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Rabbanit Nechama Goldman Barash joins us to share her take on this week's parsha, and the infamous story of the Golden Calf. We'll discuss how this event can serve as an example of the inevitable moments of collapse and the repair that follows in all relationships. Our conversation will turn to the societal relationship within Israel, and the divide that we've seen occur within Israeli society, as we ask ourselves whether the response to October 7 has helped to heal and repair this divide. Credits: Rabbi Zvi Hirschfield - Host and Pardes Faculty Rabbanit Nechama Goldman Barash - Pardes Faculty

Do the clothes we wear define us? Rabbi Daniel Reifman joins our host Rabbi Zvi Hirschfield this week for a discussion on the priestly vestments as described in this week's parsha in precise detail. Does the Torah teach us to create such an intricate and beautiful garb solely to create the right atmosphere for religious service, or is it that a specific uniform has the power to transform the wearer? Together, we'll explore the various uniforms worn by contemporary Jewish groups, the role they play, and how they can both connect and separate us. Credits: Rabbi Daniel Reifman and Rabbi Zvi Hirschfield - Pardes Faculty

Can we find value in tangible expressions or experiences of spirituality, even if they challenge our rational view of the world? Pardes President Rabbi Leon Morris joins us this week to explore the challenges raised by the commandment to build a portable temple (the Mishkan) to serve as God's house in the desert. How are we able to reconcile the idea of a physical home for God, when we believe that God is everywhere? Is it possible for us to fulfil our spiritual needs when they are in conflict with our rational perspectives? As we explore this conflict, we'll also look to how it relates to the idea of the physical Land of Israel as a holy land and homeland to the Jewish people. Credits: Rabbi Leon Morris and Rabbi Zvi Hirschfield - Pardes Faculty

This week's parsha is primarily concerned with laws meant to order and structure our interactions and society, including a prohibition against cursing judges and the king. In light of this prohibition, Sefi Kraut, Pardes Director of Mahloket Matters, asks us to consider what we can and should do when we believe that the institutions meant to defend our values have betrayed those very values. Reflecting on the protest movement that spread across Israel this past summer, Sefi reminds us that, while the protests may have paused due to the events of October 7th, those core divisions within Israeli society remain and that, in order for us to bridge these divisions, we must learn from our experiences and find a way to allow for debate in a healthy manner.

What is our responsibility to the rest of the world, and how might that impact the image that we want to project to humanity at large? Tovah Leah Nachmani joins us in the studio this week to discuss Yitro, an outsider whose story appears alongside the covenantal moment of receiving the Torah at Mt. Sinai. How does Yitro, and by contrast Amalek, offer competing models for how the Jewish people may interact with the outside world? Are we able to reconcile Jewish particularism with positive engagement with the rest of humanity? Credits: Tovah Leah Nachmani and Rabbi Zvi Hirschfield - Pardes Faculty

Dive on in as Yiscah Smith joins Rabbi Zvi Hirschfield to discuss the story of the Red Sea, reminding us that we had to first jump into the water before it would split. Can we view faith as a concious choice, rather than a reaction? If so, how can we find the strength and resilience to make this choice and hold to our faith when facing immense difficulties? During our discussion, Yiscah challenges us take responsibility for how we perceive the world, and to fight to see goodness despite the darkness we may encounter. Credits: Yiscah Smith and Rabbi Zvi Hirschfield - Pardes Faculty

On the cusp of leaving Egypt, the children of Israel are told that they must remember the Exodus. For over 2,000 years, this commandment to remember the past has helped the Jewish people remain connected to their history as a people. Yet, is that enough for us to remain united as well? In this week's episode, Rafael Polisuk joins Rabbi Zvi Hirschfield for a deep dive into what united the children of Israel, and a discussion on the importance of building a shared future together. Credits: Rafael Polisuk and Rabbi Zvi Hirschfield - Pardes Faculty

How may we be redeemed when we feel as if our spirits have been crushed? Rabbi Leon Morris joins us this week to discuss the idea of kotzer ruach, a crushed soul, and how Moshe faced resistance from those who could not believe that redemption was at hand. Bringing modern relevance to the redemption story, we'll unpack what it means to be kotzer ruach, and how we might break out of a state despair through the cultivation of hope and widening of imagination. Credits: Pardes President Rabbi Leon Morris and Rabbi Zvi Hirschfield - Pardes Faculty

This week, we begin the book of Shemot and are introduced to Moshe. Yet, by the time Moshe takes up the mantle of leadership, he’s already in his later years, and his developmental years are practically skipped over. Rabbi Dr. Meesh Hammer-Kossoy joins us this week to examine those developmental years with three stories; Moshe’s smiting of the Egyptian slavemaster, his stepping in during a conflict among his own people, and his protection of the Midianite women and their flocks. Exploring these three stories, we gain insight into Moshe’s moral growth, his relationship with his own people, and his sense of justice for all. Credits: Rabbi Dr. Meesh Hammer-Kossoy and Rabbi Zvi Hirschfield - Pardes Faculty

When thinking of traditional inheritance, we often think of the firstborn as being the main heir, and in many ways the Torah confirms this, yet throughout the book of Bereishit we see the script being flipped, with the younger sibling receiving the greater blessing. The final example of this appears at Ya'akov's deathbed, where he blesses his descendants and uses his dominant hand to bless Ephraim, the younger of his two grandchildren. In this week's episode, Rabbi Zvi Hirschfield is joined by Aviva Lauer for an examination of this strange reversal. Together, they examine the Torah's perspective on meritocracy, and discuss the difficult balance between needing structural hierarchies and creating conditions that allow each of us to shine in our own manner. Credits: Aviva Lauer and Rabbi Zvi Hirschfield - Pardes Faculty

Can the pains of the past be overcome, opening the way for relationships to heal and be redefined? In this week's parsha, we witness the emotional reunion between the sons of Israel, with Yosef revealing himself to the brothers who had once thrown him into a pit and, ignoring his pain and pleas, sold him into slavery. Rabba Shani Gross joined our host Rabbi Zvi Hirschfield to discuss the relationship between Yosef and his brothers, in particular Yehuda, and how the power of speech helped bridge the terrible divide within this family. The discussion turns to today, and how better communication and listening to one another may help heal some of the rifts within our own world. Credits: Rabba Shani Gross and Rabbi Zvi Hirschfield - Pardes Faculty

What might Yosef's story, so full of pain yet hope, teach us about maintaining our own faith during difficult times? During these challenging times, many feel themselves torn between a desire to stand firmly in their Jewish identities and values and the feeling that they must hide their identity. In this week's parsha discussion, Rabbi Zvi Hirschfield and Rabbi Jon Leener explore this familiar feeling through an examination of Yosef. Having experienced significant trauma and spent much of his life being unseen for who he truly is, Yosef ultimately takes responsibility for himself and reveals his true identity, allowing himself to be truly seen. What might we take from Yosef's example about staying hopeful even when we are at our lowest point? Credits: Rabbi Jon Leener and Rabbi Zvi Hirschfield - Pardes Faculty