The Haggadah describes how "in every generation, they stand against us to destroy us." At the same time, the lesson of the Exodus from Egypt in the Torah is to translate our suffering into empathy, to remember that we were strangers in Egypt and therefore look after the strangers today. As we enter a complicated Pesah, how can we hold these two narratives together?
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32:27
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32:27
Is Israel Fighting Amalek?
Rav Avital and Rav Elazar reflect on what it means to celebrate Purim in the shadow of war. They explore how we might grapple with the suffering of innocent people in Gaza through Torah.
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32:10
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32:10
Feminism in a Time of War
The reality in Israel today is that the people on the battlefield are mostly men and the people left behind to look after their homes and children are mostly women. Rav Avital shares some reflections on this situation through the lens of the women's contribution to the mishkan (tabernacle).
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27:33
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27:33
Mistakes and their Aftermath
This week's parashah has the biggest mistake in the Bible: the building of the Golden Calf. How do huge mistakes like this happen? What are their consequences? What about for the people who didn't prevent it from happening? Rav Avital and Rav Elazar use this story as a framework to think about the terrible mistakes that led up to the October 7th attacks.
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33:51
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33:51
The Qualities of a Leader
What qualities do we want in a leader? Rav Avital and Rav Elazar consider what leaders today could learn from the models of Moses and Aaron and the disposition required to keep the menorah lit.
The news from Israel can feel overwhelming – but Torah gives us language for understanding current events with complexity and compassion. From Hadar’s Beit Midrash in Jerusalem, Rabbi Avital Hochstein joins Rabbi Avi Killip to unpack some of the most pressing spiritual and moral questions in Israel today.
Ireland