PODCAST · religion
Ha'Iggeret ~ The Message
by Shira Kaplan
Nearly 35 years ago, my grandfather Dr. Bernard Kaplan started a weekly Torah newsletter - a “unique journal of original and plagiarized Jewish thought.” When I started a weekly Torah email in the fall of 2019 (called Emunah Until the Sunset), I had no idea. A few months in, my family mentioned his newsletters, called Ha'Iggeret, or the Message. It struck me as incredibly Divine that the tzadik of a grandfather I never got to meet suddenly felt so near to me. This podcast will be in his merit ~ Benyamin Aryeh ben Leah. (to get these via email, subscribe -- https://forms.gle/Xy3r8JfDBRvz2YhN7) Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/shira-kaplan/support
Episodes
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Ep. 49 // V'zot HaBerakhah ... How to Remain Youthful Forever
Throughout the Torah, we hear many descriptions of Moshe (Moses), but a particularly powerful descriptor comes once he has died at the age of 120. “Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died; his eyes were undimmed and his vigor unabated.” - “וּמֹשֶׁ֗ה בֶּן־מֵאָ֧ה וְעֶשְׂרִ֛ים שָׁנָ֖ה...
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Ep. 48 // Haazinu ... Penultimate Perspective
Wow we’re in the second-to-last portion of the Torah! Moshe Rabbenu, Moses our Teacher, for the entire book of Devarim (Deuteronomy) has been giving B’nei Yisrael, the Children of Israel, his last words of wisdom. As we know, Moshe, will not be entering the Land with the People. So, like a parent...
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Ep. 47 // Vayelech ... Singing with the Community
The Shabbat between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur is called Shabbat Shuva, or the Shabbat of Return. Not, as could be easily misunderstood as Shabbat TEshuva (Shabbat of Repentance). Of course the word for Teshuva is related to shuva because they both come from לָשׁוּב / Leshuv, to return. Return...
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Ep. 46 // Nitzavim ... feat. a sweet anecdote about my Birthright tour guide
A few weeks after I graduated college in 2019, I staffed a Hillel International Birthright trip. If you have had the immense privilege to be a participant on a Birthright trip, you know there are 2 very important Israeli cogs in the machine that is an individual Birthright trip - the Israeli bus...
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Ep. 45 // Ki Tavo ... First Fruits and Gratitude
There’s a really long, really unique declaration in regard to the mitzvah of “bikkurim” that is made in this week’s parsha. Bikkurim refers to the mitzvah of bringing the first of your fruits to the Beit HaMikdash, the Temple in Jerusalem. The Torah begins with the word, “Bereshit - בראשית”…
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Ep. 44 // Ki Teitzei ... Honor thy Mama Bird
Ki Teitzei, this week’s parsha, has the most number of mitzvot mentioned in all of the 54 parsha installments. These mitzvot are pretty miscellaneous — paying wages on time, family inheritence, treatment of domestic animals, weights and measures, and lots of others. One mitzvah that continually...
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Ep. 43 // Shoftim ... Justice and Jupiter (intriguing, no?)
There is a famous pasuk (line) in this parsha - one that every Millenial / Gen Z, socially conscious person you know has written on their water bottles, computers, coffee cups, etc — צֶ֥דֶק צֶ֖דֶק תִּרְדֹּ֑ף, Justice, justice, you shall pursue. In context and out of context, it’s such a powerful...
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Ep. 42 // Re'eh ... Sound and Sight
We learn in the Talmud (Rosh Hashanah 26A) that a person who has seen a crime committed cannot serve as a judge in the case. Why? When someone has seen a person commit a capital crime, they cannot possibly exonerate them. Judges are supposed to look for innocence, and if a person has seen another...
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Ep. 41 // Eikev ... Happy "Small Mitzvah Appreciation" Day!
In this week’s parsha, we continue with Moshe Rabbenu’s recounting of the events of the past 40 years in the midbar, the desert 🏜🌵🐪. We begin this parsha with a conditional statement - where Moshe tells B’nei Yisrael that if they observe the mitzvot they have received from G-d, then G-d will...
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Ep. 40 // Vaetchanan ... the answer is no
How do you ask a friend, a loved one, an acquaintance, a coworker for something? Do you remind them of the deeds you’ve done for them? Do you remind them how much they love you? Do you simply ask? According to Rashi, Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki, the way to do it is to simply ask. Those who are…
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Ep. 39 // Devarim ... the scout mindset vs the soldier mindset
Sometimes (even though our Torah is a delightfully 70-faceted text, and our commentators are also delightfully diverse) I am running low on parsha email content. In these desperate moments, I have a very specific procedure. Step 1: Open the Apple podcasts app. Step 2: Wait to be inspired. I…
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Ep. 38 // Mattot-Masei ... the good old days
We are entering the final 2 parshiyot of Bamidbar (Numbers) with our double portion of Mattot-Masei!!! Crazy!!! If you’ve been paying attention, the word we commonly use to refer to the 12 tribes of Israel is “shevet” (plural shvatim). Like Shevet Levi, Shevet Menashe, etc. But in the first of…
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Ep. 37 // Pinchas ... the tortoise AND the hare were right + I hate LinkedIn
In last week’s parsha we read of Bilaam, the non-Jewish sorcerer’s, attempt to curse the Jewish people. If you remember, he wasn’t successful initially. Bilaam fails and is only able to bless B’nei Yisrael and then suddenly his 15 minutes of narrative are done… or are they?? According to the…
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Ep. 36 // Balak ... the Neverending Story + Bilaam
To recap the end of last week’s parsha, Chukat —as B’nei Yisrael makes their way toward actually entering the Land of Israel, they have to pass through some “enemy” territory. They come across the land of the Amorites, east of the Jordan river. (So in modern-day Jordan). B’nei Yisrael sends...
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Ep. 35 // Chukat ... humanizing Aaron, Miriam, and Bo Burnham
Between the events of last week’s parsha and this middle section of this week’s parsha, about 38 years have passed. As we learning in Parshat Shelach a few weeks ago, the population of B’nei Yisrael that left Mitzrayim (Egypt) did not merit to enter the Land of Israel. That group sent the…
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Ep. 34 // Korach ... Life is but a test ?
This week’s parsha is Korach, named for the antagonist of our narrative of the moment. Who is Korach? Korach is Moshe, Aharon, and Miriam’s cousin. In short, Korach feels he was looked over for a spiritual promotion of kinds - the promotion of being chosen as the head of one of the Levi families....
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Ep. 33 // Shelach ... Miriam + Meraglim
Lashon haRa, literally meaning “the evil tongue,” refers to gossip. But the literal translation does get to the root of it… speech full stop holds immense power. And this extends to words we write as well (or include in Instagram infographics). Do yo know where I’m going with this? During the…
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Ep. 32 // Behaalotecha ... SOS (not feat. Rihanna or the Jonas Brothers)
This week’s parsha has quite a few interesting storylines. The parsha opens with the commandment of Aharon (Aaron), as Kohen Gadol (High Priest) to light the Menorah in the Mishkan (Temple) every day. The parsha’s name is taken from the command - Behaalotecha means “When you light” or literally,...
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Ep. 31 // Nasso ... mid-sized fishes in mid-sized ponds
In last week’s parsha, we discussed a census taken of the Jewish people. As we discussed, it wasn’t a census of *everyone.* It was a census of men ages 20-50 from every tribe except the tribe of Levi, the Levites. (Yes, one group of the Levites are explained in last week’s parsha, but the final 2...
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Ep. 30 // Bamidbar (Numbers) ... re: the Land of Israel
It’s crazy, but this week we begin reading from the 4th book of the Torah, Bamidbar (or Numbers). Bereshit (Genesis) tells the story of the beginning of the world and of the Jewish people. Shemot (Exodus) tells the story of the exit from Egypt, but the entrance in to a brit (covenant) with G-d....
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Ep. 29 // Behar-Bechukotai ... Avoidance & Sons, LLC
One day, when walking to the elevator in my sophomore dorm in college, I realized I had a bad habit that I needed to break. As I approached the elevator, a fellow student who was also waiting, saw me, and as if breaking out a sword for battle, they yanked out their iPhone and began “checking a...
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Ep. 28 // Emor ... actions > thoughts? or vice versa?
Parshiyot are named for the first significant word used. Our first sentence is, “And Hashem spoke to Moses, ‘Speak to the Kohanim, the sons of Aaron, saying to them, ‘Don’t defile yourself for any [dead] person of your kin / people.’” - וַיֹּ֤אמֶר ה' אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֔ה אֱמֹ֥ר אֶל־הַכֹּהֲנִ֖ים בְּנֵ֣י...
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Ep. 27 // Acharei Mot-Kedoshim ... theory of mind
This past week, I have had 2 positive customer service experiences. No one likes having to call customer service, and I imagine no one LIKES being the person that GETS called when customers need service. When people are calling to speak to customer service, there’s a 99% chance they’re already...
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Ep. 26 // Tazria-Metzora ... answer: DAILY DOUBLE
There’s a cartoon that goes like this: Moshe Rabbenu (Moses our Teacher) is on his way down Har Sinai (Mount Sinai) with the Aseret HaDibrot (the Ten Commandments). A hippie-looking man with long hair, the funky tinted shades, and sandals comes up to him and says, “Moses, could you redefine those...
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Ep. 25 // Shemini ... an excuse to watch SNL and the Office clips
This coming Shabbat is my cousin Gus’s bar mitzvah! I have been tutoring him for the past 9 months or so. I have been reading and re-reading this parsha trying to extract the most accessible and most interesting aspects for him to focus on with his d’var Torah. There are so many things to talk...
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Ep. 24 // Pesach (Passover) + Tzav ... meaningful continuity
As I’ve mentioned before, I teach a 4th grade Religious School class for a Reform Temple on the Upper West Side. Since I started, I’ve realized that I view all of Jewish life through the lens of, “How can I make my 4th graders care about this?” I feel an absolutely desperate desire to make the...
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Ep. 23 // Vayikra (Leviticus) ... aliens + secrets + sacrifices = this week's parsha
In the beginning of creation, G-d separated the waters — יהִ֣י מַבְדִּ֔יל בֵּ֥ין מַ֖יִם לָמָֽיִם, let there be separations between water and water. Water and water meaning the lower waters of the earth from the higher waters of the heavens. In the foundational text of Kabbalah (mystical Judaism)...
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Ep. 22 // Vayakhel-Pekudei ... if you know Aleph, teach Aleph
We have a double parsha this week! We have 54 parshiyot (or selections) in the Torah, but only about 50-51 weeks in a non-leap Hebrew year, as well as some other extenuating circumstances where we miss a Shabbat of Torah reading because it’s a holiday. So in order to fit all these 54 parshiyot in...
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Ep. 21 // Ki Tisa ... tough love and reality TV
I have accidentally watched the TV show “Botched” too many times. “Botched” is exactly what it sounds like — it’s a show about plastic surgeons who try to reverse botched previous plastic surgeries. The people on this show are… wild to say the least. This show can teach us a lot, but the #1…
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Ep. 20 // Tetzaveh and Purim ... Candy Crush + Queen Esther
Tonight, the holiday of Purim begins. Purim is the holiday we read Megillat Esther (the Book of Esther), hearing the story year after year of the Jewish people’s near-annihilation but eventual triumph. If this was Netflix preview description this is how I’d summarize Megillat Esther: After...
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Ep. 19 // Terumah ... existence is in the details
The existence of our planet Earth in the universe is very improbable. Lots of hypothetical studies have been made and lots of numbers have been thrown around. Some have said that the likelihood of a planet such as Earth is 1 in a million millions chance (1 followed by 12 zeroes), others say it’s…
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Ep. 18 // Mishpatim ... empathy for all = no more poison-drinking!
This week’s parsha, Parshat Mishpatim, marks a change in the flow of the Torah thus far. In the entire preceding parshiyot, we’ve only gotten about 40 mitzvot or commandments, but in Mishpatim ALONE we get 53. We get a wide range of mitzvot from this parsha — the laws of kashrut (keeping kosher),...
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Ep. 17 // Yitro ... delegation and trustworthiness (...and Glee club!)
We receive the 10 Commandments, Aseret HaDibrot, in this week’s parsha! Of course this is a big, holy moment, but I want to discuss a less-talked-about idea that Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, zt”l shared in his commentary on this parsha a few years ago. In addition to receiving the 10 Commandments this...
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Ep. 16 // Beshalach ... Shabbat Shira!!!
This week’s parsha is Beshalach, and the Shabbat we read this parsha is known as “Shabbat Shira,” or the Shabbat of Song. (As you may have realized, my name is Shira, and this is Shabbat Shira! “Shabbat of Song” referring to Shirat HaYam, the Song at the Sea during Kriyat Yam Suf, the splitting…
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Ep. 15 // Bo ... Khan Academy + Ed Sheeran = #growthmindset
The first mitzvah, or commandment, we are given as a whole people is the commandment to recognize Rosh Chodesh (literally meaning the head of the month — rosh is head, chodesh is month), or recognizing the new moon. A thousand years after this first commandment was given, during the Chanukah…
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Ep. 14 // Va'era ... catch your breath, pal
At the end of last week’s parsha, Moshe (Moses) and Aharon (Aaron) take on the responsibility of being B’nei Yisrael’s (Children of Israel) spokespeople. G-d tells them to go to the people and explain what’s going to happen (G-d’s intention to redeem them, etc) and also to do some miracles or...
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Ep. 13 // Shemot ... flaw-ful isn't an Israeli street food :P
Mazel tov! We’ve reached the second book of the Torah, Sefer Shemot / the Book of Exodus! As well as the opening number of the excellent Dreamworks film, Prince of Egypt. We are entering Sefer Shemot, the Book of Exodus! A new Pharaoh has arisen (or just new edicts have begun… there’s differing...
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Ep. 12 // Vayechi ... may G-d bless the growth
Have you ever stumbled upon an old Sticky Note that says something absolutely nonsensical? If the note made no sense, why did we write it in the first place? Well, firstly it wasn’t nonsensical then. Secondly, a one-time flight confirmation number, daily schedule, or grocery list are totally...
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Ep. 11 // Vayigash ... survival of the most self-involved?
This week’s parsha begins to wrap up Yosef’s (Joseph’s) isolation in Egypt. As we read in last week’s parsha, Miketz, in the second year of the famine (that Yosef so deftly interpreted from Pharaoh’s dream), Yosef’s brothers leave Israel to get grain from Egypt. When they come before Yosef, his...
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Ep. 10 // Miketz ... tips on spiritual frugality
This week we have the continuation of Joseph (Yosef’s) story in Egypt. Pharaoh has had 2 dreams that none of his advisors can explain. Yosef has built up a nice reputation in prison as a great dream interpreter, and by being a star networker, ends up being consulted for this particular instance.…
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Ep. 9 // Vayeshev + Chanukah Part 1
We are closing up the starring role of Yaakov Avinu (Jacob), and now shifting to his second youngest son — Yosef (Joseph, of Technicolor Dreamcoat fame of course!!!) When Yosef is introduced, he is the youngest brother of all of Yaakov’s wives’ children. Yosef is said to have spent his time with...
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Ep. 8 // Vayishlach ... how to have everything
Idea 1 This week’s parsha continues the story of Yaakov Avinu, Jacob. After spending 20 years out of Israel in Charan (modern day Turkey) Yaakov decides it’s time to return home. He still hasn’t seen his older brother Esav (Esau) since Yaakov stole Esav’s birthright so many years ago. So Yaakov...
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Ep. 7 // Vayetze ... what's the deal with Jacob's Ladder?
This week's parsha picks back up with Yaakov (Jacob) who has fled Beer Sheva after tricking his father Yitzchak (Isaac) into giving him the first-born blessing instead of his brother Esav (Esau). Yaakov is going to Charan, where his mother Rivkah's (Rebecca) brother Lavan (Laban) lives. On the…
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Ep. 6 // Toldot ... nature versus nurture
This week’s parsha opens with the marriage of Yitzchak (Isaac) and Rivka (Rebekah). When she is re-introduced, Rivkah is specifically noted as “Rivkah the daughter of Betuel the Aramean of Padan Aram, the sister of Lavan the Aramean.” Why is this complicated intro needed? We already know who...
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Ep. 5 // Chayei Sarah, tribute to Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks zt"l
As you may have heard, Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks zt"l passed away this past Shabbat. In addition to being the Chief Rabbi of the United Kingdom for over 20 years, Rabbi Sacks was an incredibly prolific writer and gifted teacher of the entire Jewish community, if not the world. If someone knew of...
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Ep. 4 // Vayera ... be[you]tiful
We continue with the story of Avraham Avinu this week in Parshat Vayera. Three days after his brit milah (circumcision), Avraham is visited by 3 men who are actually angels. One of these angels tells Avraham that he and his wife Sarah will finally have a child of their own — in a year, when they...
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Ep. 3 // Lech Lecha ... do you want G-d to like you?
Our first parsha, Bereshit (Genesis) was introducing Adam and Chava (Adam and Eve), our second parsha Noach was about Noach (Noah), and now Lech Lecha is the story of Avraham (Abraham, Abram) and Sarah (Sarai). As Noach was 10 generations after Adam and Chava, Avraham is also 10 generations after...
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Ep. 2 // Noach (Noah) ... was he really all that righteous?
The Torah doesn’t tarry ... second parsha (portion) of the year and we jump right into what I think is the most recall-able Biblical “story” – the story of Noach (Noah) and the teiva (the ark). Run up to anyone on the street and ask them how many days it rained on Noah’s Ark. Ask them what kind…
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Ep. 1 // Bereshit (Genesis) ... why are we unable to see beyond the physical?
What is the Torah? Is the Torah a history book? Is it a book of laws? It is a book of ethics? The Torah is the manifesto (if you will) of humankind’s mission in the universe. According to the Ramban, if the Torah was a book of laws, it would have begun in Shemot (Exodus) with the first mitzvah…
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Ha'Iggeret ~ Trailer
Nearly 35 years ago, my grandfather Dr. Bernard Kaplan, of blessed memory, started a weekly Torah newsletter - a “unique journal of original and plagiarized Jewish thought,” is what he called it. When I started my weekly Torah email in October 2019, I had no idea about this. A few months into...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Nearly 35 years ago, my grandfather Dr. Bernard Kaplan started a weekly Torah newsletter - a “unique journal of original and plagiarized Jewish thought.” When I started a weekly Torah email in the fall of 2019 (called Emunah Until the Sunset), I had no idea. A few months in, my family mentioned his newsletters, called Ha'Iggeret, or the Message. It struck me as incredibly Divine that the tzadik of a grandfather I never got to meet suddenly felt so near to me. This podcast will be in his merit ~ Benyamin Aryeh ben Leah. (to get these via email, subscribe -- https://forms.gle/Xy3r8JfDBRvz2YhN7) Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/shira-kaplan/support
HOSTED BY
Shira Kaplan
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Ha'Iggeret ~ The Message have?
Ha'Iggeret ~ The Message currently has 50 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Ha'Iggeret ~ The Message about?
Nearly 35 years ago, my grandfather Dr. Bernard Kaplan started a weekly Torah newsletter - a “unique journal of original and plagiarized Jewish thought.” When I started a weekly Torah email in the fall of 2019 (called Emunah Until the Sunset), I had no idea. A few months in, my family mentioned his...
How often does Ha'Iggeret ~ The Message release new episodes?
Ha'Iggeret ~ The Message has 50 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Ha'Iggeret ~ The Message?
You can listen to Ha'Iggeret ~ The Message on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Ha'Iggeret ~ The Message?
Ha'Iggeret ~ The Message is created and hosted by Shira Kaplan.
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