First episode of the new season, and we've got video!

We will continue to work on improving the video and audio quality of the podcast. Hope you enjoy the upgrade.

This week we look at how we are meant to relate to the parasha of Bereshit and through it, the Torah as a whole. Is it meant to describe to us the nature of the world scientifically? And if not, what is it meant to be? We explore that question and with it, the implications of the crisis of meaning in which we find ourselves today - but in all of it, is a bright silver lining....

Before Moses' death he charges the people to be righteous and that although they are destined to falter, they are to dedicate themselves to realigning with truth and righteousness. In this episode we explore the nature of doing what is right and look at it with a glance at Yom Kippur.

Ki Tabo begins with an interesting commandment. We are to bring our first fruits to the Kohen and declare that we have arrived in the Land promised to our forefathers. In this episode we explore the meaning of this commandment and what it means for us today.

Amongst the 74 commandments in this week's parasha is one which requires us to make sure that we do not have any hazards in our domain with which people could be severely hurt.

In this episode we discuss spiritual and mental hazards that in the spirit of this mitzvah are also our responsibilities.

Moses tells the people that the nations that inhabited the land of Canaan before them were heavy into magic, soothsaying, seances and the like. Moses firmly warns the people that they are not to do any such thing - they are to be wholesome with God. In this episode we consider the reasons why superstition and the like are so problematic and what the better way of dealing with life might be.

Here Moshe presents the option of blessing and curse before the people as they begin to prepare for becoming a free people in their own land. Moshe cautions them with key points to protect them from losing their footing. In this episode we explore the foundational points put forth by Moshe and how those might apply to us today.

In this episode we look at the nature of hope in the Jewish view. Moshe assures Israel that God will take care of them and bless them greatly. We consider the words of Isaiah in the haftara, Rabbi Sacks, Nietzsche, and Ramhal.

We find that hope is as much a choice as it is a yearning.

Before recounting the episode of the Ten Commandments to the Children of Israel before he dies, Moses warns them about getting God wrong and setting up idols. In this episode we consider the implications of that for our times and our lives and how we might heed that warning.

In this episode we explore the opening of Sefer Debarim through a surprising lens: emergence versus reductionism. Moshe’s swan song isn’t just a list of commandments, it’s an attempt to coax a fledgling nation into seeing itself as more than the sum of its parts. We’ll look at how his words frame freedom not merely as independence but as an emergent reality that arises when individuals embrace a shared destiny and a common love of God.

Why does the Torah give cities to the Levites, who have no land? Because cities are where identity is preserved. In this week’s episode we explore the nature of cities—from Jerusalem to modern capitals and consider our relationship with them. With special focus on 9th Av.