How can gratitude transform even the darkest moments into growth?

Do our moral obligations change when we go to war?

This week’s episode is generously sponsored by Emily Simon, in honor of all Israelis who have endured so much since October 7, 2023. May the coming year bring peace and harmony to their lives.

When tragedy strikes, what does true responsibility look like?

This week’s episode is generously sponsored by Emily Simon, in memory of her very dear friend, Carolyn Mandel, Chana Rafaela bat Avraham v’Sara, who gave so much to her adopted homeland.

What does it mean to see each moment as either a blessing or a curse?

In this episode, Zvi Hirschfield and Rabbi Michael Hattin explore Parshat Eikev and the deep connection between the Jewish people and the Land of Israel. They discuss Moshe’s cautionary tales, the role of the land as both a blessing and a barometer of the nation’s spiritual life, and the tension between its material abundance and spiritual responsibility. The conversation asks what it means to live in a place where divine presence and accountability are inescapable.

This week’s episode is generously sponsored by Emily Simon, in honor of all the teachers and students she has learned from at Pardes—especially through the weekly Parsha podcast.

What does Torah teach us about the possibility of starting over?

What does it mean to truly witness someone else's pain?

What defines Jewish belonging—land, Torah, or loyalty?

In this episode, Parshat Matot-Masei sparks a rich conversation between Zvi Hirschfield and Rabbanit Nechama Goldman Barash about the tribes of Reuven, Gad, and Menashe who ask to settle east of the Jordan River. They explore Moshe’s sharp challenge to their request, the shifting language from “ahuzah” (holding) to “nachalah” (inheritance), and what it means to belong to the Jewish people. The discussion expands to contemporary dilemmas of collective responsibility—from Israel-Diaspora relations to the burden of reserve duty in today’s IDF.

What if Moshe couldn’t see that the people had already grown up?

Is Bilaam a villain—or a mirror?