Torah Talk

This is Torah Talk for the week of December 8th, 2019 In Genesis 11 and Genesis 18, God “comes down.”  This week — and one other place in the Bible — God “goes up.” This week’s handout: 08 Vayishlach 5780 Donate: https://www.paypal.me/mcarasik Learn Biblical Hebrew: https://www.thegreatcourses.com/courses/biblical-hebrew-learning-a-sacred-language.html

This is Torah Talk for the week of December 1st, 2019 If you are a male slave, you are an עבד [eved].  But if you are a female slave, are you … 1) an אמה [amah] 2) a שפחה [shifchah] or 3) both of the above? This week’s handout: 07 Vayetze 5780 Donate: https://www.paypal.me/mcarasik Learn Biblical […]

This is Torah Talk for the week of November 24th, 2019 Isaac wants “a dish” such as he likes — a word that appears over and over again in this chapter, and in only one other chapter in the Bible.  Does that location have a clue to the meaning of our story? This week’s handout: […]

This is Torah Talk for the week of November 17th, 2019 Abraham buys a burial place:  Does לו at the end of v. 5 really belong at the beginning of v. 6?  (And why it matters.) This week’s handout: 05 Hayyei Sarah 5780 Donate: https://www.paypal.me/mcarasik Learn Biblical Hebrew: https://www.thegreatcourses.com/courses/biblical-hebrew-learning-a-sacred-language.html Advertisements

This is Torah Talk for the week of November 3rd, 2019 Why were Abram and Sarai’s names changed? This week’s handout: 03 Lech Lecha 5780 Donate: https://www.paypal.me/mcarasik Learn Biblical Hebrew: https://www.thegreatcourses.com/courses/biblical-hebrew-learning-a-sacred-language.html

This is Torah Talk for the week of October 27th, 2019 Is the Flood story copying Gilgamesh, or was it assembled from two different versions? This week’s handout: 02 Noach 5780 Donate: https://www.paypal.me/mcarasik Learn Biblical Hebrew: https://www.thegreatcourses.com/courses/biblical-hebrew-learning-a-sacred-language.html

This is Torah Talk for the week of October 20th, 2019 The “sons of God,” the “daughters of men,” and the mysterious word ידון. This week’s handout: 01 Bereshit 5780 Donate: https://www.paypal.me/mcarasik Learn Biblical Hebrew: https://www.thegreatcourses.com/courses/biblical-hebrew-learning-a-sacred-language.html

This is Torah Talk for the week of September 29th, 2019 Moses says in Deuteronomy 31:2 that he can no longer “go out and come in.”  What does he mean? This week’s handout: 52 Vayelech 5779-80 Donate: https://www.paypal.me/mcarasik Learn Biblical Hebrew: https://www.thegreatcourses.com/courses/biblical-hebrew-learning-a-sacred-language.html

This is Torah Talk for the week of September 22nd, 2019 When the Torah says רחם in Deuteronomy 30:3, does God love Israel, have compassion for Israel, or … something else? This week’s handout: 51 Nitzavim 5779 Donate: https://www.paypal.me/mcarasik Learn Biblical Hebrew: https://www.thegreatcourses.com/courses/biblical-hebrew-learning-a-sacred-language.html

This is Torah Talk for the week of September 15th, 2019 Why does Deut 27:12-13 say “on” [על] Mt. Gerizim but “in” [ב] Mt. Ebal? This week’s handout:  50 Ki Tavo 5779 Read Zvi Koenigsberg’s column here and a newer column here. Donate: https://www.paypal.me/mcarasik Learn Biblical Hebrew: https://www.thegreatcourses.com/courses/biblical-hebrew-learning-a-sacred-language.html