How do we navigate the complexities of being a unique people while integrating into the modern world?

In this week’s episode, Rabbi Avi Spodek and Rabbi Zvi Hirschfield delve into Parsha Balak, highlighting the themes of identity, isolation, and the … Read the rest

The post Balak 5784: Finding Identity in Solitude first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.

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In what ways might we find deeper meaning to our parsha through an examination of the haftarah?

In this week’s podcast, Rabbi Zvi Hirschfield is joined by Rabbi Amirit Rosen to discuss one of the wildest stories of the Torah, … Read the rest

The post Balak 5783: The View from the Inside first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.

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Parashat Balak: The Outsider’s View

Description: Parashat Balak narrates the strange tale of a foreign seer who is hired to curse the Israelites but is compelled by God to bless them. What is this story doing in the Torah? It … Read the rest

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Parshat Balak is highly unusual. On the one hand, it does not contain even a single mitzvah. On the other hand, it describes events that are supernatural and strange. Perhaps the most peculiar occurrence in the parasha concerns Bilam’s talking… Read the rest

The post Balak 5781: The Strange Case of the Talking Donkey first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.

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The end of parsha Balak presents three attempts to end a plague. The divergent approaches of Moses and Pinchas reflect different priorities, each essential for our consideration in modern times.

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Please let us know your comments … Read the rest

The post 5780 — Balak: How to Stop a Plague. And at what cost? first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.

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Are you able to see things from multiple perspectives? What would it look like to step into our antagonist’s shoes? In this week’s Interactive Parsha Experience, Rachel Friedrichs, Assistant Director of the Pardes Center for Jewish Studies invites us, … Read the rest

The post An Interactive Parsha Experience – 5779 Balak: There are at Least Two Sides to Every Story first appeared on Elmad Online Learning.

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