KMTT - the Torah Podcast

Ramban on the Torah | 5785 | 15 | Beshalach, by Rav Eli Weber How did Bnei Israel leave Egypt? What did HaShem give them in Mara? What is the meaning of the rules of the Manna?

Ramban on the Torah | 5785 | 14 | Bo, by Rav Eli Weber What is the purpose of miracles? What is the purpose of creation? The Ramban at the end of this week's Parasha deals with both.

Vaera | Pharoah and the Problem of Free Choice, by Rav Yair Kahn

New series on Sefer Shemot! Shemot | The Roots of Egyptian Antisemitism, by Rav Yair Kahn

Ramban on the Torah | 5785 | 13 | Vaera, by Rav Eli Weber What is the difference between Hashem's names? How can Hashem harden Pharaoh's heart? Why does the Torah reintroduce Moshe and Aharon again in the middle of the parasha?

Vaera | Pharaoh's Wizards (and the Parenthetic Phrase), by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom Why did the חרטומים imitate the first two plagues - and why were they stymied at the third? חרטומי מצרים - the wizards of Egypt - make 5 appearances in the Exodus narrative; the first and last are easily understood but the 2nd (in the context of the plague of blood) the 3rd (frogs) and the 4th (lice) are difficult to decipher. By reading some of these passages as parenthetic texts (מאמר המוסגר), a solution is suggested. Source sheet >>

Ramban on the Torah | 5785 | 12 | Shemot, by Rav Eli Weber On the Ramban's idea that every sefer in the Torah is a separate entity: on the one hand, a stand-alone sefer, but of course, also the continuation of Bereishit and the introduction to Vayikra.

The Education of Pharoah, by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom As we begin our reading of Sefer Shemot, the grand story of Yetziat Mitzrayim unfolds before our eyes. We are all aware of the "Ten Plagues" with which Hashem punished the Egyptians - but why was there a need for plagues at all? If the goal was to redeem His "firstborn son" to be free to worship Him - there are many ways that God could have rescued them without afflicting their oppressors. We examine the sequence and presentation of the "plagues" and note a curious pattern which helps us to decipher a broader educational goal with which God addressed Pharaoh and his people. Source sheet >>

Ramban on the Torah | 5785 | 11 | Vayechi, by Rav Eli Weber Why did Yaakov make Yosef swear to bury him? Where does a miracle come into play? Why does Yaakov curse Shimon and Levi? We apologize for the missing minutes at the end of this episode. The recording has been replaced.

Vayechi | Ad Ki Yavo Shilo: Solving A Biblical Riddle, by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom Yaakov's deathbed blessing to Yehuda, at which point he appoints/designates or foretells his fourth son's ascendancy to leadership of the nascent nation, is replete with philological and exegetical difficulties. The central verse of his blessing, verse 10, is not only opaque and subject to a wide range of interpretations, it also became a cause celebre in medieval Jewish-Christian polemics due to the possible Messianic allusions contained therein. We survey some of the history of interpretation and then propose a novel approach which takes into account the classic challenges raised to the text. Source sheet >>