Simply Deep

This episode analyzes the Gemara in Gittin 66a that discusses how to detect if someone is a sheid (demon) or a regular person: look if his shadow has a shadow.

In Bereishis 48:22, Yaakov gave Yosef one “Shechem” over his brothers. Rashi has two pshatim in Shechem: (1) the city Shechem; (2) a portion. This episode analyzes how each of these pshatim learn this passuk.

After Yaakov died, Yosef’s brothers worried that he would take revenge. Yosef appeased them by saying (Bereishis 50:19-20) two points: 1) Am I in place of God? 2) While you planned evil against me, God planned that this would be for the good, so that I can be here, in Egypt, to support our nation.

On the surface, Yosef’s answers don’t seem compelling. This episode analyzes them according to Rashi and Rashbam.

Rashi in Bereishis 45:18 teaches that when Pharaoh told Yosef that he would give his family the good of the land of Egypt, he was unknowingly expressing a prophecy that the Jews would empty Egypt of all its wealth. This episode discusses the meaning and significance of this hidden prophecy.

Rashi (Bereishis 43:30) tells us that Binyamin’s ten sons were all named for Yosef and the tzaros that happened to him. This episode analyzes these names to derive lessons about Binyamin’s relationship with Yosef.

Rashi (Bereishis 37:2) quotes a Midrash that lists more than twenty similarities between the lives of Yaakov and Yosef. This episode analyzes the significance of these similarities and develops two perspectives for viewing the unfolding of our nation.

This episode analyzes Rashi’s (Bereishis 38:14) claim that Tamar chose to meet Yehuda at Avraham’s door.

This episode discusses three benefits of learning gemara.

Rashi (Bereishis 32:23) says that Yaakov hid Dinah in a box to prevent Eisav from taking her. He was therefore punished with Dinah being raped by Shechem. This episode discusses the following questions and more: 1) Would it really have been a good idea to use Dinah to bring Eisav to Torah? 2) Why was this appropriate punishment for Yaakov? 3) Where’s the justice to Dinah?

After hearing the episode on the seven-headed serpent, someone asked me how one should deal with their own mazikim. This episode discusses some practical takeaways from this story.