In this episode, Zvi Hirschfield and Rabbi Raphael Polisuk explore Parshat Toldot through the lens of prayer, blessing, and the extraordinary power of human speech. They discuss Yitzchak’s deeply active model of prayer—la’ator, a language of turning reality—and how the rabbis imagine his tefillah transforming both himself and God. The episode then turns to the drama of the blessings, asking why words matter so profoundly in Torah and how language can create, heal, or harm.
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32:12
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32:12
Chayei Sarah 5786: Life after loss
How do we transform loss into legacy?
In this episode, Zvi Hirschfield and Rabbanit Nechama Goldman Barash explore Parshat Chayei Sarah as a meditation on grief, memory, and legacy. They discuss Avraham’s careful purchase of the burial cave as the first act of rootedness in the Land of Israel, his need for a physical place to mourn, and how burial transforms loss into continuity. Linking Avraham’s mourning for Sarah to today’s national and personal mourning in Israel, they reflect on commemoration, legacy, and the power of creating living memorials that carry love and purpose forward.
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36:50
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36:50
Vayera 5786: In Service of Faith
In this episode, Zvi Hirschfield and Rabbi Mike Feuer explore Parshat Vayera through the story of the Akeidah, reframing it not as Avraham’s test, but as Yitzchak’s act of awareness and choice. They discuss agency, sacrifice, and what it means to go beyond one’s limits in service of something greater. Drawing on Midrash and lived experience, they reflect on courage, commitment, and how moments of surrender can unlock the deepest expressions of faith and purpose.
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35:35
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35:35
Lech Lecha 5786: Seeing the Flames
When the world is on fire, who will stop and answer God’s call?
In this episode, Zvi Hirschfield and Gila Fine explore Parshat Lech Lecha through the famous midrash of the bira doleket—the burning building that leads Avraham to encounter God. They unpack centuries of interpretation, from Heschel’s vision of divine beauty to Rabbi Sacks’s call to bridge the world as it is and the world as it ought to be. Gila offers a striking literary reading: God is trapped in the flames, calling out for help—and Avraham becomes the one who answers.
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35:23
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35:23
Noach 5786: Rebuilding the World
How do we rebuild a broken world without simply recreating the past?
In this episode, Zvi Hirschfield and Rabbi Leon Morris explore Parshat Noach as a story not just of destruction, but of renewal. They discuss God’s recalibration of expectations after the flood, the new covenant symbolized by the rainbow, and Noah’s struggle to rebuild a broken world. Through Midrash and modern parallels—from post-Holocaust resilience to the founding of Israel—they reflect on what it means to create anew without recreating the past, and to find faith after devastation.
Pardes from Jerusalem features a weekly discussion using Torah, Talmud and other Jewish texts to explain themes from the weekly Torah portion. The Pardes faculty is featured each week. For more information about all Pardes programs and events visit www.pardes.org.il.
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