PODCAST

The Tanakh Podcast

Alex Israel

Study Tanakh with Rav Alex Israel. 10 mins a day. One chapter a day. 929 schedule.

religion & spirituality judaism

All Episodes

00:12:40

#109 | Vayikra ch.18 - Inside. Outside.

The Tanakh Podcast ·

2026/01/26

In this podcast we discuss Rav David Zvi Hoffman's division of Vayikra into two halves, each with a particular language and a very different orientation.

00:12:28

#108 | Vayikra ch.17 - A History of Meat

The Tanakh Podcast ·

2026/01/25

Our chapter deals with meat sacrificed or slaughtered OUTSIDE the Mishkan. When is it permitted? When is it prohibited? We demonstrate that the ethical and religious concerns here are not timeless; they are highly contingent upon circumstance and context.

00:14:57

#107 | Vayikra ch.16 - The Lottery of Yom Kippur

The Tanakh Podcast ·

2026/01/24

Its Yom Kippur in the Sanctuary.And the High Priest does a lottery.Two goats. One as a sin offering to God; the second sent to "Azazel"What is Azazel? Why this lottery? What does it mean?

00:11:24

#106 | Vayikra ch.15 - Sometimes God Chooses Impurity!

The Tanakh Podcast ·

2026/01/21

Our chapter describes the nature of various bodily fluids, some natural, others involuntary, and speaks of the Tum'ah that they create and the rites of purification.Today we speak about various perspectives about the nature and effects of "Tum'ah" and whether sometimes God prefers Israel even in an impure state of being.

00:14:14

#105 | Vayikra ch.14 - Breaking Our Walls

The Tanakh Podcast ·

2026/01/20

Why is the Tzara'at of houses contained in a separate section to the Tzaraat of skin and clothing?We explore two opposite and yet complementary dynamics in Hazal's explanation of this plague.

00:13:30

#104 | Vayikra ch.13 - Tzara'at - Corrupt Boundaries

The Tanakh Podcast ·

2026/01/19

Is Tzaraat (sometimes translated incorrectly as leprosy) a medical ailment or a spiritual one?The Tanakh speaks of several instances of people afflicted by Tzaraat. What causes this condition?

00:17:30

#103 | Vayikra ch.12 - Childbirth. Impure?

The Tanakh Podcast ·

2026/01/18

A woman who births a child contracts impurity! Why?And she has to bring a sin offering?What sin did she incur?We will frame this episode in the broader framework of these chapters, which will go some way to answering these questions.

00:11:37

#102 | Vayikra ch.11 - Are Forbidden Foods Unhealthy?

The Tanakh Podcast ·

2026/01/17

In this chapter we hear the laws of forbidden foods - Kosher animals, fish, birds and insects.But why are some animals forbidden and others allowed? Is there a logic to the particular animals that are banned for consumption? And why do non-kosher animals engender ritual impurity?

00:12:09

#101 | Vaykira ch.10 - Death in the Sanctuary

The Tanakh Podcast ·

2026/01/15

On what should have been the happiest day, tragedy strikes in the Mishkan. Nadav and Avihu, young priests - Aharon's sons - bring foreign fire and are struck down - by fire - before God. Why did they break the protocol of the Temple?What motivated them flout the laws and recklessly disregard the Temple service?

00:14:46

#100 | Vayikra ch.9 - Turning Weakness into Strength

The Tanakh Podcast ·

2026/01/13

"The Eighth Day" is the day "that God will appear" to the nation. It is purported to be the day in which the Tabernacle/Mishkan reaches its climax - God's fire will descend to the nation.But we reach into the silent gaps in this story through Midrash and Rashi and speak of the hidden drama in this narrative; one of apprehension, guilt and brotherhood.

00:14:57

#99 | Vayikra ch.8 - Becoming a Piece of the Sacred

The Tanakh Podcast ·

2026/01/12

Today we try to get to the essence of the Miluim, the 7-day consecration of the Priests. We will discover that they are almost becoming part of the architecture of the Temple itself!

00:14:04

#98 | Vayikra ch.7 - The Silent Temple

The Tanakh Podcast ·

2026/01/11

As Prof Yechezkel Kaufman pointed out, the Temple is a world of silence. There are no prayers or curses or incantations. Just silence. What should we make of this?

00:16:38

#97 | Vayikra ch.6 - Fires of Renewal

The Tanakh Podcast ·

2026/01/10

Why does chapter 6-7 repeat all the sacrifices a second time?Why does the opening paragraph about the Olah actually discuss the ash and the fire rather than the Olah itself?

00:14:39

#96 | Vayikra ch.5 - Inaction and Perfectionism

The Tanakh Podcast ·

2026/01/07

In chapter 5 we see two categories of sin-offering:* korban oleh ve-yored* AshamWe will discuss the states of mind that underpin these two sin-offerings.

00:14:53

#95 | Vayikra ch.4 - When Leaders Sin

The Tanakh Podcast ·

2026/01/06

We all sin! Sin is endemic to human nature: "There is not even a righteous person in the world who fails to sin." said Kohelet.But our chapter directs attention not to the sin of the ordinary Israelite but to the sins of leaders: The High Priest, the judiciary and the political leadership.Are their sins more egregious, or are they merely more prone to sin? Or are they possibly to set an example to us all?

00:12:05

#94 | Vayikra ch.3 - Putting God on the Guest List

The Tanakh Podcast ·

2026/01/05

Today we discuss the Shelamim, a joyous sacrifice, eaten with friends, expressing the bond that humans make with God.

00:15:40

#93 | Vayikra ch.2 - Korban Mincha - The Flour Offering

The Tanakh Podcast ·

2026/01/04

Vayikra ch.2 describes and outlines the FIVE types of Korban Mincha - an offering of flour and oil. Why does it come in five recipes? What does this vegetarian korban represent?

00:18:15

#92 | Vayikra ch.1 - Understanding Korbanot

The Tanakh Podcast ·

2026/01/04

We haven't brought sacrifices-korbanot for 2000 years.What does the word "korban" mean?And how have major Jewish thinkers understood the rationale for Korbanot? Can we, as modern people, come to an appreciation of their significance?

00:17:59

#90 | Shemot ch.40 - God's Presence

The Tanakh Podcast ·

2025/12/31

Shemot ends with the assembly of all the constituent parts of the Mishkan and God's "glory-Kavod" resting within the Mishkan.We spend todays podcast discussing the structure of Shemot according to two systems - that of Ramban and that of Rashi. They each teach different messages about the spiritual thrust of the book.

00:12:57

#90 | Shemot ch.39 - Mishkan. Creation. Shabbat.

The Tanakh Podcast ·

2025/12/30

What is the connection between the Mishkan, Creation, and Shabbat?

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