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Simply Deep
Simply Deep
Author: Elie Feder
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© Elie Feder
Description
Although the words of the Torah, Chazal, and Rishonim may at times seem simple, they are deeply layered with profound insights and lessons. This podcast explores the hidden depths beneath seemingly straightforward statements in Rashi, Aggadata, and other Torah sources.
354 Episodes
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The first Rashi in Vayikra says that before speaking to Moshe, Hashem called him - in a loving manner - unlike the way he speaks to non-Jewish prophets. He then says that this “calling” didn’t apply to the gaps between the parshios. Rather the gaps served to give Moshe a chance to think about what he just heard. This episode analyzes these Rashis and derives an important lesson about how to learn from a Rebbe.
Rashi (Shemos 39:33) says that when the Mishan was too heavy for anyone to erect, Hashem told Moshe to pretend to lift it and Hashem would help him. Why?
The Gemara in Sukkah 25a says an avel doesn’t wear tefillin because thy are called a pe’er — an adornment. Firstly, how so? And more importantly, so what? Why does this create an exemption? In three different places, Rashi gives three subtly different explanations.
Was it the river or fasting on Pesach?
What sense is there to numbers being raised to the 0 power? Or to a negative power? Or to the 1/2 power? To answer these questions, we have to define what exponents really are. See here for the shiur on The Benefits of Learning Gemara: https://open.spotify.com/episode/08Wv2qXlQp4DmslRM0JzUi?si=50alzn6oQNi2Z7T1GkMo5A
The Gemara in Megilla 13b says that Esther would go right from sleeping with Achashverosh (and washing herself off) to sleeping with Mordechai. It’s hard to believe that such a risky move would be literal, but if not, what is it teaching us?
The gemara in Megilla 13a cites a 5-way machlokes about which was her real name and which name teaches an idea about her. We analyze these five positions and see what they're all trying to explain.
The Gemara in Megilla 13b says that Haman was happy that his lottery landed on the month Moshe died. But he didn’t realize it was also the month he was born. What’s the significance of all this?
What’s the import of Zachor and Shamor being said by Hashem simultaneously ? And how does it relate to the other three examples of dibur echad that Rashi (Shemos 20:8) cites (musaf on Shabbos, shatnez in tzitzis, and yibum).
The Rambam describes the origin of Avoda Zara as giving honor to created beings as a means of giving honor to God. Isn’t this what we do when we honor our parents?
Why did Hashem tell Moshe to stop davening for the Jews when the Egyptians were chasing them? Rashi (Shemos 14:15) gives two explanations.
Why is the tefillin shel rosh called totafos? Rashi (Shemos 13:16) has two pshatim.
Why is a donkey the only nonkosher animal that has a mitzvah with its bechor? Rashi (Shemos 13:13) gives two difficult answers.
The first Rashi in Vayechi gives two explanations why Parshas Veyechi is stuma (closed)—that is, it doesn’t start with a break as other parshios do. We analyze these two explanations and discover the sadness of Parshas Veyechi.
After being told Yosef was alive, Yaakov offered korbanos to “The God of his Father Yitzchak” (Breishis 46:1). Why not just say God or connect God with Avraham as well? Rashi explains that a person is obligated to honor his father more than his grandfather. This episode analyzes this cryptic Rashi.
Rashi in Sanhedrin 101b cited an Aggada about Moshe’s discussion with Hashem about removing a Jewish baby (who ended up becoming Micha) from a wall in Egypt. This episode analyzes this midrash and reveals its significance in Jewish history and in the development of Avoda Zara in klal yisrael.
This episode discusses two Rashis on the pesukim describing when Yosef met Binyamin.
Shabbos 23b discusses the reward for certain mitzvos and says the mitzvos of lighting candles (Shabbos and Chanukah) leads to children who are talmidei chachamim. We analyze this connection.
This episode takes up the Rashis that discuss the idea that each of the Shevatim was born along with a twin sister — and Binyamin was born along with two twin sisters.
We analyze Yaakov’s rebuke to the shepherds for not grazing their sheep.




