Parsha Podcast with Ari Goldwag

Why does the Torah give us so much detail around the scene when Yakov arrives in Charan - the well, the three flocks, the rock that closes the well, how it was rolled off through a group effort? How does each of these elements parallel the well in the wilderness, the Holy Temple in Jerusalem and the Synagogue? How do we draw life giving inspiration in each of these circumstances and how does this inspiration last from the time it was initiated over 3000 years ago down until today? Find out in this week's Parsha Podcast.

Why did Gehenom enter into the room with Esav after Yakov left and had procured his blessings? Who is the one for whom that punishment is reserved? Why did Esav keep trapping animals and the angel kept releasing those animals? What is the reason why the food Yakov served Yitzchak to receive the brachos had 'every taste?' What does this have to do with the Manna, and with the six days of Creation and with the World to Come? How does this 'every taste' parallel the state of Yakov at the 'center' whereas Esav and the other nations of Exile represent directions away from the center? Find out in this week's Parsha Podcast.

Why does the Torah first use a language of 'Shachan' to mean 'dwelling' and then 'Nafal,' which usually means to fall? What changed for Yishmael after Avraham's death? What is the difference between Yishmael and his offspring and how will that play out in the end of days? Why do the people of Edom and Yishmael try to claim the 'beauty of G-d' - the Holy Temple on the Temple Mount? Why do the Jewish people endure challenges and difficulties, sometimes fairly and sometimes unjustly, at the hands of the nations of the world? How are they ultimately paid back for the evil they did, beyond the call of justice? What are we to focus on in our times as we strive to make sense of current events? Find out in this week's Parsha Podcast.

How does the promise Hashem made to Sarah that she would conceive parallel the promise Hashem made to the Jewish people of their final redemption? Why did the miracle birth take a typical nine months instead of taking place immediately? Why was Sarah first abducted by Avimelech before Hashem kept His promise to Sarah? How does this parallel what will happen to the Jewish people? Why were Avimelech's wives unable to give birth at that time? Why were the 'trees of the field' all made aware of this situation and how do they correspond to the nations of the world? Why do Avimelech and the nations of the world need to fall in order for Avraham, Sarah and the nation of Israel to be raised up? Find out in this week's Parsha Podcast.

Why did the 4 kings and 5 kings go out to battle? Why did they capture Avraham's nephew Lot and hold him captive? How does this war set a precedent for future wars of the Jewish people? How does it teach us about the four exiles the Jewish people would ultimately have to endure? How does Avraham's victory in this great battle serve to move his own spiritual mission forward? How does it parallel the future war that the Jewish people will wage and their own freedom to pursue their spiritual mission? What is the meaning of the explanation that the kings were drawn into this battle only in order to be vanquished by Avraham? How does this parallel the final war, which could be beginning now? Find out in this week's Parsha Podcast.

What was the difference between Noach and Avraham? Would Noach have been greater if he was in a generation where there were others who also were spiritual giants? Why does the Torah say that Noach walked 'next to Hashem' as opposed to Avraham, who Hashem instructed to 'walk before Him?' What was the difference between Noach and Avraham's approach to spiritual matters? How does 'before Hashem' refer to the land of Israel? Why does Hashem wish for Avraham to spread his spiritual light specifically in Israel, and not just in the land of Aram which is outside of Israel? What is the deeper idea behind Hashem being 'like a shepherd for His flock?' How does the Jewish people act like the elders of a prince and 'announce that the prince is coming?' Find out in this week's Parsha Podcast.

Why does the word for building (VaYiven) have the same root as the word for intuition (Bina)? What is the idea behind the concept of women's intuition being more advanced than men's? How can men's intuition become more developed as they go out into the world? Why does intuition relate to the concept of vows and awareness about the fact that the vow is made in Hashem's name? How can we apply the concept of intuition and awareness of Hashem to the current challenging situation facing us in Israel? Find out in this week's Parsha Podcast.

Why does the Torah end with the sad story of Moshe Rabeinu's final request - to enter Israel - being denied? Why did Moshe feel confident that his prayers would be answered despite the decree of Hashem? What did Hashem do to make sure the prayers of Moshe would not ascend? Why does the Torah start with the story of Creation going straight to the Exodus and the Jewish people becoming a nation? What is the lesson in ending the Torah on a sad note and returning to the beginning of the Torah with this point of the story of Creation? Find out in this week's Parsha Podcast.

Why was Rabban Gamliel willing to spend 1000 zuzim on his Lulav and Esrog set, the equivalent value of 500 goats? Why did the people of Yerushalayim (Jerusalem) walk around all day holding their set of arba minim (4 species)? Why did King Solomon indicate that he could not understand the concept of the arba minim? How do the four species represent the different aspects of the Jewish people? How do they correspond to the four letters of Hashem's holy name? What can we think about as we perform the mitzvos we love? Find out in this week's Parsha Podcast.

Why did Hashem make the day of reckoning for the world to be on the day of Adam's creation? How was the decree of Adam after his sin reflective of Hashem's mercy? What does the Shofar represent and what is the meaning of the root Sh-F-R - 'beautify' - as it applies to the Shofar and to Rosh Hashana? Why is the Shofar shaped in such a way as to be thin on one side and wide on the other? How does the Shofar cause Hashem to leave His throne of judgment and sit on His throne of Mercy? Find out in this week's Parsha Podcast.

How do the concepts of Heaven and Earth correspond to the human being that is composed of soul and body? What is behind the Midrash's statement that because Moshe 'lent his ear' to hear what the Torah said, therefore the Heaven and Earth were silenced when Moshe spoke? What are the boundaries that Hashem set for the world, and how does it ingrain awe in us when those boundaries are broken? How does the Tzadik's ability to bend nature serve to give us more fear of Heaven? How does all of this relate to Yom Kippur? Find out in this week's Parsha Podcast.

What is the concept of the blessing we make before and after studying Torah? What is the difference between Torah study and the study of all other intellectual pursuits? What is the secret of the Queen bee and how does it relate to Torah study? How do we merit blessings in our lives? How do we approach the study of Torah, which seems to be so vast and intimidating at times? How do we begin a life of lasting change? Find out in this week's Parsha Podcast.

Why do the concepts of Rain, Livelihood and Resurrection of the dead all have the word 'opening' used in their contexts? What do these three things have in common? Why do we mention that Hashem brings rain in the context of the second bracha of Shemoneh Esrei, which speaks of Him bringing the dead to life? Why do we ask for the blessings upon the earth and grains to grow, but not really speak directly about livelihood? What is the song that is related to the falling of the rain and the resurrection of the dead? Find out in this week's Parsha Podcast.

What is the lesson we are to learn from 'what happened to Miriam' when we left Egypt? Why does negative speech cause the Divine Presence to leave us, Heaven forbid? How does focusing on the positive have the opposite effect - bringing Hashem into our lives, and bringing about salvation and Siyata Dishmaya? Why were the Jewish people unable to build the Beis Hamikdash (Temple) in the times of King Saul, even though they had the prerequisites of a king and had destroyed Amalek? How does negativity cause us to lose in battle, while positivity brings about victory? Find out in this week's Parsha Podcast.

What is greater - the sacrifices brought in the Beis Hamikdash (Temple) or proper judgment, justice and charity? Why are Tzedakah and Mishpat (charity and judgment) so central? Why did King David rejoice when people wished for the Beis Hamikdash to be built, even though it implied his own death, as it was his son who was destined to build it? Why does Hashem promise that Dovid Hamelech will live a full life - despite the fact that the building of the Beis Hamikdash will be delayed? What was Dovid's unique approach in judging peoples' court cases and how did he perform charity in the judgment? Find out in this week's Parsha Podcast.