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PODCAST

This Week in Learning

This podcast presents a carefully curated Torah topic, raises critical questions, and offers analysis and insight. It does some of the preliminary research for you. Independent thinking is still required. bentorah.substack.com

religion & spirituality judaism

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9:00

Teshuva in Transition

This Week in Learning ·

2025/09/22

Dear Readers, I have historically taken a writing hiatus over the summer. I’m grateful to be able to post a new idea in advance of Rosh HaShanah. Please find my 5785 High Holiday Reader linked and below for a compendium of previous articles. Wishing you and yours a כתיבה וחתימה טובה and a שנה טובה ומתוקה, a sweet new year for us and for all Israel. Sincerely, BenWe may approach the day of Rosh HaShanah with a feeling of trepidation. This time of year is indeed referred to as the ימים נוראים, the

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13:03

Tension and Strength

This Week in Learning ·

2025/05/16

Rebbe Akiva is a towering figure in Jewish history. He appears throughout the Talmud, where he is cited for his halakhic opinions and as the central character in many stories. While originally a junior member of the Sages, he eventually becomes the leader of his generation. תלמוד בבלי – יבמות ס"באָמְרוּ שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר אָלֶף זוּגִים תַּלְמִידִים הָיוּ לוֹ לְרַבִּי עֲקִיבָא מִגְּבָת עַד אַנְטִיפְרַס וְכוּלָּן מֵתוּ בְּפֶרֶק אֶחָד מִפְּנֵי שֶׁלֹּא נָהֲגוּ כָּבוֹד זֶה לָזֶה. וְהָיָה הָעוֹלָם שָׁמֵם עַד

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7:54

National Communication

This Week in Learning ·

2025/05/09

The Parsha of Kedoshim contains an array of Mitzvot. It begins with the exhortation to the Jewish people to “be holy”. Notably Moshe is told to convey this message to “the entire congregation of the Jewish people”. ויקרא י”ט (ב) דַּבֵּ֞ר אֶל־כׇּל־עֲדַ֧ת בְּנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל וְאָמַרְתָּ֥ אֲלֵהֶ֖ם קְדֹשִׁ֣ים תִּהְי֑וּ כִּ֣י קָד֔וֹשׁ אֲנִ֖י יְהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶֽם׃Vayikra 19 (2) Speak to the entire congregation of the children of Israel, and say to them, You shall be holy, for I, the Lord, your God, am

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8:11

Remembering Shabbat and the Exodus

This Week in Learning ·

2025/04/04

The exodus from Egypt was a foundational event in the history of the Jewish people. It transformed us from a family into a nation, from slaves to a people pursuing their own destiny, into a community that affirms the Oneness of God. We acknowledge this event daily, and celebrate it during the holiday of passover. רמב"ם חמץ ומצה ז:א(א) מצות עשה של תורה לספר בניסים ונפלאות שנעשו לאבותינו במצרים בליל חמישה עשר בניסן, שנאמר "זכור את היום הזה אשר יצאתם ממצרים" (שמות י"ג:ג'), כמה שנאמר "זכור את יום השבת"

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6:35

Gold and the Manifestation of the Divine

This Week in Learning ·

2025/03/28

The Torah provides an elaborate description of the construction of the Mishkan. It includes materials and measurements for the structure itself and the articles inside. Parshat Pekudei provides some accounting. שמות לח:כד(כד) כׇּל־הַזָּהָ֗ב הֶֽעָשׂוּי֙ לַמְּלָאכָ֔ה בְּכֹ֖ל מְלֶ֣אכֶת הַקֹּ֑דֶשׁ וַיְהִ֣י׀ זְהַ֣ב הַתְּנוּפָ֗ה תֵּ֤שַׁע וְעֶשְׂרִים֙ כִּכָּ֔ר וּשְׁבַ֨ע מֵא֧וֹת וּשְׁלֹשִׁ֛ים שֶׁ֖קֶל בְּשֶׁ֥קֶל הַקֹּֽדֶשׁ׃Shemot 38:24All the gold that had been used for the work in all the work of the Holy

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6:32

Banality and Bureaucracy

This Week in Learning ·

2025/03/13

After an assassination plot against the king is revealed, Haman is promoted to Prime Minister. In this capacity, all are required to bow down to him by order of the king. Mordechai refuses to bow down. While Haman doesn’t personally notice, it is brought to his attention and he is furious. אסתר ג(ו) וַיִּ֣בֶז בְּעֵינָ֗יו לִשְׁלֹ֤חַ יָד֙ בְּמׇרְדֳּכַ֣י לְבַדּ֔וֹ כִּֽי־הִגִּ֥ידוּ ל֖וֹ אֶת־עַ֣ם מׇרְדֳּכָ֑י וַיְבַקֵּ֣שׁ הָמָ֗ן לְהַשְׁמִ֧יד אֶת־כׇּל־הַיְּהוּדִ֛ים אֲשֶׁ֛ר בְּכׇל־מַלְכ֥וּת אֲחַשְׁוֵר֖וֹשׁ

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7:10

Pagan and Jewish Philosophies of Pleasure

This Week in Learning ·

2025/03/07

The opening scene of the Megilah portrays two elaborate parties hosted by King Achashveirosh, emperor of the Persian empire. The first party of 180 days entertained the nobles. It was political in nature, designed to consolidate his power across 127 provinces. He then hosted a 7-day party for the people of Shushan, his capital city. All were invited to eat and drink in the king’s palace. מגילת אסתר א: (י) בַּיּוֹם֙ הַשְּׁבִיעִ֔י כְּט֥וֹב לֵב־הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ בַּיָּ֑יִן אָמַ֡ר לִ֠מְהוּמָן בִּזְּתָ֨א

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9:08

The Building Blocks of Jewish Society

This Week in Learning ·

2025/02/14

Moshe’s father-in-law Yitro joins the Jewish people in the desert following the exodus from Egypt. He is overjoyed to hear of the people’s salvation. He brings offerings with Moshe and celebrates with the elders. The following day, he observes Moshe judging the people. He is critical of the procedure and offers Moshe an alternative to be more effective. שמות יח:כ(כ) וְהִזְהַרְתָּ֣ה אֶתְהֶ֔ם אֶת־הַחֻקִּ֖ים וְאֶת־הַתּוֹרֹ֑ת וְהוֹדַעְתָּ֣ לָהֶ֗ם אֶת־הַדֶּ֙רֶךְ֙ יֵ֣לְכוּ בָ֔הּ וְאֶת־הַֽמַּעֲשֶׂ֖ה

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7:41

Restoration and Redemption

This Week in Learning ·

2025/02/07

When Moshe first approaches Pharaoh, he makes a specific request that the Jewish people be granted 3 days respite to worship in the desert. Pharaoh refuses, and Moshe persists with this request during the debate that takes place throughout the subsequent 10 plagues. When Moshe is first instructed to facilitate the redemption of the Jewish people (3:10), he is told to gather the elders and approach Pharaoh with the request to go into the desert for 3 days and make offerings to Hashem (3:18). If the

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6:26

Intergenerational Commitment

This Week in Learning ·

2025/01/31

The first Pesach offering was conducted on the eve of the exodus from Egypt. The Jewish people were commanded to perform this service in a specific fashion. Some requirements were unique to that first offering, while others remained in effect throughout the generations. שמות יב(מח) וְכִֽי־יָג֨וּר אִתְּךָ֜ גֵּ֗ר וְעָ֣שָׂה פֶ֘סַח֮ לַיהֹוָה֒ הִמּ֧וֹל ל֣וֹ כׇל־זָכָ֗ר וְאָז֙ יִקְרַ֣ב לַעֲשֹׂת֔וֹ וְהָיָ֖ה כְּאֶזְרַ֣ח הָאָ֑רֶץ וְכׇל־עָרֵ֖ל לֹֽא־יֹ֥אכַל בּֽוֹ׃Shemot 12(48) And should a proselyte reside with

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15:24

Acknowledging God Across Generations

This Week in Learning ·

2025/01/10

At the end of his life, Yaakov gathers his children together and proffers his last will and testament. The text in the Torah records a statement about each of his children. They include specific qualities about the individual and many hint at events in the future of the Jewish people. בראשית מט – (א) וַיִּקְרָ֥א יַֽעֲקֹ֖ב אֶל־בָּנָ֑יו וַיֹּ֗אמֶר הֵאָֽסְפוּ֙ וְאַגִּ֣ידָה לָכֶ֔ם אֵ֛ת אֲשֶׁר־יִקְרָ֥א אֶתְכֶ֖ם בְּאַֽחֲרִ֥ית הַיָּמִֽים: Beresheit 49 ) —1( Jacob called for his sons and said, "Gather and

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9:05

Imperfect and Sustainable Leadership

This Week in Learning ·

2025/01/03

After what appeared to be a successful encounter with the Egyptian ruler, the brothers head home to their father Jacob. But after leaving the city limits, they are accused of larceny. Binyamin Is found guilty and condemned to be a slave. The Torah notes that all the brothers tore their garments in mourning and returned to Egypt together (Beresheit 44:13-14). Yehudah then approaches Yosef and makes an impassioned speech. Yosef responds and reveals his identity and reunites with his brothers. Where

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6:53

The Moral Economy

This Week in Learning ·

2024/12/27

At the beginning of Parshat Miketz, we follow the story of Yosef in Egypt. Pharaoh has dreams which no one can interpret. Yosef is brought from prison to the palace and successfully interprets the dreams. There will be 7 years of plenty followed by 7 years of famine. He then suggests a prudent governmental policy. Pharaoh should store grain during the 7 years of plenty, and distribute it during the 7 years of famine, safeguarding Egypt and Pharaoh’s kingdom. The narrative then switches back to the

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5:30

The New Moon of Tomorrow

This Week in Learning ·

2024/11/29

There is an interesting Gemara in Rosh Hashanah that deal with a particular instance of sanctifying the new moon. תלמוד בבלי – ראש השנה כה.רַבִּי חִיָּיא חַזְיֵיא לְסֵיהֲרָא דַּהֲוָה קָאֵי בְּצַפְרָא דְּעֶשְׂרִים וְתִשְׁעָה שְׁקַל קָלָא פְּתַק בֵּיהּ אֲמַר לְאוּרְתָּא בָּעֵינַן לְקַדּוֹשֵׁי בָּךְ וְאַתְּ קָיְימַתְּ הָכָא זִיל אִיכַּסִּי אֲמַר לֵיהּ רַבִּי לְרַבִּי חִיָּיא זִיל לְעֵין טָב וְקַדְּשֵׁיהּ לְיַרְחָא וּשְׁלַח לִי סִימָנָא דָּוִד מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל חַי וְקַיָּם.Talmud Bavli - Rosh Hashanah

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12:11

The Integrated Personality

This Week in Learning ·

2024/11/22

We are confronted with the death of our matriarch Sarah at the beginning of the Parsha. It lists the age at which she died, but does so in a manner that has caught the attention of the commentators and any careful reader.בראשית כגא) וַיִּֽהְיוּ֙ חַיֵּ֣י שָׂרָ֔ה מֵאָ֥ה שָׁנָ֛ה וְעֶשְׂרִ֥ים שָׁנָ֖ה וְשֶׁ֣בַע שָׁנִ֑ים שְׁנֵ֖י חַיֵּ֥י שָׂרָֽהBereisheet(1) And the life of Sarah was one hundred years and twenty years and seven years; [these were] the years of the life of Sarah.Why does the verse list out

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6:34

Echo Chambers and the Tower of Bavel

This Week in Learning ·

2024/11/01

This week’s article in PDF:Recap of articles related to Noach:The moral corruption of the generation of the flood is explicitly outlined by the Torah. The error of the generation that built the Tower of Bavel is not explicit (Beresheit Rabbah 38:6). We know the episode resulted in a dispersion of languages and people.It is natural for groups to form among humans. Specialization is part of the evolution of society. Rav Hirsch explains this was expected to have occurred in the 400 years following the

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6:00

National and Personal Teshuva

This Week in Learning ·

2024/10/07

The sounding of the Shofar is a central mitzvah of Rosh Hashanah. The Rambam explains that the institution is designed to wake us from our slumber, from being lost in the fleeting endeavors of our times, to do Teshuva and remember our creator (Laws of Teshuva 3:4). While we are used to seeing the Shofar blown in the context of the synagogue service, it looks slightly different when performed in the temple. רמב“ם – שופר וסוכה ולולב א:ב(ב) במקדש היו תוקעין בראש השנה בשופר אחד, ושתי חצוצרות מן הצדדין,

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7:41

The Hidden and Revealed

This Week in Learning ·

2024/09/27

In the concluding sections of Moshe’s final speech to the Jewish people, he reminds them of the binding covenant between the people and God that spans generations. A promise made to our forefathers playing out in the generation about to enter the land of Israel, extends also to future members of the nations. He warns them about abandoning the covenant, that it will lead to their being expelled from the land. The paragraph concludes with an enigmatic statement. דברים כט(כח) הַנִּ֨סְתָּרֹ֔ת לַיהֹוָ֖ה

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6:00

A Snapshot of Jewish Society

This Week in Learning ·

2024/09/13

The Parsha of Ki Teitze has the highest density of commandments of any weekly section of the Torah. This expansive set of 74 mitzvot do not appear to be clearly related to one another. A range includes returning lost objects, keeping one’s commitments, and maintaining even weights and measures. It concludes with an obligation to destroy Amalek. The Parsha begins with the laws related to encountering a beautiful woman in the context of war. The Torah regulates permissible interactions and imposes

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6:34

Leadership and Responsibility

This Week in Learning ·

2024/09/06

In the Torah-based society, there are different categories of of leaders. Parshat Shoftim discusses judges who determine justice, officials who implement the rulings, and Kohanim serving as spiritual leaders and guides based in the Temple, the paradigm of spiritual leaders throughout the generations. The Torah continues to discuss the role of kings, levites, and prophets.At the end of the Parsha, the Torah outlines the procedure if someone is found murdered outside the city, and the murderer is

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