Into the Verse - A Parsha Podcast: Recent Episodes
Aleph Beta
Into the Verse is dedicated to bringing you Torah that is timely and relevant to your life. Using the parsha and the Jewish calendar as inspiration, this podcast is filled with rich and uplifting insights based on analysis of the Hebrew text itself. Take a listen and enjoy! Into the Verse is a project of Aleph Beta, a Torah media company dedicated to spreading the joy and love of meaningful Torah learning worldwide. For our full library of over 1,000 videos and podcasts, please visit www.alephbeta.org.
(Part 2 of 2) Parshat Shelach teaches us the mitzvah of Tzitzit. How are we to understand these little fringes? Sounds like a perfect job for the crew at "Meaningful Judaism," our podcast dedicated to uncovering the meaning in mitzvot, so we decided to pop back into this feed and share this episode from our archives.
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Into the Verse is a project of Aleph Beta, a Torah media company dedicated to spreading the joy and love of meaningful Torah learning worldwide. If you’re enjoying this podcast, help support our work by subscribing to Aleph Beta.
For past episodes of Into the Verse, go to our website, alephbeta.org, where a premium subscription gets you access to all of our past episodes and our full library of over 1,000 videos and podcasts on the parsha, holidays, and so much more
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(Part 1/2) Parshat Shelach teaches us the mitzvah of Tzitzit. How are we to understand these little fringes? Sounds like a perfect job for the crew at "Meaningful Judaism," our podcast dedicated to uncovering the meaning in mitzvot, so we decided to pop back into this feed and share this episode from our archives. Enjoy!
Check out the 2024 Perks campaign here! Go ahead, treat yourself and make a difference at the same time! Thank you for your support!
Into the Verse is a project of Aleph Beta, a Torah media company dedicated to spreading the joy and love of meaningful Torah learning worldwide. If you’re enjoying this podcast, help support our work by subscribing to Aleph Beta.
For past episodes of Into the Verse, go to our website, alephbeta.org, where a premium subscription gets you access to all of our past episodes and our full library of over 1,000 videos and podcasts on the parsha, holidays, and so much more
Follow us on your favorite social media.
The Book of Esther has no Divine instructions, no prophecies, no outright miracles. God doesn’t even get mentioned. We all love hearing how Mordechai and Esther saved their people in a time of crisis – but does this story have any moral message for us? As we’re listening to the Megillah on Purim, what can we learn about coming close to God in our everyday lives?
Join Imu Shalev and Rabbi David Fohrman as they dive deeply into Megillat Esther to find an answer to this question. They start off with a very odd set of comments from our sages, claiming that there were angels at work in the Esther story. The Megillah doesn’t say anything about angels, so what on earth made the rabbis think that? Rabbi Fohrman teases the possibility that these strange angel stories are all pointing to a link between Esther, a narrative from the end of Tanach, and another story all the way back in Genesis. If we explore that connection, we may eventually find the key to the Megillah’s moral message.
A Book Like No Other is a product of Aleph Beta, and made possible through the generous support of Shari and Nathan Lindenbaum. Aleph Beta is a Torah media company dedicated to spreading the joy and love of meaningful Torah learning worldwide.
If you loved this episode and are already a member of Aleph Beta, log in to alephbeta.org to listen to upcoming episodes. We’ll even give you a private RSS feed so you can keep listening to A Book Like No Other on your favorite podcasting app. Feel free to email info@alephbeta.org if you have any trouble.
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Into the Verse is a project of Aleph Beta, a Torah media company dedicated to spreading the joy and love of meaningful Torah learning worldwide. If you’re enjoying this podcast, help support our work by subscribing to Aleph Beta.
For past episodes of Into the Verse, go to our website, alephbeta.org, where a premium subscription gets you access to all of our past episodes and our full library of over 1,000 videos and podcasts on the parsha, holidays, and so much more
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A Book Like No Other is a chance to learn alongside Aleph Beta Founder and Lead Scholar, Rabbi David Fohrman, a master close reader of Torah, as he embarks on his most far-reaching and in-depth explorations. Each season is a stand-alone journey into a different Torah text. Our only goal: reading the Torah carefully, on its own terms, and following wherever that leads. Together, we'll unwrap remarkable patterns and surprising connections that lie just beneath the Torah's surface, revealing the beauty and insight that truly make the Torah a book like no other.
A Book Like No Other is made possible through the generous sponsorship of Shari and Nathan Lindenbaum, as well as the support of our members like you. Don’t forget, your membership gives you access to Aleph Beta’s full library of over 1,000 videos and podcasts, as well as bonus content for A Book Like No Other. Visit www.alephbeta.org to keep learning. And be sure to email us at info@alephbeta.org with any questions or concerns.
What did you think of this episode? We’d genuinely like to hear your thoughts, questions, and feedback. Leave us a voice message – just click record, and let your thoughts flow.
Into the Verse is a project of Aleph Beta, a Torah media company dedicated to spreading the joy and love of meaningful Torah learning worldwide. If you’re enjoying this podcast, help support our work by subscribing to Aleph Beta.
For past episodes of Into the Verse, go to our website, alephbeta.org, where a premium subscription gets you access to all of our past episodes and our full library of over 1,000 videos and podcasts on the parsha, holidays, and so much more
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Parshat Mishpatim outlines the laws of indentured servants and maidservants, including servants going free in the seventh year, servants getting married while working, and a father making a deal for his daughter’s hand in marriage. This set of laws seems strikingly similar to an earlier story involving a worker and a father trying marrying off his daughters. Could these laws in Mishpatim actually be the Torah’s own commentary on the negotiations between Jacob and Laban back in Genesis?
Join Rabbi David Fohrman and Ari Levisohn as they discuss these surprising parallels and explore the relationship between the Torah's laws and its stories.
Into The Verse is taking a break for a little while. In the interim you can stay up-to-date on the parsha with last year’s episodes, which are available on https://www.alephbeta.org. And if you haven’t started the latest season of A Book Like No Other, you have to check it out. If you’re not a member…what are you waiting for? Go to alephbeta.org/subscribe and become a member to access the new season of A Book Like No Other, as well as our full library of over 1,000 videos and podcasts. Click here to subscribe.
What did you think of this episode? We’d genuinely like to hear your thoughts, questions, and feedback. Leave us a voice message – just click record, and let your thoughts flow.
Into the Verse is a project of Aleph Beta, a Torah media company dedicated to spreading the joy and love of meaningful Torah learning worldwide. If you’re enjoying this podcast, help support our work by subscribing to Aleph Beta.
For past episodes of Into the Verse, go to our website, alephbeta.org, where a premium subscription gets you access to all of our past episodes and our full library of over 1,000 videos and podcasts on the parsha, holidays, and so much more
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In Parshat Yitro, we read about the revelation at Sinai and the giving of the 10 Commandments. The image of the 10 Commandments is one of the most familiar images from the Torah, but when you read the Sages’ description of the tablets, not only will you be shocked to hear that we may have been depicting the image wrong all along, but we may also be missing an important part of what the 10 Commandments are all about.
Join Ari Levisohn and Daniel Loewenstein as they explore the Sages’ words and discuss the powerful implications of a new way to see the 10 Commandments.
To hear Rabbi Fohrman's complete interview on the podcast excerpted in this week's episode, listen here.
To learn more about the suzerain-vassal treaties Ari discusses, check out this article.
What did you think of this episode? We’d genuinely like to hear your thoughts, questions, and feedback. Leave us a voice message – just click record, and let your thoughts flow.
Into the Verse is a project of Aleph Beta, a Torah media company dedicated to spreading the joy and love of meaningful Torah learning worldwide. If you’re enjoying this podcast, help support our work by subscribing to Aleph Beta.
For past episodes of Into the Verse, go to our website, alephbeta.org, where a premium subscription gets you access to all of our past episodes and our full library of over 1,000 videos and podcasts on the parsha, holidays, and so much more
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Rabbi David Fohrman and Imu Shalev study the tale of the blasphemer, a dark and puzzling episode buried deep in Leviticus. The details of this story are scarce: an anonymous man provokes a fight in the Israelite camp, curses God, and ultimately is stoned to death as punishment. But a close read of these few short verses sends Rabbi Fohrman and Imu on a surprising journey, raising provocative moral questions about God’s judgment and uncovering an unlikely connection between the condemned blasphemer and one of the Bible’s greatest heroes.
A Book Like No Other is a product of Aleph Beta, and made possible through the generous support of Shari and Nathan Lindenbaum. Aleph Beta is a Torah media company dedicated to spreading the joy and love of meaningful Torah learning worldwide.
If you loved this episode and are already a member of Aleph Beta, log in to alephbeta.org to listen to upcoming episodes. We’ll even give you a private RSS feed so you can keep listening to A Book Like No Other on your favorite podcasting app. Feel free to email info@alephbeta.org if you have any trouble.
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What did you think of this episode? We’d genuinely like to hear your thoughts, questions, and feedback. Leave us a voice message – just click record, and let your thoughts flow.
Into the Verse is a project of Aleph Beta, a Torah media company dedicated to spreading the joy and love of meaningful Torah learning worldwide. If you’re enjoying this podcast, help support our work by subscribing to Aleph Beta.
For past episodes of Into the Verse, go to our website, alephbeta.org, where a premium subscription gets you access to all of our past episodes and our full library of over 1,000 videos and podcasts on the parsha, holidays, and so much more
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Parshat Bo tells the story of the last three plagues. The 10th plague, the death of the firstborn, ultimately compels Pharaoh and the Egyptians to free the Israelites from slavery, but was that really the purpose of the plagues? Were they just meant to punish the Egyptians? Or were the Egyptians meant to get something else out of these destructive plagues?
Join Tikva Hecht and Beth Lesch as they challenge a classic answer to these questions on the 10 plagues and develop a new understanding of what it means to “know God.”
Check out Rabbi Fohrman’s course “Why Did God Choose Israel As His Chosen People?” to explore these questions further.
What did you think of this episode? We’d genuinely like to hear your thoughts, questions, and feedback. Leave us a voice message – just click record, and let your thoughts flow.
Into the Verse is a project of Aleph Beta, a Torah media company dedicated to spreading the joy and love of meaningful Torah learning worldwide. If you’re enjoying this podcast, help support our work by subscribing to Aleph Beta.
For past episodes of Into the Verse, go to our website, alephbeta.org, where a premium subscription gets you access to all of our past episodes and our full library of over 1,000 videos and podcasts on the parsha, holidays, and so much more
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In Parshat Shemot, we read the story of the burning bush, where Moses was charged with a mission. We are often taught that Moses’ job was to take the Israelites out of Egypt, but a close read of the text suggests that there is actually something else Moses also had to do.
Join Ari Levisohn and Evan Weiner as they dive into Moses' encounter with the burning bush and discover allusions to an earlier mission in the Bible, one which sheds light on Moses’ true mission and what it means for a nation under attack.
Check out Rabbi Fohrman’s video about the Korban Pesach (Passover offering) and the Sale of Joseph mentioned in this week’s episode. To learn more about Joseph’s mission to check on his brothers, watch this amazing video from Rabbi Fohrman and this earlier episode of Into the Verse.
What did you think of this episode? We’d genuinely like to hear your thoughts, questions, and feedback. Leave us a voice message – just click record, and let your thoughts flow.
Into the Verse is a project of Aleph Beta, a Torah media company dedicated to spreading the joy and love of meaningful Torah learning worldwide. If you’re enjoying this podcast, help support our work by subscribing to Aleph Beta.
For past episodes of Into the Verse, go to our website, alephbeta.org, where a premium subscription gets you access to all of our past episodes and our full library of over 1,000 videos and podcasts on the parsha, holidays, and so much more
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In Parshat Vayechi, Jacob remembers when the God of his ancestors, “El Shaddai,” appeared to him and promised a bright future for his descendants. But what about the times when his life didn’t seem to be going according to God’s plan? Is God still present in times of suffering? Join Rabbi David Fohrman and Beth Lesch as they explore the question of God’s presence in our lives.
What did you think of this episode? We’d genuinely like to hear your thoughts, questions, and feedback. Leave us a voice message – just click record, and let your thoughts flow.
Into the Verse is a project of Aleph Beta, a Torah media company dedicated to spreading the joy and love of meaningful Torah learning worldwide. If you’re enjoying this podcast, help support our work by subscribing to Aleph Beta.
For past episodes of Into the Verse, go to our website, alephbeta.org, where a premium subscription gets you access to all of our past episodes and our full library of over 1,000 videos and podcasts on the parsha, holidays, and so much more
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In Parshat Vayigash, Joseph finally reveals himself to his brothers, and they realize that the Egyptian official they had bowed down to was none other than their long lost brother. What did Jacob's sons think about their powerful brother now? Why does Joseph have to emphasize God's role in orchestrating the events of their lives?
Join Ari Levisohn and Adina Blaustein as they explore the striking similarities between Joseph and the Golden Calf.
What did you think of this episode? We’d genuinely like to hear your thoughts, questions, and feedback. Leave us a voice message – just click record, and let your thoughts flow.
Into the Verse is a project of Aleph Beta, a Torah media company dedicated to spreading the joy and love of meaningful Torah learning worldwide. If you’re enjoying this podcast, help support our work by subscribing to Aleph Beta.
For past episodes of Into the Verse, go to our website, alephbeta.org, where a premium subscription gets you access to all of our past episodes and our full library of over 1,000 videos and podcasts on the parsha, holidays, and so much more
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In Parshat Miketz, Jacob sends his sons on a mission to get food from Egypt so they can survive a famine plaguing the entire Middle East. On the surface, it seems like a straightforward request, but a closer read reveals a deeper purpose in their mission.
Join Ari Levisohn and Rabbi David Fohrman as they uncover a hidden layer of meaning in this week’s parsha and discuss what we are meant to do with our material success in this world.
What did you think of this episode? We’d genuinely like to hear your thoughts, questions, and feedback. Leave us a voice message – just click record, and let your thoughts flow.
Into the Verse is a project of Aleph Beta, a Torah media company dedicated to spreading the joy and love of meaningful Torah learning worldwide. If you’re enjoying this podcast, help support our work by subscribing to Aleph Beta.
For past episodes of Into the Verse, go to our website, alephbeta.org, where a premium subscription gets you access to all of our past episodes and our full library of over 1,000 videos and podcasts on the parsha, holidays, and so much more
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In Parshat Vayeshev, the Torah tells us that Joseph’s brothers were so angry at him that they couldn’t even speak a word to his face. Yet, the very next thing we’re told is that Jacob sends Joseph, unsupervised, to go check on his brothers. What was Jacob thinking? Why wasn’t he worried that the brothers might hurt Joseph?
Join Ari Levisohn and Adina Blaustein as they dive into this week’s parsha to uncover Jacob’s hidden motives and find insights on how to mend broken relationships.
What did you think of this episode? We’d genuinely like to hear your thoughts, questions, and feedback. Leave us a voice message – just click record, and let your thoughts flow.
Into the Verse is a project of Aleph Beta, a Torah media company dedicated to spreading the joy and love of meaningful Torah learning worldwide. If you’re enjoying this podcast, help support our work by subscribing to Aleph Beta.
For past episodes of Into the Verse, go to our website, alephbeta.org, where a premium subscription gets you access to all of our past episodes and our full library of over 1,000 videos and podcasts on the parsha, holidays, and so much more
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When Esau came to meet Jacob with 400 men, it could only mean one thing: 20 years after Jacob stole Esau's blessings, Esau is finally seeking his revenge. But... what if we are misjudging Esau?
Join Beth Lesch and Rabbi David Fohrman as they explore some fascinating parallels between this week's parsha and a later story, all leading to a shocking conclusion: We may have been wrong about Esau's intentions.
What did you think of this episode? We’d genuinely like to hear your thoughts, questions, and feedback. Leave us a voice message – just click record, and let your thoughts flow.
Into the Verse is a project of Aleph Beta, a Torah media company dedicated to spreading the joy and love of meaningful Torah learning worldwide. If you’re enjoying this podcast, help support our work by subscribing to Aleph Beta.
For past episodes of Into the Verse, go to our website, alephbeta.org, where a premium subscription gets you access to all of our past episodes and our full library of over 1,000 videos and podcasts on the parsha, holidays, and so much more
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Parshat Vayeitzei begins with Jacob on the run from Esau and follows Jacob's trials and tribulations throughout his time in Laban's house. At the end of the parsha, Jacob is back on the run and gets into a heated argument with Laban. What is Jacob's role in this cycle of conflicts?
Join Ari Levisohn and Tikva Hecht as they uncover a transformative way to read this week's parsha by picking up on some unexpected parallels to a random legal section later in the Torah.
To hear more about the parallels Ari uncovered, listen to the Parshat Vayigash episode Ari mentions.
What did you think of this episode? We’d genuinely like to hear your thoughts, questions, and feedback. Leave us a voice message – just click record, and let your thoughts flow.
Into the Verse is a project of Aleph Beta, a Torah media company dedicated to spreading the joy and love of meaningful Torah learning worldwide. If you’re enjoying this podcast, help support our work by subscribing to Aleph Beta.
For past episodes of Into the Verse, go to our website, alephbeta.org, where a premium subscription gets you access to all of our past episodes and our full library of over 1,000 videos and podcasts on the parsha, holidays, and so much more
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The feelings of rage and desire for revenge against Hamas still boil strong in the hearts of many. How should those feelings motivate Israel and her supporters in the war against Hamas? What did Hamas want us to feel and how can we protect ourselves from the dangers of uncontrolled rage?
Join Rabbi David Fohrman and Imu Shalev as they explore several reasons Israel is engaged in this war and offer hope for a nation in pain.
What did you think of this episode? We’d genuinely like to hear your thoughts, questions, and feedback. Leave us a voice message – just click record, and let your thoughts flow.
Into the Verse is a project of Aleph Beta, a Torah media company dedicated to spreading the joy and love of meaningful Torah learning worldwide. If you’re enjoying this podcast, help support our work by subscribing to Aleph Beta.
For past episodes of Into the Verse, go to our website, alephbeta.org, where a premium subscription gets you access to all of our past episodes and our full library of over 1,000 videos and podcasts on the parsha, holidays, and so much more
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Parshat Toldot contains the only story in the Torah that is really only about Isaac: the often overlooked story of the wells. What does this brief story really teach us about Isaac’s character? The Sages associate Isaac with the attribute of strength, but how does the story of the wells show us Isaac's might?
Join Adina Blaustein and Beth Lesch as they discover the true greatness of Isaac by exploring the striking parallels between Isaac and another Biblical character known for his strength, Samson the Mighty.
What did you think of this episode? We’d genuinely like to hear your thoughts, questions, and feedback. Leave us a voice message – just click record, and let your thoughts flow.
Into the Verse is a project of Aleph Beta, a Torah media company dedicated to spreading the joy and love of meaningful Torah learning worldwide. If you’re enjoying this podcast, help support our work by subscribing to Aleph Beta.
For past episodes of Into the Verse, go to our website, alephbeta.org, where a premium subscription gets you access to all of our past episodes and our full library of over 1,000 videos and podcasts on the parsha, holidays, and so much more
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Rabbi Fohrman and Imu are back sharing more stories from Rabbi Fohrman's last week in Israel, plus a fascinating discussion about last week's haftorah, its shocking conclusion, and the spiritual value of embracing "I don't know."
What did you think of this episode? We’d genuinely like to hear your thoughts, questions, and feedback. Leave us a voice message – just click record, and let your thoughts flow.
Into the Verse is a project of Aleph Beta, a Torah media company dedicated to spreading the joy and love of meaningful Torah learning worldwide. If you’re enjoying this podcast, help support our work by subscribing to Aleph Beta.
For past episodes of Into the Verse, go to our website, alephbeta.org, where a premium subscription gets you access to all of our past episodes and our full library of over 1,000 videos and podcasts on the parsha, holidays, and so much more
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The Midrash says that chesed and emet, Kindness and Truth, disagreed about whether God should create humankind. And the puzzling outcome of that argument was: “God took Truth and threw it to the earth.” But what does that actually mean? The answer may be in Parshat Chayei Sarah, where chesed and emet “meet up” for the very first time in a rather surprising place: the story of how Rebecca was chosen to be Isaac’s wife.
Join Ari Levisohn and Tikva Hecht as they dig into the details of this story and uncover a message about our human struggle to understand what God means by “truth.
Looking for Rabbi Fohrman’s video discussing Abraham, Nachor, and their marriages? Check it out here: The Meaning of the Book of Ruth
What did you think of this episode? We’d genuinely like to hear your thoughts, questions, and feedback. Leave us a voice message – just click record, and let your thoughts flow.
Into the Verse is a project of Aleph Beta, a Torah media company dedicated to spreading the joy and love of meaningful Torah learning worldwide. If you’re enjoying this podcast, help support our work by subscribing to Aleph Beta.
For past episodes of Into the Verse, go to our website, alephbeta.org, where a premium subscription gets you access to all of our past episodes and our full library of over 1,000 videos and podcasts on the parsha, holidays, and so much more
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In our fourth takeover episode dedicated to the war in Israel, Rabbi Fohrman and Imu Shalev share stories of volunteerism and heroism in Israel and abroad, while grappling with a shared sense of helplessness. Together, they explore the limits of utilitarianism, emphasizing the significance of being present for people, lending a listening ear, or simply giving someone a hug. Visit our website, alephbeta.org, to find inspiring and meaningful content that will give you strength and inspiration during this difficult time.
What did you think of this episode? We’d genuinely like to hear your thoughts, questions, and feedback. Leave us a voice message – just click record, and let your thoughts flow.
Into the Verse is a project of Aleph Beta, a Torah media company dedicated to spreading the joy and love of meaningful Torah learning worldwide. If you’re enjoying this podcast, help support our work by subscribing to Aleph Beta.
For past episodes of Into the Verse, go to our website, alephbeta.org, where a premium subscription gets you access to all of our past episodes and our full library of over 1,000 videos and podcasts on the parsha, holidays, and so much more
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Parshat Vayera tells the story of visiting angels being graciously hosted, not once but twice! Abraham's hospitality is legendary, and Lot's welcoming the angels feels like a de ja vu...until things turn ugly.
What went wrong? How could Lot's act of kindness to the angels end so disastrously?
Join Rabbi David Fohrman and Ari Levisohn as they explore two very similar stories of hospitality and uncover the most important ingredient in true kindness.
What did you think of this episode? We’d genuinely like to hear your thoughts, questions, and feedback. Leave us a voice message – just click record, and let your thoughts flow.
Into the Verse is a project of Aleph Beta, a Torah media company dedicated to spreading the joy and love of meaningful Torah learning worldwide. If you’re enjoying this podcast, help support our work by subscribing to Aleph Beta.
For past episodes of Into the Verse, go to our website, alephbeta.org, where a premium subscription gets you access to all of our past episodes and our full library of over 1,000 videos and podcasts on the parsha, holidays, and so much more
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Join Rabbi Fohrman and Imu as they share heartwarming stories and grapple with the moral ambiguity provoked by the war between Israel and Hamas.
What did you think of this episode? We’d genuinely like to hear your thoughts, questions, and feedback. Leave us a voice message – just click record, and let your thoughts flow.
Into the Verse is a project of Aleph Beta, a Torah media company dedicated to spreading the joy and love of meaningful Torah learning worldwide. If you’re enjoying this podcast, help support our work by subscribing to Aleph Beta.
For past episodes of Into the Verse, go to our website, alephbeta.org, where a premium subscription gets you access to all of our past episodes and our full library of over 1,000 videos and podcasts on the parsha, holidays, and so much more
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When life throws us challenges and doesn’t go the way we hoped, how do we avoid falling into despair?
In Parshat Lech Lecha, Abraham and Sarah struggle with infertility, and Abraham cries out to God, “I am childless!” What is the Torah’s message to Abraham on how to persevere through life’s trials and tribulations?
Join Rabbi David Fohrman and Ari Levisohn as they explore Abraham and Sarah’s journey through difficult times and the Torah’s encouraging guidance.
Listen to Rabbi Fohrman’s foundational course, Abraham’s Journey, to dive deeper into the ideas discussed in this episode.
To find a collection of videos to help deal with our challenging times, visit our website.
What did you think of this episode? We’d genuinely like to hear your thoughts, questions, and feedback. Leave us a voice message – just click record, and let your thoughts flow.
Into the Verse is a project of Aleph Beta, a Torah media company dedicated to spreading the joy and love of meaningful Torah learning worldwide. If you’re enjoying this podcast, help support our work by subscribing to Aleph Beta.
For past episodes of Into the Verse, go to our website, alephbeta.org, where a premium subscription gets you access to all of our past episodes and our full library of over 1,000 videos and podcasts on the parsha, holidays, and so much more
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Parshat Noach describes the extreme violence that led to God's decision to destroy the world with a flood. This violence is referred to as "chamas" in Hebrew, a term that bears an eerie resemblance to "Hamas." In light of recent devastating attacks by Hamas on Israel, Rabbi Fohrman and Imu Shalev engaged in a discussion, exploring how to react to a world that is suddenly filled with violence.
What did you think of this episode? We’d genuinely like to hear your thoughts, questions, and feedback. Leave us a voice message – just click record, and let your thoughts flow.
Into the Verse is a project of Aleph Beta, a Torah media company dedicated to spreading the joy and love of meaningful Torah learning worldwide. If you’re enjoying this podcast, help support our work by subscribing to Aleph Beta.
For past episodes of Into the Verse, go to our website, alephbeta.org, where a premium subscription gets you access to all of our past episodes and our full library of over 1,000 videos and podcasts on the parsha, holidays, and so much more
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In place of our usual parsha podcast, Rabbi David Fohrman sat down with Aleph Beta CEO, Imu Shalev, to reflect on the ongoing situation in Israel and discussed creative ways to help in these times of need, as well as how to cope with our intense emotions.
To find meaningful content on Parshat Bereishit, check out our website.
Please consider supporting organizations in Israel assisting soldiers and families in need. To learn more about Aleph Beta's efforts and to donate please click here.
What did you think of this episode? We’d genuinely like to hear your thoughts, questions, and feedback. Leave us a voice message – just click record, and let your thoughts flow.
Into the Verse is a project of Aleph Beta, a Torah media company dedicated to spreading the joy and love of meaningful Torah learning worldwide. If you’re enjoying this podcast, help support our work by subscribing to Aleph Beta.
For past episodes of Into the Verse, go to our website, alephbeta.org, where a premium subscription gets you access to all of our past episodes and our full library of over 1,000 videos and podcasts on the parsha, holidays, and so much more
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The Torah commands us to “take” these plants but doesn’t tell us why. The only clue we get is what the Torah says next: “And you shall rejoice before God” on this holiday. But what exactly are we rejoicing about? And why is holding these plants supposed to bring us so much happiness? Ami Silver and Imu Shalev explore some unexpected connections between this mitzvah and another story in the Torah… and uncover a deep insight into the true source of joy.
Check out the beautifully animated video version of this course: What Do the Arba Minim Represent?
What did you think of this episode? We’d genuinely like to hear your thoughts, questions, and feedback. Leave us a voice message – just click record, and let your thoughts flow.
Into the Verse is a project of Aleph Beta, a Torah media company dedicated to spreading the joy and love of meaningful Torah learning worldwide. If you’re enjoying this podcast, help support our work by subscribing to Aleph Beta.
For past episodes of Into the Verse, go to our website, alephbeta.org, where a premium subscription gets you access to all of our past episodes and our full library of over 1,000 videos and podcasts on the parsha, holidays, and so much more
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Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, should be a time of introspection, but it often feels like we're so overwhelmed by our own guilt, by the idea of coming to terms with ourselves, that we don't know where to start.
In this episode, join Rabbi Fohrman as he takes a deeper look at the 13 Attributes of Mercy and uncovers a path to finding true forgiveness during the High Holidays.
Check out Rabbi Fohrman’s course on the Book of Jonah that can completely change the way you read the story. Also, enjoy the course on the Laws of Teshuva Rabbi Fohrman mentions in this episode.
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Into the Verse is a project of Aleph Beta, a Torah media company dedicated to spreading the joy and love of meaningful Torah learning worldwide. If you’re enjoying this podcast, help support our work by subscribing to Aleph Beta.
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How can we ask God for forgiveness for the things we’ve done wrong? If we admit our mistakes, aren’t we acknowledging that we’re unworthy of His blessings? But could we be so bold as to demand God’s goodness when we know that we’ve made mistakes?
Join Daniel Loewenstein as he explores the text of the Selichot prayers and discovers how the authors model their supplications after two seemingly opposing approaches to bargaining with God.
Check out this eye opening Aleph Beta course on the Book of Jonah all about the relationship between mercy and justice.
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Into the Verse is a project of Aleph Beta, a Torah media company dedicated to spreading the joy and love of meaningful Torah learning worldwide. For our full library of over 1,000 videos and podcasts, please visit www.alephbeta.org.
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Parshat Nitzavim warns that in the future, there might be someone who goes astray after other gods. God will “separate” that person for punishment, and future generations will see that the land was destroyed for this sin, “like Sodom and Gomorrah.” But wait, that doesn’t make sense! If God punishes guilty individuals, how do we get to the entire land being destroyed?
Join Ari Levisohn and Tikva Hecht as they explore this cryptic warning and uncover a message about the power of individual responsibility.
Check out Daniel Loewenstein's video on the links between Parshat Nitzavim and the Sodom story: The Surprising Relationship Between Blessing and Curses in the Bible
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Parshat Ki Tavo lists the blessings that will come if we keep God’s commandments and the curses that will follow if we don’t. But it also says that to be blessed, we need to serve God “with joy.” Isn’t it enough to keep the commandments? And what is this “joy” supposed to look like, anyway? The key to answering these questions may be in two seemingly unrelated commandments from Parshat Ki Tavo itself.
Join Beth Lesch and Ari Levisohn as they uncover a startling pattern that links first fruits and a stone altar to this mysterious verse about rejoicing while we serve God.
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This week’s parsha includes the commandment to wipe out the memory of Amalek, the nation who attacked the Israelites shortly after the Exodus from Egypt. It’s the kind of mitzvah that makes our skin crawl in the 21st century. Why would God command wiping out an entire people? What did they do that was so evil that they deserve to be completely erased from history?
Join Ami Silver and Daniel Loewenstein as they discover how another mitzvah in this week’s parsha holds the surprising key to understanding the fight with Amalek.
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How do the trials and tribulations of King David’s life shed light on the laws in Parshat Shoftim? What if he actually wrote a commentary on the parsha based on his experiences?
Join Adina Blaustein and Beth Lesch as they uncover fascinating insights into Parshat Shoftim embedded in Psalm 27, King David’s timeless prayer for God’s protection and closeness that we begin reciting this week.
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In Parshat Re’eh God commands the Israelites to bring their offerings only to the Temple “in the place I will choose.” But wait… we've heard before about a sacrifice location shrouded in mystery? The binding of Isaac shares this and many other parallels with Parshat Re’eh. But what are we supposed to make of these connections? How does Parshat Re’eh shed light on the binding of Isaac, and how does that story illuminate the mitzvot of Parshat Re’eh?
Join Rabbi Fohrman and Beth Lesch as they unlock the powerful lessons in these parallels.
Want to see more of the connections Rabbi Fohrman and Beth noticed? Check out this source sheet.
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In Parshat Eikev, Moses tells the Israelites he’s got breaking news to share about what God wants from us: to fear, love, and serve Him, and to do all the mitzvot. But what’s so new about that? We’ve been hearing that since humanity was first created. What could Moses really be telling the people?
Join Ari Levisohn and Evan Weiner as they explore Moses’ speech and discover a message which has never been as relevant as it is in the 21st century.
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Support Into the Verse today and gain access to tons of meaningful Tisha B'av content on the Aleph Beta website. Visit www.alephbeta.org and use the coupon code ITV2023.
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In Parshat Devarim, Moses rehashes the sin of the Spies. The Spies did exactly what Moses told them to do. They reported back on every question Moses asked them, so why does God decide to wipe out that whole generation and only their children would enter the land?
Join Beth Lesch and Ami Silver as they explore Moses' retelling of the Spies' story and discover the Spies’ real failure and their children's opportunity to redeem that sin.
Join Rabbi Fohrman and the Aleph Beta team Tisha B’Av morning for Kinot Unlocked.
To register or for more information, please visit https://www.alephbeta.org/tisha-bav/kinot-events
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When the tribes of Reuben and Gad say they prefer not settle in the Land of Israel, Moses is concerned, but accepts their request and decides that half of the tribe of Menasseh should join them. Why would Moses do that? How would the tribe of Menasseh make things any better?
Join Ami Silver and Daniel Loewenstein as they explore the emotionally charged dynamics in this week’s parsha.
Check out Rabbi Fohrman’s video on Parshat Matot to learn more about how to effectively negotiate.
Join Rabbi Fohrman and the Aleph Beta team Tisha B’Av morning for Kinot Unlocked. To register or for more information, please visit https://www.alephbeta.org/tisha-bav/kinot-events
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In Parshat Pinchas, the daughters of Tzelafchad mysteriously gloss over the reason for their father’s death, but the Sages of the Talmud clue us into Tzelafchad’s true identity and surprising backstory.
Join Rabbi Fohrman and Ari Levisohn as they uncover the hidden story of Tzelafchad and reveal the powerful lessons he and his family teach us.
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From a prophet-for-hire, to a talking donkey, to an invisible angel, Parshat Balak sports quite the interesting cast, but all these characters seem to be one hit wonders. It seems like Parshat Balak is almost entirely unrelated to the rest of the Torah and the Torah would be perfectly complete without it. But what if Parshat Balak is really the sequel to a much earlier story in the Torah?
Join Rabbi David Fohrman and Tikva Hecht as they follow a road from Balak all the way back to the Garden of Eden.
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Why did Korach rebel? What if there was something in Korach’s family history that was motivating his revolt? This week Rabbi Fohrman joins Ami Silver to uncover the hidden backstory of Korach and his family, searching for exactly where he went wrong.
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Parshat Shelach teaches us the mitzvah of Tzitzit. How are we to understand these little fringes? Sounds like a perfect job for the crew at "Meaningful Judaism," our new podcast dedicated to uncovering the meaning in mitzvot, so we invited them to take over "Into the Verse" this week.
If you want to hear Part 2 about Tzitzit and more of the Meaningful Judaism Podcast follow it on Apple, Spotify or where ever you get your podcasts, and check out the new Meaningful Judaism YouTube channel.
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Parshat Beha’alotecha marks the tragic turning point in the Israelites’ journey, but is there any silver lining in the beginning of this generation’s downfall? Join Ami Silver and Rivky Stern as they explore the shifting dynamics of the Israelites’ desert story.
Check out our new YouTube channel: Meaningful Judaism.
What did you think of this episode? We’d genuinely like to hear your thoughts, questions, and feedback. Leave us a voice message – just click record, and let your thoughts flow. You may even be featured on the show!
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The Priestly Blessing, which parents use to bless their children Friday nights and Kohanim recite in synagogues, is familiar to so many people, but few are aware of the story of two brothers hidden in the blessing. What story could that be and how does that help us see the Priestly Blessing in a new light? Join Ari Levisohn, and his brother Tani, for a deeper look at the blessing you thought you knew.
For another fascinating, deep dive into the Priestly Blessing, check out Rabbi Fohrman’s video course on Parshat Naso.
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Why does the Torah refer to the three harvest holidays as the “shalosh regalim,” the three legs? Join Ari Levisohn and Adina Blaustein as they explore fascinating intertextual parallels and discover a meaningful message about the holidays hidden in this strange name.
For another look at the interesting textual connections from this week’s episode, check out this parsha video on Parshat Balak.
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How does "Numbers" make sense as a title for the Bible's fourth book? How is that name connected to what the book is about? Join Rabbi Fohrman and his daughter, Ariella, as they explore the titles of the Bible's books and stitch together the powerful story they tell.
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Why does the Book of Leviticus end with scary curses, and why does the Torah link these curses to the mitzvah of Shemittah? Join Adina Blaustein and Ari Levisohn as the journey through this week’s double parsha and its haftorah to find an inspiring understanding of Behar-Bechukotai and the entire Book of Leviticus.
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During the time between Passover and Shavuot, we “count the Omer,” marking the number of days since the Omer offering would have been brought. Why is this Omer offering so important that we have to mention it 49 consecutive nights, and how is it still relevant if we haven’t even had the Temple for 2000 years?
Join Rabbi Fohrman and Rivky Stern as they explore a tantalizing intertextual triangle which reveals just how significant the Omer is to our contemporary lives.
Check out Rabbi Fohrman’s course “Why do we celebrate Shavuot” to trace the thread of these ideas even further back, to even before the original Passover.
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Into the Verse is a project of Aleph Beta, a Torah media company dedicated to spreading the joy and love of meaningful Torah learning worldwide. For our full library of over 1,000 videos and podcasts, please visit www.alephbeta.org.
Meaningful Judaism is Aleph Beta's latest podcast, dedicated to exploring why we do what we do in Jewish life, by diving deep into the Torah text. So many of our practices can feel like they’re just there; we go through the motions, but they don’t feel especially meaningful. In Meaningful Judaism, we search for that meaning. Each episode will take you on a journey, tackling questions such as “Why can’t we mix milk and meat?” and “What’s the meaning behind the laws of niddah?” Join our host, Imu Shalev, along with Rabbi David Fohrman and Aleph Beta’s other wonderful scholars, for this special journey.
Meaningful Judaism is a project of Aleph Beta Labs. Aleph Beta is a Torah media company dedicated to spreading the joy and love of meaningful Torah learning worldwide. For our full library of over 1,000 videos and podcasts, please visit www.alephbeta.org.
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Into the Verse is a project of Aleph Beta, a Torah media company dedicated to spreading the joy and love of meaningful Torah learning worldwide. For our full library of over 1,000 videos and podcasts, please visit www.alephbeta.org.
The developments surrounding the return to the Land of Israel and the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948 seem to be prophetically predicted in the verses of Psalm 107. That’s why Israel’s Chief Rabbinate selected this salvation-themed chapter to be recited on Yom Ha’atzmaut, Israel’s independence day. But there is one verse that seems completely out of place.
In this week’s episode, Ari Levisohn and Daniel Loewenstein explore this strange verse and uncover its deep message of hope, strength, and perseverance in the face of adversity.
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Into the Verse is a project of Aleph Beta, a Torah media company dedicated to spreading the joy and love of meaningful Torah learning worldwide. For our full library of over 1,000 videos and podcasts, please visit www.alephbeta.org.
What does Tzara'at have to do with the revalation at Sinai? Why did Miriam get tzara'at? In this week's episode Tikva Hecht untangles a web of intertextual parallels, that all revolve around the transformative power of speech.
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In last week’s episode, Imu and Rivky pointed out that the only two places where chametz (leavened bread) is forbidden are our homes on Passover and all year round in the Mishkan (Tabernacle). In this week’s episode, Ari Levisohn, notices that this isn’t the only connection between the Mishkan and the Israelites’ homes on that original Passover. These connections lead to a fascinating exploration of the monumental impact of that original Passover and what we and our families can gain from this Passover.
Watch Ari’s favorite Passover video: How to Read the Haggadah, and for more amazing Passover content, check out https://www.alephbeta.org/passover.
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Passover is a week away, and as we stock up on matzah and kiss goodbye to bagels, you’ve got to wonder: What’s the big deal about leavened bread, anyway? Why don't we eat it on Passover? Easy question, right? Because of the matzah we ate when God took us out of Egypt. But if you think about it, this prohibition is pretty strange. The commandment could just have been to eat matzah in commemoration of the Exodus. Why are we also commanded to remove any trace of leavening, of chametz?
This week, Imu Shalev and Rivky Stern look at what Parshat Tzav says about chametz in its description of the daily offerings in the Tabernacle. All year round, the flour in the meal-offering has to be baked as matzah; it can never be chametz. The question is, why? Imu and Rivky dive into the Torah’s other clues to the deeper symbolic meaning of chametz, and those clues bring them to a new understanding of why Parshat Tzav forbids chametz with the offerings… and why we abstain from it on Passover.
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We’re starting Sefer Vayikra this week! But if we’re honest, Leviticus isn’t the easiest book to be excited about. Genesis and Exodus have so much drama: the family stories of our patriarchs and matriarchs, the liberation from Egypt, the great encounter with God at Mount Sinai. Whereas Vayikra... so much of it is about animal offerings, or how the priests need to do their jobs in the mishkan, the tabernacle. It’s got a lot of laws that don't even apply to us any more. So how do we find meaning in this central book of the Five Books of Moses?
In this episode, Imu Shalev brings that exact question to Rabbi Fohrman, along with a suggestion about how Vayikra is actually a connected, embedded part of the Torah’s overall story. And their conversation shows that this isn’t actually an isolated book of laws. Instead, it’s a key part of our national mission statement. Vayikra is about learning to live a life of closeness with God.
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Into the Verse is a project of Aleph Beta, a Torah media company dedicated to spreading the joy and love of meaningful Torah learning worldwide. For our full library of over 1,000 videos and podcasts, please visit www.alephbeta.org.
Observing the Sabbath involves rules about a long list of actions, from cleaning to writing to making things with our hands, and more! Right before the start of construction on the mishkan, the Tabernacle, Parshat Vayakhel reminds us to observe Shabbat. Building the mishkan was a huge project, one that required all kinds of creative activities. So keeping Shabbat must require us to refrain from those activities. That’s a logical explanation, but it also sounds pretty technical. Are the blueprints for the mishkan really a spiritually satisfying reason for having so many laws? We’re talking about Shabbat, one of the most central, most precious parts of Judaism! Shouldn’t these rules lead us straight to some deep knowledge of God?
This week’s episode is something special, a two-part format that we haven’t tried before. First, Rabbi Fohrman shows why Shabbat laws are linked to the mishkan, what that connection teaches us about God’s creating the world, and how we fulfill our human destiny as “little creators.” In the second half, Ari Levisohn and Beth Lesch dig deeper into Rabbi Fohrman’s ideas. They consider what Shabbat teaches us about God’s plan for humanity, and what we can learn from that about being parents… one way in which we emulate God’s role as Creator.
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Into the Verse is a project of Aleph Beta, a Torah media company dedicated to spreading the joy and love of meaningful Torah learning worldwide. For our full library of over 1,000 videos and podcasts, please visit www.alephbeta.org.
Parshat Ki Tisa has one of the all-time low points in the Torah. The Israelites just received the Torah back in Parshat Yitro. All they need to do now is wait for Moses to finish up a bit of paperwork with God. But when he doesn't come back right away, they go to Aaron and ask him to... make them a golden calf.
It's a disaster. God sends Moses back down the mountain and punishes the people for worshipping this idol. But there are some big questions we can ask about this story. Such as: What do the Israelites want an idol for? They just heard God giving them the Ten Commandments, speaking directly to them! But also... why would anyone take a golden idol seriously? It seems so obvious that if you made it, then it's not a god. So how are we supposed to understand what's really happening in this story? How can we know what message to take away for our own lives?
This week, Rabbi Fohrman and Imu Shalev tackle the tough questions about the sin of the golden calf. As it turns out, this story has a lot to say about our human struggles with responsibility. And about why it can be so hard to feel close to God.
Rabbi Fohrman's course on trying to change God's will: Moshe's Benevolent Chutzpah
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Into the Verse is a project of Aleph Beta, a Torah media company dedicated to spreading the joy and love of meaningful Torah learning worldwide. For our full library of over 1,000 videos and podcasts, please visit www.alephbeta.org.
There's a saying that Purim has a lot in common with a certain other Jewish holiday. But unlike Purim, that other holiday isn’t exactly known for parties, costumes, and sweet treats. No, it’s Yom Kippur, a day of fasting and atonement. So where’s the similarity?
In this week’s episode, Rabbi Fohrman and Rivky Stern go back to the Torah’s description of the Yom Kippur service and uncover a whole list of parallels with the Book of Esther. One of those parallels is sorrowful: When Vashti is banished for refusing to come before King Ahasuerus, the Megillah’s language seems to send us back to the deaths of Aaron’s sons in Leviticus. But as it turns out, both stories include a more hopeful “replay.” God teaches Aaron how to come safely into the Holy of Holies once a year, on Yom Kippur. Meanwhile, Queen Esther takes a significant risk to approach her King’s inner courtyard… and becomes the savior of her people.
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Parshat Terumah kicks off the "not so exciting" section of the Torah all about the detailed construction of the mishkan (tabernacle). But what if those details contain the secret key to understanding one of the greatest questions facing any 21st-century believer: How do we reconcile the creation story in Genesis with everything we know about modern physics and the Big Bang?
Glossary of Hebrew terms
For Rabbi Fohrman's long-form version of this material, click here.
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Parshat Mishpatim tells us what should happen if people get hurt because of someone else's actions – fighting, stealing, keeping dangerous animals around the house. In each case, the Torah explains what should happen to the offender, but what's interesting is that the same injury doesn’t always carry the same penalty. Sometimes it depends on the person's intentions: Were they actually planning to cause the harm or not?
In this week's episode, Rabbi Fohrman points out that one of those laws in Mishpatim looks like a clue to something he’s wondered about for a long time: a mysterious unsolved death back in Genesis. So he and Ari Levisohn dig into that case and share the evidence they discover, along with a theory about how it all fits together. Come along as Rabbi Fohrman uses his detective skills to explore a curious case of divine justice.
For a limited time, you can get a free copy of Rabbi David Fohrman’s renowned book The Queen You Thought You Knew when you sign up for an annual Aleph Beta premium subscription.
Interested in hearing the fuller version of Rabbi Fohrman's theory about Rebecca, Jacob, and the blessings? You can find it here.
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Parshat Yitro includes the Revelation at Mount Sinai, one of the most dramatic moments in the Torah. But this week on Into the Verse, we zoom in on a moment shortly before that, one that’s easy to miss. God gives Moses instructions for the Israelites, so they can get ready for the giving of the Torah. And what’s the first thing God wants them to keep in mind, on the brink of this historic moment? God says, “Tell the children of Israel: You saw what I did to the Egyptians, how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Me.”
Rabbi David Fohrman and Imu Shalev wonder: Why eagles’ wings? Why does God pick that image to frame the Revelation? As a matter of fact, birds come up pretty often in the Torah: why is that, and do they have a message for us? By the end of their conversation, we’ve discovered a new way to understand our connection with God at Mount Sinai… and in every moment of our lives.
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Parshat Beshalach tells the story of the end of the Exodus and the crossing of the Red Sea. And after all of that, we get three short stories of stops that the Israelites took while journeying from the Red Sea to the Sinai desert, each one involving some kind of food or water crisis that leads the Israelites to complain. It seems pretty clear that these stories are connected, but what are we supposed to take from them?
Rabbi David Fohrman, along with Imu Shalev, took a look at these three stories and noticed a word that keeps coming up: Test. So what does this all mean? Imu and Rabbi Fohrman put their heads together to figure it out.
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We all know the story of the Garden of Eden. Adam, Eve, forbidden fruit, snake. But what if there’s another layer to this story lying beneath all the obvious drama - a layer of meaning that will not just change how we understand the Garden of Eden but how we understand the entire purpose of Torah itself? In this special bonus episode, Rabbi Fohrman introduces his brand new podcast, A Book Like No Other, and shares the entire first episode of that podcast.
Subscribe to A Book Like No Other wherever you get your podcasts. To listen on Spotify click here, to listen on Apple podcast click here, and to listen on Aleph Beta click here.
To check out Rabbi Fohrman’s book, The Beast that Crouches at the Door, which he mentions in this episode, click here.
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Parshat Bo is where the Exodus really happens. God sends the last plagues and tells the Israelites to prepare for liberation, and on the night of the tenth plague, Pharaoh finally gives the order: Leave now. But just when the Israelites are gearing up to get out of Egypt, there are a few details that seem to slow the action down. For one thing, there are God’s instructions: “Get your shoes on, be ready to leave… but don’t walk out of your houses!” And for another, God specifically picks a longer road out of Egypt, because the other one is “nearby.” What should we make of these strange facts?
In this episode, Ari Levisohn takes a closer look and discovers surprising parallels with an earlier Biblical story. There was another nighttime escape from an evil place, another moment when people had to get ready to leave. And it turns out that when we read these two stories together, we learn something new – not only about the Exodus, but about the meaning of liberation itself.
Want even more textual parallels? You can find Ari's full chart here.
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In this week's parsha, God introduces Himself to Moses as YHVH, but then He says something surprising: "I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as Kel-Shakai, but My name of YHVH, I didn't make known to them." If we have been reading the Torah up to this point, we will have heard the name YHVH countless times! So what does God mean by saying that the forefathers only knew Him as Kel-Shakai?
Join us this week as Beth Lesch explores the nature of these different names and the different kinds of relationships we experience with God.
Check out Rabbi Fohrman's further ideas about the meaning of the name Kel-Shakai in his video “Finding God In Science.”
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In Parshat Shemot, we hear about the early life of Moses: How his mother put him into the Nile as a baby, how he was raised in Pharaoh’s house, how he fled from Egypt… and how God sent him back to lead the Israelites out of slavery. But there’s one detail that’s easy to miss in all the drama. God tells Moses at the burning bush: “Your brother Aaron is coming to meet you, and he is rejoicing in his heart.”
Why does it matter that Aaron is rejoicing? Yes, he’s going to see his long-lost little brother. Yes, he’s going to be the spokesman who helps Moses carry out his mission. But why is it so important for God to note that Aaron is happy about this? And… how will this tiny detail shed light on a mysterious midrash about Moses and the bones of Joseph?
Join Ari Levisohn and Beth Lesch as they explore the surprising connections between Joseph and Moses and uncover a remarkable and moving story about the power of brotherly love.
WEB-EXCLUSIVE EPILOGUE: Ari and Beth continue the conversation and investigate a new midrash, this one highlighting Moses's relationship with his sister Miriam. Check it out here.
For more on how the Passover sacrifice redeems the sale of Joseph on a national level, see Rabbi Fohrman’s series Why Did God Allow Slavery?
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Into the Verse is a project of Aleph Beta, a Torah media company dedicated to spreading the joy and love of meaningful Torah learning worldwide. For our full library of over 1,000 videos and podcasts, please visit www.alephbeta.org.
Why is the Fast of Asara B'Tevet significant today? The 17th of Tammuz, 9th of Av, and Tzom Gedaliah all commemorate conquest, destruction, exile, and the downfall of a kingdom. They're horrible, and of course we mourn those days. But on the 10th of Tevet, we’re remembering when the Babylonian armies surrounded the walls of Jerusalem… and then waited… for two and a half years.
Why do we fast on this day? What makes the events of Asara B’Tevet so important that we still fast thousands of years later?
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Into the Verse is a project of Aleph Beta, a Torah media company dedicated to spreading the joy and love of meaningful Torah learning worldwide. For our full library of over 1,000 videos and podcasts, please visit www.alephbeta.org.
Parshat Vayigash opens at a very tense moment. Joseph’s brothers are standing in front of him, not knowing who he is. All they know is that this powerful Egyptian official has threatened to keep Benjamin in Egypt as his slave. So Judah steps forward to plead for returning Benjamin to their father… and Joseph bursts into tears and reveals his identity to them. The long separation from his family is finally over. But have you ever wondered how things got so bad in the first place? Why Jacob favored Joseph and Benjamin so much that his other sons were consumed by jealousy, even selling Joseph into slavery?
Join Rabbi David Fohrman and Ari Levisohn as they explore the roots of Jacob’s actions. Even if you think the Joseph story couldn’t possibly be more dramatic and moving than it already is… this episode will reveal a whole new layer of meaning.
Rabbi Fohrman and Ari continued to gather fascinating evidence and are still putting the puzzle together. Get a sneak peek into their research notes here, and if you have any thoughts, we would love to hear them!
Looking for even more parallels between Parshat Mishpatim and the Book of Genesis? Check out Ami Silver's video How Can The Laws Of Mishpatim Help Correct Past Mistakes?
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Into the Verse is a project of Aleph Beta, a Torah media company dedicated to spreading the joy and love of meaningful Torah learning worldwide. For our full library of over 1,000 videos and podcasts, please visit www.alephbeta.org.
Does it make you feel uncomfortable when Hanukkah gets lumped together with all the other “winter holidays”? It can be hard to see Hanukkah’s any different when the Hanukkah and Christmas lights all get blurred together. But if that’s not enough to make it difficult to appreciate Hanukkah’s uniqueness, there are even some historians who want to claim that Hanukkah is actually nothing more than the Jewish version, not of Christmas, but of an earlier Pagan winter solstice festival. And… are you ready for this?... The Rabbis of the Talmud seem to support that claim!
Join Rabbi Fohrman as he confronts these uncomfortable questions, diving into two puzzling Talmudic passages and uncovering the true identity of our beloved Hanukkah and its deeply-rooted significance.
And when you’re done, check out our other great Hanukkah content here.
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Into the Verse is a project of Aleph Beta, a Torah media company dedicated to spreading the joy and love of meaningful Torah learning worldwide. For our full library of over 1,000 videos and podcasts, please visit www.alephbeta.org.
Remember when Joseph was imprisoned in Egypt, and he asked one of his buddies to put in a good word for him with Pharaoh, hoping he might get sprung from jail? Well, some commentators seem not to take too kindly to Joseph’s tactic. Rashi, quoting our Sages, explains that because Joseph did that, God delayed his liberation from prison for two full years.
It kind of makes you scratch your head: That sounds like a harsh punishment. What was so bad about what Joseph did? Why fault him for trying to get out of prison?
In this week’s episode, Ari Levisohn and Daniel Loewenstein jump off from this question, and it takes them to all kinds of places… ultimately revealing a startling picture of who Joseph was and what he represents. But you’ll have to listen to find out!
Looking for the course that Ari described as “incredible”? Rabbi Fohrman’s piece on how Joseph interpreted Pharaoh’s dreams? “Does God Speak To Us Today?”
What did you think of this episode? We’d genuinely like to hear your thoughts, questions, and feedback. Leave us a voice message – just click record, and let your thoughts flow. You may even be featured on the show!
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Into the Verse is a project of Aleph Beta, a Torah media company dedicated to spreading the joy and love of meaningful Torah learning worldwide. For our full library of over 1,000 videos and podcasts, please visit www.alephbeta.org.
Jacob and Esau haven’t seen each other for 20 years, ever since Jacob took their father’s blessings and Esau threatened to kill him. Now they’re headed toward one another – Jacob with his family and his riches, and Esau with 400 of his henchmen. Jacob’s got so many things on his mind at this moment: Keeping his family safe. Placating his brother. Using his wits to get out of the situation without making things worse. That’s the best he can hope to achieve, right? Or… is it? Could Jacob have actually had a shred of hope for reconciliation?
And there’s more we could wonder about: How does Jacob choose what preparations to make for seeing Esau? Why does Esau meet his brother with open arms? If you’re curious to dig into these questions, join Ami Silver as he takes a fresh look at this tense encounter. It turns out that there's a whole lot more to this story than meets the eye.
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Into the Verse is a project of Aleph Beta, a Torah media company dedicated to spreading the joy and love of meaningful Torah learning worldwide. For our full library of over 1,000 videos and podcasts, please visit www.alephbeta.org.
Parshat Vayetze opens with Jacob on the run, experiencing a dream with angels on a ladder. Jacob’s ladder, with its angels ascending and descending, is probably one of the most iconic images in all of Genesis. It’s so iconic, we can miss a basic question about it - and that is - why is it actually here? Does the ladder add something to this vision? Why is it here at all?
In this week’s episode, Rabbi Fohrman discovers a whole new level of meaning in Jacob’s ladder. He shows how, when you read the story carefully, the dream of the ladder actually seems to be referencing other stories in the Torah, and, when you look at these stories together, they reveal something powerful about God’s promise to Jacob and about how we can make this world a more Godly place.
Rabbi Fohrman has an amazing webinar on Jacob’s ladder. It expands and dives deeper into this iconic scene from the Book of Genesis. Check out that webinar here.
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Into the Verse is a project of Aleph Beta, a Torah media company dedicated to spreading the joy and love of meaningful Torah learning worldwide. For our full library of over 1,000 videos and podcasts, please visit www.alephbeta.org.
This week’s parsha contains the only story in the Torah in which the patriarch Isaac takes center stage. No, it’s not the Akeidah (that was mostly about Abraham), and it’s not the story about the blessing of the firstborn (that story is really about Jacob and Esav).
It’s the time Isaac goes around digging wells! Is this the illustrious legacy of our great forefather Isaac? Why does the Torah waste its time telling us about this story? You’d think that Isaac has more to teach us than how to find underground water sources. But what if the story of the wells is actually teaching us something fundamental about Isaac’s legacy?
In this week’s episode Imu Shalev and David Block show us the deeper meaning behind the story of Isaac's wells.
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Into the Verse is a project of Aleph Beta, a Torah media company dedicated to spreading the joy and love of meaningful Torah learning worldwide. For our full library of over 1,000 videos and podcasts, please visit www.alephbeta.org.
Parshat Chayei Sarah begins with the death of our matriarch, Sarah. In this week’s episode, Rabbi Fohrman reflects on her impact and finds a clue to the lasting legacy of Sarah’s life by looking, in all places, at the Torah’s description of her death. That clue hinges on a seemingly technical fact found in the parsha’s opening verse: the number of years Sarah happened to live, 127.
It seems like mere trivia, the kind of thing that you forget as quickly as you read it. But, this number pops up again in one other place in the Bible: It’s the number of provinces in the Persian empire in the days of Queen Esther. Is there a connection between the two? What could Sarah’s age possibly have to do with Persian provinces? Rabbi Fohrman thinks there is a lesson hidden here, a profound insight into the legacy of Sarah.
What did you think of this episode? We’d genuinely like to hear your thoughts, questions, and feedback. Leave us a voice message – just click here, click record, and let your thoughts flow. You may even be featured on the show!
Into the Verse is a project of Aleph Beta, a Torah media company dedicated to spreading the joy and love of meaningful Torah learning worldwide. For our full library of over 1,000 videos and podcasts, please visit www.alephbeta.org.
Parshat Vayera includes one of the Torah’s most memorable conversations: God and Abraham negotiating about whether God will destroy the city of Sodom. But there’s another fascinating conversation right before that one. Abraham and Sarah receive the message that Sarah will bear a son… but Sarah laughs because she and Abraham are already so old. And God actually comments on her laughter! What’s that about? And could it possibly be connected to the Sodom negotiation that comes next?
In this episode, we get to follow Beth Lesch on the twists and turns of her research journey, as she and Rabbi Fohrman explore the mysterious link between these two stories.
Into the Verse is a project of Aleph Beta, a Torah media company dedicated to spreading the joy and love of meaningful Torah learning worldwide. For our full library of over 1,000 videos and podcasts, please visit www.alephbeta.org.
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This parsha is full of little vignettes about Abraham’s life, and it feels like a bunch of random episodes of “A Day in the Life of Abraham.” Is there some central theme here that can teach us why God chose Abraham to be the father of a great nation?
In this episode, Rabbi Fohrman shows us the common thread that weaves its way through all of these stories and ties them together into an epic saga. In each of these life events, Abraham faces a single struggle and this struggle holds the key to understanding why God chooses Abraham in the first place and what his mission is all about.
To enjoy more amazing content that dives deeper into the Abraham Saga, check out these two phenomenal courses:
- The Book of Ruth: https://www.alephbeta.org/playlist/book-of-ruth
- Abraham’s Journey: https://www.alephbeta.org/playlist/abrahams-journey
What did you think of this episode? We’d genuinely like to hear your thoughts, questions, and feedback. Leave us a voice message – just click here, click record, and let your thoughts flow. You may even be featured on the show!
Into the Verse is a project of Aleph Beta, a Torah media company dedicated to spreading the joy and love of meaningful Torah learning worldwide. For our full library of over 1,000 videos and podcasts, please visit www.alephbeta.org.
Why doesn’t the Torah ever mention dinosaurs or other prehistoric creatures? Does this mean that according to the Torah there were no dinosaurs? Is this a sign that the Bible doesn't match up with history and science?
In this episode, Rabbi Fohrman provides a profound, yet amazingly simple answer to the question of how to reconcile Torah and science. He argues that if we’re asking about the absence of dinosaurs, then we’re actually misunderstanding something fundamental about the nature of what the Torah is – and what it isn’t.
Join Rabbi Fohrman as he works to make sense out of several puzzling things about the Torah.
What did you think of this episode? We’d genuinely like to hear your thoughts, questions, and feedback. Leave us a voice message – just click here, click record, and let your thoughts flow. You may even be featured on the show!
Into the Verse is a project of Aleph Beta, a Torah media company dedicated to spreading the joy and love of meaningful Torah learning worldwide. For our full library of over 1,000 videos and podcasts, please visit www.alephbeta.org.
The Torah tells us about how the universe was created — light, darkness, sky, plants, animals, people — but it doesn’t tell us why. Why did God create the world, and particularly human beings within it? What is our purpose on this earth? How can we achieve ultimate meaning in life? These are admittedly big questions, but a mysterious verse in Parshat Bereshit may just help us unlock the path to finding meaning in life.
Start the year off right! Sign up for an annual Aleph Beta membership before October 20th and receive a free copy of Rabbi Fohrman's Genesis: A Parsha Companion: https://www.alephbeta.org/subscribe
What did you think of this episode? We’d genuinely like to hear your thoughts, questions, and feedback. Leave us a voice message – just click here, click record, and let your thoughts flow. You may even be featured on the show!
Into the Verse is a project of Aleph Beta, a Torah media company dedicated to spreading the joy and love of meaningful Torah learning worldwide. For our full library of over 1,000 videos and podcasts, please visit www.alephbeta.org.
The holiday of Sukkot brings us one of the stranger Jewish customs: Carrying the “four species” of plants around, waving them in all directions as we pray. The Torah commands us to take these plants but doesn’t tell us why. The only clue we get is what the Torah says next: “And you shall rejoice before God” on this holiday. But what exactly are we rejoicing about? And why is holding these plants supposed to bring us so much happiness? Ami Silver and Imu Shalev explore some unexpected connections between this mitzvah and another story in the Torah… and uncover a deep insight into the true source of joy.
Enjoy the newly animated video version of this course on the Aleph Beta site!
Start the year off right! Sign up for an annual Aleph Beta membership before October 20th and receive a free copy of Rabbi Fohrman's Genesis: A Parsha Companion:https://www.alephbeta.org/subscribe
What did you think of this episode? We’d genuinely like to hear your thoughts, questions, and feedback. Leave us a voice message – just click here, click record, and let your thoughts flow. You may even be featured on the show!
Into the Verse is a project of Aleph Beta, a Torah media company dedicated to spreading the joy and love of meaningful Torah learning worldwide. For our full library of over 1,000 videos and podcasts, please visit www.alephbeta.org.
In this special bonus episode Imu and Rabbi Fohrman discuss a challenge, raised by a listener just like you, to a previous episode.
This challenge sparked such an interesting and inspiring conversation, that we just had to share it with you. The topic: What is the role of fear on the High Holidays?
Start the year off right! Sign up for an annual Aleph Beta membership before October 20th and receive a free copy of Rabbi Fohrman's Genesis: A Parsha Companion: https://www.alephbeta.org/subscribe
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Into the Verse is a project of Aleph Beta, a Torah media company dedicated to spreading the joy and love of meaningful Torah learning worldwide. For our full library of over 1,000 videos and podcasts, please visit www.alephbeta.org.
Yom Kippur: It’s one of the most significant days of the whole year. We go into this day hoping for some weighty things… forgiveness, a chance to be a better version of ourselves. So it’s confusing that the Torah doesn’t give Yom Kippur any big buildup at all. Instead, we get a long description of the High Priest’s service in the holiest parts of the Tabernacle… and only at the end do we find out when this service is supposed to happen: Every year on Yom Kippur. Oh, and by the way, “on this day atonement shall be made for you, to cleanse you of all your sins.” Wait a minute, that sure sounds like the main point! So why didn’t that come first? Why does the Torah seem to introduce Yom Kippur in such a topsy-turvy way?
In this episode, Rabbi Fohrman digs into the Torah’s presentation of this day. It’s about forgiveness, all right… but before that, it’s about something else. Something that brings us to the true source, the ultimate way to achieve atonement and a new beginning.
Start the year off right! Sign up for an annual Aleph Beta membership before October 20th and receive a free copy of Rabbi Fohrman's Genesis: A Parsha Companion: https://www.alephbeta.org/subscribe
What did you think of this episode? We’d genuinely like to hear your thoughts, questions, and feedback. Leave us a voice message – just click here, click record, and let your thoughts flow. You may even be featured on the show!
Into the Verse is a project of Aleph Beta, a Torah media company dedicated to spreading the joy and love of meaningful Torah learning worldwide. For our full library of over 1,000 videos and podcasts, please visit www.alephbeta.org.
Rosh Hashanah – it’s Yom Hadin, the Day of Judgment, right? God is going to judge the whole world and decide its fate for the coming year. And our job is to search our hearts, confront our misdeeds from the past, and do teshuvah, repentance. Sounds like a big responsibility! But as it turns out, the Torah itself doesn’t say anything about Rosh Hashanah’s being Judgment Day. So how does the Torah explain what Rosh Hashanah is about, if it’s not about judgment? And what did the Sages see in the Torah’s take on Rosh Hashanah that led to the idea of Yom Hadin?
Listen in as Imu and Rabbi Fohrman explore the question of what Rosh Hashanah really is primarily about. We’ll get some clues from the prayers that we say on this day, and we’ll see how we might be able to stand before God and ourselves, truly celebrating and even looking forward to this holiday.
Here’s the course Beth recommended on relating to God through the Rosh Hashanah prayers: How Do I Get Closer to God?
What did you think of this episode? We’d genuinely like to hear your thoughts, questions, and feedback. Leave us a voice message – just click here, click record, and let your thoughts flow. You may even be featured on the show!
Into the Verse is a project of Aleph Beta, a Torah media company dedicated to spreading the joy and love of meaningful Torah learning worldwide. For our full library of over 1,000 videos and podcasts, please visit www.alephbeta.org.
Parshat Ki Tetzei tells us that if we find a nest with eggs or baby birds in it, we have to send away the mother bird before we’re allowed to take her young. That certainly sounds as if the Torah wants us to treat animals humanely… but how exactly does it help the mother bird? Rabbi Fohrman explores different approaches to this question and explains why the Torah connects this mitzvah to the Fifth Commandment, “Honor your father and mother.”
Interested in hearing more about the Ten Commandments idea Imu mentioned? You can find Rabbi Fohrman’s course here: The Ten Commandments and Their Meaning
Into the Verse is a project of Aleph Beta, a Torah media company dedicated to spreading the joy and love of meaningful Torah learning worldwide. For our full library of over 1,000 videos and podcasts, please visit www.alephbeta.org.
What did you think of this episode? We’d genuinely like to hear your thoughts, questions, and feedback. Leave us a voice message – just click here, click record, and let your thoughts flow. You may even be featured on the show!
How can we live a meaningful life? In this episode of Into the Verse, Rabbi Fohrman finds an answer in an unlikely section of Parshat Shoftim: the Israelites’ pre-battle protocols, when the officers exempt various soldiers from fighting. Join Rabbi Fohrman as he explores these military exemptions, their fascinating parallels to elsewhere in the Torah, and what they show us about leading a life worth living.
What did you think of this episode? We’d genuinely like to hear your thoughts, questions, and feedback. Leave us a voice message - just click here, click record, and let your thoughts flow. You may even be featured on the show!
Want to explore the meaning of life even more? Listen to Rabbi Fohrman’s podcast entitled “The Meaning of Life.” Click here to enjoy this multi-part series.
Into the Verse is a project of Aleph Beta, a Torah media company dedicated to spreading the joy and love of meaningful Torah learning worldwide. For our full library of over 1,000 videos and podcasts, please visit www.alephbeta.org.
Everyone knows it’s not kosher when you cook meat and milk together, but the Torah in this week’s parsha only says you can’t cook a baby goat in its mother’s milk. This law gets extended to all cooking of milk and meat in the Oral Law. Rabbi Forham considers why the oral laws from the rabbis end up looking so different than the written Biblical laws - and the fact that law often feels like it has nothing to do with God and spirituality. He argues that thought without action can wither away, and that law is about finding spirituality in the mundane.
Into the Verse is a project of Aleph Beta, a Torah media company dedicated to spreading the joy and love of meaningful Torah learning worldwide. For our full library of over 1,000 videos and podcasts, please visit www.alephbeta.org.
In Parshat Eikev, Moses boils down, into a short, sweet list, what God really wants from us in this world. But, when the prophet Micah comes along and offers a different version, the clarity in God’s expectations gets muddied…or does it? Join Rabbi Fohrman in this episode of Into the Verse as he explores the different “cliff notes” versions of what God asks of us and helps us gain clarity on how we can be the good person God wants us to be.
Want to explore more about what qualities Micah identifies as making us good people? Check out Rabbi Fohrman’s original Parshat Eikev video here.
What did you think of this episode? We’d genuinely like to hear your thoughts, questions, and feedback. Leave us a voice message – just click here, click record, and let your thoughts flow. You may even be featured on the show!
Into the Verse is a project of Aleph Beta, a Torah media company dedicated to spreading the joy and love of meaningful Torah learning worldwide. For our full library of over 1,000 videos and podcasts, please visit www.alephbeta.org.
Parshat Va’etchanan tells the story of receiving the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai. But wait… Haven’t we heard this story before? Why does the book of Devarim repeat this story along with so many others?
In this week’s episode, Ari Levisohn uncovers some subtle clues in Moses’s retelling of this story that open up a new dimension to the book of Devarim. Moses isn’t just telling us what happened. He is telling us how he experienced it and the unique lessons we can learn from his perspective.
Leave us a voice message: https://www.speakpipe.com/AlephBeta
Into the Verse is a project of Aleph Beta, a Torah media company dedicated to spreading the joy and love of meaningful Torah learning worldwide. For our full library of over 1,000 videos and podcasts, please visit www.alephbeta.org.
Rabbi Fohrman, Imu Shalev, and Tikva Hecht reflect on ten years of Aleph Beta Tisha B’Av videos. They discuss the lessons they have learned over the years about the meaning and nature of Tisha B’Av, and also review their personal favorite videos, and where to get started if you are new.
Links to courses mentioned:
Grappling with Loss: Why Does God Let Us Suffer?
The Beginning of The End: How Israel Split and the Road to Tisha B’Av
Rachel’s Tears: Harnessing the Power of Mourning
Longing for Redemption: What Jacob and Joseph Teach Us About Returning Home
Kamtza and Bar Kamtza: What is Baseless Hatred
Lamentations in Eden: The Meaning of Eicha & its Link to Eden
The Messiah that Almost Was: The Triumph and Tragedy of King Hezekiah
Join Rabbi Fohrman and the Aleph Beta team Tisha B’Av morning for Kinot Unlocked. To register or for more information, please visit: www.alephbeta.org/tisha-bav/kinot-events.
Leave us a voice message: https://www.speakpipe.com/AlephBeta
Into the Verse is a project of Aleph Beta, a Torah media company dedicated to spreading the joy and love of meaningful Torah learning worldwide. For our full library of over 1,000 videos and podcasts, please visit www.alephbeta.org.
How do you succeed in a tough negotiation? At the beginning of this week’s parsha, the tribes of Gad and Reuben come to Moses with a really big ask. Just as the nation of Israel is about to enter and inherit the Land – in other words, at a moment that calls for the utmost unity and cooperation – these two tribes have a totally different plan for themselves! And perhaps even more surprisingly, Moses consents to their request. Rabbi Fohrman analyzes their exchange to pinpoint the reasons for this successful outcome: honest communication, true listening, and the establishment of trust.
Join Rabbi Fohrman and the Aleph Beta team Tisha B’Av morning for Kinot Unlocked. To register or for more information, please visit: www.alephbeta.org/tisha-bav/kinot-events.
Into the Verse is a project of Aleph Beta, a Torah media company dedicated to spreading the joy and love of meaningful Torah learning worldwide. For our full library of over 1,000 videos and podcasts, please visit www.alephbeta.org.
In Parshat Pinchas, we read about the daughters of Zelophehad, who seek to inherit their father’s land. God declares that their claim is correct, not only granting their request but also codifying it into law. This story isn’t just heartwarming – it’s also intriguingly similar to the Pesach Sheni story from earlier in the Book of Numbers. But what could land inheritance and the Passover offering have to do with each other? Join Rabbi Fohrman and Daniel Loewenstein as they explore this question, uncovering insights into the hidden structure of the Book of Numbers and the true meaning of nationhood.
Join Rabbi Fohrman and the Aleph Beta team Tisha B’Av morning for Kinot Unlocked. To register or for more information, please visit: www.alephbeta.org/tisha-bav/kinot-events.
Looking for more of Rabbi Fohrman’s ideas on tzara’at and the “communal self”? You can find them here: The Tzaraat Purification Ritual: What Does It Mean?
Into the Verse is a project of Aleph Beta, a Torah media company dedicated to spreading the joy and love of meaningful Torah learning worldwide. For our full library of over 1,000 videos and podcasts, please visit www.alephbeta.org.
Shiva Asar B'Tammuz is a fast day that marks the beginning of the Three Weeks, a period of intense mourning that culminates with Tisha B'Av, the day the Temple was destroyed. Twice in our national history foreign armies broke through the walls of the holy city of Jerusalem on this day. Yet, it is much more than the start of an extended mourning period for the Temple. The Mishna lists five separate calamities that took place on the 17th of Tammuz. In this episode, Rabbi Ami Silver takes a closer look at one of those catastrophes which seems to break the mold, and he identifies a common theme running through the tragedies of this day. Join Ami as he explores the eternal relevancy of these ancient events.
Into the Verse is a project of Aleph Beta, a Torah media company dedicated to spreading the joy and love of meaningful Torah learning worldwide. For our full library of over 1,000 videos and podcasts, please visit www.alephbeta.org.
Join Rabbi Fohrman and the Aleph Beta team Tisha B’Av morning for Kinot Unlocked. To register or for more information, please visit: www.alephbeta.org/tisha-bav/kinot-events.
The laws of the red heifer in Parshat Chukat are notoriously difficult to explain. Why does the Torah require its ashes to be mixed with water? How does this water “purify” those who have come into contact with death? Is there anything we can still learn from this ancient ritual? And one more question: Is there a reason why the heifer needs to be red?
Join Rabbi Fohrman and Daniel Loewenstein in a fascinating exploration of the ideas behind the parah adumah. Their conversation takes us to a surprising place: out of the realm of laws and back to one of the Torah’s earliest stories. As they reflect on the first death in the Bible, we begin to understand what the red heifer can teach us about the meaning of being human… even today.
Into the Verse is a project of Aleph Beta, a Torah media company dedicated to spreading the joy and love of meaningful Torah learning worldwide. For our full library of over 1,000 videos and podcasts, please visit www.alephbeta.org.
What was really motivating Korach? Was it idealism, jealousy, thirst for power? We may just get a clue from the letters of Korach's name: Kuf, Reish, Chet. Somewhere in those letters lies a fascinating answer that the Torah is just waiting for us to uncover.
Into the Verse is a project of Aleph Beta, a Torah media company dedicated to spreading the joy and love of meaningful Torah learning worldwide. For our full library of over 1,000 videos and podcasts, please visit www.alephbeta.org.
In Parshat Shelach, we read the story of the spies who ventured to the land of Israel and brought back a false report to the Israelites. Have you ever noticed that their report is strikingly similar to another story from earlier in the Torah? Think about it: a group of twelve men, ten of whom committed a terrible sin and two of whom were innocent... sound familiar? Join Beth Lesch and Rivky Stern as they explore the echoes that resound in the story of the spies.
Looking for the Tisha b'Av course that Imu mentions at the end, in which he and Rabbi Fohrman further explore these parallels? Check it out here.
Curious to learn more about the "Vayeishev" theory that Beth and Rivky mention? Check out Rabbi Fohrman's course here.
Into the Verse is a project of Aleph Beta, a Torah media company dedicated to spreading the joy and love of meaningful Torah learning worldwide. For our full library of over 1,000 videos and podcasts, please visit www.alephbeta.org.
In Parshat Beha’alotcha, we see the beginning of the dramatic downfall of the generation of the exodus. This dive leads, eventually, to 40 years of wandering in the desert and death to the entire generation. What happened? What catastrophic event tipped the scales of the Israelites’ fate so significantly? Rabbi Fohrman explores this question and finds a link to another event with cataclysmic results, not just for the Israelites, but for all of humanity.
What did you think of this episode? We’d genuinely like to hear your thoughts, questions, and feedback. Leave us a voice message – just click here, click record, and let your thoughts flow. You may even be featured on the show!
Into the Verse is a project of Aleph Beta, a Torah media company dedicated to spreading the joy and love of meaningful Torah learning worldwide. For our full library of over 1,000 videos and podcasts, please visit www.alephbeta.org.
Parshat Naso introduces us to one of the oddest laws in the Torah, the ceremony of the Sotah – a woman who has been accused of committing adultery. The priest makes a mixture of water and dust, writing the law of the sotah on a piece of paper and dissolving it in the water, and gives it to the woman to drink. The Torah warns that if she was guilty, she will die a gruesome death — but if she was innocent, she will not only survive but become pregnant. It's a bizarre ritual, to say the least. In this episode, Rabbi David Fohrman and Rivky Stern explore this strange ceremony and tackle the question: How are we in the 21st century meant to relate to it?
What did you think of this episode? We’d genuinely like to hear your thoughts, questions, and feedback. Leave us a voice message – just click here, click record, and let your thoughts flow. You may even be featured on the show!
Into the Verse is a project of Aleph Beta, a Torah media company dedicated to spreading the joy and love of meaningful Torah learning worldwide. For our full library of over 1,000 videos and podcasts, please visit www.alephbeta.org.
(Part 1 of 2) If you were asked what we remember on Shavuot, what would you say? The giving of the Torah, right? But the Biblical commandment to celebrate Shavuot doesn’t even mention receiving the Torah! Instead, we hear that Shavuot is a harvest holiday, a day to remember that God took us out of Egypt, a day to be joyful with our families and to include others in our celebration. So which one is it: a harvest festival or a commemoration of the Revelation at Sinai?
In this episode, Rabbi Fohrman embarks upon a sweeping journey, closing the mysterious gap between the Biblical Shavuot and Shavuot as we know it – and most importantly, uncovering the hidden depth in this all-important holiday.
You can find Rabbi Fohrman’s course on the Book of Ruth here: The Meaning of the Book of Ruth
What did you think of this episode? We’d genuinely like to hear your thoughts, questions, and feedback. Leave us a voice message – just click here, click record, and let your thoughts flow. You may even be featured on the show!
Into the Verse is a project of Aleph Beta, a Torah media company dedicated to spreading the joy and love of meaningful Torah learning worldwide. For our full library of over 1,000 videos and podcasts, please visit www.alephbeta.org.
(Part 2 of 2) If you were asked what we remember on Shavuot, what would you say? The giving of the Torah, right? But the Biblical commandment to celebrate Shavuot doesn’t even mention receiving the Torah! Instead, we hear that Shavuot is a harvest holiday, a day to remember that God took us out of Egypt, a day to be joyful with our families and to include others in our celebration. So which one is it: a harvest festival or a commemoration of the Revelation at Sinai?
In this episode, Rabbi Fohrman embarks upon a sweeping journey, closing the mysterious gap between the Biblical Shavuot and Shavuot as we know it – and most importantly, uncovering the hidden depth in this all-important holiday.
You can find Rabbi Fohrman’s course on the Book of Ruth here: The Meaning of the Book of Ruth
What did you think of this episode? We’d genuinely like to hear your thoughts, questions, and feedback. Leave us a voice message – just click here, click record, and let your thoughts flow. You may even be featured on the show!
Into the Verse is a project of Aleph Beta, a Torah media company dedicated to spreading the joy and love of meaningful Torah learning worldwide. For our full library of over 1,000 videos and podcasts, please visit www.alephbeta.org.
Lag BaOmer: It’s a day for celebrations… parties, music, bonfires, barbecues. What exactly are we celebrating, though? Among other things, Lag BaOmer is the day when we remember the Talmudic sage Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai. So who exactly was Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai? Well, for one thing, he was the man who, according to the Talmud, almost burned the world to a crisp. Oh, you’ve never heard that story? Do you want to hear it? It’s a good one… and it just may hold the key to understanding Lag BaOmer.
Looking for Rabbi Fohrman's course on Shavuot? Check it out here.
Celebrating Shavuot: What's So Exciting About Getting a Bunch of Laws?
What did you think of this episode? We’d genuinely like to hear your thoughts, questions, and feedback. Leave us a voice message – just click here, click record, and let your thoughts flow. You may even be featured on the show!
Into the Verse is a project of Aleph Beta, a Torah media company dedicated to spreading the joy and love of meaningful Torah learning worldwide. For our full library of over 1,000 videos and podcasts, please visit www.alephbeta.org.
Parshat Emor includes a familiar passage known as the parshat hamo’adim – the section of the Torah that describes all of the Biblical holidays. But there are two major interruptions in this passage, two things that just don't seem to belong. Why are they invading the holiday section of this parsha? As it turns out, these two “interruptions” may be the key to understanding what Jewish holidays are really all about.
Looking for Rabbi Fohrman's course on Shavuot? Check it out here.
Celebrating Shavuot: What's So Exciting About Getting a Bunch of Laws?
What did you think of this episode? We’d genuinely like to hear your thoughts, questions, and feedback. Leave us a voice message – just click here, click record, and let your thoughts flow. You may even be featured on the show!
Into the Verse is a project of Aleph Beta, a Torah media company dedicated to spreading the joy and love of meaningful Torah learning worldwide. For our full library of over 1,000 videos and podcasts, please visit www.alephbeta.org.
How can we make sense of the laws in Parshat Kedoshim? They seem to deal with such a mix of unrelated topics. Some of them are obviously about moral behavior: Don’t steal, don’t deceive people, leave some of the grain in your field for the poor. But laws about sacrifices also get a lot of space. What do those laws have to do with morality? And what are these different ideas all doing in the same parsha? Rabbi Fohrman argues that not only do these laws belong together... they actually work together to show us what holiness really means.
Looking for Rabbi Fohrman's course on Shavuot? Check it out here.
Celebrating Shavuot: What's So Exciting About Getting a Bunch of Laws?
Interested in Rabbi Fohrman’s idea on the three types of sacrifices in Parshat Vayikra? Learn more about it here: How Can We Relate To Sacrifices Today?
What did you think of this episode? We’d genuinely like to hear your thoughts, questions, and feedback. Leave us a voice message – just click here, click record, and let your thoughts flow. You may even be featured on the show!
Into the Verse is a project of Aleph Beta, a Torah media company dedicated to spreading the joy and love of meaningful Torah learning worldwide. For our full library of over 1,000 videos and podcasts, please visit www.alephbeta.org.
Of all God's commandments, counting the "omer," the days between Passover and Shavuot, seems kind of... well, like a trip back to kindergarten. What does counting have to do with being a better person or closer to God? And is there something special that we can learn from counting days at this particular time of year?
Join Daniel Loewenstein and Malka Alweis as they explore the significance of this seemingly unusual commandment. As they take a closer look at the Biblical text, they begin to uncover a hidden depth that brings extra meaning to this annual ritual. Spoiler: This is way more advanced than what they teach you in kindergarten! Take a listen to find out more.
Looking for Rabbi Fohrman's course on Shavuot? Check it out here.
Celebrating Shavuot: What's So Exciting About Getting a Bunch of Laws?
What did you think of this episode? We’d genuinely like to hear your thoughts, questions, and feedback. Leave us a voice message – just click here, click record, and let your thoughts flow. You may even be featured on the show!
Into the Verse is a project of Aleph Beta, a Torah media company dedicated to spreading the joy and love of meaningful Torah learning worldwide. For our full library of over 1,000 videos and podcasts, please visit www.alephbeta.org.
The splitting of the Sea of Reeds was so miraculous that the Israelite people celebrated by singing a song to God. Yet immediately after the entire nation sings, Miriam then sings...another song? Why did Miriam do that? Did she have something different she needed to express with her own song? Join Rabbi Fohrman as he explores the significance of Miriam's song and why she chose to sing it at this exact moment in time.
What did you think of this episode? We’d genuinely like to hear your thoughts, questions, and feedback. Leave us a voice message – just click here, click record, and let your thoughts flow. You may even be featured on the show!
Into the Verse is a project of Aleph Beta, a Torah media company dedicated to spreading the joy and love of meaningful Torah learning worldwide. For our full library of over 1,000 videos and podcasts, please visit www.alephbeta.org.
(Part 1 of 2) At the burning bush, God told Moses to show the people of Israel three signs, so they would believe that God was in fact with them. Was there any significance to these three signs, or did God randomly select them? And were the signs even effective?
Join Rabbi Fohrman in taking a closer look at these three signs from God. We'll see how the signs seem to correspond to three ways in which Egypt made Israel suffer — and also, to three lies that intensified their suffering.
Redemption from Egypt wasn’t just about setting Israel free. It was also about exposing those lies, so the Egyptian persecutors couldn't hide from their deeds.
Take a listen to find out more!
What did you think of this episode? We’d genuinely like to hear your thoughts, questions, and feedback. Leave us a voice message – just click here, click record, and let your thoughts flow. You may even be featured on the show!
Into the Verse is a project of Aleph Beta, a Torah media company dedicated to spreading the joy and love of meaningful Torah learning worldwide. For our full library of over 1,000 videos and podcasts, please visit www.alephbeta.org.
(Part 2 of 2) At the burning bush, God told Moses to show the people of Israel three signs, so they would believe that God was in fact with them. Was there any significance to these three signs, or did God randomly select them? And were the signs even effective?
Join Rabbi Fohrman in taking a closer look at these three signs from God. We'll see how the signs seem to correspond to three ways in which Egypt made Israel suffer — and also, to three lies that intensified their suffering.
Redemption from Egypt wasn’t just about setting Israel free. It was also about exposing those lies, so the Egyptian persecutors couldn't hide from their deeds.
Take a listen to find out more!
What did you think of this episode? We’d genuinely like to hear your thoughts, questions, and feedback. Leave us a voice message – just click here, click record, and let your thoughts flow. You may even be featured on the show!
Into the Verse is a project of Aleph Beta, a Torah media company dedicated to spreading the joy and love of meaningful Torah learning worldwide. For our full library of over 1,000 videos and podcasts, please visit www.alephbeta.org.
Into the Verse is dedicated to bringing you Torah that is timely and relevant to your life. Using the parsha and the Jewish calendar as inspiration, this podcast is filled with rich and uplifting insights based on analysis of the Hebrew text itself. Take a listen and enjoy!
Into the Verse is a project of Aleph Beta, a Torah media company dedicated to spreading the joy and love of meaningful Torah learning worldwide. For our full library of over 1,000 videos and podcasts, please visit www.alephbeta.org.