Matan: One on One Parsha Podcast

In this difficult but important conversation, we explore biblical texts that illustrate how violence against women correlates with a morally decaying society. This episode directly responds to the world's horrifying silence in the face of rape and mutilazation on October 7th and candidly explores why this is such a hard topic to face head on. Yael Leibowitz is a senior lecturer at Matan and other Torah study institutions and has a forthcoming book with Koren Press on Ezra-Nehemiah called Retrograde Revolution. This is a special podcast miniseries produced by Matan and hosted by Dr. Yosefa Fogel Wruble which will drop each week of the Omer counting between the holidays of Pesach and Shavuot. In each episode, a Bible scholar explores an iconic biblical text in light of the changing Israeli, Jewish, and world realities.

This episode brings together the Matan Podcast with the hosts of Intimate Judaism, R. Scott Kahn and Talli Rosenbaum, to discuss the tensions between Jewish sexual ethics and modern sexual trends. What is a Jewish sexual ethic and how much is it related to what appears in the verses of the Torah? What are some of the biggest challenges facing the Orthodox world in the realm of sexuality and what central values would we like to preserve? These are some of the heavy questions we try to tackle with candor in this conversation. Our Vayikra series focuses on the lived experience of Torah observance and explores some of the harder issues within observant communities in accordance with the mitzvot taught in each weekly parsha. This week's episode has been sponsored by Jori Epstein in honor of Ilana Wernick's and Amanda Herman's marriages. Talli Rosenbaum has decades of experience in the field of sexual health, and is a certified sex therapist and an individual and couple therapist. She is an internationally regarded expert in this field and has published and lectured extensively. She is the co-author of I am for My Beloved: A Guide to Enhanced Intimacy for Married Couples Rabbi Scott Kahn, formerly the Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivat Yesodei HaTorah, hosts multiple podcasts including the Orthodox Conundrum as well as Intimate Judaism with Talli and has a passion for addressing issues facing the Orthodox world. You can read Scott’s writing on his substack, Orthodox Conundrum Commentary.

This week Dr. Tanya White shares a novel reading of Terah's journey to Canaan through the lens of grief and how Abraham manages to pick up where his father left off. Dr. Tanya White is a senior lecturer at Matan and Bar-Ilan and the host of the acclaimed podcast series, Books and Beyond: The Rabbi Sacks Podcast. This is a special podcast miniseries produced by Matan and hosted by Dr. Yosefa Fogel Wruble which will drop each week of the Omer counting between the holidays of Pesach and Shavuot. In each episode, a Bible scholar explores an iconic biblical text in light of the changing Israeli, Jewish, and world realities.

In this fascinating conversation with R. Alex Israel, we explore several perspectives on Tzaraat impurity and what this means for us today. We conclude with a study of the parsha's haftara reading about the four lepers (II Melachim 7) and how it relates to this week's national days of remembrance and gratitude. Our Vayikra series focuses on the lived experience of Torah observance and explores some of the harder issues within observant communities in accordance with the mitzvot taught in each weekly parsha.

This is a special podcast miniseries produced by Matan and hosted by Dr. Yosefa Fogel Wruble. The series will comprise seven episodes to be aired during the seven weeks of the Omer counting between the holidays of Pesach and Shavuot. Each week we will be re-reading iconic biblical texts in light of the changing Israeli, Jewish, and world realities. This first episode is a conversation with Judy Klitsner about the nature of successful and failed resilience in the stories of Noah and Jonah. Judy is a senior educator at Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies and the author of Subversive Sequels in the Bible: How Biblical Stories Mine and Undermine Each Other, which received a National Jewish book award.

In this fascinating conversation with Rabbanit Dena (Freundlich) Rock, we use the repeated verse, "Do not cook a kid in a mother's milk" to explore the relationship between Halakhic development and its divine source. Then we explore different rationales for Kashrut laws as well as the reasons why observant Jews wait different amounts of time between meat and milk. This week's episode has been sponsored in memory of Deanna Radin Lubin by her family on her 9th yahrtzeit. Our Vayikra series focuses on the lived experience of Torah observance and explores some of the harder issues within observant communities in accordance with the mitzvot taught in each weekly parsha.

In this episode with R. Yitzchak Blau, we zoom in on the laws of the Pesach sacrifice in order to zoom out on its meaning within the Exodus experience. Taking the animal on the 10th of the month, spreading its blood on the doorpost and so many other details that seem far removed from our modern reality, become the keys to kernels of wisdom explored in this wonderful conversation. Tucked between Torah insights, are some educational ideas for Pesach at home with kids.

Dr. Tova Ganzel, a Senior Lecturer at Bar-Ilan University specializing in biblical studies and Jewish law, dives deep into the fascinating world of sacrifices in ancient worship. She discusses the historical roots of korbanot and their significance in Vayikra, shedding light on how these rituals shaped Jewish spirituality. Ganzel contrasts differing perspectives from traditional rabbinic sources to modern interpretations influenced by the Reform movement. The conversation reveals the evolving nature of sacrificial practices and their intriguing relevance in today's spiritual landscape.

In this episode, which closes our episodes on national formation, beloved tour guide Shulie Mishkin walks us through the biblical reality and significance of the Mishkan's long-standing home in Shiloh. Chazak, Chazak, V'nitchazek! Stay tuned for our Vayikra series which focuses on mitzvah observance and a Torah way of life. The series asked what axiomatic ideas sit at the root of Israel’s national formation, without which we wouldn’t be who we are? How might we adjust our current trends in the Jewish world to realign with these principles? This week's episode is dedicated in memory of Roz Bramson. To donate to Matan or sponsor a podcast episode, visit the Matan Website’s DONATE page: https://www.matan.org.il/en/donatenow/

This week's conversation with R. David Fohrman, beloved Tanakh teacher and principal educator at Aleph Beta, was a joy. We begin by thinking about the connection between Betzalel and the world's creation. We ponder the wonders of AI and the relationship between the womb and God's contraction (tzimtzum), and then flesh out the fascinating textual and essential relationship between Betzalel and Yosef. Enjoy this magical Biblical tour with a true Tanakh giant. The series asks what axiomatic ideas sit at the root of Israel’s national formation, without which we wouldn’t be who we are? How might we adjust our current trends in the Jewish world to realign with these principles? This week’s episode has been dedicated in memory of David Shmuel ben Yitzchak. To donate to Matan or sponsor a podcast episode, visit the Matan Website’s DONATE page: https://www.matan.org.il/en/donatenow/