Zecharya Ch. 3 - 4

Were Ezra and Malachi the Same Person?

Sotah - The Unfaithful Wife

A Portrait of Michal

Lions and Tigers and Bears

Introduction to Divrei Ha-Yamim

YCT - 2014

May My Tongue Cleave To My Palate

Women in Sefer Shoftim

YCT - 2013

Beit Lechem - Efrata

YCT - 2010

Two Ways of Reading Sefer Yeshayahu

The Book of Shoftim

Netziv and Zionism

YCT - 2018

Eliyahu Hanavi

YCT - 2017

The Mishkan and the Garden of Eden

Biblical Prayer

YCT - 2016

Villains in Tanakh

Reading in the Dark

Can Unethical People Be Holy

Autonomy and Obedience in Sefer Bereishit

Another Look at the Kayin and Hevel Narrative

Amos - Prophet of Social Justice

Yoav Ben Tzruyah

YCT - 2015

Science and Religious Conciousness

Science and Halakhah

YCT-2012

Absalom, Absalom

Absalom, Absalom (2010)

Drs. Michelle Friedman and Rachel Yehuda take on the topic of love in the relationships of our foremothers and forefathers. Have relationships changed much since biblical times?

Chayei Sarah - Finding Love

A deep dive into dreams in our parsha. What did Yaakov's dream mean? What do we do with dreams in therapy and how does this change our reading of dreams in the Torah?

VaYeitzei - Divining Dreams

As the family grows we no longer face a binary choice between rivals - who of the 12 children will prove worthy of the leadership of Israel?

VaYeishev - Responsibility Reigns

Why does Joseph have to leave the room to cry? The pastoral team delves into the complex emotions that can be triggered by traumatic memories.

Mikeitz - Triggering Trauma

Drs. Friedman and Yehuda look at the "blessings" Jacob bestows upon his sons at the end of his life. How did Jacob, who had so much success in his life, had a large family, end up before Pharaoh speaking of bitterness. What are some lessons we should learn about aging gracefully?

VaYechi - Becoming Bitter

Moses grew up in Pharaoh's house but in the first chapter of the Book of Shemot he is forced to make a choice. What are the psychological factors in Moses's identity struggle and ultimate choice to claim his birth status?

Shemot - Integrating Identities

The plague of darkness in Parshat Bo, this week's Torah portion, is described in vivid detail. Drs. Friedman and Yehuda find the description reminiscent of the psychological plague of melancholic depression.

Bo - Darkness and Depression

When the people complain might it be a reflection of a deeper and more complex relationship with G-d emerging in our parsha?

Beshalach - Bemoaning Blessings

Dr. Friedman and Dr. Yehuda wonder why the first law that our chapter opens with is slavery and what that might mean for a nation that has just been liberated.

Mishpatim - Surpassing Slavery

How do clothes feature in the Torah? How do the priestly garments reflect the weight of the job?

Tetzaveh - The Clothes Make the Man

The children of Israel act out of anxiety when Moses disappears on the mountain. Moses is put in the difficult position of having to defend to G-d the people who have just betrayed him.

Ki Tisa - Acting out of Anxiety

Second-year rabbinical student, Hody Nemes, is the new moderator of the Pastoral Parsha. Every week, he and Dr. Michelle Friedman, director of pastoral counseling at YCT, will look at the parsha through a psychological lens.

Kedoshim - Serving & Self-love

As we close the book of Bereshit and end our podcast series, we ask ourselves what keeps families together, and why do they fall apart. 
Thank you to everyone who has come along with us on this journey, and for giving us a chance to explore the Torah in a new and fascinating light. 

“We believe…that pastoral issues are incredibly important, and the more that we can talk about them as they relate to our own lives and as they relate to the Jewish community, the healthier our relationships will be and the healthier our Jewish communities will be. And ultimately, hopefully we will build more loving and caring societies.” - Hody Nemes

Popular tracks by Yeshivat Chovevei Torah