This week, we look through the seemingly endless lists of names, numbers, and detailed descriptions of camp formations in the desert, and ask why the Bible felt this information was so important for us to know.

This week, we consider the sacrifices that go alongside growth and renewal, and how the commandment to let the earth rest impacted Biblical society, with insights into how those same implications play out today.

This week we argue about whether ethical acts are equal to ritual ones, and if it’s more admirable to act because God commanded it, or because it’s simply the right thing to do.

This week we revisit the rituals of reentry, and how the metzorah (expelling the infected) feels cruel, but maybe—especially in light of today’s pandemic—it was prescient.

This week, we discuss the eternal flame lit in the Temple, and whether the miracle of Jewish endurance is a good reason to stay Jewish.

This week we discuss why the Israelites so freely donated their time and money to build the Tabernacle, and whether volunteer work is best focused on one's community or those outside it.

This week we discuss the Bible's detailed descriptions of the High Priest vestments, and why clothing is such a powerful site of identity for many people.

This week, we ask who really counts as the stranger and whether the answer upends the idea of compassion.

This week, we discuss the final plague of Egypt, and the impulse to provide bad answers to good questions.

This week, we discuss the purpose of the Ten Plagues, and why God didn’t expedite the whole Exodus-from-Egypt thing.