Rambam’s approach to Teshuvah: Rambam was the first person to codify the Laws of Repentance in his remarkable Mishneh Torah. Download Mp3
Continue ReadingLectures
Rambam on Welfare
Rambam’s approach to Tzedakah: how to create a welfare system. Should Jews earn their own living as opposed to relying on welfare or stipends for learning. Download Mp3
Continue ReadingShmuel I – The Rise of Monarchy – Part 10
Saul tried to kill David but his son Jonathan and daughter Michal both love David and protect him. Saul perceives David as a threat to his family’s dynasty. (Sam I, Chps. 19-21) Download mp3
Continue ReadingShmuel I – The Rise of Monarchy – Part 11
David flees from Saul who pursues him with his troops. David keeps one step ahead. Eventually, Saul is forced to break off the chase when the Philistines attack. (Sam I, Chps. 21-24) Download mp3
Continue ReadingShmuel I – The Rise of Monarchy – Part 12
David is still on the run from Saul. He asks for supplies from Nabal who rejects him but his wife, Abigail, makes amends and supplies David and his troops. (Sam I, Chps. 24-25) Download mp3
Continue ReadingShmuel I – The Rise of Monarchy – Part 13
Saul encounters the Philistines. The witch of Endor conjures up the spirit of Samuel who informs Saul that he will perish and the crown will pass to David. (Sam I, Chps. 26-28) Download mp3
Continue ReadingJudges – Yiftach – Part 1
Yiftah is the son of a harlot and a great warrior. He saved the Jews from the Ammonites. He makes a tragic promise to sacrifice the first thing he meets if God will grant him victory over the Philistines. Download mp3 Download texts
Continue ReadingJudges – Samson – Part 2
Samson is often portrayed as a man who could not control his passions. In this alternative reading, he is a lone leader whose people were too weak to follow him. (Chps. 13-16) Download mp3 Download texts
Continue ReadingJudges – Idol Of Micha – Part 3
The story of the Idol of Micha encapsulates the spiritual fall of the Jewish People as they reject God and worship idols. (Chp. 17) Download mp3 Download texts
Continue ReadingLeadership in Tanach – Part 1
Moses is the principal example of a great leader in Jewish tradition. He put the welfare of his people above all other concerns. He admonishes them at times, but is always ready to defend them. Download mp3 Download text
Continue ReadingMoses in Midrash – Part 6
Moses speaks to God in anger out of his love for the Jewish People. The meaning of ‘Passover’. Why did the Jews daub blood on their doorpost – surely God could differentiate by Himself. Download mp3 Download texts
Continue ReadingAbraham & Job in Midrash – Part 3
Why do the righteous suffer and the wicked prosper? Job accuses God of injustice while Abraham questions God. This is a key difference between them. Download mp3
Continue ReadingJewish Prayer – Part 7
Aleinu is one of our most iconic prayers. It address the themes of chosen people, monotheism and the messianic age. What are its origins and how long have we said it on a daily basis? Download mp3
Continue ReadingPirkei Avot – Ethics of the Fathers – Part 6
Not strictly Pirkei Avot – but the history of Yavneh under Rabban Gamliel. How the Sages rebelled against him. What happened on that day and how Rabban Gamliel was reinstated. Download mp3 Download texts
Continue ReadingAkeidah in Midrash – Part 4
The Midrash suggests that Abraham maimed or even killed Isaac, who was then resurrected by God. Isaac’s resurrection is like that of Jesus – which becomes the foundation myth of Christian theology. Download mp3
Continue ReadingThe Haggadah – Part 2
Haggadah means ‘interpretation of scripture’. The haggadah itself is one of the earliest midrashim. Compares the haggadah with Midrash Tannaim. Download mp3 Download text
Continue ReadingShmuel II – The Life and Death of David – Part 5
David is on his deathbed and must choose a successor from among his sons. The advice that he gives Solomon is chilling! (Kings I, Chap 1-2) Sound file to come
Continue ReadingShmuel I – The Rise of Monarchy – Part 14
Saul and Jonathan are killed in battle by the Philistines. They cut off Saul’s head and display it. The people of Jabesh-gilead steal the bones and bury them. (Sam I, Chps. 28-31) Download mp3
Continue Reading