Rabbi Joe’s Torat Tel Aviv

After three years of hiding as a fugitive, Eliyahu is commanded by God to appear before Achav (Melakhim I 18:1) and potentially bring an end to the drought On the way to appearing before Achav, Eliyahu meets Ovadyahu - a man who has risked everything for the sake of Hashem and his prophets, but who has gone about doing so in a way totally different from that of Eliyahu Tonight's class provides a study in two different religious-p...

This THINK we begin a new course on Eliyahu HaNavi - Elijah the larger than life prophet. Eliyahu has a role in Jewish folklore and imagination unlike any other Biblical character. He features at havdala, visits each brit mila and is a central character on Seder night. Over the course of our study we will discover the original Biblical Eliyahu, the many lessons of his story and understand why he continues to be so important for Am ...

Rabbi Joe Wolfson opens a short series of Torah reflections from Tel Aviv during the current conflict - words of Torah that can help frame our moment or offer us a respite and escape from the stresses of the moment. offering spiritual perspective beyond the news and daily stress.

Today's piece reflects on a potential existential parallel between the Jews of Shushan and Israel and shares a beautiful midrash as explained by the Ohr H...

Purim is often described as the festival of finding faith within the darkness. This was our claim in last week's THINK. Yet we do not need to look to ancient Persia 2,500 years ago to discover an instance of Jews recommitting to their faith and their people in the most trying of circumstances - in fact we have experienced it within our very recent lifetimes in the testimonies of many hostages who returned alive from Gaza and descri...

It's Adar so let's learn Megillat Esther! At tonight's THINK we share an approach based on an essay by Rav Yoel bin Nun noting how so many critical elements of the megillah are the opposite of what we would expect to find in a book of Tanakh - and that this may explain the megillah's most important contribution to our understanding of the history and the possibility of finding God and meaningful Jewish existence in the darkest of ...

The Rambam and the Raivid differ as to whether a child, in extreme circumstances confronted with unreasonable demands by their parents, may run away. Their dispute appears to reflect different readings of the story of Rav Assi leaving his mother and her outrageous demands to go and live in Israel. We read this difficult story closely and suggest interpretations of relevance to everyone in their relations with their parents

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We begin a four part series on Kibbud Av v'Em , the mitzva of honouring one's parents. 

Where to start? One of the most beautiful yet challenging and complex parts of our lives and an area of Torah which we often don't critically examine past a young age. The material is fascinating and nuanced -  accessible Gemara with a blend of halacha / aggada / midrash and Tanakh. 

Tonight's class begins with a discussion of the nature of kibb...

The first two-thirds of Mosheh's life all take place within the four chapters of Shemot. What were the experiences that affected the young Mosheh, and why does Hashem choose him as his agent of liberation? What does Mosheh do for all those many years in Midyan? And if it is justice that drives Mosheh why is he so hesitant to return to Egypt when offered? 

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THINK is sponsored by Dr. Alan Wecker and family, in loving...

THIS EPISODE IS OUR ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE PODCAST - THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO HAS LISTENED, SHARED AND COMMENTED!

In this week's THINK we examine the long and heroic journeys of both Yosef and Yehuda as they arrive at an acceptance of the wrongs that have been done to them - Yosef towards brothers and Yehuda towards his father. From this vantage point we then consider the intriguing concept of the ba'al selicha - not one who as...

Yosef had a dream and told his brothers... and then they sought to kill him?! That escalated quickly! How does a brother, even one that one deeply dislikes, become someone that you are willing to kill or sell? In this week's THINK we focus on a number of small details in the story of the sale of Yosef that give terrifying insight into the ways in which siblings can cease to see one another as human even as they continue to call th...

This week Rabbi Joe had the pleasure of being a guest once again on the Matan podcast joining Yosefa Fogel Wruble for a conversation about the haftara of Parshat Vayeshev taken from the prophet Amos.

In this conversation with R. Joe Wolfson, we explore Amos’ rebuke of the opulent and socially corrupt N. Kingdom ...

Yaakov returns to Israel after more than two decades away from home and is reunited with his brother Eisav. Their reunion might at first glance appear anti-climactic - hugs and gifts instead of war -  but just below the surface, major movements in personality development and the story of the family are taking place as Yaakov accepts himself for who he is and is able to let go of the heel that he had been holding onto for so long.

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Yaakov flees his brother's wrath and heads north to find a wife. And ends up staying with his uncle Lavan for twenty years.

Who is the Yaakov that Lavan meets? Why does Yaakov agree to work for free? How does the way that he left his father, mother and brother impact his relationship with his new family? And despite Lavan's manipulation, what does Yaakov learn and gain during these two decades?

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Yaakov's taking of the beracha that was intended for Esav is one of the most challenging stories of the Torah.

We will look at the relationship dynamics of Rivka and Yitzchak, their difficulties of communication, and suggest that in fact Rivka had completely misunderstood Yitzchak's intention. The tragic irony of the story is that Yitzchak had always intended to give the bracha to Yaakov and that Rivka needlessly split the family a...