Claim OwnershipThe Parasha with Rabbi Dweck
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© Joseph Dweck
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30 minute insights to take with you each week from Rabbi Dweck on the parasha.
130 Episodes
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Amongst the 74 commandments in this week's parasha is one which requires us to make sure that we do not have any hazards in our domain with which people could be severely hurt. In this episode we discuss spiritual and mental hazards that in the spirit of this mitzvah are also our responsibilities.
Moses tells the people that the nations that inhabited the land of Canaan before them were heavy into magic, soothsaying, seances and the like. Moses firmly warns the people that they are not to do any such thing - they are to be wholesome with God. In this episode we consider the reasons why superstition and the like are so problematic and what the better way of dealing with life might be.
Here Moshe presents the option of blessing and curse before the people as they begin to prepare for becoming a free people in their own land. Moshe cautions them with key points to protect them from losing their footing. In this episode we explore the foundational points put forth by Moshe and how those might apply to us today.
In this episode we look at the nature of hope in the Jewish view. Moshe assures Israel that God will take care of them and bless them greatly. We consider the words of Isaiah in the haftara, Rabbi Sacks, Nietzsche, and Ramhal. We find that hope is as much a choice as it is a yearning.
Before recounting the episode of the Ten Commandments to the Children of Israel before he dies, Moses warns them about getting God wrong and setting up idols. In this episode we consider the implications of that for our times and our lives and how we might heed that warning.
In this episode we explore the opening of Sefer Debarim through a surprising lens: emergence versus reductionism. Moshe’s swan song isn’t just a list of commandments, it’s an attempt to coax a fledgling nation into seeing itself as more than the sum of its parts. We’ll look at how his words frame freedom not merely as independence but as an emergent reality that arises when individuals embrace a shared destiny and a common love of God.
Why does the Torah give cities to the Levites, who have no land? Because cities are where identity is preserved. In this week’s episode we explore the nature of cities—from Jerusalem to modern capitals and consider our relationship with them. With special focus on 9th Av.
The daughters of Selofhad famously protest the Torah's inheritance law and succeed in changing it in their favour - a law that remains on the books until this day. However, by the end of Bemidbar, the case is not over. Their uncles counter-protest the ruling and insist that something must be done about the women who inherit to prevent them from marrying into another tribe lest they take their inherited land with them! God rules in favour of this as well. The only difference is, this law was repealed long ago. In this episode, we examine the differences between the two arguments, and their aftermath and consider what it means for us today.
In this episode we look at the fact that Bil'am, a gentile prophet recognises God as his God and that his command is absolutely binding upon him. At the same time, we do not find Bil'am to be particularly dedicated to God in the sense of relationship, worship or devotion. We question this and draw important principles about our relationship to God, the world and our own lives from it.
It is 38.5 years since the last parasha. We have a new cohort of the nation most of whom were children when they left Egypt. Miriam dies, Aaron dies and Moses is sentenced to death. In this episode we examine the event that sealed Moses' fate and explore what might have been happening for Moses that contributed to his actions.
With the dramatic episodes that ensue in this parasha we focus this year not on the extraordinary nature of these events or what brought them on, but on the response of the people to them. The response indicates a unique perspective of the Israelite mind that is fundamental to Jewish thought and philosophy.
The spies are sent in to scout out the Promised Land before entering to inherit it. They come back affirming the goodness of the land, but shutting down any chance of acquiring it. This creates the darkest day in the Jewish calendar. In this episode we explore what the psychological elements of the spies might have been in its various layers, and how we might identify these things both in ourselves, and our people.
With a complaint for meat by the people that God swiftly punishes, comes an astonishing foundation for the future. The Supreme Court of Israel - the Sanhedrin is born of this complaint. In this episode we discuss why and how Torah, Judaism is formed by it.
In this episode, we explore the figure of the Nazir in Parashat Naso and the Torah’s nuanced approach to spirituality and physicality. We discuss the balance between restraint and engagement, showing how Judaism promotes sanctity not through withdrawal from the world, but through full, mindful participation in it.
This year we go straight to the very end of the parasha. It closes with a warning to protect the lives of the Kehat family who are tasked with transporting the vessels of the holy of holies. They must not see the dismantling and packing of the vessels! Lest they die. In this episode we explore this peculiar command and the essential principles we learn from it for our lives.
The book of Vayikra ends with hard warnings against Israel should they walk with God with indifference. He too will be indifferent to them and the world will feel as though it is turning on them. Subsequently there is an intriguing mitzvah presented that deals with what's called "Temura" or "exchange". Prohibiting one from attempting to exchange an animal that was given to God for an offering with a different animal whether it be better or worse. In this episode we examine the problem with that and how fear and the need for control underlies it, as well as why it is related to the issue of indifference.
This parasha speaks of the restrictions for Kohanim (priests of Israel) in terms of the prohibition to come in contact with dead bodies, the prohibitions on marriage with certain women, and the restrictions on which kohanim can perform the Temple Service. There are a lot of restrictions. In this episode we discuss restriction as boundary and why they are so important in our lives.
In this episode, we explore the twin parashot of Ahare Mot and Kedoshim and the Torah’s vision of holiness not as separation from the world, but as meaningful engagement within it. From the Temple service of Yom Kippur that allowed the Kohen Gadol to enter past God's most inner boundaries to the ethical demands of everyday life, and the boundaries we set for ourselves and those that we must respect with others. We consider what it means to be a unique, unrepeatable individual in society and how important it is to see others that way.
*This class is a recording from 2022*In this episode, we delve into the spiritual meaning of tsara’at, traditionally misunderstood as a physical disease but described by the Torah as a divine response to moral failings—especially leshon hara (negative speech). We explore how careless or harmful speech reflects a distorted inner vision and undermines both community and self.
Looking at what it means to be kadosh. The importance of identity and the ease of holding boundaries when that is clear and present.
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