Matan: One on One Parsha Podcast

In this conversation with Rabbanit Rachelle Sprecher Fraenkel, we explore where the spies went wrong, the possibility that their sin was inevitable, and where this registers in the current Israeli reality. Rabbanit Rachelle is the director of Matan's Hilkhata program and is also co-founder of The Jerusalem Unity Prize and Unity Day. Our Bamidbar Series explores different forms of leadership in the book and in the Jewish world.

Over the last year and a half, many have reflected that these times feel 'biblical.' There is a sense that the ongoing war and the surrounding societal shifts feel more significant than ever. Some of this 'biblical' scale has to do with the struggle for land and legitimacy, and some of it seems to be rooted in the heroism and clarity of the soldiers, both those in active service and reservists. They know there is a job to do and that they are the ones destined to do it. In this sensitive conversation, Dr. Yael Ziegler and Dr. Yosefa Fogel Wruble probe several battle stories in the book of Samuel for their guidance and wisdom regarding morality in war and the dynamic faces of courage, then and now. Make sure to listen until the episode's end for a conclusion to the miniseries. Dr, Yael Ziegler is a beloved Matan teacher and head of its Kitvuni program. She is a senior Tanakh lecturer at Herzog college and author of multiple commentaries on Tanakh. This has been a special podcast miniseries produced by Matan which dropped each week of the Omer counting between the holidays of Pesach and Shavuot. In each episode, a Bible scholar explored an iconic biblical text in light of the changing Israeli, Jewish, and world realities.

In this week's conversation with Rabbanit Dr. Adina Sternberg, we discuss the breakdown of leadership in the parsha as well as the fascinating correlation between Moshe's self-perception as a mother to the people with the laws of the 'rebellious son.' Our Bamidbar Series is exploring different forms of leadership in the book and in the Jewish world.

In this moving conversation with Rabbanit Shani Taragin, we explore the different forms of religious and lay leadership in the parsha that will continue to guide the people as they travel through the wilderness. Our Bamidbar Series is exploring different forms of leadership in the book and in the Jewish world. This week's episode has been sponsored by Chava Mann in honor of her children and their continued success in learning and growing in their Torah lives.

In this meaningful conversation with Dr. Elana Stein Hain, we probe our individual spiritual biographies in search of what drew us into Torah life and a love of learning. We also reflect candidly about our roles as educators at work and in our homes. Chag Sameach!

In this episode with Matan president Rabbanit Malke Bina, we explore the Devorah narrative in Judges 4-5 and take a deeper look at her and Yael's roles in combat and as a religious leader. We then think about the changing role of women in combat and non-combat positions today. Rabbanit Malke Bina founded Matan in 1988 and served as Chancellor for 33 years. She has now taken on the role of President and she continues to guide Matan's growth and development. Rabbanit Bina is a visionary and is widely recognized for her revolutionary work in advanced Torah learning for women. She has won numerous prestigious awards including being decorated as a Yakir Yerushalayim - Worthy Citizen of Jerusalem - in 2021 as well as receiving two honorary doctorates from Yeshiva University and Bar Ilan University.

In this engaging conversation, Gila Fine, an author and lecturer who delves into rabbinic literature and the Talmud's female figures, uncovers the intricate organization of the Book of Bamidbar. She discusses the themes of order and chaos, emphasizing how lifequakes lead to new societal constructions. The dialogue reflects on the necessity of destruction for renewal, highlighting the balance between theoretical order and the Israelites' chaotic experiences in the wilderness. Gila's insights illuminate the cyclical nature of crises that foster community evolution.

Jeremiah 30-31 are chapters often quoted and sung because of their beautiful images of divine closeness, renewal, and the posthumous figure of Rachel crying in prayer for the return of her exiled children. Dr. Malka Simkovich, who spent more than a decade teaching in Christian settings, always overlooked these prophecies as significant for the Jewish story, having long ago been adopted by the Christian world as the foreshadowing of their ‘new testament’  (Jer. 31:30-32). In this conversation, she highlights the importance of these chapters for the Jewish narrative in this challenging moment, and thinks out loud with us about what it means for the Jewish world to enter a new chapter of history, devoid of divine metaphors and full of embrace for one another. Dr. Malka Z. Simkovich is the Editor-in-Chief of the Jewish Publication Society and Visiting Professor at Yeshiva University’s Revel Graduate School for Jewish Studies. She has written several award-winning books on Second Temple Judaism and hundreds of articles. Simkovich served as the Crown-Ryan Chair of Jewish Studies at Catholic Theological Union from 2014–2024, and speaks regularly to audiences across North America and beyond on topics related to the Hebrew Bible, Jewish history, and contemporary Jewish-Christian relations. 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 week's episode with Rabbanit Surale Rosen closes our series on the lived experience of Torah observance.The conversation begins with an idea rooted in our parsha regarding an ethic that may have preceded the official giving of Torah and continues on to explore some of the tensions between Halakhic life and secular sensibilities both in Israel and abroad. When does applying a halakhic frame feel absurd? How might broadening the purview of halakha actually help make its observance more organic? This week's episode has been sponsored in memory of Vita Rachel bat Yaacov Bradfield z"l. Our upcoming Bamidbar series will focus on issues of leadership--Chazak, Chazak, V'nitchazek!

In this moving conversation, we explore the book of Numbers through the lens of a short journey to a promised land that suddenly went awry, in search of emotional guidance in the face of a war that has continued for longer than the Israeli public anticipated. What does the book of Bamidbar have to tell us about daily life in the face of fear? Why does living in proximity to God feel so scary sometimes? What was the greatest strength of the wilderness generation? This episode is dedicated in memory of Maj. (res.) Eliav Abitbol, a childhood neighbor of our guest who fell in Lebanon on Oct. 26th, 2024 and is survived by his wife, Tal, and their four children. Rachel Sharansky Danziger is a Jerusalem-based writer and educator, who lectures internationally about the intersections between Jewish texts, life in Israel, and the art of storytelling. In addition to teaching torah at Matan, Pardes and other, online, venues, Rachel is the co-editor of the recently published anthologies of prayers "Az Nashir: We Will Sing Again - Women's Prayers for Our Time of Need" and "Az Nashir: Between Silence & Song -- Women’s Prayers for Our Days of Remembrance & Celebration" and is currently working on a book about family stories in the Book of Judges as a Sefaria fellow. 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.