The Tanakh Podcast

We are nearing the Hurban. Today we study the personality of King Yehoyakim who oppresses the nation and repudiates the warnings of the prophet Jeremiah.

Today we discuss the assassination of King Josiah and why despite Josiah's teshuva, God was unprepared to pardon the nation.

The priests discover a Sefer Torah in the Temple and when Josiah reads it, his is thrust into panic. What was this scroll? Had the Torah been lost to the Jewish people? Or is it possibly a different document than the Five Books of Moses?

Menashe is the most evil king of all. Idolatry, murder, magic and divination - he does it all! The Talmud claims that he murdered the prophet Isaiah! as such, for the Book of Kings, the damage he has wrought is irreparable. Menashe is responsible for the Hurban! But Divrei Hayamim (Chronicles) offers a different story!

Hezekiah gets sick and prays and is saved. Hezekiah receives a visiting Babylonian king, and is rebuked by the prophet. How do these two stories fit into the wider narrative of Hezekiah? The question we shall address is whether one is to rely on one's own efforts, or to place one's faith exclusively in God.

Today we describe the Assyrian siege of Jerusalem - the despair, the psychological intimidation by Rav-Shakeh, Hizkiyahu's religious response; and lastly, God's miracle. We also discuss the archaeological records of this event, and its implications.

Our chapter introduces Hizkiyahu with "There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him." Quite an accolade! Today we chart his efforts to restore monotheism in Jerusalem: the grand celebration of Pesach in Jerusalem, his enthusiasm for national unity, and his promotion of religious study.

In this podcast we speak about: 1. How the Exile of the Ten Tribes is part of a covenantal pattern that harks back to the Torah; 2. How did the 10 Tribes get "lost"?

What would you do if you were confronted by the most menacing empire to have existed in the Middle East. You have three choices: 1. become an ally 2. Join the resistance 3. Retain your neutrality. What are the advantages of each, and what is the potential price? How do you decide? This is Ahaz's dilemma.

Today we study about King Uzziah, one of the great kings of Judah. And we witness the political instability of the Northern Kingdom, a process that will lead to its demise and exile.