Into the Verse - A Parsha Podcast Aleph Beta

The Torah commands us to “take” these plants but doesn’t tell us why. The only clue we get is what the Torah says next: “And you shall rejoice before God” on this holiday. But what exactly are we rejoicing about? And why is holding these plants supposed to bring us so much happiness? Ami Silver and Imu Shalev explore some unexpected connections between this mitzvah and another story in the Torah… and uncover a deep insight into the true source of joy.
Check out the beautifully animated video version of this course: What Do the Arba Minim Represent?


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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.

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Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, should be a time of introspection, but it often feels like we're so overwhelmed by our own guilt, by the idea of coming to terms with ourselves, that we don't know where to start.
In this episode, join Rabbi Fohrman as he takes a deeper look at the 13 Attributes of Mercy and uncovers a path to finding true forgiveness during the High Holidays.
Check out Rabbi Fohrman’s course on the Book of Jonah that can completely change the way you read the story. Also, enjoy the course on the Laws of Teshuva Rabbi Fohrman mentions in this episode.


What did you think of this episode? We’d genuinely like to hear your thoughts, questions, and feedback. Leave us a voice message – just click record, and let your thoughts flow.

If you’re enjoying this podcast, help support our work by subscribing to Aleph Beta.


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.

Follow us on your favorite social media.

How can we ask God for forgiveness for the things we’ve done wrong? If we admit our mistakes, aren’t we acknowledging that we’re unworthy of His blessings? But could we be so bold as to demand God’s goodness when we know that we’ve made mistakes?
Join Daniel Loewenstein as he explores the text of the Selichot prayers and discovers how the authors model their supplications after two seemingly opposing approaches to bargaining with God.
Check out this eye opening Aleph Beta course on the Book of Jonah all about the relationship between mercy and justice.


What did you think of this episode? We’d genuinely like to hear your thoughts, questions, and feedback. Leave us a voice message – just click record, and let your thoughts flow.

If you’re enjoying this podcast, help support our work by subscribing to Aleph Beta.


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.

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Parshat Nitzavim warns that in the future, there might be someone who goes astray after other gods. God will “separate” that person for punishment, and future generations will see that the land was destroyed for this sin, “like Sodom and Gomorrah.” But wait, that doesn’t make sense! If God punishes guilty individuals, how do we get to the entire land being destroyed?
Join Ari Levisohn and Tikva Hecht as they explore this cryptic warning and uncover a message about the power of individual responsibility.
Check out Daniel Loewenstein's video on the links between Parshat Nitzavim and the Sodom story: The Surprising Relationship Between Blessing and Curses in the Bible


What did you think of this episode? We’d genuinely like to hear your thoughts, questions, and feedback. Leave us a voice message – just click record, and let your thoughts flow.

If you’re enjoying this podcast, help support our work by subscribing to Aleph Beta.


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.

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Parshat Ki Tavo lists the blessings that will come if we keep God’s commandments and the curses that will follow if we don’t. But it also says that to be blessed, we need to serve God “with joy.” Isn’t it enough to keep the commandments? And what is this “joy” supposed to look like, anyway? The key to answering these questions may be in two seemingly unrelated commandments from Parshat Ki Tavo itself.
Join Beth Lesch and Ari Levisohn as they uncover a startling pattern that links first fruits and a stone altar to this mysterious verse about rejoicing while we serve God. 


What did you think of this episode? We’d genuinely like to hear your thoughts, questions, and feedback. Leave us a voice message – just click record, and let your thoughts flow.

If you’re enjoying this podcast, help support our work by subscribing to Aleph Beta.


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.

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This week’s parsha includes the commandment to wipe out the memory of Amalek, the nation who attacked the Israelites shortly after the Exodus from Egypt. It’s the kind of mitzvah that makes our skin crawl in the 21st century. Why would God command wiping out an entire people? What did they do that was so evil that they deserve to be completely erased from history?
Join Ami Silver and Daniel Loewenstein as they discover how another mitzvah in this week’s parsha holds the surprising key to understanding the fight with Amalek.


What did you think of this episode? We’d genuinely like to hear your thoughts, questions, and feedback. Leave us a voice message – just click record, and let your thoughts flow.

If you’re enjoying this podcast, help support our work by subscribing to Aleph Beta.


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.

Follow us on your favorite social media.