The Tanakh Podcast

Chapter 6 describes the cryptic episode of the "sons of God" and the "daughters of man". God's patience with humanity is running out!

Soon, God decides to de-create his creation in a great "MAbul" - m…

This is a list of genealogies, of a family tree!

We will discover that there is much that one can learn from a list! The key? - Look at the differences, the aberrations and deflections from the standa…

Cain and Abel. The first murder. Brother kills brother.

It seems like Bereshit is addressing some of humanity's fundamental weaknesses and flaws.

But then the chapter turns to the seventh generation, a…

One of the greatest and classic challenges of biblical scholarship has been the contradictions between chapter 1 and 2. Many don't pay attention, but in fact the chapters are quite at odds with one a…

What is the purpose Creation narrative?

Is it intended to teach us that the world was brought into being in a mere six days?

Or does it teach us something about the nature of life, being, human purpose…

Tanakh ends with a beginning.

The Galut, the Exile happens, but there is a Return, an "Aliyah" - this is the "end without an ending."

Indiana Jones went looking for it. But where is it?

Our chapter gives us a few clues!

Yoshiyahu is another exemplary king. Rising to power as a child, he leads the nation back to God.

We will focus on the remarkable discovery of a Sefer Torah in the storerooms of the Temple. What is th…

Do we suffer for our parents sins?

Today we suffer the most evil king of Yehudah - King Mennasseh. In the book of Kings his idolatry is the cause of the Hurban - the national exile. But here in Divrei…

The Assyrians attack, but since Hezekiah has led the nation to such devotion to God, we can rest assured that God will save His nation.

The story here has a radically different emotional tone and emph…

The Temple has been purified, Pesach has been celebrated on a national scale, but how will the Mikdash be maintained? Now Hizkiyahu asks the nation to bring tithes - teruma and ma'aser - the tithes -…

We now start 4 chapters that describe the reign of King Hizkiyahu.

The first 3 of these chapters depict Hizkiyahu's purification of the Temple, and his renewal of the covenant in a mass celebration of…

The Assyrians are coming.

This causes a devastating civil war between the northern and southern states, and a total capitulation in Jerusalem to Assyrian idolatry.

A short chapter today!

It speaks of King Yotam, about whom it is said that he was "flawless" - quite an accolade!

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Uzziah is depicted in glowing terms and achievements.

But then he gets too full of himself! - He enters the Temple and ascends the altar to offer the incense. When he is confronted by the priests, he…

The narrative of Amaziah is told quite differently than in Sefer Melakhim. Here it seems almost curated to make a theological point. And we shall see the way that Amaziah's story mirrors closely that…

King Yoash's story is told in two parts.

His early life, before the death of his adopted father - the High Priest - is virtuous. But after Yehoyada's demise, he turns to idolatry and silencing his cri…