Simply Deep

Simply Deep

By Elie FederReligion & SpiritualityJudaism
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Simply Deep episodes

  • What is ayin hara and how can we avoid it?
    Ayin hara is often viewed as a mystical power to harm other people. This episode analyzes various Torah sources regarding ayin hara to derive a different approach. Based upon this explanation, we discover three ways to avoid the negative effects of ayin hara.  
    This episode was given as a shiur for the first yahrtzeit of my mother, Shani Feder AH.
    53 min
  • Hakaras Hatov

    I was asked a practical question about the appropriateness of hakaras hatov to someone who helps you and subsequently harms you. To answer this question, this episode probes various sources to gain a deeper understanding of the concept of hakaras hatov.

    51 min
  • Chanukah and Midrashic Miracles for Yaakov Avinu

    While the pshat of the Torah has no open miracles to Yaakov Avinu, the midrashim (cited by Rashi) have many. This epsiode considers five of these midrashic miracles in light of their absence from the pshat. It provides an explanation for why the midrash "invents" these miracles and simultaneously explains why the Chanuka miracle was needed.  

    1 hr 41 min
  • Yaakov's Neder
    At the beginning of Va’yetzei, HaShem promised Yaakov to take care of him etc. Yaakov then vows that if HaShem takes care of him, then he’ll set up a place of worship to HaShem and give maaser. Given that HaShem just promised this, what is the function of the neder? This episode addresses this question.
    38 min
  • Shechem: A Bad Place
    In Breishis 37:14, Rashi says that Shechem is a place which is prepared for bad (puranus) because of the three bad events which occurred there. In this episode, we present an explanation for Rashi’s seemingly strange claim.
    50 min
  • Chanukah: The End of All Miracles
    The Gemara in Yomah 29a says that the Chanukah miracle marks the End of all Miracles. To understand this claim and to gain insight into why there are no miracles today, this episode delves into the Torah’s unique perspective of miracles and how we should relate to them.
    1 hr 16 min
  • Torah and Evolution
    People often struggle with balancing their commitment to Torah on the one hand and their commitment to modern science (which embraces evolution) on the other hand. This episode provides a methodology (which is rooted in Torah sources) for approaching and resolving potential conflicts between these two sources of knowledge.
    1 hr 51 min
  • Was Rivka Really 3 Years Old?
    Many people have problem with the midrash which teaches that Rivka was 3 years old when she married Yitzchak. Are we supposed to take this literally? If not, what is the midrash trying to teach us? This episode will decode this enigmatic midrash while simultaneously presenting an approach towards understanding midrashim in general.
    1 hr 33 min

About Simply Deep

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Although the words of the Torah, Chazal, and Rishonim may at times seem simple, they are deeply layered with profound insights and lessons. This podcast explores the hidden depths beneath seemingly…