Ta Shma

The most devastating part of the story of Dinah is that the Torah does not share Dinah’s perspective. We have no idea if this was “the rape of Dinah” or an encounter she desired. This gap is not surprising, but as inheritors of Torah we must ask ourselves how we inherit this part of our Torah responsibly.

Through a discussion of midrashim on the Book of Devarim, Rabbi Aviva Richman dives into the various roles of Torah as intermediary, a place for grief, joy, atonement, darkness, and more. She teaches the Torah, like rain, is limitless. Listen in to enjoy the journey of inspiring Torah thought.

"Recognition”—or lack thereof—emerges at pivotal moments of Yaakov's unfolding story, and reverberates to his children as well. Following the theme of recognition in Ya’akov’s journey allows us to address these fundamental questions for ourselves: Do we deserve the blessings we have? Do we get the blessings we “deserve”?

What does a fictional mystery-solving queer woman rabbi have in common with a real-life 17th-century woman rabbi, scholar, and miracle-worker? In this episode, Sigal Samuel and Rachel Sharona Lewis, both Yeshivat Hadar alumni, share more about their groundbreaking books, “The Rabbi Who Prayed with Fire” and “Osnat and Her Dove: The True Story of the World's First Female Rabbi.” This conversation was moderated by Hadar’s Editorial Director, Dr. Elisheva Urbas, and was originally held on April 26, 2021.

R. Aviva Richman shares her thoughts on Parashat Toldot. When Yitzhak blesses Ya’akov, disguised as Esav, it introduces a gap between being seen for who we are and finding blessing. It leaves us yearning for the kind of blessing that comes not from hiding ourselves but from being fully recognized. We’ll explore different aspects of the relationship between recognition and blessing over this week and next. This week, our focus will be the significance of faces and being seen.

In this episode, Rav Tali dives into the overall picture of what returning and rebuilding will look like in the communal spaces in our lives. What might it look like to return to institutions that we left behind? To the shuls and workplaces and schools? Rav Tali explores the return of the Jewish people from the Babylonian exile and draws comparisons to our experience today.

In this episode, Rav Tali delves into the experience of the messy emotions of reuniting with loved ones after the pandemic. Times of extended separation can change the nature of a relationship and Rav Tali offers tools to navigate the changes. Rav Tali makes space in this talk for some of the more difficult emotions.

In the spring of 2021, as many Covid-19 restrictions were lifted and more people began re-entering their social worlds, R. Tali Adler gave Hadar’s Spring Lecture Series on the “Torah of Reopening.” In this episode, Rav Tali addresses the oh-so-complicated array of emotions that arise as we explore re-engaging with the world, dealing in particular with “fear before we open the door.” Rav Tali’s wisdom will help you reflect and feel inspired and we hope you enjoy this episode.

Welcome to Ta Shma, a new podcast where you get to listen in on Hadar’s Beit Midrash. Whether you’re at home or on the go, come and listen to recordings from recent Hadar classes, lectures, programs. Ta Shma is hosted by R. Avi Killip of the Hadar Institute.