Hebrew In Israel

Who stole my bible?!  In this week’s torah portion, Noach (Noah), Yoel further addresses the claim that parts of the Tanakh were stolen from other cultures and writings by examining elements of the account of the flood. Torah Portion Noach: Genesis 6:9 – 11:32   Questions And Topics In This Podcast Who Is Noah? The character […]

“For me this is like Noach’s flood.  Just as I swore that no flood like Noach’s would ever again cover the earth, so now I swear that never again will I be angry with you or rebuke you.” We learn about Samaritans and the origins of the haftarah readings as a supplement to this week’s haftarah from Yeshayahu 54. […]

“If it does, [YHWH] is responsible for this great tragedy; if not, we will know that it is not his oppression which has been over us, but that what has been happening to us has been only by chance.” Do things happen by chance? The Philistines test for evidence of God’s hand and successfully transport […]

“The blind I will lead on a road they don’t know, on roads they don’t know I will lead them; I will turn darkness to light before them, and straighten their twisted paths.  These are things I will do without fail.” Some history of ancient temple liturgy precedes our presentation of Haftarah Bereshit in which Isaiah describes the powerful […]

We open our renewed Torah cycle in Bereshit (In the beginning) with an academic comparison and contrast of the elements in the Torah with other creation stories. Torah Portion Bereshit: Genesis 1:1 – 6:8   Questions And Topics In This Podcast Who rebelled against God? Why is man created in the first place? Is Duality in […]

Join Yoel and Jeff Gilbert as we wrap up this year’s Torah cycle with Vezot Haberakhah (this is the blessing). Torah Portion Vezot Haberakhah: Deuteronomy 33:1 – 34:12   Questions And Topics In This Podcast Ending and Beginning the Torah Cycle Final Speeches in the Tanakh אִישׁ הָאֱלֹהִים  (Ish haElohim) “The Man of God” Analysis of […]

“Only be strong and very bold in taking care to follow all the Torah which Moshe my servant ordered you to follow; do not turn from it either to the right or to the left; then you will succeed wherever you go.” Our haftarah presents the transition of leadership from Moshe to Joshua.  This lesson is supplemented […]

In Part 2, we finish the discussion on counting the Omer, addressing the “day after the sabbath” and “firstfruits”; Yom Teruah and what it is for, Yom Hakippurim and “afflicting your soul” from “evening to evening”, Sukkot; what constitutes a sukkah, what are the four species, and why is it just the native-born who can […]

From the Talking Torah Round Table torah portions with Jeff Gilbert, this week’s Torah portion, Ha’azinu (listen) has Yoel and Jeff discussing the details of Hebrew Poetry and what the symbolism used in this song is all about. Torah Portion Haazinu: Deuteronomy 32:1 – 32:52       These teachings and recordings are made available free […]

“He makes me swift and sure-footed as a deer and enables me to stand on my high places.”  Biblical poetry about God’s protection and deliverance is the common thread between this week’s torah portion and haftarah Ha’azinu.   Haftarah Ha’azinu:  2 Samuel 22:1-51   Other Teachings Mentioned In This Podcast Horns      Who Are You, […]