Mechon Hadar Online Learning

From one perspective, pregnancy is a miracle. But from another, pregnancy is a nightmare. In her essay that won the Ateret Zvi Prize in Hiddushei Torah, Rabbanit Leah Sarna argues that the Jewish tradition makes space for both of these stories about pregnancy. This presentation and conversation with Rabbi Tali Adler is from February 2024.

Is there meaning in a measurement?  Two great masters of midrashically-styled Torah commentary—both writing in 14th century Spain—will offer two very different interpretations of a particular form of measurement that appears frequently in this week’s Torah reading: the half.

Shabbat is described in the Talmud as a "good gift." But aren’t all gifts supposedly good? What makes Shabbat a gift that is uniquely positive in contrast to other gifts which do not receive this stamp of goodness? The Ohev Yisrael explores.Transcript and source sheet: https://mechonhadar.s3.amazonaws.com/mh_torah_source_sheets/WeissTisch5-5.pdf“Mitteler Rebbe,” "Ach L'elokim," and “Hu Elokeinu” from RAZA Kapelya (2023) by Chana Raskin. Produced by Joey Weisenberg and Chana Raskin for Hadar’s Rising Song Records

The person recovering from the biblical disease tzara'at has to bring, in addition to their offering, a piece of cedar wood and a piece of hyssop. The Ohev Yisrael tells us that these items are symbolic for the two character traits we need in order to do true teshuvah: pride and humility.Transcript and source sheet: https://mechonhadar.s3.amazonaws.com/mh_torah_source_sheets/WeissTisch5-4.pdf. “Mitteler Rebbe,” "Ach L'elokim," and “Keyli Ata” from RAZA Kapelya (2023) by Chana Raskin. Produced by Joey Weisenberg and Chana Raskin for Hadar’s Rising Song Records.

Parashat Ki Tissa makes repeated reference to God’s “face” when describing Moshe’s communication with God.  But what exactly did Moshe see when he looked into the face of God?  A comparison to Moshe’s own use of parallel imagery later in the Torah gives us a fuller sense of the visual experience of revelation.

According to the Ohev Yisrael, the Israelites preferred to live under physical oppression in Egypt than to live in a state of spiritual indebtedness to God. How could this be? What is this teaching us about spiritual labor? Transcript and source sheet: https://mechonhadar.s3.amazonaws.com/mh_torah_source_sheets/WeissTisch5-3.pdf. “Mitteler Rebbe,” "Ach L'elokim," and “Ki Anu Amecha” from RAZA Kapelya (2023) by Chana Raskin. Produced by Joey Weisenberg and Chana Raskin for Hadar’s Rising Song Records.

When kids ask big questions, how do you respond? Whether you are parent, educator, or just a curious person, you've probably asked yourself the same questions.This podcast doesn’t have all the answers, but it can give you language and frameworks to engage meaningfully with these questions. Every week, Rabbi Shai Held invites an expert guest to explore a big question: Who is God? Why did God create the world? Why do bad things happen? No pressure.  

The Talmud recognizes two very different forms of teshuvah (repentance): "teshuvah out of love" and "teshuvah out of fear." Both of these forms of teshuvah are sincere and “real” forms of teshuvah, though they come from very different places. The Ohev Yisrael helps us see that teshuvah out of love is a quest for excellence and true improvement, and that this is the model of what we should aspire to. Transcript and source sheet: https://mechonhadar.s3.amazonaws.com/mh_torah_source_sheets/WeissTisch5-2.pdf “Mitteler Rebbe,” "Ach L'elokim," and “Ki Anu Amecha” from RAZA Kapelya (2023) by Chana Raskin. Produced by Joey Weisenberg and Chana Raskin for Hadar’s Rising Song Records.  

One of the most dazzling of all the ornate garments worn by the Kohen Gadol, the High Priest, was the tzitz (ציץ), a tiara that that encircled the turban on his head, forming a sort of crown.  In the front, resting on his forehead, was a plate of gold sealed with a boldly proclaimed message: “Holy to the Eternal!”  But the intricate design of the tzitz was encoded with other, hidden messages that complicated its meaning.

Gifts are more than their monetary equivalents. A gift can be an expression of love and affection, of fear and obedience, an obnoxious demonstration of wealth, or a powerful equalizer of means. By thinking about our donations to build the mishkan (tabernacle), the Ohev Yisrael teaches us that being willing to step into the receiving role, to be humble and accepting, is itself a gift. Transcript and source sheet: https://mechonhadar.s3.amazonaws.com/mh_torah_source_sheets/WeissTisch5-1.pdf“Mitteler Rebbe,” "Ach L'elokim," and “Hu Elokeinu” from RAZA Kapelya (2023) by Chana Raskin. Produced by Joey Weisenberg and Chana Raskin for Hadar’s Rising Song Records.

This week, we are introduced to what will become the holiest object in the Hebrew Bible, although it is not really so much an object as it is a container. The Ark will occupy the innermost sanctum of the mishkan, the “Holy of Holies,” and it is from above the Ark that God communicates with Moshe (see Exodus 25:22).  The camp of Israel was centered around it at rest, and carried it with them as they marched through the wilderness.  A midrash, however, notices that this Ark, the Aron ha-Edut, was not the only aron the Children of Israel carried with them through the wilderness.

How can we access Torah? Who has the right to speak Torah? The hasidic rebbes encourage us to reach deep inside ourselves for the eternal springs of Torah. Come learn texts about how each of us holds Torah that the world needs. This lecture was originally recorded at Hadar's Manger Winter Learning Seminar in December 2023.

Even as Parashat Mishpatim marks a sharp transition from epic narrative to dense legal code, the first law of that code makes it clear that the stories of the Torah have not been forgotten.  

By looking closely at a passage from Jeremiah, Rav Shai in his lecture "Build Homes and Pray for the Peace" of Babylon, explores the relationship between hope and realism, exile and home, in the Bible and today. Originally recorded in Summer 2023. Download the source sheet: https://mechonhadar.s3.amazonaws.com/mh_torah_source_sheets/EXS2023HeldJeremiah.pdf

The last of the Ten Commandments is distinct from the rest in several ways.  Structurally, it is in the second five, but it stands out from the others.  After the clipped language of six through nine, all fitting into one verse (“do not kill, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not bear false witness against your neighbor”), this last one suddenly takes up a whole verse to itself - and a very strange construction at that.

The Jewish people live in eternal covenant with God, but what is the relationship of that covenanted people to the Land of Israel? Is it eternal, or affected by the passage of time or historical context? What does our tradition say about Jews wielding power in the Land of Israel? How are Jews meant to take responsibility for themselves through power, and what happens if they fail?This lecture, delivered in memory of Dr. Eddie Scharfman z"l in January 2024, offers sources, framing, and reflection on contemporary questions of Jewish power and the Land of Israel. 

In Parashat BeShallah, the Children of Israel are tested twice, and then they do some testing of their own. 

Tu Bishvat is a holiday that is about slow growth, patience, and gratitude.  In a culture that is all about instant gratification and next day delivery, Tu Bishvat teaches us to slow down.  It requires us to wait.

Just as we are about to arrive at the apex of the Exodus drama—the final plague and the actual departure from Egypt—the Torah makes a sudden shift in genre.  Chapter 12 opens with, “This month will be for you the first of months,” the marking of the new moon, the first mitzvah given to Israel—and with that, the Jewish legal tradition officially begins.  Having established the calendar, the Torah immediately begins detailing the rituals for what will become the first of its yearly observances: Pesah.  At the center of those rituals are two related mitzvot (eating matzah and not eating hameitz) that together will serve as keys to understanding the role of the mitzvot  in the life of the new people of Israel.

In Letter from Birmingham Jail, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.  addresses his critics and writes, “Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will.” To be a real ally and advocate for change requires more than just good intentions and lukewarm support; it demands deep understanding and personal accountability.  I worry that I might be just the kind of person with shallow understanding and good will about which Dr. King wrote.