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PODCAST

Unperplexed: Parsha Lessons from Maimonides"s Guide of the Perplexed

Yitzchak Sprung

Each week, Rabbi Sprung uncovers a hidden layer of the Parsha through the lens of the Maimonides"s Guide of the Perplexed — where reason meets revelation, and ancient words illuminate timeless questions. Listen to Unperplexed on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

religion & spirituality judaism

All Episodes

4:36

Bo: Why Did the Egyptians Suddenly Respect the...

Unperplexed: Parsha Lessons from Maimonides"s Guide... ·

2025/01/30

How did the Israelites win over their former masters? Is such a thing even possible? It seems so. Take five minutes to study a fabulous answer to this question proffered by Rabbi Sacks in his commentary to the Chumash.

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3:23

Vaera: Promises, Promises

Unperplexed: Parsha Lessons from Maimonides"s Guide... ·

2025/01/24

Why in the world did Hashem promise the forefathers the land of Israel if He had no intention of eventually giving it to them? Well, it’s something we live with every day. Take five minutes to listen to the Parsha Pick-Me-Up to learn more.

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3:34

Shemot: Moshe Hits the Snooze Button

Unperplexed: Parsha Lessons from Maimonides"s Guide... ·

2025/01/16

Here is a simple question: how long did the conversation between God and Moshe take? Was it an hour? Two?Somehow, we seem to miss the real number. And, along with it, one of the central lessons of the episode.

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4:11

Vayechi: Disassociation From Dignity

Unperplexed: Parsha Lessons from Maimonides"s Guide... ·

2025/01/10

There’s a lot to learn from how people phrase things. Sometimes, they don’t want to talk about themselves directly. What are they avoiding? What are they trying to say?In our case, Yaakov Avinu uses circumventive phrasing to teach an essential lesson.

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4:39

Vayigash: To Die For (Rebroadcast)

Unperplexed: Parsha Lessons from Maimonides"s Guide... ·

2025/01/02

Some things are worth dying for. Knowing what they are can define us.

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4:10

Miketz: You Need the Right Dirt

Unperplexed: Parsha Lessons from Maimonides"s Guide... ·

2024/12/27

You need to have the right dirt. As is well known, Joseph advised Pharoah to take food from the seven years of plenty and store it away for the years of famine. Pharaoh, in turn, appointed Joseph to oversee this process. As we shall see, in order to do this, Joseph determined that you need the right dirt. And so do we.

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4:06

Vayeshev: Yaakov's Special Community and Our Own

Unperplexed: Parsha Lessons from Maimonides"s Guide... ·

2024/12/19

Where did Yaakov live? Well, in the land of Canaan of course. But listen to the verse, because there is a phrase in it that does not belong. Of course, it contains a beautiful lesson for us about how to live.

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2:39

Vayishlach: The Most Important Part of Jacob's Journey

Unperplexed: Parsha Lessons from Maimonides"s Guide... ·

2024/12/13

What is God saying to Jacob? God tells Jacob to be fruitful and multiply. But the timing makes it very odd that Hashem says this to him. Take note: Jacob is 11 sons and one daughter into his total of 12 sons and one daughter and the time of this comment. What does God mean to tell him?

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5:12

Vayetze: A Dream, the Sky, and Yaakov's View

Unperplexed: Parsha Lessons from Maimonides"s Guide... ·

2024/12/06

The story of his transformation begins, of course, with a dream about a ladder. Interestingly, the terminology and ideas of this passage bring to mind another passage in the torah, one where stones are noted as missing, where Hashem comes down to meet a tower that went up to the sky. But what is the import of this remarkable parallel? And what is the secret to fatherhood of the tribes?

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3:04

Toledot: What is Esav So Desperate For?

Unperplexed: Parsha Lessons from Maimonides"s Guide... ·

2024/11/29

When Esav heard the words of his father, he cried a cry that was great and very bitter. And he said “bless me as well, father!.”Esav knows that Yaakov has received the blessing that was intended for him. Hurt and saddened, he begs his father to bless him. Yet, he has no idea what blessing his father gave to Yaakov.Why is he so desperate for some unknown words?

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3:25

Chayei Sarah: The Art of Spiritual Nobility

Unperplexed: Parsha Lessons from Maimonides"s Guide... ·

2024/11/21

How do the Children of Chet know that Avraham is a holy man? They are not privy to his prophecies, and there are many wealthy warlords who no one would confuse for a man of God. So what makes Avraham different?

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3:23

Vayera: Choosing Avraham the Parent

Unperplexed: Parsha Lessons from Maimonides"s Guide... ·

2024/11/14

Why did Hashem choose Avraham? It’s not really a mystery: God tells us Himself in this week’s torah portion. As Hashem says “because I know him, since he will command his children and his household after him and they will keep the path of Hashem, to do righteousness and justice.”Yet, we may struggle to find an instance where this actually occurred! When does Avraham teach his children what to do?

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3:20

Lech Lecha: Take a Walk First

Unperplexed: Parsha Lessons from Maimonides"s Guide... ·

2024/11/08

Avraham will receive the Land of Canaan as a gift... if he takes a walk first. Why is that so important?

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4:33

Noach: The Raven, the Dove and the Escape from Freedom

Unperplexed: Parsha Lessons from Maimonides"s Guide... ·

2024/10/31

Why not send the raven again? We tend to think that after the flood, Noah first attempted to send a raven to explore the dry land before he sent a dove to do the job. But there is something essential missing from this picture and most translations do not convey the passage accurately.

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3:30

V'Zot HaBracha/Bereshit: A Home Where I Belong

Unperplexed: Parsha Lessons from Maimonides"s Guide... ·

2024/10/23

Moses commanded us a law, an inheritance for the assembly of Jacob.What type of inheritance is this? What is the import of this idea? The Midrash Tannaim gives us the following most beautiful explanation, just in time to begin again.

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2:16

Rebroadcast: Ha'azinu: Listen and then Speak

Unperplexed: Parsha Lessons from Maimonides"s Guide... ·

2024/10/02

We can ruin easily ruin our prayers, say the Sages. How, why, and how to avoid this problem addressed in brief in the Parsha Pick-Me-Up.

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2:33

Netzavim-Vayelech: Final Hours

Unperplexed: Parsha Lessons from Maimonides"s Guide... ·

2024/09/26

What is the last thing you’d like to eat before you die? What, indeed, do we want to do before we die? How would we spend today, if we knew we were in our final hours?

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3:59

Ki Tavo: Finding Happiness

Unperplexed: Parsha Lessons from Maimonides"s Guide... ·

2024/09/19

How do we find joy? Apparently we can find it after we bring the first fruits. A simple secret is once again taught by our tradition.

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3:30

Ki Tetzei: This Moment

Unperplexed: Parsha Lessons from Maimonides"s Guide... ·

2024/09/13

It is odd that he takes such a strong stand against vows. Is it really so bad to promise our children we will make the play, our spouse that we will take that vacation, our boss that we will make the meeting, and so on?Yes, Rav Dimi says. Take five minutes to listen to the Parsha Pick-Me-Up to learn why.

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4:34

Shoftim: The Surprising Impact of Borders and Boundaries

Unperplexed: Parsha Lessons from Maimonides"s Guide... ·

2024/09/05

Why is it so important to respect borders and boundaries?We begin with regular old fences. But there's a lot more there.

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