This is the final episode of our Haftarah series, the last prophecy of comfort that brings us to a new year.

This week we sat down with Rabbanit Malke Bina, president and founder of Matan, to study Yeshayahu 61, a prophecy of comfort which encourages the nation to change its clothes and name as a sign of its renewed identity. We explore the challenges implicit in finding comfort after loss and the ways God encourages the nation to trust Him that they will never be left again.

This week's episode has been sponsored in honor of Rabbi Ed and Bobbie Winter's 61st wedding anniversary by their children and grandchildren. Bobbie and Ed are strong supporters of Matan and women's Torah learning. Mazal tov to them on reaching this amazing milestone, and may they continue to enjoy their family and deepen their Torah learning for many years to come.

This year The Matan Podcast is exploring the weekly Haftarah.

In this conversation with Rabbanit Jennifer Raskas, we discuss the many ways this chapter (Yeshayahu 60) parallels the future redemption with our weekly taste of it on Shabbat. We also discuss the ways R. Shlomo Albabetz reworks many of these themes into his famous composition Lecha Dodi, sung as Shabbat arrives.

This year the Matan Podcast is exploring the weekly Haftarah.

This conversation with Rabbanit Shani Taragin mines the year's shortest Haftarah for insight into Yeshayahu's complex and meaningful set of female imagery describing the people's relationship with God.

This year the Matan Podcast is exploring the weekly Haftarah.

This week's conversation with Dr. Yael Ziegler explores the parallels between this week's prophecy of comfort and earlier, painful images from the book of Eicha that Yeshayahu flips on their head. The prophet also reminds his listeners that God can bring redemption with the same strong arm He used to take us out of Egypt.

This episode has been sponsored in honor of the birthday celebration of Dr. Maurice Brygel of Melbourne, Australia.

This year the Matan Podcast is exploring the weekly Haftarah.

In this conversation between Rabbanit Oshra Koren and Rabbanit Karen Miller Jackson, they discuss the different images of comfort in the prophecy from Yeshayahu 44-45, with a particular emphasis on the building of Israel and the central role it plays in these words of comfort and the nation's identity.

Today’s podcast is dedicated to Ashley Brygel, from Melbourne Australia, by his family in honor of his birthday.

In this dynamic conversation with Dr. Elana Stein Hain, we explore the evocative images utilized by the prophet in this week's Haftarah (Yeshayahu 49-51). We flesh out how they are used to describe the depths of Tzion's feeling of abandonment and the ways God promises to bring us back to the land and remain His nation.

This year the Matan Podcast is studying the weekly Haftarah reading.

This week begins the seven prophecies of comfort chosen from Yeshayahu 40-66, which stretch all the way until Rosh Hashanah.

This conversation between Dr. Tanya White and Rabbanit Rachelli Sprecher Fraenkel explores the literal and existential concept of comfort when relating to the Jewish people and to God Himself. What does it look like to have hope after tragedy? What comforts the weary? Our hosts study this famous prophecy in search of responses to these questions.

This year The Matan Podcast is exploring the weekly Haftarah.

In this conversation with Rabbanit Nechama Goldman Barash we delve into the two-pronged focus of Yeshayahu 1 which chastises the people's empty ritual observance and the social ills that plagued the population. This conversation explores the many bridges between this famous prophecy and contemporary societal challenges .

This year the Matan Podcast is exploring the weekly Haftarah.

This week Rabbanit Shani Taragin and Rabbanit Dr. Adina Sternberg sit down to discuss the second Haftarah of Ruin from Yirmiyahu 2. After an attempt to chronologically place this prophecy, our hosts discuss what could have been done better during the period of Yoshiyahu's reform, why this was not enough in the eyes of the prophet Yirmiyahu, and how this relates to our current national challenges.

This year the Matan Podcast is studying the weekly Haftarah.

This week, the Jewish world begins reading a special series of ten Haftarot: 3 prophecies of RUIN read before Tisha b'Av and 7 prophecies of COMFORT read afterward. All of these prophecies will be explored and featured on the podcast this summer with a wonderful lineup of guests. These episodes are available on Youtube with special high-quality video content filmed in the Matan Bet Midrash.

This week, Dr. Ayelet Hoffman Libson discusses Yirmiyahu's prophecy of inauguration which both informs him of his prophetic destiny as well as predicting the Temple's future destruction and ultimate renewal.

This episode has been sponsored by Carole Daman in memory of her father Isidor Goldberg, Simcha Yisroel ben Shmuel, whose yahrzeit is on the 16th of Tammuz.

This year the Matan Podcast is studying the weekly Haftarah.