Parsha-ly Crazy

Was Abraham a great spiritual pioneer, or a deeply flawed man whose story we've been rewriting for thousands of years? And what does it really mean to leave everything behind and journey into the unknown?

This week, Joel Goldstein, Rebecca Croog, and Matthew Ponak dive into Parashat Lekh Lekha (Genesis 12:1 to Genesis 17:27), exploring Abraham's complicated legacy, the origins of monotheism, and the many ways Jewish tradition has reinvented its founding patriarch.

Along the way: Abraham smashing idols (or did he?), Hasidic mysticism, biblical criticism, Spinoza, the fine line between appreciating and worshipping nature, and a surprisingly serious discussion about circumcision and ancient sacrifice.

Can we learn from Abraham without turning him into an idol? And what might his journey teach us about our own?

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Was Noah a righteous hero, or the original spiritual bypasser? And what kind of God destroys the world in a flood?

This week, Joel Goldstein, Rebecca Croog, and Matthew Ponak dive into Parashat Noaḥ (Genesis), exploring Noah's complicated legacy, the ethics of divine destruction, and what ancient stories reveal about our evolving relationship with God.

Along the way: Hasidic mysticism, biblical criticism, Noah's loneliness, the Tower of Babel, the Borg from Star Trek, and some surprisingly serious questions about technology, individuality, and eating meat.

Is Noah a model of righteousness or a cautionary tale? And can one flood story hold three very different understandings of Torah?

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What does Genesis say about what it means to be human, and are we supposed to learn how to live from the creation story?

This week, Rabbi Joel Goldstein, Dr. Rebecca Croog, and Rabbi Matthew Ponak dive into Parashat Bereishit (Genesis), exploring creation and chaos, the sweetness and bitterness of Torah study, mystical meanings in Hebrew letters, and what the story of creation might say about being human.

Along the way: the Zohar, the Talmud, Rashi, some questionable podcast slogans, and three very different ways of reading the beginning of the beginning.

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