Parsha-ly Crazy

Why does a Torah portion called “The Life of Sarah” begin with her death? And why do so many biblical love stories begin at a well?

This week, Joel Goldstein, Rebecca Croog, and Matthew Ponak dive into Parashat Chayei Sarah (Genesis), exploring love, loss, family tensions, and the surprising ways that ancient biblical stories speak to modern relationships.

Along the way: Isaac's possible trauma after the binding, Abraham's mysterious healing crystal, Jewish and Islamic perspectives on Hagar, the reunion of Isaac and Ishmael, Rebecca's remarkable initiative, and the surprisingly romantic world of biblical wells.

What makes a good match? Can estranged families find their way toward reconciliation? And what can Rebecca and Isaac teach us about love, vulnerability, and new beginnings?

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Why does Abraham serve milk and meat together? Who exactly are the three mysterious visitors? And could Lot's wife be more than a cautionary tale about disobedience?

This week, Joel Goldstein, Rebecca Croog, and Matthew Ponak dive into Parashat Vayera (Genesis), exploring the strange encounter between Abraham and his visitors, the origins of Jewish dietary laws, the symbolism of salt, and the surprisingly complicated question of who, or what, God is in the Hebrew Bible.

Along the way: Lot's wife, Sodom and Gomorrah, biblical criticism, Kabbalah, the Zohar, ancient Canaanite religion, and the curious fact that some of God's names are grammatically plural.

Are the three visitors angels, human beings, or something else entirely? And what happens when traditional Jewish interpretation meets the historical study of the Bible?

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Was Abraham a great spiritual pioneer, or a deeply flawed man whose story we've been rewriting for thousands of years? And what does it really mean to leave everything behind and journey into the unknown?

This week, Joel Goldstein, Rebecca Croog, and Matthew Ponak dive into Parashat Lekh Lekha (Genesis 12:1 to Genesis 17:27), exploring Abraham's complicated legacy, the origins of monotheism, and the many ways Jewish tradition has reinvented its founding patriarch.

Along the way: Abraham smashing idols (or did he?), Hasidic mysticism, biblical criticism, Spinoza, the fine line between appreciating and worshipping nature, and a surprisingly serious discussion about circumcision and ancient sacrifice.

Can we learn from Abraham without turning him into an idol? And what might his journey teach us about our own?

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Was Noah a righteous hero, or the original spiritual bypasser? And what kind of God destroys the world in a flood?

This week, Joel Goldstein, Rebecca Croog, and Matthew Ponak dive into Parashat Noaḥ (Genesis), exploring Noah's complicated legacy, the ethics of divine destruction, and what ancient stories reveal about our evolving relationship with God.

Along the way: Hasidic mysticism, biblical criticism, Noah's loneliness, the Tower of Babel, the Borg from Star Trek, and some surprisingly serious questions about technology, individuality, and eating meat.

Is Noah a model of righteousness or a cautionary tale? And can one flood story hold three very different understandings of Torah?

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What does Genesis say about what it means to be human, and are we supposed to learn how to live from the creation story?

This week, Rabbi Joel Goldstein, Dr. Rebecca Croog, and Rabbi Matthew Ponak dive into Parashat Bereishit (Genesis), exploring creation and chaos, the sweetness and bitterness of Torah study, mystical meanings in Hebrew letters, and what the story of creation might say about being human.

Along the way: the Zohar, the Talmud, Rashi, some questionable podcast slogans, and three very different ways of reading the beginning of the beginning.

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