This week, we conclude the full cycle of parshas with a candid reflection on the end of the podcast, and a consideration of what makes poetry a powerful vehicle for divine messages.

In Your Mouth and in Your Heart (Nitzavim)

Sep 7th, 2020 7m 50s

This week, we discuss the poetic insistence of the Bible that every Jew should be able to feel ownership over the Torah's message.

Wayward Sons and Kidnapped Women (Ki Tetzei)

Aug 24th, 2020 11m 5s

This week, we have a lot of questions and few answers as we read some of the Bible's more unsettling passages, and consider what we could learn from situations we hope never actually happen.

Is Compassion Extra Credit? (Re'eh)

Aug 10th, 2020 9m 38s

This week, we debate what it means to "not shut your heart" against the needy, and why compassion is no substitute for justice when it comes to righting social wrongs.

Why Did God Keep Moses From Entering Israel? (Vaetchanan)

Jul 27th, 2020 11m 10s

This week, we discuss the importance of Mount Sinai in collective Jewish memory, and why Moses was not allowed to enter the Promised Land, even though he led the people out of Egypt.

Did God Break a Promise? Did We? (Maatot-Maasei)

Jul 13th, 2020 9m 51s

This week, we discuss whether it was a betrayal to make the Exodus generation die in the desert, and debate whether their sin of doubting the goodness of the land earlier in the Bible is similar to Jews hesitant to move to Israel today.

What do we do when we see evil unpunished? (Balak)

Jun 29th, 2020 11m 59s

This week, we consider whether one can ever take the law into their own hands, and the pitfalls of vigilante justice.

Is Democracy Always the Divine Plan? (Korach)

Jun 22nd, 2020 10m 8s

This week, we look at the rebellion of Korach, who tried to oust Moses as leader by claiming he was no holier than the rest of the Israelites, and consider Moses' unique reaction.

Who deserves to be cut off? (Beha'alotcha)

Jun 8th, 2020 11m 24s

This week, we look at one of the Bible's most severe punishments, that of being "cut off" from the people, and consider what actions today might separate someone from the Jewish community.

The Daily Call of Mount Sinai (Shavuot)

May 25th, 2020 12m 2s

This week, we return to Mount Sinai to celebrate the holiday of Shavuot, and debate what it means to say that every day, Jews must recommit to the contract.

Remembering the Individuals Among the Crowds (Bamidbar)

May 18th, 2020 9m 11s

This week, we look through the seemingly endless lists of names, numbers, and detailed descriptions of camp formations in the desert, and ask why the Bible felt this information was so important for us to know.

When Productivity Got Cancelled Biblically (Behar)

May 11th, 2020 10m 11s

This week, we consider the sacrifices that go alongside growth and renewal, and how the commandment to let the earth rest impacted Biblical society, with insights into how those same implications play out today.

Should Jews be Holy, or Good? (Kedoshim)

Apr 20th, 2020 10m 23s

This week we argue about whether ethical acts are equal to ritual ones, and if it’s more admirable to act because God commanded it, or because it’s simply the right thing to do.

When Biblical Demands Seem Cruel (Metzorah)

Apr 13th, 2020 8m 52s

This week we revisit the rituals of reentry, and how the metzorah (expelling the infected) feels cruel, but maybe—especially in light of today’s pandemic—it was prescient.

The Miracle of Jewish Survival (Tzav)

Mar 30th, 2020 9m 25s

This week, we discuss the eternal flame lit in the Temple, and whether the miracle of Jewish endurance is a good reason to stay Jewish.

When Your Heart Moves You (and When It Doesn't) (Vayahel Pekudei)

Mar 16th, 2020 11m 38s

This week we discuss why the Israelites so freely donated their time and money to build the Tabernacle, and whether volunteer work is best focused on one's community or those outside it.

Can Fashion Choices Be Holy? (Tetzaveh)

Mar 2nd, 2020 9m 39s

This week we discuss the Bible's detailed descriptions of the High Priest vestments, and why clothing is such a powerful site of identity for many people.

Who Doesn't Love the Stranger? (Mishpatim)

Feb 17th, 2020 12m 5s

This week, we ask who really counts as the stranger and whether the answer upends the idea of compassion.

When Children Die By God’s Command. (Bo)

Jan 27th, 2020 11m 42s

This week, we discuss the final plague of Egypt, and the impulse to provide bad answers to good questions.

Is God a Show-Off? (Va'era)

Jan 20th, 2020 9m 40s

This week, we discuss the purpose of the Ten Plagues, and why God didn’t expedite the whole Exodus-from-Egypt thing.

Bonus

Take One from Tablet Magazine

Jan 13th, 2020 23m

Parsha in Progress is off this week, so instead we're introducing you to Take One, the new Daf Yomi podcast from Tablet Magazine hosted by Liel Leibovitz.As Jews around the world begin a new seven-and-a-half year cycle of Daf Yomi, reading the