Rav Joe's 929 Tanakh Podcast
by Rabbi Joe Wolfson
This podcast releases a chapter a day minus Friday and Shabbat, according to the 929 Tankah schedule. This series originally started when Rabbi Joe, during his time at NYU, created one whatsapp group to share and teach Tankah daily. What started with one whatsapp group of mostly downtown New York students, expanded to three whatsapp groups of students and teachers of Tankah all over the world. This is the revamp of those same audio clips in podcast form to share the Torah taught and learnt with everybody, and to keep it alive.
Episodes
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Megillat Esther Bonus: President Yitzchak Herzog on Megillat Esther
Bonus episode, President Yitzchak Herzog on Megillat Esther!
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Esther Ch. 10 Part 2 by Rabbi Joe Wolfson | Esther & Yosef
Esther #10 - one of the shortest chapters in Tanakh I'm excited to share two different audios on the chapter which connect its 3 verses to two very large themes in the megilla. The second audio explores the meaning of the many connections between the story of the megilla and that of Yosef - with…
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Esther Ch. 10 Part 1 by Rabbi Joe Wolfson
Esther #10 - one of the shortest chapters in Tanakh I'm excited to share two different audios on the chapter which connect its 3 verses to two very large themes in the megilla.The first audio uses our chapter to track the moral development of Achashverosh throughout the story - could he be seen…
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Esther Ch. 9 by Calev Ben Dor
Esther Chs. 8+9 - the Jews fight against their enemies and after the victory begin the celebration which will become known as Purim. Calev Ben Dor explores the connections between the Jews of Purim and those at Sinai in explaining the nature of Jewish identity and obligation. Text here:...
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Esther Chs. 8 by Rabbi Sam Lebens
Esther Chs. 8+9: The Jews fight against their enemies and after the victory begin the celebration which will become known as Purim. Sam Lebens explores the apparently genocidal actions of the Jews against their enemies. Text here: https://www.sefaria.org/Esther.8?lang=bi
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Esther Chs. 6 &7 by Rafi Addlestone
Esther 6 and 7 - where Mordechai is paraded through the streets and we reach the dramatic high point of the story with Esther’s banquet and petition to the King. Rafi brings us his overview of the text inspired by Disney fairytales and Malcolm Gladwell. Text here:...
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Esther Ch. 5 by Ilana Stein
Ilana Stein considers the heroism of Esther through the prism of her clothing and the significance of learning Esther before Yom Kippur. Text here: https://www.sefaria.org/Esther.5?lang=bi
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Esther Ch. 4 by Aliza Libman Baronofsky
Aliza Libman Baronofsky considers what sort of feminist hero Esther is and what we can learn from her about women's voices. Text here: https://www.sefaria.org/Esther.4?lang=bi
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Esther Chs. 3-5 by Rabbi Dr. Sam Lebens
Sam Lebens unpacks the nature of Mordechai's antipathy to Haman. https://www.sefaria.org/Esther.3?lang=bi
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Esther Ch. 2 by Calev Ben Dor
Chapters 1 and 2 introduce us to Achashverosh, the feast, Vashti's demise, and the rise of Esther. Calev Ben Dor, on chapter 2, provides historical context to the book of Esther and an intriguing explanation of the backstory of tensions between Mordechai and Haman. Text here:...
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Esther Ch. 1 by Rabbi Joe Wolfson
Chapters 1 and 2 introduce us to Achashverosh, the feast, Vashti's demise, and the rise of Esther. In my recording on chapter one, I consider the character of Vashti - a heroine according the the peshat straightforward reading of the text but a villain according to the midrash. Text here:...
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Kohelet Ch. 12 by Rabbi Joe Wolfson | What is Hevel?
Kohelet #12 - the dramatic conclusion of the book and of Kohelet’s wisdom on human mortality. Kohelet appears to end where he began - all is hevel? But what does this word actually mean? What if this word has consistently been mistranslated for centuries? Our audio today explores an alternative...
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Kohelet Ch.11 by Rafi Addlestone | Joy & Loss
Kohelet #11 - 'Rejoice in your youth... but know that God will bring you to judgement for all this' Rafi Addlestone shares thoughts on the interwoven nature of joy and loss in both Kohelet and Jack Antonoff. https://www.sefaria.org/Ecclesiastes.11?lang=bi
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Kohelet Ch.10 by Rabbi Dr Sam Lebens
Rabbi Dr Sam Lebens offers reflections on the many possible reasons why the wise man turns to the right but the fool turns to the left. Text here: https://www.sefaria.org/Ecclesiastes.10?lang=bi
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Kohelet Ch.9 by Tzivia Appleman
Kohelet 8 & 9: wisdom, kings, enjoying this life even if you can't take it with you. Tzivia Appleman considers what Kohelet has in common with Ted Danson in The Good Place in their reflections on mortality. Text here: https://www.sefaria.org/Ecclesiastes.9?lang=bi
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Kohelet Ch. 8 by Aliza Libman Baronofsky | Kohelet & Tishrei
Kohelet 8 & 9: Wisdom, kings, enjoying this life even if you can't take it with you. Aliza considers the links between ch.8 and the festivals of Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur that we are about to enter into. https://www.sefaria.org/Ecclesiastes.8?lang=bi
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Kohelet Ch.7 by Rabbi Joe Wolfson | Kohelet & the Environment, That which is broken cannot be fixed
Kohelet 7 - see the works of God, for who can fix that which has been perverted What does our tradition have to say about human-induced damage to our environment? What can it add to the discussion on climate change? I think a midrash on our chapter contains one of the most powerful answers. The...
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Kohelet Ch.6 by Rabbi Gamliel Shmalo | Paradox of Plenty
Kohelet #6 - the paradox of plenty as Kohelet grapples with too much abundance and success Rabbi Gamliel Shmalo marshalls insights from Rashi to the Dalai Lama to the head of the Bank of Israel to shed light on the challenges facing a hedonist. Text here:...
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Kohelet Ch.5 by Rabbi Joe Wolfson | What we take with us
Kohelet #5: The dangers of dreams, vows and of speaking too freely - and the risks that wealth brings 'for one who loves money will never be satisfied with money.` In our audio we focus upon a powerful midrashic commentary to verse 14 about the nature of wealth in this world and what we take with...
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Kohelet Ch.4 by Calev Ben Dor | Pursuit of material gain, envy, falsehood, violence and futility
Happiest are those never born and there is no end to the tears of the oppressed. Calev Ben Dor shares a midrashic teaching on the tears of the oppressed, mamzerut and a moving story about Rav Ovadia Yosef. https://www.sefaria.org/Ecclesiastes.4?lang=bi
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Kohelet Ch.3 by Rabbi Dr. Sam Lebens | "There is a time for everything, to love, to hate..."
Kohelet #3: there is a time for everything, to love, to hate... Rabbi Dr Sam Lebens shares thoughts on joy and its absence in Kohelet. Text here: https://www.sefaria.org/Ecclesiastes.3?lang=bi
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Purim Bonus Part 2 | Esther Chs. 6-10
Hi Everybody! Purim is almost here. According to the 929 schedule we will be reading Megillat Esther in just a few weeks, which is unfortunatley too late for Purim itself. Since it's so close, we wanted to give you the episodes a few weeks ahead of time, though we will publish them again on the…
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Purim Bonus Part I | Esther Chs. 1-5
Hi Everybody! Purim is almost here. According to the 929 schedule we will be reading Megillat Esther in just a few weeks, which is unfortunatley too late for Purim itself. Since it's so close, we wanted to give you the episodes a few weeks ahead of time, though we will publish them again on the…
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Kohelet Ch. 2 by Ilana Stein
Ilana uses ch.2 to think about our responsibility to future generations. Text here: https://www.sefaria.org/Ecclesiastes.2?lang=bi
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Kohelet Ch.1 by Rabbi Joe Wolfson
Kohelet chapters 1 and 2: a different darkness to Eicha. Not suffering and persecution but the meaninglessness of abundance. I introduce the book and how the Sages struggled with Kohelet's proposition while Ilana uses ch.2 to think about our responsibility to future generations. In arguing for…
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Eicha Ch. 5 by Rabbi Joe Wolfson
In the final chapter of the book of our national lament, the acrostic is broken and we begin to move towards a brighter day. In our audio we look at how both our chapter and the midrash on Eicha move the reader from despair to hope. Text here: https://www.sefaria.org/Lamentations.5?lang=biii
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Eicha Ch. 4 by Rabbi Gamliel Shmalo | One of the most disturbing Eicha chapters
Eikha #4 - perhaps the most graphic and disturbing of the Eikha chapters with the most disturbing image of all as mothers cook their children. Despite the content, Rabbi Gamliel Shmalo, marshalls the scholarly work on trauma, to make the arresting claim that our chapter in fact sets forth a…
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Eicha Ch. 3 by Rabbi Joe Wolfson | The Ideal Prophet
Eicha #3 - "I am the man who has seen suffering"- the epicenter of the megilla. Our audio once again focuses on a single verse which is taken by the midrash as the model for what all prophets should aspire to. Text here: https://www.sefaria.org/Lamentations.3?lang=bii
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Eicha Ch. 2 by Rabbi Joe Wolfson | The Lament Continues
Eikha #2 - the lament continues, with a prominent theme being that God Himself perpetrates this act 'in his devouring anger... Good was like the enemy. In our audio today we connect a single verse in our chapter to a parallel verse in Tehillim 48 to try and unpack how this tragedy occurred....
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Eicha Ch. 1 by Aliza Libman Baronofsky
Greetings everybody! It took nearly a year to do the 220 chapters of Tehillim, Mishlei and Iyov but now we're on our third book in as many weeks. Shir HaShirim and Ruth - two books told primarily through female protagonists. Now Eikha - how she, Jerusalem, sits alone bereft of those who loved…
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Ruth Ch. 4 by Rabbi Gamliel
Ruth chapters 3 and 4: the nighttime meeting between Boaz and Ruth and... it works! Desolation and despair is replaced with birth and gladness. Rabbi Gamliel presents on ch.4 with the beautiful insight that if Shoftim teaches us that individual acts of evil can metastasise into society wide...
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Ruth Ch. 3 by Margot Botwinick | Ploni Almoni
Ruth chapters 3 and 4: the nighttime meeting between Boaz and Ruth and... it works! Desolation and despair is replaced with birth and gladness. For ch.3 my fantastic colleague, Margot Botwinick, co-director of JLIC @ IDC Herzliya shares thoughts on Naomi's reversal of Bereishit in her daring...
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Ruth Ch. 2 by Rabbi Dr Sam Lebens
Rabbi Dr Sam Lebens presented ch.2s audio, focusing on Boaz's role in Ruth's conversion. Text here: https://www.sefaria.org/Ruth.2?lang=bi
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Ruth Ch.1 by Rabbi Joe Wolfson | From Shoftim to Shmuel
One megilla down, four to go! Today begins the story of Ruth, the widowed young gentile woman from Mo'av whose kindness and loyalty leads to King David and, according to Jewish tradition, to mashiach. Most of you will have already heard many ideas on Megillat Rut. In my recording today I focus on...
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Shir Hashirim Ch. 8 by Shira Kahn | Malbim and the parable of the soul
Shir HaShirim #8 - the final chapter of this beautiful love song, but an unexpected ambiguity of distance and not togetherness concludes the sefer. My fantastic colleague, Shira Kahn, JLIC co-director at Princeton, shares beautiful thoughts based off of the fascinating readings of Ibn Ezra and…
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Shir Hashirim Chs. 6 & 7 by Rabbi Joe Wolfson | Ani l'dodi' x3
Text here: https://www.sefaria.org/Song_of_Songs.6?lang=bi, https://www.sefaria.org/Song_of_Songs.7?lang=bi
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Shir Hashirim Ch. 5 by Rabbi Joe Wolfson | Love, Rashi, and Artscroll
Text here: https://www.sefaria.org/Song_of_Songs.5?lang=bi
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Kohelet Ch.7 by Rabbi Joe Wolfson | Kohelet & the environment: That which is broken cannot be fixed
Kohelet 7 - see the works of God, for who can fix that which has been perverted. What does our tradition have to say about human-induced damage to our environment? What can it add to the discussion on climate change? I think a midrash on our chapter contains one of the most powerful answers. The...
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Shir Hashirim Ch. 4 by Yonatan Rahmani
Shir HaShirim 4 and 5: songs of love, longing and missed opportunities. Yonatan Rahmani provides commentary, alongside beautiful chanting on chapter 4. Text here: https://www.sefaria.org/Song_of_Songs.4?lang=bi
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Kohelet Ch.6 by Rabbi Gamliel Shmalo | Paradox of Plenty
Kohelet #6 - the paradox of plenty as Kohelet grapples with too much abundance and success Rabbi Gamliel Shmalo marshalls insights from Rashi to the Dalai Lama to the head of the Bank of Israel to shed light on the challenges facing a hedonist. Text here:...
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Shir Hashirim Ch. 3 by Aliza Libman Baronofsky | The daughters of Jerusalem
Shir HaShirim #2 and #3: springtime in the land of Israel, lovers longing for one another, but rivals and destructive foxes lie around them. Audio from Aliza Libman Baronofsky on daughters of Jerusalem in ch.3. Text here: https://www.sefaria.org/Song_of_Songs.3?lang=bi
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Shir Hashirim Ch. 2 by Rabbi Joe Wolfson
Shir HaShirim #2 and #3: springtime in the land of Israel, lovers longing for one another, but rivals and destructive foxes lie around them. Audio from me in ch2 pulling out some of the key features of Shir HaShirim from verses in our chapter. Text here:...
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Shir Hashirim Ch. 1 by Yonatan Rahmani
Text for this chapter can be found here: https://www.sefaria.org/Song_of_Songs.1?lang=bi Our first audio is from my good friend Hakham Yonatan Rahmani who shares an introduction to the work as well as beautiful chanting and interpretations of the first verses.
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Iyov Ch. 42C by Rabbi Dr Sam Lebens | Professor Stump, a new knowledge
Today is a big day. We finish Iyov and begin Shir HaShirim, the first of the megillot. Here's a thought - Iyov, a book so great, heavy and dreadful about a man who suffers - is book ended by two of the ultimate love poems celebrating different aspects of femininity, Eishet Chayil in Mishlei 30…
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Iyov Ch. 42B by Rabbi Dr Sam Lebens | Iyov's children restored.
Today is a big day. We finish Iyov and begin Shir HaShirim, the first of the megillot. Here's a thought - Iyov, a book so great, heavy and dreadful about a man who suffers - is book ended by two of the ultimate love poems celebrating different aspects of femininity, Eishet Chayil in Mishlei 30…
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Iyov Ch. 42A by Calev Ben Dor | The ambigous ending
Today is a big day. We finish Iyov and begin Shir HaShirim, the first of the megillot. Here's a thought - Iyov, a book so great, heavy and dreadful about a man who suffers - is book ended by two of the ultimate love poems celebrating different aspects of femininity, Eishet Chayil in Mishlei 30…
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Iyov Chs. 40 & 41 by Rabbi Joe Wolfson | The mighty animals
Iyov #40 &41 - consider Iyov, says God, the Levitathon and the Behemoth. Audio from a location where I can appreciate God's argument. Text here: https://www.sefaria.org/Job.40?lang=bi, https://www.sefaria.org/Job.41?lang=bi
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Iyov Ch. 39 Ilana Stein | From the whirlwind and the question of the ostrich
Iyov #39 - God gives Iyov a description of the wild animals that populate our world - a response that could alternatively aim to overwhelm, humble or calm Iyov. Ilana Stein brings all her love of zoology to our chapter including a wonderful story of the ostrich and Lord Rothschild to explain a...
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Iyov Ch. 38 by Rafi Addlestone | From the whirlwind and anti-anthropocentrism
Greetings all from the lost coast of Northern California - an appropriately dramatic place for the climax of our book as God speaks to Job out of the whirlwind - where were you when I founded the earth. And who better than Rafi Addlestone to teach us this chapter. Text here:...
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Iyov Bonus Episode by Rabbi Gamliel Shmalo: Iyov in the writings of the Rambam.
929 bonus: Rabbi Gamliel Shmalo completes his series on the Elihu chapters with a bonus recording on the book of *Iyov in the writings of Maimonides* - a hugely important topic. On behalf of the whole group, a huge thank you to Rabbi Shmalo for his great work on the Elihu chapters
About this show
This podcast releases a chapter a day minus Friday and Shabbat, according to the 929 Tankah schedule. This series originally started when Rabbi Joe, during his time at NYU, created one whatsapp group to share and teach Tankah daily. What started with one whatsapp group of mostly downtown New York students, expanded to three whatsapp groups of students and teachers of Tankah all over the world. This is the revamp of those same audio clips in podcast form to share the Torah taught and learnt with everybody, and to keep it alive.
Hosted by
Rabbi Joe Wolfson
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