The midrashic composition, Shir HaShirim Rabbah, develops the allegorical reading of Song of Songs as a love story between Israel and God. The verse "Let God kiss me with the kisses of God's mouth," for example, is read as reflecting a close, even radically close, intimacy between Israel and God. According to the midrash, the verse implies an instance of direct and close-up interaction with God and the Torah. R. Berger explores this midrashic idea and discussed the implications of such a relationship with God and the commandments.

This lecture was originally delivered as part of Hadar's Summer Learning Retreat in June 2022.

R. Nadav Berger: The Possibility of Intimacy with God and the Commandments

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Traditionally, the fabric of Jewish observance is composed of 613 mitzvot and many many more granular instructions. To some of us, these small details are a core piece of what it means for us to serve God, while for others of us these details seem like both an abstraction and a distraction. Does God really care about ounces and inches?! Recorded as the introduction to the Rabbinic Yeshiva Intensive in March 2024

R. Dena Weiss: The Torah is in the Details

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R. David Kasher on Parashat Naso: Out of the Camp

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R. Nadav Berger: The Possibility of Intimacy with God and the Commandments

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