The laws of the red heifer in Parshat Chukat are notoriously difficult to explain. Why does the Torah require its ashes to be mixed with water? How does this water “purify” those who have come into contact with death? Is there anything we can still learn from this ancient ritual? And one more question: Is there a reason why the heifer needs to be red?

Join Rabbi Fohrman and Daniel Loewenstein in a fascinating exploration of the ideas behind the parah adumah. Their conversation takes us to a surprising place: out of the realm of laws and back to one of the Torah’s earliest stories. As they reflect on the first death in the Bible, we begin to understand what the red heifer can teach us about the meaning of being human… even today.

What was really motivating Korach? Was it idealism, jealousy, thirst for power? We may just get a clue from the letters of Korach's name: Kuf, Reish, Chet. Somewhere in those letters lies a fascinating answer that the Torah is just waiting for us to uncover.

In Parshat Shelach, we read the story of the spies who ventured to the land of Israel and brought back a false report to the Israelites. Have you ever noticed that their report is strikingly similar to another story from earlier in the Torah? Think about it: a group of twelve men, ten of whom committed a terrible sin and two of whom were innocent... sound familiar? Join Beth Lesch and Rivky Stern as they explore the echoes that resound in the story of the spies.

In Parshat Beha’alotcha, we see the beginning of the dramatic downfall of the generation of the exodus. This dive leads, eventually, to 40 years of wandering in the desert and death to the entire generation. What happened? What catastrophic event tipped the scales of the Israelites’ fate so significantly? Rabbi Fohrman explores this question and finds a link to another event with cataclysmic results, not just for the Israelites, but for all of humanity.

Parshat Naso speaks of the sotah – the "wayward woman" – who has been accused of committing adultery. The priest makes a mixture of water and dust, writing the law of the sotah on a piece of paper and dissolving it in the water, and gives it to the woman to drink. The Torah warns that if she was guilty, she will die a gruesome death — but if she was innocent, she will not only survive but become pregnant. It's a bizarre ritual, to say the least. In this episode, Rabbi David Fohrman and Rivky Stern explore this strange ceremony and tackle the question: How are we in the 21st century meant to relate to it?

(Part 2 of 2) If you were asked what we remember on Shavuot, what would you say? The giving of the Torah, right? But the Biblical commandment to celebrate Shavuot doesn’t even mention receiving the Torah! Instead, we hear that Shavuot is a harvest holiday, a day to remember that God took us out of Egypt, a day to be joyful with our families and to include others in our celebration. So which one is it: a harvest festival or a commemoration of the Revelation at Sinai? 

In this episode, Rabbi Fohrman embarks upon a sweeping journey, closing the mysterious gap between the Biblical Shavuot and Shavuot as we know it – and most importantly, uncovering the hidden depth in this all-important holiday.

(Part 1 of 2) If you were asked what we remember on Shavuot, what would you say? The giving of the Torah, right? But the Biblical commandment to celebrate Shavuot doesn’t even mention receiving the Torah! Instead, we hear that Shavuot is a harvest holiday, a day to remember that God took us out of Egypt, a day to be joyful with our families and to include others in our celebration. So which one is it: a harvest festival or a commemoration of the Revelation at Sinai? 

In this episode, Rabbi Fohrman embarks upon a sweeping journey, closing the mysterious gap between the Biblical Shavuot and Shavuot as we know it – and most importantly, uncovering the hidden depth in this all-important holiday.

Lag BaOmer: It’s a day for celebrations… parties, music, bonfires, barbecues. What exactly are we celebrating, though? Among other things, Lag BaOmer is the day when we remember the Talmudic sage Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai. So who exactly was Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai? Well, for one thing, he was the man who, according to the Talmud, almost burned the world to a crisp. Oh, you’ve never heard that story? Do you want to hear it? It’s a good one… and it just may hold the key to understanding Lag BaOmer.

Parshat Emor includes a familiar passage known as the parshat hamo’adim – the section of the Torah that describes all of the Biblical holidays. But there are two major interruptions in this passage, two things that just don't seem to belong. Why are they invading the holiday section of this parsha? As it turns out, these two “interruptions” may be the key to understanding what Jewish holidays are really all about. 

How can we make sense of the laws in Parshat Kedoshim? They seem to deal with such a mix of unrelated topics. Some of them are obviously about moral behavior: Don’t steal, don’t deceive people, leave some of the grain in your field for the poor. But laws about sacrifices also get a lot of space. What dothoselaws have to do with morality? And what are these different ideas all doing in the same parsha? Rabbi Fohrman argues that not only do these laws belong together... they actually work together to show us what holiness really means.