ParshaNut Podcast

This week's parsha is more of the same from last week. Details, details, details of animal sacrifices. Not the most pleasant read.

But there is one unique thing in Parshat Tzav: a "shalshelet."

What is a shalshelet, you ask? Take a listen and find out.

Can God smell things? If not, then why does the Torah describe the sacrificial offerings as having "a pleasant scent to the Lord"? Our attempt to grapple with this question will take us back to Marcel Proust, Moses Mendelssohn, and Noah.

Welcome to the Book of Leviticus!

We've reached the end of the Book of Exodus, the Tabernacle is complete, and the presence of God has entered into it. But there's a problem. That presence so fills the space that Moses cannot actually enter into it to meet with God. How will he figure out a way in? The answer will take us on an intricate journey, into the heart of one of Judaism's great theological debates.

Once there was a man named Hur, a great leader in Israel. He was there on the battlefield with Moses and Aaron. He judged the people when Moses was on the mountaintop.

But then, suddenly, he disappeared. After Moses came back from Mount Sinai, we never heard about Hur again. Who was Hur, and what ever happened to him?

This week, we find out.

Moses comes down from the mountain and his face is radiating light. The people see it and are a little freaked out. In fact, it's so intense that he has to start wearing a mask to contain it.

So... what happened up there?

The recent passing of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia has reignited a national conversation around his distinct constitutional legal theory. In this post, we take up some of these issues as we explore the relationship between the clothing of the High Priest and some famous works of Jewish Law.

This week, the Children of Israel receive the commandment to build the Tabernacle - the portable altar for the desert journey. The question is, where did they get all the wood to build it, out there in the desert? As we search for an answer, we come across important new questions about the nature of religion.

This week's podcast was put together in support of the Hebrew Free Loan Society of San Francisco's Parshat Mishpatim Project. Check out that great organization out at: https://www.hflasf.org/ and support their good work.

But first, take a listen and learn about the Jewish value of lending.

Nobody reads the Bible literally.

They may think they do, but the greatest of the Torah commentators explains why this cannot possibly be so. And his answer will help us better understand that most mysterious of Biblical events: The Revelation on Mount Sinai.

The miracle at the Red Sea, the parting of the waters, is usually remembered for allowing the Israelites to cross over to the other side. But we sometimes forget to mention that the waters came back and drowned all the Egyptians behind us.

Well, all but one.