The Portion

In this episode, we look at how Jacob and his children prepare to descend to Egypt and what that has to teach us today about moving into and within the diaspora. 

In this episode, we delve into the dispute between Yosef and his brothers to try and understand why it never occurred to them to even suspect that the Egyptian viceroy giving them so much trouble might be their brother. 

In this week's episode, we try to make sense of Joseph and his violent journey from Yaakov's favorite child to the depths of a pit, and all his subsequent rises and falls. Along the way, we touch on a couple of points that make Joseph's journey all the more remarkable and draw out some lessons for our moment today.

In this week's Torah portion, Yaakov wrestles with a mysterious man, whom tradition considers to the Esav's "angel." In this week's episode, we talk about what this wrestling match represents and how it prepared Yaakov for his encounter with the real Esav the next day. 

In this week's discussion, we talk about Yaakov's trip to Padan-Aram to escape his brother and his decision to return back home. We look at the dream he has at the beginning of his journey and the vision he has at the end, and what that tells us about who he is, in contrast to the difficult people around him. 

This episode, recorded on Thanksgiving with the turkey in the oven, discusses the question of how Jews give thanks to their host nations in exile, what that tells us about Thanksgiving, and how an antecedent is found in this week's Torah portion in the relationship between Yitzchak and Avimelech, the King of Grar. 

Aaron visited Chicago and recorded this episode with Alan J. Sufrin and Miriam Brosseau, the hosts of the podcast "Throwing Sheyd." On "Throwing Sheyd," Alan and Miriam examine the wide range of Jewish texts that deal with Sheydim, or demons, to analyze them and ask what they can tell us about our lives. In this crossover episode, we looked at midrashim that tie the death of Sarah that takes place in this week's Torah portion to the work of Satan (or, to put it in more Jewish terms, the Satan). Who is the Satan? Is he different than a sheyd? What is his place within Jewish thought? Join us for the discussion.

Following in the same vein from last week's conversation about Abraham's trials, we discuss Abraham's final trial, the binding of Isaac. We look at the full, tragic irony of G-d's request that Abraham sacrifice the son whose very existence was so clearly an expression of the divine will, and we ask whether or not the binding of Isaac challenged Abraham's conception of who G-d is. Join us for the discussion. 

In this week's episode, we talk about the idea in Jewish tradition that Abraham was tested ten times. Why? Why is being tested essential for Abraham's character? Does he pass all the tests? And what are we supposed to learn from that? Join us for the discussion.

The Portion, Season 2 is on! Aaron and Rabbi Bienenfeld are back this week talking about Noah. This year, they're pretty much skipping the ark and the flood to talk about the vineyard that Noah plants after he gets off the flood. Why grapes? Why a vineyard? Why does Noah get drunk? And does the Torah's negative portrayal of drinking and drunkenness influence Jewish practice today?