In this week's Jerusalem Lights podcast, Rabbi Chaim Richman is joined by his wife Rena for an inspiring discussion focusing on this week's Torah portion of Terumah, and the centrality and importance of the Holy Temple in our everyday lives...a microcosm of creation; a place of revelation; but yet a place of subtle, ever-present miracles that testify to God's constant present in our everyday lives. Jim Long was feeling a bit under the weather this week and with Hashem's help he will be back next week...and we are also looking forward to more podcasts in the future with Rabbanit Rena, in our usual video format! This week's podcast is available in audio only formatLovingly Recorded in Ora Studios, Jerusalem Israel________Rabbi Chaim Richman Jerusalem Lights | Torah for Everyone Please support the work of Jerusalem Lights, Inc., a USA recognized 501 ( c ) 3 non-profit organization to enable these productions to continue and grow:PayPal: [email protected] or: https://paypal.me/JerusalemLights?loc...In the USA: Jerusalem Lights Inc. Post Office Box 16886Lubbock Texas 79490In Israel: Tel. 972 54 7000395 Mail: PO Box 23808, Jerusalem IsraelSubscribe to our newsletter at https://www.rabbirichman.comSubscribe to our YouTube channel:    / jerusalemlightsrabbichaimrichman  Follow us on Facebook:   / rabbichaimrichman    / 282440396475839  

Are we 'tied to the law,' or are we liberated by the law? This week's Torah portion of parashat Mishpatim (Ordinances) is filled with commandments governing civil and societal interactions -- property damages, loans, servants, judicial conduct. At first glance, these seem dry compared to the dramatic spiritual events of the Exodus and the Giving of the Torah. But a deeper look reveals that these laws are Divine expressions of justice infused with mercy and compassion. In this week's Jerusalem Lights podcast, Rabbi Richman and Yours Truly, contemplate how even the seemingly technical laws in this parasha contain deep ethical, spiritual and mystical dimensions. Lovingly Recorded in Ora Studios, Jerusalem Israel________Rabbi Chaim Richman Jerusalem Lights | Torah for Everyone Please support the work of Jerusalem Lights, Inc., a USA recognized 501 ( c ) 3 non-profit organization to enable these productions to continue and grow:PayPal: [email protected] or: https://paypal.me/JerusalemLights?loc...In the USA: Jerusalem Lights Inc. Post Office Box 16886Lubbock Texas 79490In Israel: Tel. 972 54 7000395 Mail: PO Box 23808, Jerusalem IsraelSubscribe to our newsletter at https://www.rabbirichman.comSubscribe to our YouTube channel:    / jerusalemlightsrabbichaimrichman  Follow us on Facebook:   / rabbichaimrichman    / 282440396475839  

Every soul, both Jewish and non-Jewish, heard God's voice at Mount Sinai. The Sinai Revelation was an event that validated creation and demonstrated God's profound love for this world and His resolute belief in man. The Giving of the Torah was an event that transcends time and continues to take place every day. In this week's Jerusalem Lights podcast, Rabbi Richman and co-host Jim Long focus on the Torah portion of Yitro and the Sinai Revelation, discussing its effect on the spacetime continuum forever changing the world, and bringing hope and redemption to all humanity. Lovingly Recorded in Ora Studios, Jerusalem Israel________Rabbi Chaim Richman Jerusalem Lights | Torah for Everyone Please support the work of Jerusalem Lights, Inc., a USA recognized 501 ( c ) 3 non-profit organization to enable these productions to continue and grow:PayPal: [email protected] or:https://paypal.me/JerusalemLights?loc...In the USA: Jerusalem Lights Inc. Post Office Box 16886Lubbock Texas 79490In Israel: Tel. 972 54 7000395 Mail: PO Box 23808, Jerusalem IsraelSubscribe to our newsletter athttps://www.rabbirichman.comSubscribe to our YouTube channel:   / jerusalemlightsrabbichaimrichman  Follow us on Facebook:  / rabbichaimrichman  

This week's Jerusalem Lights podcast sees our hosts together in person, united in Jerusalem. Jim Long's visits to Israel always make for a special program! Jim and Rabbi Chaim Richman explore the theme of faith that resounds throughout this week's Torah portion of B'shalach, touching upon everything from the splitting of the sea, to a secret excursion to find some left-over manna in the desert, to the intricacies of String Theory and its vibrating dimensions! The universe is crying out the presence of G-d, and despite appearances, reality is truly unlimited.

In part II of our focus on the Ten Plagues, this week's Jerusalem Lights podcast focuses on the last three plagues as featured in the Torah portion of Bo: locusts, darkness and the slaying of the firstborn. Jim Long and Rabbi Chaim Richman take up their discussion and delve into the rich sources of the Midrash and Oral Tradition , and with his inimitable scholarship and expertise, Jim Long continues to amaze with an up-close look at the narrative found in ancient Egyptian texts and records.

The ten plagues that God visited upon Egypt served to temporarily return creation to a state of chaos and judgement, contrasting with the Genesis narrative where order and life were brought forth from the primordial waters. In this edition of the Jerusalem Lights podcast, Jim Long and Rabbi Chaim Richman ponder the deep symbolism of the plagues ...not just physical but cosmic forces that directly confronted the foundational order established at creation. Jim Long shares fascinating information from the annals of ancient Egypt that testify to the historical veracity of the Biblical narrative, and the perspective of the Egyptians, as the One G-d of Israel shattered their belief systems and demonstrated His mastery over creation.

As the Book of Exodus commences, 'a new king arose' who did not know Joseph. How did it transpire, after Joseph saved the Egyptian nation from starvation, that the Israelites in Egypt went from savior status to that of pariah, in just one generation? Jim Long brings fascinating background sources as he and Rabbi Chaim Richman ponder Pharaoh's motivation in enslaving the Children of Israel and the unique psychological warfare he initiated...as Egypt transitions from gratitude to genocide.

The Book of Genesis draws to a close with this week's Torah portion of Va'yechi. The patriarch Jacob spent his happiest years reunited with Yosef in Egypt...but if father and son were so close, why is it that Yosef rarely saw his father, and why didn't Yosef ever spend any time alone with him? In this week's Jerusalem Lights podcast, Jim Long and Rabbi Chaim Richman take a close look at these last, formative years in Egypt, shedding more light on the amazing Yosef, his children, his brothers...and things that can't be spoken of. It's the end of the beginning, the era of the forefathers and the book of Genesis, and the beginning of the end of life as we know it, as the dark clouds of Egyptian exile and servitude gather on the horizon.

The light-filled holiday of Chanukah marks the victory of Israel over the forces of Hellenism. When the Greek invaders defiled the Holy Temple and attempted to force the Jews to assimilate into their idolatrous culture, they outlawed Torah study, circumcision, and the observance of Shabbat and Rosh Chodesh, the New Moon. What do these things share in common, and why did they specifically draw the ire of the enemy? In this week's Jerusalem Lights podcast, Jim Long and Rabbi Chaim Richman discuss the deep spiritual significance of this battle, and frame the eternal struggle for authentic Jewish identity within the context of our modern lives.

The star of this week's Torah portion of Miketz is Joseph, who goes from being a prisoner in jail, to being the most powerful man in Egypt...on account of other people's dreams. Yosef's interpretation and advice is based on the wisdom of Divine inspiration, and his sterling character is synonymous with purity and righteousness. So why didn't his own brothers recognize him? And why did Joseph arrange such elaborate theatre, confusing and confounding his brothers? Jim Long and Rabbi Chaim Richman focus on the enigmatic Joseph in this week's Jerusalem Lights podcast, sharing more amazing insights from the sages as well as archeological/historic evidence that testifies to Joseph in history. Happy Chanukah from Jerusalem Lights!