The name of the biblical tribe of murderers, the arch-rivals of ancient Israel, has been much discussed in the wake of October 7. Is that appropriate?

Pidyon shvuyim, the redemption and release of captives, is an old and urgent Jewish obligation. What does it mean today and what are the moral tradeoffs involved?

An ancient prayer for rain mentions an angel named Af-bri. But where did he come from?

A Jewish philosopher stops by to talk about how Jews—and one major non-Jew—have thought about repentance.

The temptation is overwhelming to excuse or soften the drama of Genesis 22. A leading professor of Jewish thought explains how to get past that, and what meaning lies beyond it.

In both Hebrew and English.

The author of a new commentary stops by to talk about one of the most disturbing days in Jewish history, and how its survivors and their descendants tried to understand it.

The eminent scholar talks about Ruth, and Reading Ruth, the 2021 book he co-authored with his granddaughter.

How many rabbis first translated the Hebrew Bible, and how many different translations did they produce?

And does their presence illuminate the book of Exodus—or is it simply a sign that ancient Egypt was a powerful nation?

A professor of Jewish studies joins us to talk about why the Hebrew Bible sometimes portrays God as a mother, and what that means.

The ancient rabbis believed there was linguistic proof that the first man spoke Hebrew with God. Why?

The academic and podcast host joins us to talk about why the words of prayer don’t work for him, and why nonetheless he’s prayed daily for 30 years.