In this episode of The Original Torah Pearls, Vayakhel (Exodus 35:1-38:20), we begin with asking what it means to "kindle a fire" on the Sabbath.  Then we ask what it means for someone's heart to be stirred, and how the various traditions understand this, leading to a wonderful discussion on how and why we give to God. There is a fascinating discussion of the nature of Polygamy in the Torah, which leads to an exciting examination of the nature of Paleo-Hebrew.

I look forward to reading your comments!

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Nehemia Gordon's Teachings on the Name of God

In this episode of Hebrew Voices, The Aramaic Name of God, Nehemia Gordon discusses a cache of papyri written by a garrison of Jewish soldiers on the southern border of Egypt in the 5th century BCE. Hebrew University Professor Emeritus Bezalel … Continue reading →

In this episode of Hebrew Voices, The Hebrew Error of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Nehemia Gordon looks at the promise of the Democratic Party's "Green New Deal" to pay money to those "unwilling to work". Nehemia shows how this unbelievable statement can … Continue reading →

In this episode of Hebrew Voices, The Hebrew Error of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Nehemia Gordon looks at the promise of the Democratic Party's "Green New Deal" to pay money to those "unwilling to work". Nehemia shows how this unbelievable statement can … Continue reading →

In this episode of Hebrew Voices, A Chinese Christian who Loves Israel, Nehemia Gordon speaks with Peter Wong of Hong Kong at the Bible Lands Museum in Jerusalem. Peter explains how he came to know the God of Israel, why he … Continue reading →

This episode of The Original Torah Pearls is on the Torah portion of Terumah (Exodus 25:1-27:19). The episode opens with a lively discussion on the difference between tithes and offerings.  There follows a brilliant discussion of the "Mercy Seat" of the Ark, and what that means to different cultures and faiths.  What could have been a boring discussion of the "furniture" in the tabernacle becomes a passionate discussion of the implements that were really contained within the Ark.

I look forward to reading your comments!

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The photo at the top of this page is of a replica of the Menorah made by the “Temple Institute” who intends to use in the future Temple. The replica is gold-plated instead of solid gold as commanded in the Torah (Exodus 25:36, 39). It also has a stepped base instead of a tripod as in the earliest Jewish artistic representations of the Menorah. The stepped base comes from the portrayal of the Menorah on the Arch of Titus in Rome. Location: Jewish Quarter, Old City, Jerusalem.

In this episode of Hebrew Voices, Reggie White and the Secret Vault, I share my experiences teaching Biblical Hebrew to the late football Hall-of-Famer Reggie White and tell the story of how we attained special access to a vault holding … Continue reading →

In this episode of Hebrew Voices, Hebrew Homeschooling, Nehemia Gordon speaks with Katie and Lydia Hirn, who are developing a Torah-based homeschool curriculum. Nehemia answers some of their burning questions about how to pronounce Hebrew and explains why some people … Continue reading →

In this episode of Hebrew Voices, How to Keep Shabbat, Nehemia Gordon discusses what it means “not kindle a fire on Shabbat”, where the Rabbinic tradition of lighting “Shabbat candles” come from, and a reminder to show grace to those who … Continue reading →

In this episode of Hebrew Voices, How to Keep Shabbat, Nehemia Gordon discusses what it means “not kindle a fire on Shabbat”, where the Rabbinic tradition of lighting “Shabbat candles” come from, and a reminder to show grace to those who … Continue reading →