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YUTORAH: R" Yitzchak Etshalom -- Recent Shiurim

Etshalom, Rabbi Yitzchak

religion & spirituality judaism

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40:09

Megilat Esther: Esther's Brilliant Plan

YUTORAH: R" Yitzchak Etshalom -- Recent Shiurim ·

2026/02/17

Megilat Esther: Esther's Brilliant Plan - Feb 17, 2026 - The first two chapters of Esther seem superfluous to the critical part of the plot - the decree to kill Mordekhai's nation and the successful stratagem that defeated it. Why does the reader need to hear about the Persian Emperor's "glory" and extended coronation party, and about the excessive preening and primping involved in getting the young maidens ready for their "night with the king"? We explore the psychological profiles that each

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34:04

אשת הנרצע: The Beloved Wife of the "Nirtza"

YUTORAH: R" Yitzchak Etshalom -- Recent Shiurim ·

2026/02/11

אשת הנרצע: The Beloved Wife of the "Nirtza" - Feb 10, 2026 - Parashat Mishpatim opens up with legislation regarding the "Hebrew slave", who is really more of an indentured servant. In this passage, the master may "assign" a woman to the servant, but when his six-year term of servitude is complete, he leaves her when he goes free. If he chooses to stay due to his love for his master -and his wife and their children - he may refuse to leave, have his ear publicly pierced and remain a slave "forever"

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35:33

Reliving Sinai

YUTORAH: R" Yitzchak Etshalom -- Recent Shiurim ·

2026/02/04

Reliving Sinai - Feb 3, 2026 - In his farewell speech, Moshe continually refers to the day of Matan Torah as יום הקהל, and even recalls Hashem's command הקהל לי את העם - to gather all of the people. This historic experience and the obligation to always remember it and to transmit it to the next generation seems to be the impetus for the Mitzvah of Hakhel - to gather everyone for a public reading of the Torah "that they will learn to fear Hashem..." (Devarim 31). But this practice, although modestly

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34:15

Miriam's Role in the Song at the Sea: שירו לה' כי גאה...

YUTORAH: R" Yitzchak Etshalom -- Recent Shiurim ·

2026/01/27

Miriam's Role in the Song at the Sea: שירו לה' כי גאה גאה - Jan 27, 2026 - The introductory line to the Song at the Sea (Shemot 15:1) is enigmatic on several counts. First of all, why is Moshe listed separately - and the verb ישיר is in the singular - if all of the people sang? Furthermore, how would they all know what to say/sing? We review the various Tannaitic opinions addressing these questions and Moshe's role in the paean. Furthermore, we explore the purpose and added praise which Miriam's

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35:40

A Paideia for Pharaoh

YUTORAH: R" Yitzchak Etshalom -- Recent Shiurim ·

2026/01/13

A Paideia for Pharaoh - Jan 13, 2026 - We inevitably approach our study of Parashat Va'era with an assumption of 10 Makkot (plagues) with which Hashem smote and 'judged" the Egyptians. However, that number does not appear in the Torah's record of the events and other presentations of the Exodus story in Tanakh highlight only some of these plagues, ending up with a smaller number - and the Midrash famously expands this number by a factor of up to 50, seeing 5 sub-plagues within each one. We look back

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32:50

Parashat Shemot: What Were The ערי המסכנות? And Why...

YUTORAH: R" Yitzchak Etshalom -- Recent Shiurim ·

2026/01/07

Parashat Shemot: What Were The ערי המסכנות? And Why Does It Matter? - Jan 6, 2026 - The first labor forced upon the Hebrews in Egypt was a labor tax, forcing them to build ערי מסכנות. We explore the possible meanings of this unusual phrase, set it in apposition to the later back-breaking work to which they were subjected and the significance of this type of work, considering the storied history of Yaakov's progeny in Egypt.

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34:44

ברכת יעקב - Yaakov's Deathbed Charge

YUTORAH: R" Yitzchak Etshalom -- Recent Shiurim ·

2025/12/30

ברכת יעקב - Yaakov's Deathbed Charge - Dec 30, 2025 - In the final scene of Yaakov's storied life, he lies in his bed surrounded by all twelve of his sons - for the first time, named שבטי ישראל - the "tribes of Israel". He then imparts (blessings?) (prophecies?) (assignments?) to each of them in an unusual sequence and with an imbalanced emphasis towards two of his sons. We explore possibilities of Yaakov's intent in his final moments and suggest a far-reaching vision that our patriarch has - and

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25:01

"And Yosef Could No Longer Restrain Himself" - ולא...

YUTORAH: R" Yitzchak Etshalom -- Recent Shiurim ·

2025/12/24

"And Yosef Could No Longer Restrain Himself" - ולא יכל יוסף להתאפק - Dec 23, 2025 - When Yosef is finally ready to reveal his identity to his brothers, the text uses a rare word - להתאפק - and tells us that ולא יכל יוסף להתאפק לכל הנצבים עליו. This latter phrase is enigmatic and the Rishonim take a number of varied approached to explain the role of the bystanders in his decision to empty the room before "the big reveal". We survey these approaches and suggest two more - one based on the well-known

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31:21

מצות חנוכה: A Fresh Look at the "Baraitot" of...

YUTORAH: R" Yitzchak Etshalom -- Recent Shiurim ·

2025/12/16

מצות חנוכה: A Fresh Look at the "Baraitot" of Hanukkah (BT Shabbat 21b) - Dec 16, 2025 - Most students are familiar with the Baraitot defining the Mitzvah of Ner Hanukkah, found near the beginning of the 2nd chapter of Masekhet Shabbat - including the tri-level performance schedule (basic, 'Mehadrin' and 'Mehadrin min haMehadrin'). We analyze this Baraita and the attendant discussion, identifying difficulties in the text along the way and then share the approach taken by several contemporary

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33:25

Parashat Vayeshev: The Apocrypha and the Midrash

YUTORAH: R" Yitzchak Etshalom -- Recent Shiurim ·

2025/12/09

Parashat Vayeshev: The Apocrypha and the Midrash - Dec 9, 2025 - We are accustomed to thinking of the Apocrypha (the "hidden" or "buried" writings of the 3rd century BCE through the first century CE) as external to our Rabbinic tradition and to reflecting purely sectarian approaches and interpretations. Yet - we sometimes find a common thread between the interpretive approaches taken in these somewhat esoteric books and those found in our "mainstream" Midrashic literature. We examine an unusual

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30:26

ולזרעך נתתי את הארץ - Hegemonization or Conquest?

YUTORAH: R" Yitzchak Etshalom -- Recent Shiurim ·

2025/12/03

ולזרעך נתתי את הארץ - Hegemonization or Conquest? - Dec 2, 2025 - Continuously throughout Sefer Beresheet, our Patriarchs are promised by Hashem that their descendants will be "given" the Land - but there is no indication of how that gift will be given, of how that "inheritance" will be achieved. We explore what may have been the perspective of our Avot in that regard - and how and why it changed by the time we arrived in Mitzrayim.

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31:17

Back to Gerar (The Parenthetic Statement)

YUTORAH: R" Yitzchak Etshalom -- Recent Shiurim ·

2025/11/27

Back to Gerar (The Parenthetic Statement) - Nov 27, 2025 - As a follow-up to our shiur about Gerar and my argument that the events described in Beresheet 26:1-33 took place during the twenty years of Yitzhak and Rivkah's childlessness, several thoughtful and pointed challenges were raised by podcast listeners and participants in the shiur. By surveying and classifying the various types of parenthetic statements in Biblical narrative, we respond to these challenges and, thereby, explain two anomalous

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29:34

The Gerar Conundrum

YUTORAH: R" Yitzchak Etshalom -- Recent Shiurim ·

2025/11/18

The Gerar Conundrum - Nov 18, 2025 - In reading through the presentation of Yitzhak's life in Parashat Toledot, there seems to be a disconnect between the opening narratives of the birth and early years of Yaakov and Esav, and the subsequent narrative cycle of Yitzhak and Rivkah in Gerar (chapter 26:1-33). We propose what at first seems to be a revolutionary explanation for the puzzles this sequencing raises - but, on further reflection, note that it is built upon an approach that is well-anchored

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32:30

Keturah and the Sons of the East

YUTORAH: R" Yitzchak Etshalom -- Recent Shiurim ·

2025/11/13

Keturah and the Sons of the East - Nov 13, 2025 - As the story of Avraham's life comes to a close, we are informed that at some point (perhaps after Sarah died), he took another wife - Keturah and, as the straightforward reading indicates, he also took several concubines. He had children with all of these and sent the sons of his concubines away - to the east - with gifts. We aren't told where he directed Keturah's six sons and their progeny to go. More intriguing is the story itself - why did he

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27:05

מלכיצדק מלך שלם - The King of Shalem

YUTORAH: R" Yitzchak Etshalom -- Recent Shiurim ·

2025/11/04

מלכיצדק מלך שלם - The King of Shalem - Nov 4, 2025 - The curious 3-verse interjection of Avraham's interaction with Malkizedek, king of Shalem, who is a Kohen to "El Elyon", seems to interrupt the flow of the story of Avraham's great victory over the eastern Empires and the successful rescue of the hostages taken from the cities of the plain. We explore this interaction, asking a larger question about Shalem - why wasn't this city itself subject to the tribute owed to the eastern kings? And why does

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34:10

Avraham's Early Years: The Genesis of Midrashic Visions

YUTORAH: R" Yitzchak Etshalom -- Recent Shiurim ·

2025/10/28

Avraham's Early Years: The Genesis of Midrashic Visions - Oct 28, 2025 - There are numerous Midrashim that explore the early years of Avraham, attempting to explain his selection as the progenitor of a great nation and the source of blessing for "all of the families of the earth" Some of these Midrashim portray Avraham as a philosopher, arriving at his belief in one God through observation and contemplation. Others describe him as more of an intuitive believer, imbued with a deep sense of God from

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32:01

"My Covenant" והקימותי את בריתי אתך

YUTORAH: R" Yitzchak Etshalom -- Recent Shiurim ·

2025/10/21

"My Covenant" והקימותי את בריתי אתך - Oct 21, 2025 - In Hashem's instructions to Noah regarding the construction of the Ark, He prefaces the command that Noah, his family and the representatives of the animal kingdom all enter the Ark with an odd phrase - "I will fulfill My covenant with you" - to which ברית is this alluding? The Rishonim are divided on its referent; by exploring Beritot in the Torah and a telling passage in Yirmiyahu, we propose a new understanding of this enigmatic phrase which,

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33:37

Yonah #3: Chapter 4

YUTORAH: R" Yitzchak Etshalom -- Recent Shiurim ·

2025/09/30

Yonah #3: Chapter 4 - Sep 30, 2025 - In this concluding shiur, we study the final chapter of Yonah and note the increasingly challenging presentation of the story; the incredible and immediate repentance of the Ninevites, Yonah's self-loathing at his success, his odd reaction to the tree and its subsequent wilting and more. We conclude with a surprising proposal that hopefully will serve as an inspiring and encouraging message for Yom haKippurim.

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32:14

Sefer Yonah #2 - Chapter 3

YUTORAH: R" Yitzchak Etshalom -- Recent Shiurim ·

2025/09/17

Sefer Yonah #2 - Chapter 3 - Sep 16, 2025 - As we continue our study of Sefer Yonah, we note the many peculiarities of the narrative in chapter 3. In only 10 verses, it tells us of Yonah's immensely successful prophetic mission to Nineveh, where his simple cry elicits immediate fasting, mourning and (apparently) heartfelt repentance on the part of the Ninevites. We note the striking parallels between the first narrative - on the boath - and this one and how in each case, the foreign audience

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31:54

Sefer Yonah: Overview, Introduction and Chapter 1

YUTORAH: R" Yitzchak Etshalom -- Recent Shiurim ·

2025/09/09

Sefer Yonah: Overview, Introduction and Chapter 1 - Sep 9, 2025 - In this opening shiur of a three-part series, we explore the historic background of both Yonah and the Assyrian Empire and its impending conquest of Samaria. We then analyze the first chapter of the story - Yonah on the boat - looking for textual and literary clues to understand the underlying message of the story. More to come...

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YUTORAH: R" Yitzchak Etshalom -- Recent Shiurim

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