Into the Verse - A Parsha Podcast
Into the Verse is dedicated to bringing you Torah that is timely and relevant to your life. Using the parsha and the Jewish calendar as inspiration, this podcast is filled with rich and uplifting insights based on analysis of the Hebrew text itself. Take a listen and enjoy! Into the Verse is a project of Aleph Beta, a Torah media company dedicated to spreading the joy and love of meaningful Torah learning worldwide. For our full library of over 1,000 videos and podcasts, please visit www.alephbeta.org.
Episodes
28 episodes
Reexamining Revelation: The Challenge of Chosenness [Introducing our new season of A Book Like No Other]
At the heart of Judaism's chosenness lies an unexpected twist that few have noticed. Rabbi Fohrman stumbles upon a shocking connection between two of the Bible's most pivotal moments - one that completely transforms our understanding of what it...
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25:21
Parshat Shelach: Insights Into Tzitizt (Re-release of "What’s Meaningful About Tzitzit? Part 2)
(Part 2 of 2) Parshat Shelach teaches us the mitzvah of Tzitzit. How are we to understand these little fringes? Sounds like a perfect job for the crew at "Meaningful Judaism," our podcast dedicated to uncovering the meaning in mitzvot, so we de...
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28:33
Parshat Shelach: Insights into Tzitzit: (Re-release of "What’s Meaningful About Tzitzit? Part 1)
(Part 1/2) Parshat Shelach teaches us the mitzvah of Tzitzit. How are we to understand these little fringes? Sounds like a perfect job for the crew at "Meaningful Judai...
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36:40
A Book Like No Other: Season 3 - Trailer
A Book Like No Other is a chance to learn alongside Aleph Beta Founder and Lead Scholar, Rabbi David Fohrman, a master close reader of Torah, as he embarks on his most far-reaching and in-depth explorations. Each season is a stand-alone journey...
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2:00
Mishpatim: The Legal Debate That Changed Jewish History
Parshat Mishpatim outlines the laws of indentured servants and maidservants, including servants going free in the seventh year, servants getting married while working, and a father making a deal for his daughter’s hand in marriage. This set of ...
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Season 2
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Episode 41
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38:35
Yitro: What Was Really Written on the Tablets?
In Parshat Yitro, we read about the revelation at Sinai and the giving of the 10 Commandments. The image of the 10 Commandments is one of the most familiar images from the Torah, but when you read the Sages’ description of the tablets, not only...
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Season 2
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Episode 40
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25:12
The Blasphemer: Why Would Someone Curse God? [Introducing our new season of A Book Like No Other]
Rabbi David Fohrman and Imu Shalev study the tale of the blasphemer, a dark and puzzling episode buried deep in Leviticus. The details of this story are scarce: an anonymous man provokes a fight in the Israelite camp, curses God, and ultimately...
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Season 2
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Episode 39
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46:44
Bo: What Did the Egyptians Get Out of the Exodus?
Parshat Bo tells the story of the last three plagues. The 10th plague, the death of the firstborn, ultimately compels Pharaoh and the Egyptians to free the Israelites from slavery, but was that really the purpose of the plagues? Were they just ...
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Season 2
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Episode 38
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41:44
Shemot: What Was Moses’ Real Mission?
In Parshat Shemot, we read the story of the burning bush, where Moses was charged with a mission. We are often taught that Moses’ job was to take the Israelites out of Egypt, but a close read of the text suggests that there is actually somethin...
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Season 2
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Episode 37
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22:12
Vayechi: God's Hidden Hand
In Parshat Vayechi, Jacob remembers when the God of his ancestors, “El Shaddai,” appeared to him and promised a bright future for his descendants. But what about the times when his life didn’t seem to be going according to God’s plan? Is God st...
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Season 2
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Episode 36
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29:49
Vayigash: Was Joseph the Golden Calf?
In Parshat Vayigash, Joseph finally reveals himself to his brothers, and they realize that the Egyptian official they had bowed down to was none other than their long lost brother. What did Jacob's sons think about their powerful brother now? W...
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Season 2
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Episode 35
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29:45
Parshat Miketz: A Phantom Blessing
In Parshat Miketz, Jacob sends his sons on a mission to get food from Egypt so they can survive a famine plaguing the entire Middle East. On the surface, it seems like a straightforward request, but a closer read reveals a deeper purpose in the...
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Season 2
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Episode 34
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34:09
Parshat Vayeshev: What Was Jacob Thinking?
In Parshat Vayeshev, the Torah tells us that Joseph’s brothers were so angry at him that they couldn’t even speak a word to his face. Yet, the very next thing we’re told is that Jacob sends Joseph, unsupervised, to go check on his brothers. Wha...
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Season 2
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Episode 33
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32:54
Vayishlach: Were We Wrong About Esav?
When Esau came to meet Jacob with 400 men, it could only mean one thing: 20 years after Jacob stole Esau's blessings, Esau is finally seeking his revenge. But... what if we are misjudging Esau?Join Beth Lesch and Rabbi David Fohrman as t...
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Season 2
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Episode 32
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29:59
Parshat Vayetze: Was Jacob Punished?
Parshat Vayeitzei begins with Jacob on the run from Esau and follows Jacob's trials and tribulations throughout his time in Laban's house. At the end of the parsha, Jacob is back on the run and gets into a heated argument with Laban. What is Ja...
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Season 2
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Episode 31
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30:39
Israel at War: A War of Revenge?
The feelings of rage and desire for revenge against Hamas still boil strong in the hearts of many. How should those feelings motivate Israel and her supporters in the war against Hamas? What did Hamas want us to feel and how can we protect ours...
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40:34
Parshat Toldot: What is True Strength?
Parshat Toldot contains the only story in the Torah that is really only about Isaac: the often overlooked story of the wells. What does this brief story really teach us about Isaac’s character? The Sages associate Isaac with the attribute of st...
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Season 2
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Episode 30
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40:26
Israel at War #5: The Lesson of "I Don't Know"
Rabbi Fohrman and Imu are back sharing more stories from Rabbi Fohrman's last week in Israel, plus a fascinating discussion about last week's haftorah, its shocking conclusion, and the spiritual value of embracing "I don't know."
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Season 2
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Episode 29
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35:26
Chayei Sarah: A Marriage of Truth and Kindness
The Midrash says that chesed and emet, Kindness and Truth, disagreed about whether God should create humankind. And the puzzling outcome of that argument was: “God took Truth and threw it to the earth.” But what does that actually mean? The ans...
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Season 2
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Episode 29
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36:31
Israel at War: Do Our Small Gestures Matter in the Big Scheme of Things?
In our fourth takeover episode dedicated to the war in Israel, Rabbi Fohrman and Imu Shalev share stories of volunteerism and heroism in Israel and abroad, while grappling with a shared sense of helplessness. Together, they explore the limits o...
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Season 2
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Episode 28
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45:51
Parshat Vayera: Lot's Fake Kindness
Parshat Vayera tells the story of visiting angels being graciously hosted, not once but twice! Abraham's hospitality is legendary, and Lot's welcoming the angels feels like a de ja vu...until things turn ugly. What went wrong? How c...
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Season 2
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Episode 28
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28:40
Israel at War: Heartwarming Stories and Moral Dilemmas [Corrected]
Join Rabbi Fohrman and Imu as they share heartwarming stories and grapple with the moral ambiguity provoked by the war between Israel and Hamas.
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43:38
Lech Lecha: Responding to Life’s Challenges
When life throws us challenges and doesn’t go the way we hoped, how do we avoid falling into despair? In Parshat Lech Lecha, Abraham and Sarah struggle with infertility, and Abraham cries out to God, “I am childless!” What is the To...
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Season 2
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Episode 27
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35:44
Hamas in Parshat Noach: Rabbi Fohrman and Imu Discuss
Parshat Noach describes the extreme violence that led to God's decision to destroy the world with a flood. This violence is referred to as "chamas" in Hebrew, a term that bears an eerie resemblance to "Hamas." In light of recent devastating att...
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34:35
Israel Under Attack: Rabbi Fohrman and Imu Process the Events
In place of our usual parsha podcast, Rabbi David Fohrman sat down with Aleph Beta CEO, Imu Shalev, to reflect on the ongoing situation in Israel and discussed creative ways to help in these times of need, as well as how to cope with our intens...
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41:35