Pardes From Jerusalem

Passover is all about telling the story of the Exodus, but that wasn't always the case. How did the central ritual of Passover shift over time from the paschal sacrifice to the ritual of storytelling? In this special episode of the Pardes Parsha Podcast, join Rabbi Zvi Hirschfield and Rabbi Daniel Reifman on a journey of discovering the meaning of Passover in Jewish history and in our lives today. Credits: Rabbi Zvi Hirschfield and Rabbi Daniel Reifman - Pardes Faculty  

So much of Sefer Vayikra (the Book of Leviticus) is steeped in concepts that are foreign to us today - the temple cult, the offering of sacrifices - that it's de rigueur to assume we won't understand or care very much about this set of Torah portions. But Elisha Ancselovits, in a havruta of guiding questions from Aviva Lauer, gives us a whole new take on why the Korban Shlamim - the peace offering - is actually a practice that we can and do still fulfill today in slightly different cultural ways. Credits: Aviva Lauer and Rabbi Dr. Elisha Anscelovits - Pardes Faculty  

The Sanctuary's washbasin came from mirrors donated by the Israelite women. Yet, Rashi's comment raises some doubts that Moses had regarding the propriety of using these mirrors, items that are generally used for feminine beautification. This opens a discussion of the place of sexuality in the Tabernacle. Credits: Rabbi Alex Israel and Rabbi Elhanan Miller - Pardes Faculty

Are we too judgmental towards Ahron? Join Rabbi Brent Spodek and Professor Ziva Hassenfeld in an exploration of the weekly parsha as they examine the tragic life of Moses's brother Ahron. Credits: Rabbi Brent Spodek and Professor Ziva Hassenfeld - Pardes North America Faculty

Rabbi Elisha Anscelovitz and Yiscah Smith discuss the historical roots of Purim as an agricultural holiday while drawing from the Hasidic masters to help us find deeper meaning to the holiday. Credits - Rabbi Elisha Anscelovitz and Yiscah Smith - Pardes Faculty  

This podcast is in memory of Arlene Ruby Harel z”l upon the occasion of her first yahrzeit. Arlene’s welcoming, free-spirited nature, warmth, authenticity, candor, humor and openness is missed deeply by all of us who were privileged to work with her, connect with her, and learn from her wisdom. In this week's episode, Rabbi Zvi Hirschfield and Rabbi Daniel Reifman discuss the building of the Tabernacle and having a relationship with God and how it affects our relationship with one another. Credits: Rabbi Zvi Hirschfield and Rabbi Daniel Reifman - Pardes Faculty  

Parshat Mishpatim tells us that we should distance ourselves from lying. Join Pardes faculty members Yiscah Smith and Rabbi Dr. Howard Markose for an exploration of why human beings lie, similarities between the Torah and Hammurabi's Code, and Divine compassion. Credits: Rabbi Dr. Howard Markose and Yiscah Smith - Pardes Faculty

In Yitro, we see Moses learn that it takes more to be a public religious leader than simply being a person of faith. How does Moses learn to be a person who has experienced faith on a personal level bring it out and share it with others? Join Brent and Ziva as they explore the deeper values and ideas of this week's Torah portion. Credits: Rabbi Brent Spodek and Professor Ziva R. Hassenfeld - Pardes North America Faculty

In this week's parsha podcast, Rabbis Amirit Rosen and Elisha Anscelovitz discuss Shirat Hayam, the Song of the Sea, and the importance of taking pauses in life. Credits: Rabbi Amirit Rosen and Rabbi Elisha Anscelovits - Pardes Faculty

Alex Israel and Sefi Kraut discuss the concept of the New Moon and the notion of time: the freedom to take control of our own time, the calendar as a nation-building tool, the challenge of procrastination, and the gift of spiritual renewal. Credits: Rabbi Alex Israel and Sefi Kraut - Pardes Faculty  

The parsha opens with the names of God, and that sets the stage for the revelation which comes through the plagues. This podcast touches how this dynamic expresses a deeper layer in the whole relationship between Creator and creation as it asks - what's in a name? Credits: Rabbi Mike Feuer - Pardes Faculty  

Join Rabbi Brent Spodek and Professor Ziva Hassenfeld as they discuss the first parsha of Shemot and explore the topic of Miriam the Prophetess as a young girl. Credits: Professor Ziva R. Hassenfeld and Rabbi Brent Spodek

Meesh Hammer-Kossoy and Nechama Goldman Barash talk about contrasts in the parsha, control or lack thereof in our lives, and the power of a blessing. Credits: Rabbi Dr. Meesh Hammer-Kossoy and Rabbanit Nechama Goldman Barash - Pardes Faculty

During a holiday where there is both darkness and light, where we retreat indoors and shine brightly from the windowsill, go on a journey with Pardes North America to find meaning in the discord within our tradition. Night 8 - One Candle, Then Another, Then Another Featuring Rabbi Brent Spodek Transitioning into a new month and praying for renewal and growth, bright as a fully lit Hanukiah. Music Credits: Klezmer by Crowander is licensed under an Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

During a holiday where there is both darkness and light, where we retreat indoors and shine brightly from the windowsill, go on a journey with Pardes North America to find meaning in the discord within our tradition. Night 7* - Deborah and Judith: How Our Heroines Harmonize Across a Millennium Featuring Aviva Lauer Who was Judith and what does she have to do with Hanukah? And if we listen closely, might we hear her harmonize along with Deborah the Prophetess, who sang her own song a thousand years earlier than Judith did?   *This podcast is being published before the 7th night of Hanukah in order to allow you to listen to it before Shabbat. Music Credits: Klezmer by Crowander is licensed under an Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

During a holiday where there is both darkness and light, where we retreat indoors and shine brightly from the windowsill, go on a journey with Pardes North America to find meaning in the discord within our tradition. Night 6 - "More is More" vs. "Less is More" Featuring Rabbi Jonathan Leener This d’var Torah explores the different methods of dealing with evil in the world through the teachings of the Ishbitzer Rebbe.   Music Credits: Klezmer by Crowander is licensed under an Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

During a holiday where there is both darkness and light, where we retreat indoors and shine brightly from the windowsill, go on a journey with Pardes North America to find meaning in the discord within our tradition. Night 5 - The Window or the Table: Spreading Light to Eradicate Hate Featuring Rabba Shani Gross Learn how the Talmudic sages wrestle with the question of how to balance the deep yearning to live proudly as Jews with the very real threat trying to live openly as a religious minority can pose.   Music Credits: Klezmer by Crowander is licensed under an Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

During a holiday where there is both darkness and light, where we retreat indoors and shine brightly from the windowsill, go on a journey with Pardes North America to find meaning in the discord within our tradition. Night 4 - The Light of Hanukah: Let's Light Up the Streets! Featuring Rabba Yaffa Epstein, Senior Scholar and Educator in Residence at the Jewish Education Project Learn how an obscure Halacha about the placement of the Hanukiah can help us repair our broken world.   Music Credits: Klezmer by Crowander is licensed under an Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

How do we connect the story of Yosef to Hanukah? Join Yiscah Smith and Rabbi Zvi Hirschfield in an exploration of Yosef's journey from a dreamer to an interpreter. In a parsha where we see Yosef hiding himself, what can we learn about bringing our own light out into the world? Credits: Yiscah Smith and Rabbi Zvi Hirschfield - Pardes Faculty  

During a holiday where there is both darkness and light, where we retreat indoors and shine brightly from the windowsill, go on a journey with Pardes North America to find meaning in the discord within our tradition. Night 3 - "More is More" vs. "Less is More" Featuring Rabbi Leon Morris The Rabbis debated the precise way of performing the mitzvah of Hanukkah candles in ways that leave a treasure trove of symbolic meaning in its wake.   Music Credits: Klezmer by Crowander is licensed under an Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.