In Rosh Hashana davening, we mention that today is the day that the world was created. In RH 11a, the Gemara cites a machlokes whether this is, in fact, true: whether the world was created in Nisan or Tishrei. This episode analyzes this strange argument and addresses whether it contradicts modern cosmology.
When the Torah (Devarim 30:3) describes Hashem bringing us back from exile, the word choice implies that Hashem Himself is returning. This episode discusses Rashi’s two explanations for this description.
Rashi (Devarim 27:24) quotes Rav Moshe Hadarshan who explains that Moshe only said 11 curses because he didn’t want to curse Shimon because he wasn’t going to bless him (due to his sins) in Zos Habracha. We raised a few serious problems: (1) There are actually 12 curses, not 11? (2) Not wanting to bless him is a reason to curse him, not to omit his curse? (3) The curses aren’t addressing any shevatim but people who sin? In this episode, we address these questions and discuss the role of Drash.
In Parshas Ki Savo, the Torah teaches us about vidui maaser, a farmer’s declaration that he’s given all of the terumos and maasros properly. At the end of this declaration, Rashi explains that we say to God, “We did what You decreed upon us, now You do that which is upon You to do (i.e. give us rain).” This episode analyzes the purpose of vidui maaser and the appropriateness of this apparent bargaining with God.
Why don’t we allow converts from Amon and Moav to ever marry into our nation while we do allow third generation converts from Mitzrayim and Edom to marry in? The Torah gives one answer; Rashi (seemingly) gives an entirely different answer. This episode seeks to resolve Rashi’s apparent contradiction with the pesukim.
Rashi (Devarim 25:17) says that the Torah juxtaposed the discussion of false weights to the parsha of Amaleik to teach that if we use false weights, we should be worried about our enemies attacks. This episode discusses this strange connection.
The Torah (Devarim 12:28) says that the mitzvos are “good and upright in the eyes of Hashem.” Rashi explains that “good” means in the eyes of Hashem and “upright” means in the eyes of man. This episode addresses this open contradiction between Rashi and the pshat in the passuk.
The passuk in Devarim 18:13 says you should be tamim (complete) with Hashem your God. This episode takes up the interpretations of Rashi and Ramban on this important passuk.
People often attack the Torah as immoral because of its treatment of Avdus, slavery. This episode will discuss the role of avdus in the Torah and will justify its morality.
In Devarim 11:2-9, Moshe tells the Jews that he’s not speaking with the generation who didn’t see what Hashem did to Mitzrayim… and many other miracles. Rather, he’s talking to those who saw these events with their own eyes. This episode deals with the significance of this point. After all, who cares if they saw it with their own eyes or if they knew it from their parents’ eyewitness testimony (as we know it)?
In Parshas Eikev, Rashi (11:19) expresses the importance of teaching your very young children “Torah Tziva Lanu Moshe” and the like. If you don’t, he says, it’s as if you bury them. This episode probes the importance of teaching Torah to young children and analyzes this extreme claim.
The Mishna/Gemara in Kiddushin 82 discusses various factors to consider in choosing a profession. Based upon this Mishna, this episode discusses the lesson we can learn from animals lack of work and the role of work in people’s lives.
The Torah (Devarim 5:19) describes the voice that Hashem produced at Sinai as one that would not be “yasaf”. Rashi cites two interpretations: (1) it didn’t stop; (2) it would never occur again. This episodes analyzes these interpretations, highlighting the uniqueness of the event of Sinai.
The Mishna/Gemara in Kiddushin 82 discusses various factors to consider in choosing a profession. Based upon this Mishna, this episode discusses how a person should balance learning and working.
In Parshas Devarim (1:9), Moshe tells Hashem that he cannot carry the Jewish people alone. Rashi explains that Moshe’s sentiment was based upon the great responsibility that Jewish judges have for the mistakes that they make. This episode analyzes the nature of this responsibility.
The Gemara in Kiddushin 82 discusses various factors to consider in choosing a profession. This episode analyzes a few of them.
In Parshas Massei, Rashi (34:2) tells us that Hashem took the angels of the seven nations down from heaven, bound them up before Moshe, and said, "Look. They no longer have any strength." This episode (which was given on Zoom during Covid) analyzes this cryptic Rashi and, in doing so, discusses why Rashi writes in metaphors like this.
The Gemara in BB 12b discusses the value of eating and drinking wine before learning. In doing so, it uses a very strange analogy. This episode uses this Gemara to derive important practical lessons about successfully incorporating learning Torah into our lives.
In Parshas Pinchas, Rashi on two consecutive pesukim seems to give contradictory perspectives on Moshe’s request for a new leader. In 27:15, Rashi highlights how, before his death, Moshe abandoned his personal needs for the sake of communal needs. Then in 27:16, Rashi imputes a personal agenda to Moshe’s request - that his sons will inherit his position. This episode addresses this apparent contradiction, highlighting an important duality in the attitude of Jewish leaders.
Despite her many years of pain and illnesses, my mother wrote the following before a life-threatening surgery: “As I hope you realize, the point of this all is to simply say, I thank God every day that I am truly blessed with happiness (to be cliche, Yiddishe Nachas). Bumps in the road are just that and make me appreciate what I have more.” This episode analyzes these moving words by probing the theme of Hakaras Hatov, gratitude.
At the end of Parshas Chukas, the Torah tells us the story of the spies that Moshe sent to Yaazer. Rashi explains how these spies learned from the mistakes of the first set of spies. This episode tries to piece together the story of these second spies.
When Moshe tried to make peace with them, Dasan and Aviram said, “We will not go up!” Rashi explains that their words caused them to stumble. Since they said that they will not go up, in fact they only ended up going down (to the depths of the Earth). This episode addresses this strange correlation.
The Torah traces Korach’s lineage to Levi and not to Yaakov Avinu. Rashi explains that Yaakov davened not to be mentioned with Korach. This episode explores Yaakov’s motivation in making this request.
Rashi (Bamidbar 15:38) on Lo Sasuru likens one’s eyes and heart to spies which bring him to aveira. This episode analyzes this analogy to gain insight into avoiding sin.
At the very end of Shelach, Rashi brings Rav Moshe Hadarshan who “explains” many details of tzitzis in strange ways. This episodes discusses these drashos with an eye towards understanding the role of drash in general.
Gematria and the 613 Mitzvos
The Gemara in Chulin 60a discusses strange features of the bull that Adam HaRishon brought as a korban. This episode analyzes this Gemara with an eye towards methodology of interpreting cryptic Aggados.
In Parshas Behaalosecha (10:29), Moshe pleads with Yisro to join us in entering Eretz Yisrael. This episode analyzes Rashi to reveal the various facets of Moshe’s argument to Yisro.
Rashi explains many details of the process of the Sotah bringing a Mincha and drinking the water. Many of these involve degrading her in one way or another. This episode discusses these details, deriving pertinent lessons about how we view Sotah, znus, and taamei hamitzvah in general.
Why does the Torah in this week’s parsha (Naso) juxtapose giving gifts to the kohen and the parsha of Sotah? Rashi (Bamidbar 5:12) says that it’s teaching us that if a man withholds gifts of the kohen, he will eventually need to bring his unfaithful wife to the kohen to drink the Sotah waters. How in the world does one lead to another? Is this a natural or supernatural correlation? This episode addresses these questions.
