The Portion

A quick solo show on the important of consistency. 

This week's Torah portion reads like a complicated set of building specs, as G-d presents Moshe with the instructions for building the Tabernacle. We talk about what it means for the Israelites to engage in a construction project following the splitting of the sea and the revelation at Sinai.  

In Mishpatim, the Torah seems to take a dramatic turn from narrative into a detailed discussion of Jewish law. How do we explain this change? And how should we think about the way that the word mishpatim is used in Genesis vs. the way it's used in this week's parsha? Join us for the discussion. 

Something strange about the week's Torah portion, Yitro, is that the greatest divine revelation in human history is preceded by a seemingly unrelated story about Moshe delegating authority and setting up multi-tier courts. On this episode, Aaron wonders why he's so bad at delegating and Rabbi Bienenfeld delves into the details of what makes good leadership. Check it out. 

On this week's show, we talk about the difficult path the Israelites had to travel to achieve mental freedom even after they achieved physical liberation. We talk about the contrast between manna and matzoh, changing habits, and the deep lessons of Shabbos. Also, here's a reference to last week's episode in the show notes: http://www.buzzsprout.com/217572/2614090-bo-free-flexible. 

In this episode, we spoke about Pharoah's hardened heart. Has G-d removed Pharoah's free will, or has He strengthened it? We contrast Pharoah's inflexible commitment to a corrupt ideology with the more fleet footed approach of the Patriarchs. 

In this week's episode, as the Torah portion introduces seven out of the ten plagues, we talk about the role of miracles and how direct divine intervention should impact our own perspectives. 

In this week's episode, we start Sefer Shemot - the Book of Exodus - with the question of what makes Moshe Rabbeinu the greatest Jewish leader in history. 

In this week's Torah portion, Vayechi, Yaakov Avinu, the third, and last, of the patriarchs, dies. On this week's episode, we talk about the lessons Yaakov teaches us at the end of his life. 

In this episode, we look at how Jacob and his children prepare to descend to Egypt and what that has to teach us today about moving into and within the diaspora. 

In this episode, we delve into the dispute between Yosef and his brothers to try and understand why it never occurred to them to even suspect that the Egyptian viceroy giving them so much trouble might be their brother. 

In this week's episode, we try to make sense of Joseph and his violent journey from Yaakov's favorite child to the depths of a pit, and all his subsequent rises and falls. Along the way, we touch on a couple of points that make Joseph's journey all the more remarkable and draw out some lessons for our moment today.

In this week's Torah portion, Yaakov wrestles with a mysterious man, whom tradition considers to the Esav's "angel." In this week's episode, we talk about what this wrestling match represents and how it prepared Yaakov for his encounter with the real Esav the next day. 

In this week's discussion, we talk about Yaakov's trip to Padan-Aram to escape his brother and his decision to return back home. We look at the dream he has at the beginning of his journey and the vision he has at the end, and what that tells us about who he is, in contrast to the difficult people around him. 

This episode, recorded on Thanksgiving with the turkey in the oven, discusses the question of how Jews give thanks to their host nations in exile, what that tells us about Thanksgiving, and how an antecedent is found in this week's Torah portion in the relationship between Yitzchak and Avimelech, the King of Grar. 

In this week's episode, we talk about the idea in Jewish tradition that Abraham was tested ten times. Why? Why is being tested essential for Abraham's character? Does he pass all the tests? And what are we supposed to learn from that? Join us for the discussion.

The Portion, Season 2 is on! Aaron and Rabbi Bienenfeld are back this week talking about Noah. This year, they're pretty much skipping the ark and the flood to talk about the vineyard that Noah plants after he gets off the flood. Why grapes? Why a vineyard? Why does Noah get drunk? And does the Torah's negative portrayal of drinking and drunkenness influence Jewish practice today?