Pardes from Jerusalem

Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies
  • 4.9 (21)
  • JUDAISM
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Pardes from Jerusalem features a weekly discussion using Torah, Talmud and other Jewish texts to explain themes from the weekly Torah portion. The Pardes faculty is featured each week. For more information about all Pardes programs and events visit www.pardes.org.il.

  1. 5D AGO

    Vayigash 5768: The Power of Remembering

    Who carries our collective memory when others forget? In this episode, Zvi Hirschfield and Rabbanit Nechama Goldman Barash explore Parshat Vayigash through the remarkable midrashic figure of Serach bat Asher. They trace how Serach becomes a guardian of memory—gently revealing Yosef’s survival to Yaakov, preserving sacred knowledge across generations, and reminding leaders of what must not be forgotten.

    36 min

  2. DEC 14

    Miketz 5786: Yosef’s Return

    Is Yosef testing his brothers—or struggling to reclaim his own identity? In this episode, Zvi Hirschfield and Rabbi Dr. Meesh Hammer-Kossoy explore Parshat Miketz through Yosef’s puzzling treatment of his brothers and the deeper questions it raises about anger, revenge, and responsibility. They trace classic interpretations—from Ramban and Abarbanel to the Zohar and Rav Yoel Bin-Nun—to ask what motivates Yosef’s actions. Framed by Hanukkah, the conversation culminates in Yosef’s moment of teshuvah: reclaiming his place in his family and choosing Jewish destiny over forgetting.

    31 min

  3. DEC 7

    Vayeishev 5786: Grief and Bad Decisions

    How does unresolved grief shape the choices we make—and the people we become? In this episode, Zvi Hirschfield and Aviva Lauer explore Parshat Vayeishev through the lens of grief and the ways unresolved pain shapes Yaakov’s choices. They examine how the Torah’s seemingly hopeful opening—vayeishev, “he settled”—quickly gives way to family tension, favoritism, and disaster. Reading Yaakov as a father still mourning Rachel, struggling after Dina’s trauma, and missing the women who once guided him, they show how grief clouds judgment and fractures a fragile family system.

    37 min

  4. NOV 30

    Vayishlach 5786: Living the Struggle

    Can confronting ourselves be the key to transformation? In this episode, Zvi Hirschfield and Rabbi Dr. Tal Sessler explore Parshat Vayishlach as a story of identity, fear, and the lifelong struggle to integrate competing parts of the self. They examine Yaakov as the Torah’s first refugee, his preparation to meet Esav through prayer, gifts, and readiness for war, and his mysterious night battle—an internal confrontation that leads to the name Yisrael. Through psychological, philosophical, and modern Jewish lenses, they reflect on what it means to live in tension and still keep growing.

    42 min

  5. NOV 23

    Vayetze 5786: Struggle and Becoming

    Can we truly change—or do we grow by struggling with who we already are? In this episode, Zvi Hirschfield and Rabbi Deborah Anstandig explore Parshat Vayetze through Yaakov’s twenty years in the house of Lavan—not as a tale of transformation, but of confronting the self we already are. They trace Yaakov’s persistent tendencies toward maneuvering, adaptation, and struggling with truth, showing how his experiences mirror our own ongoing battles with identity, integrity, and growth. The conversation asks what it means to seek change while accepting our human limitations.

    31 min

  6. NOV 18

    Toldot 5786: Words that shape worlds

    In this episode, Zvi Hirschfield and Rabbi Raphael Polisuk explore Parshat Toldot through the lens of prayer, blessing, and the extraordinary power of human speech. They discuss Yitzchak’s deeply active model of prayer—la’ator, a language of turning reality—and how the rabbis imagine his tefillah transforming both himself and God. The episode then turns to the drama of the blessings, asking why words matter so profoundly in Torah and how language can create, heal, or harm.

    32 min

  7. NOV 9

    Chayei Sarah 5786: Life after loss

    How do we transform loss into legacy? In this episode, Zvi Hirschfield and Rabbanit Nechama Goldman Barash explore Parshat Chayei Sarah as a meditation on grief, memory, and legacy. They discuss Avraham’s careful purchase of the burial cave as the first act of rootedness in the Land of Israel, his need for a physical place to mourn, and how burial transforms loss into continuity. Linking Avraham’s mourning for Sarah to today’s national and personal mourning in Israel, they reflect on commemoration, legacy, and the power of creating living memorials that carry love and purpose forward.

    37 min

  8. NOV 3

    Vayera 5786: In Service of Faith

    In this episode, Zvi Hirschfield and Rabbi Mike Feuer explore Parshat Vayera through the story of the Akeidah, reframing it not as Avraham’s test, but as Yitzchak’s act of awareness and choice. They discuss agency, sacrifice, and what it means to go beyond one’s limits in service of something greater. Drawing on Midrash and lived experience, they reflect on courage, commitment, and how moments of surrender can unlock the deepest expressions of faith and purpose.

    36 min
See All (324)

4.9
out of 5
21 Ratings

About

Pardes from Jerusalem features a weekly discussion using Torah, Talmud and other Jewish texts to explain themes from the weekly Torah portion. The Pardes faculty is featured each week. For more information about all Pardes programs and events visit www.pardes.org.il.

Information

  • Creator
    Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies
  • Years Active
    2005 - 2025
  • Episodes
    324
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 755796
  • Show Website
    Pardes from Jerusalem

You Might Also Like