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PODCAST

Ta Shma

Hadar Institute

Bringing you recent lectures, classes, and programs from the Hadar Institute, Ta Shma is where you get to listen in on the beit midrash. Come and listen on the go, at home, or wherever you are. Hosted by Rabbi Avi Killip of the Hadar Institute.

religion & spirituality judaism

All Episodes

47:26

How to Read a Talmudic Story: Book Talk

Ta Shma ·

2026/03/30

The stories transmitted in the Talmud and midrash present contemporary readers with a rich and delightful entry point into the Rabbinic worldview and mindset, offering moral insights and memorable lessons. At the book launch for How to Read a Talmudic Story, Dr. Jeffrey L. Rubenstein and R. Aviva Richman explore how these narratives illuminate rabbinic values, struggles, and creativity. Together, they consider not only how to read these stories, but what they continue to teach us today. ...

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10:52

R. Avital Hochstein on Parashat Tzav: On Offerings,...

Ta Shma ·

2026/03/25

Midrash Vayikra Rabbah offers an extensive homily on the shelamim (peace or well-being offering) based on the linguistic affinity between the Hebrew words shelamim, sheleimut (wholeness), and shalom (peace). By examining both the technical details of how the offering was brought and the linguistic potential inherent in its name, the midrash transforms a discussion of ancient ritual into an exploration of the very nature of peace.

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51:14

R. Shai Held: Why Doesn't God Redeem Us Again?:...

Ta Shma ·

2026/03/23

The exodus is nothing less than the "orienting event" of Jewish life. But Exodus memory also has another, much more painful side: amidst suffering and devastation, Jews remember the exodus and wonder why, if God redeemed us then, God does not do so now. In this lecture, R. Shai explores the double-edge of memory: exploring how it can sustain us in hope and how, sometimes, it can deepen our despair. This lecture was delivered in memory of Jerome L. Stern z"l in March 2026. Source sheet: https:...

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9:32

R. Avital Hochstein on Vayikra: From Chance to Calling

Ta Shma ·

2026/03/18

The Book of Leviticus, Vayikra, begins: “God called (ויקרא) to Moshe and spoke to him from the Tent of Meeting, saying” (Leviticus 1:1). Why does God begin with a call? What is the essence and context of this kind of summoning?

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41:36

R. David Kasher: Reading Tanakh as Tanakh Reads Itself

Ta Shma ·

2026/03/17

What is the value and beauty of Tanakh? And how are biblical texts aware of, and in conversation with one another? In this class, Rabbi David Kasher investigates the Tanakh's conception of Kingship as it is first formulated in the Torah and then recalled and reconsidered by the prophets and kings. Recorded at the Tanakh Intensive 2026. Source sheet: https://mechonhadar.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/mh_torah_source_sheets/TI2026KasherReadingTanakh.pdf

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10:44

Parashat Vayakhel-Pekudei: Being in the Shadow of God

Ta Shma ·

2026/03/11

The Torah portions of VaYakhel and Pekudei describe the practical implementation of the construction plans for the tabernacle (mishkan), originally detailed in Terumah and Tetzaveh.

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13:18

R. Avital Hochstein on Parashat Ki Tissa: When Moshe...

Ta Shma ·

2026/03/04

The absence of a leader creates a vacuum, and this vacuum invites a question: What kind of leadership are we seeking? At the beginning of Parashat Ki Tissa, Moshe is absent. When he ascended the mountain at the end of Parashat Mishpatim, he entered the cloud, and left behind an alternative leadership structure, appointing two individuals in his stead: Aharon and Hur. Who are they, what happens to them—and what do we learn from them about the essence of leadership?

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11:45

R. Elazar Symon on Purim: Does God Sleep?

Ta Shma ·

2026/03/02

From a theological perspective, the most striking feature of the Book of Esther is God’s absence. God’s name does not appear anywhere in the megillah, which—at least on the level of peshat (the simple, contextual meaning)—presents an entirely human story.

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9:44

R. Avital Hochstein on Parashat Tetzaveh: “Who Stays...

Ta Shma ·

2026/02/25

Being in a relationship is both an opportunity and a challenge. Relationships with others have the potential to be life-expanding, but to achieve this they must be built with delicacy and intention of mind and heart. The Torah portions of Terumah, Tetzaveh, and VaYakhel-Pekudei present various opportunities for encounter and connection—with others in general, and the connection between the Holy blessed One and humanity in particular.

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47:36

Searching for the Heart of Tanakh: R. Shai Held and...

Ta Shma ·

2026/02/23

Traditional Jewish exegesis and modern academic scholarship often speak in different languages—one theological and reverential, the other historical and critical. In this public conversation, Rabbi Shai Held and Rabbi David Kasher reflect on how these frameworks shape our reading of the Bible, how they challenge one another, and how thoughtful engagement with both can lead to a richer, more responsible understanding of sacred scriptures. Recorded at the Tanakh Intensive 2026.

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8:43

R. Avital Hochstein on Parashat Terumah: The...

Ta Shma ·

2026/02/18

Parashat Terumah opens with a divine request. God asks the Children of Israel for a contribution to achieve a specific goal: “And let them make Me a sanctuary that I may dwell among them” (Exodus 25:8). The entire parashah, along with its layers of midrash, serves as a blueprint for how God seeks to be together with us—and how we can be together with others, even in an encounter that might otherwise seem impossible.

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52:11

R. Shai Held: Loving the Stranger-Sojourner (Ger)

Ta Shma ·

2026/02/17

In addition to loving God and loving our neighbor, the Torah also commands us to love the stranger-sojourner (ger). This lecture delves into this surprising biblical mandate to love the stranger-sojourner and seeks to understand its relationship to more foundational ideas in Jewish theology, ethics, and spirituality. R. Shai considers questions like: Why does the God of the Torah love strangers-sojourners? How does a truly Torah-based society respond to its most vulnerable members? What is th...

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8:12

R. Avital Hochstein on Parashat Mishpatim: Who Rests...

Ta Shma ·

2026/02/11

Parashat Mishpatim shines a spotlight on human beings and their responsibility for the rest of others on Shabbat.

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45:38

R. Ethan Tucker: Reading the Torah Like a Love Letter

Ta Shma ·

2026/02/09

Do you love midrash? Hate it? In this class, Rabbi Ethan Tucker delves into this unique rabbinic genre to try and understand its essence: Reading the Torah like a love letter, poring over every phrase, while also allowing our deepest values and concerns to come to the fore. Out of this alchemy, midrash is born and the traditional canon is never the same. Recorded at Hadar's Tanakh Intensive 2026. Source sheet: https://mechonhadar.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/mh_torah_source_sheets/TI2026T...

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12:28

R. Avital Hochstein on Parashat Yitro: An Intimate...

Ta Shma ·

2026/02/04

The Torah describes a moving encounter between Yitro and Moshe, in which Moshe shares his journey and experiences. A close reading of the details reveals that the Torah offers us a model for meaningful human connection—a way of meeting another person with openness, allowing space both to show and to be seen, to listen deeply and to receive with empathy.

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8:13

R. Elazar Symon on Tu Bishvat: Celebrating a Birthday...

Ta Shma ·

2026/02/02

Tu Bishvat is often called the “birthday of the trees.” There is also a reactionary trend to reject this framework of “birthday” and go back to its original, technical and halakhic purpose, which is found in the Mishnah.

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10:54

R. Avital Hochstein on Parashat Beshallah: Where Does...

Ta Shma ·

2026/01/28

The Torah describes: “Amalek came and fought with Israel at Refidim” (Exodus 17:8). Where does Amalek come from? What is the context out of which this war begins?

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34:10

R. Shai Held: Why Don’t We Make Blessings for...

Ta Shma ·

2026/01/26

On its face, it is a real anomaly in Jewish practice: we recite blessings before putting on tefillin or lighting Shabbat candles, but we don't recite any before we visit the sick or comfort a mourner. In this session, we'll probe a range of sources that try to explain why that is, culminating in a careful examination of one of Maimonides' post-powerful and important essays about the role of character and virtue in Jewish life. Recorded at the Rabbinic Yeshiva Intensive 2025. Sourc...

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8:56

R. Avital Hochstein on Parashat Bo: Slaves or...

Ta Shma ·

2026/01/21

Woven into the account of the Exodus are two distinct and seemingly contradictory images of the Children of Israel. On one hand, they are a nation of oppressed slaves, redeemed from a bondage of both body and soul. On the other, they appear as a vast, armed, and formidable group, driven out in haste by an Egypt terrified of their power. The opening chapters of the Book of Exodus present these two narratives in parallel, without attempting to reconcile them.

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8:20

R. Avital Hochstein on Parashat Va'Era: What is Slavery?

Ta Shma ·

2026/01/14

Pharaoh succeeded. He brought the Children of Israel into a state of slavery. The opening of Parashat Va’Era focuses on one particular consequence of this: the loss of the ability to listen.

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