Parashat Noach: A Life with Purpose Oct 09, 2018

Parashat Bereishit: Inspired and Independent Oct 03, 2018

Parashat V'Zot HaBerakhah: Choosing to Give Sep 28, 2018

Holding and Being Held: A Theology of Sukkot and Shemini Atzeret Sep 28, 2018

Parashat Ha’azinu: Tasting the Torah Sep 20, 2018

Wall vs. Wall: Sukkot 5779 Sep 20, 2018

Are Our Sins Really Our Fault? Sep 18, 2018

Vows That Divide Sep 18, 2018

Yom Kippur: Purifying the Tabernacle and Ourselves (Yom Kippur 5778) Sep 18, 2018

In Hiding or In Plain Sight: An Alternative Model of Repentance Sep 14, 2018

On Forgiveness Sep 13, 2018

Dive into the Machzor: Selichot (Penitential Prayers) Sep 13, 2018

Maybe There Is Hope? (High Holidays 5779) Sep 12, 2018

Parashat VaYelekh: Reveal Your Hiding Sep 12, 2018

Who By Fire? The Most Controversial Prayer in Jewish Life Sep 07, 2018

Isaac’s Binding, Rachel’s Tears: Sacrifice and the High Holidays Sep 07, 2018

Parashat Nitzavim: Taking the First Step Sep 05, 2018

Avinu Malkeinu, Rabbi Akiva's Prayer Sep 05, 2018

Ki Anu Amekha (For We Are Your People): Metaphors of Us and God Aug 30, 2018

Parashat Ki Tavo: The Unexamined Life Aug 28, 2018

Embracing Teshuvah: A Faculty Panel Aug 27, 2018

From Ethics of Sacrifice to Ethics of Care: Early modern Jewish women on Akeidat Yitzchak Aug 23, 2018

Help, But Don’t Enable: Parashat Ki Teitzei Aug 21, 2018

Purity and Integrity: When It Is Very Bad to be a Little Good (Summer Yom Iyyun 2018) Aug 20, 2018

How Can We Really Change? Aug 17, 2018

Parashat Shoftim: The Torah That You Carry Aug 14, 2018

Beyond Toleration: Jews and the Fight for Religious Inclusion in America Aug 12, 2018

When We Don’t Respect Our Leaders Aug 10, 2018

It’s What We Do (And Don’t Do) That Matters Aug 07, 2018

Parashat Re'eih: Nurture over Nature Aug 07, 2018

Lying Rabbis: Between Policy and Integrity Aug 03, 2018

Can We Really Re-Create Ourselves? Jul 31, 2018

Parashat Eikev: The Bread of Affliction Jul 31, 2018

Parashat Va'Etchanan: Conveying the Subtlety Jul 25, 2018

The God of Judaism Is a God of Love (Summer Lecture Series 2018 Part 3) Jul 23, 2018

Parashat Devarim: Conveying the Subtlety Jul 17, 2018

Is "Love Your Enemies" A Jewish Idea? (Summer Lecture Series 2018 Part 2) Jul 16, 2018

Parashat Matot-Mas'ei: Earning Our Privilege Jul 10, 2018

The Great Principle of the Torah is Love, but What Does that Mean? (Summer Lecture Series 2018 Part 1) Jul 10, 2018

Parashat Pinchas: Sharing the Message Jul 03, 2018

Parashat Balak: Going Your Own Way Jun 29, 2018

Parashat Chukkat: Recognizing Miriam Jun 20, 2018

What Feminist Torah Needs to Look Like Jun 14, 2018

Parashat Korach: Truly Humble Jun 14, 2018

Responsa Radio Episode 59: Can I bow down down during karate class? Jun 07, 2018

Parashat BeHa’alotekha: Torah for the Average May 30, 2018

Parashat Nasso: Forbidding the Permitted May 23, 2018

Parashat BeMidbar: A Prince, Inside and Out May 16, 2018

Where Do We Go From Here? (Spring Lecture Series 2018) May 13, 2018

Responsa Radio Episode 58: Can I Prepare Non-Kosher Food for a Soup Kitchen? May 10, 2018

Shavuot 5778 - Bread from the Earth and Torah from Heaven May 09, 2018

Parashat BeHar-BeChukotai: With You May 09, 2018

Can Halakhah Embrace Intermarriage?(Spring Lecture Series 2018) May 02, 2018

Parashat Emor: Drinking Torah like Milk May 01, 2018

Why is/was intermarriage forbidden?: Back to the Text (Spring Lecture Series 2018) Apr 26, 2018

Parashat Acharei Mot-Kedoshim: Setting Ourselves up for Success Apr 24, 2018

Responsa Radio Episode 57: What's the deal with tattoos? Apr 19, 2018

Parashat Tazria-Metzora: Confronting the Consequences Apr 17, 2018

Parashat Shemini: Generosity of Spirit Apr 11, 2018

Parashat Tzav: Giving with Grace Mar 20, 2018

If Slavery is Not Wrong, then Nothing is Wrong: The Torah and the Struggle Against Slavery Past, Present, and Future Mar 20, 2018

Parashat VaYikra: The Blessing of the Ordinary Mar 13, 2018

Purim 5778: God, Hidden and Revealed Feb 27, 2018

From Divine Salvation to Ironic Survival: Purim and the Secular Subversion of Pesach Feb 27, 2018

Postmodern Politics: Between Purim and Pesach Feb 27, 2018

(Where) Is God in the Book of Esther? Feb 27, 2018

Parashat Ki Tissa: Carrying and Carrying On Feb 27, 2018

Parashat Tetzaveh: Remembering Moshe Feb 20, 2018

Parashat Terumah: From Table to Grave Feb 14, 2018

Parashat Yitro: I Am "Like" the Lord Your God Jan 31, 2018

Rabbinic Voices on Sexual Assault (Session 2): Victim, Survivor, Advocate? Jan 31, 2018

Rabbinic Voices on Sexual Assault (Session 1): The Power of Definition Jan 25, 2018

What if Every Day Were Tu Bishvat? Jan 25, 2018

Parashat Bo: Responding to the Wicked Son Jan 16, 2018

Resurrection Revisited: A Closer Look at the Blessing of Giving Life to the Dead (Dr. Eddie Scharfman Memorial Lecture) Jan 11, 2018

Parashat Va'Era: What is Smart is Not Always What is Right Jan 09, 2018

Parashat Shemot: On Anxiety and Reassurance Jan 04, 2018

Parashat VaYechi: Kind to be Cruel Dec 26, 2017

Parashat Mikeitz: Storing Fortune for the Future Dec 14, 2017

חנוכה תשע״ח: אזהרתם הבהירה של נרות החנוכה בדבר פרטיקולריזם ואוניברסיליזם Dec 08, 2017

Parashat VaYeishev: On Being Present Dec 06, 2017

What the Talmud Taught Me about Christmas: Hanukkah 5778 Dec 06, 2017

Parashat VaYishlach: To Be Angelic, Not Perfect Nov 28, 2017

Parashat VaYeitzei: Once Upon an Eyelash Nov 21, 2017

Where Do We Go From Here? (Fall Lecture Series 2017) Nov 20, 2017

When is Essence Unavoidable? (Fall Lecture Series 2017) Nov 13, 2017

Parashat Chayyei Sarah: To Love Responsibly Nov 07, 2017

When Gentiles are Like Jews (Fall Lecture Series 2017) Nov 03, 2017

Parashat VaYera: Taking the Beloved Son Nov 02, 2017

From Stranger to Convert: Turning a Biblical Outsider into a Rabbinic Insider (Fall Lecture Series 2017) Oct 30, 2017

Parashat Lekh Lekha: Pray Like Someone is Listening Oct 24, 2017

New Ways to Understand the Siddur: The Literary Method of Interpretation Oct 23, 2017

In or Out? Biblical Definitions of the Ger (Fall Lecture Series 2017) Oct 22, 2017

Parashat Noach: On Being Good Enough Oct 17, 2017

Praying on the Margins: Prayers of Protest Oct 16, 2017

פרשת בראשית: שבת משלך Oct 10, 2017

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