Ta Shma

Ethan Tucker. Conversion: Defining the Boundaries of Judaism. If we follow an ethnic frame of Judaism, the convert to Judaism can never be the equal of the born Jew. If the essence of being a Jew is being born into a clan, then a convert can at most be an in-law, a branch grafted on to the original tree. By contrast, a religious frame not only makes room for the convert but potentially sets her up as the ideal. Unencumbered by Jewish ethnic ties, the convert nonetheless sees the compelling truth of the religion and embraces it as a way of life.

Ethan Tucker. To Accept or Not to Accept? How much responsibility does a nonprofit have to investigate the sources of its donations? How does this interact with the fact that giving tzedakah (charity) is often understood to be a way to make up for past monetary sins? Recorded at the summer Yom Iyyun, 2016.

Dena Weiss. In celebration of 10 Years of Mechon Hadar, the extended Hadar community will be learning all of Pirkei Avot together at a pace of 3-5 mishnayot a week, concluding with a Siyyum Celebration on March 2, 2017. Each podcast includes the full text, a translation with explanations, and a short Dvar Torah inspired by that week's mishnayot.

Ethan Tucker. One of the most difficult and wrenching experiences one can have is to feel that they are. We have all felt it at one point or another, if only for a fleeting moment: Our understanding of what God wants of us and our understanding of what is demanded of the average, decent person sometimes feel irreconcilable. Should these two different discourses and frames remain separate or ought they to be integrated in some meaningful way? Is the parochial covenantal discourse of the Jewish covenant meant to be walled off from a more general human discourse about what is right? Or does the Torah intend for these conversations to be unified, even if a great deal of learning and searching is required in order to bridge the apparent gaps between them?

Jason Rubenstein. Where Does Torah Place the Responsibility for Justice?. In confronting poverty and inequality, where do the responsibilities of an individual end, and those of her community begin? Taking up this question, the Torah tasks communal institutions with efficiently collecting and distributing charity - and also with compelling recalcitrant individuals to give more than they would voluntarily give. We'll conclude with a set of open questions about the necessity of conflict in communal finances and the nature of our obligation to give that may exceed our own awareness of our obligations. Recorded at summer Yom Iyyun, 2016.

Aviva Richman. Dvar Torah for Shabbat Tisha B'Av. This year, when Tisha B’Av falls on Shabbat and its observance is pushed off to Sunday, there is a confluence of mixed and even contradictory practices. The contradictions of Shabbat Tisha B’Av serve as a poignant model of how this day is meant to penetrate our routine and shock us into remembering those realities in life we would rather forget.

Dena Weiss. In celebration of 10 Years of Mechon Hadar, the extended Hadar community will be learning all of Pirkei Avot together at a pace of 3-5 mishnayot a week, concluding with a Siyyum Celebration on March 2, 2017. Each podcast includes the full text, a translation with explanations, and a short Dvar Torah inspired by that week's mishnayot.

Ethan Tucker. It is assumed in much of rabbinic law that women are invalid to be judges. Is gender in fact a qualifying requirement in Jewish law? If so, what is this requirement about? Was opinion united or divided on this front? And how, even if we embrace the enduring wisdom of ancient texts on this topic, are we meant to think about putting this area of halakhah into practice today?

Aviva Richman. A Theology of Materiality. What is the lesson of the manna with which God fed the Israelites in the wilderness? What are the feelings such a practice is trying to instill? Recorded at the summer Yom Iyyun, 2016.

Dena Weiss. In celebration of 10 Years of Mechon Hadar, the extended Hadar community will be learning all of Pirkei Avot together at a pace of 3-5 mishnayot a week, concluding with a Siyyum Celebration on March 2, 2017. Each podcast includes the full text, a translation with explanations, and a short Dvar Torah inspired by that week's mishnayot.