Audio with brief annotations. Let your eyes rest as you learn by listening. Exercise, walk your dog, or just kick back in a comfy chair and listen.
The Third Book of Enoch (Hebrew Enoch), or "The Book of Palaces," is an ancient Jewish mystical composition. Though named after Enoch, it was not written by the biblical Enoch himself. He is, however, the main character in a story of Rabbi Ishamel’s ascent to see the...
Torah says that Olah was to be brought to the entrance of the tent. Why? Because not every offering is automatically accepted. The priests carefully examined offerings at the entrance, and only then were they presented to God on the altar. Today, people rarely think that their worship can be...
Sometimes we get tired of fighting for just about everything in life. Moses was at the end of his life, well over a hundred, and yet he was still in a fight. In Numbers 31, Moses was told that he must exact vengeance for what Midian did to Israel, and...
For some, reading Midrash is a beloved preoccupation, and others find it frustrating. Midrash can be beautiful and very inspiring, yet for those who lean toward more strict analytical thought, it seems to take way too many liberties in explaining biblical texts. This is exactly why Midrash needs to be...
In Torah, in parsha Shemot (Exodus 6), we read how a new king arose in Egypt, a king who did not know Joseph. This was not great for Jacob's family. His fear of the Unknown (in his case, foreigners living in his land) led to panic, and panic...
The story of Pinchas can be hard to take in. Pinchas intervened by taking on God’s jealousy, and that changed everything. And in verse 12, God rewards him, and he says, hineni notein lo et biriti shalom “behold I give to him my covenant of peace.” Peace is not...
Thousands of years ago, ancient Hebrews believed that their God was not tied to a specific place. They called his throne Merkavah (chariot). A throne with wheels and floating Keruvim moved to where He needed to be. The Bible depicted this reality in the visions seen by prophets of old,...
Exodus 28:29 says, Venasa Aharon et shemot benei Israel “and Aaron shall carry the names of the sons of Israel” bachoshen hamishpat, al libo - “on the breastplate of decision, over his heart.” Aaron’s vestments had a breastplate with 12 precious stones, and the names of the 12...
In a touching Torah story, Judah offered himself instead of Benjamin to the Egyptian ruler. Judah has come to terms with an intense attachment Jacob had to Rachel's sons. He was not angry with Jacob for favoring Benjamin anymore, not like he was jealous of Joseph earlier. Moments...