What Is Emunah? In this week's parsha, Moses accuses the nation of Israel of not having faith. What? The people know firsthand about all the miracles God has done for them, how could they struggle with their faith? Drawing on the Maharal's pillars of faith, Rabbi Fohrman gives us a novel approach to understanding emunah and the basis of faith, and challenges us to rise to this level of intimacy with God and with each other. Discover other great Tisha B’Av videos at Aleph Beta, including ‘Rachel Crying For Her Children”, “Sinat Chinam: What is Baseless Hatred ”. And “What Is Megillat Eicha Really About?”

Preparing for Pesach in the middle of a global health crisis raises a lot of big questions. What message can we learn from the story of the Exodus that speaks to our current situation? What spiritual strength might we draw from the holiday to help us through this time? We don’t believe that these are  answerable questions. The meaning of Pesach transcends any single interpretation or time, and the meaning of our current situation is, ultimately, beyond our grasps. But what we can do is reflect on the eternal truths that Pesach highlights and glean from these some guidance and, perhaps, some comfort.  In this audio reflection, Daniel and Ami re-visit Rabbi Fohrman’s course “The Exodus and Its Miracles; the Exodus and Its Lies”, in which Rabbi Fohrman argues that the signs and miracles of the Exodus story don’t just demonstrate a powerful God, but an empathetic one. Building off this key point, Daniel and Ami share how this idea of faith speaks to them in light of the isolation, fear and uncertainty we’re all going through, and how this idea can help us prepare spiritually for Pesach--especially this year.

This parsha is full of little vignettes about Abraham’s life: he builds some altars, goes to Egypt, splits up with Lot because their shepherds can’t get along, gets involved in a big war, and has this crazy dream where God makes him a lot of promises. It feels like a bunch of random episodes of “a day in the life of Abraham.” But what are we supposed to learn from all of these stories? Is there some central theme here that can teach us about why God chose Abraham and not someone else? In this video, Rabbi Fohrman shows us that not only is there a common thread that weaves its way through all of these stories, but that together these stories make up the central, epic saga of how Abraham became the Father of Faith. In each of these life events, Abraham faces a single struggle and this struggle holds the key to understanding why God chose Abraham in the first place, what his mission was about, and how Abraham came to be chosen as the Father of Faith. Watch more: Ruth: A Story 30 Generations In The Making Abraham's Journey

After crossing the Sea of Reeds, the nation of Israel sings a song of thanksgiving – and then Miriam leads the women of the nation in a second song of triumph. Why did she sing her own "Song of the Sea"? Was Moses' song of praise not enough? In this video, Rabbi Fohrman explores a famous Midrash about the birth of Moses and unpacks Miriam's story, showing her to be a woman of great faith. Pointing to Miriam's example, he explains what it means to truly have faith in God.

Rabbi Fohrman explores in detail two complimentary Torah texts: the beginning chapters of Exodus and Deuteronomy Chapter 20. At first glance these passages seem to be totally related. However, based on the methodology presented in the previous video, Rabbi Fohrman is able to demonstrate clearly and methodically how interwoven these two texts really are by defining a similar 'cast of characters' in both texts.

How can we have faith when it seems like darkness is everywhere and we feel utterly alone? This video visits a moment when Miriam the prophetess did not know how the story would end - before her brother was saved, before the Exodus. And teaches us something profound about faith in dark times.

If you’re quarantined, click here for a free Aleph Beta account. To subscribe to Aleph Beta Quarantined in your podcast app, click <a href="https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/928261.rss">here</a>, or add this link: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/928261.rss You’re listening to the newest episode in our podcast, Aleph Beta Quarantined. To catch up on earlier episodes, click here. There’s a lot going on, and we all need to talk about it. Join us on Aleph Beta Quarantined for Torah-infused, open and timely discussions on life in quarantine. From Passover hacks to spiritual reflections, we’re covering it all with compassion, community and a Torah perspective. In the past weeks, life has changed for all of us. Even if we're not sick or caring for those who are, we're home, taking care of children full-time, barely leaving the house... it’s mentally and emotionally exhausting. Janet Hod, a long-time member of the Aleph Beta community, shares her own story of the past two weeks - making a wedding, the YU Maccabees’ miracle NCAA run that was abruptly ended, and more. With humor, earnestness, and faith, Janet shows us how to follow the log flume of life: to go wherever the ride takes us, and try to enjoy the ride. Aleph Beta is doing everything we can to be here for you through these difficult times. If you believe in what we’re doing, it would mean the world to have your support. Please consider <a href="https://www.alephbeta.org/subscribe">upgrading your account</a> or joining our <a href="https://www.alephbeta.org/producers-circle">Producers Circle</a>. Of course, if a donation isn’t something you can do right now, don’t think twice about it. The most important thing is for all of us to stay connected and keep our community strong.

How can we have faith when it seems like darkness is everywhere and we feel utterly alone? This video visits a moment when Miriam the prophetess did not know how the story would end - before her brother was saved, before the Exodus. And teaches us something profound about faith in dark times.

After the Exodus, we hear, "And the nation believed in God, and in Moses, His servant." They have complete faith in God! The relationship between the nation of Israel and God is really at a high point. It's beautiful, it's exciting. But then... things go downhill, and fast. Over the course of the parsha, the people become hungry and thirsty, and over and over again, they panic and scream about their unhappiness. The Israelites struggle with their belief in God every time something bad happens. So what kind of belief in God was that? Did they lose their belief in an instant? Join Rivky as she explores these stories and the difficult concept of what it means to truly believe in God. Rivky continues this discussion in her blog post, and answers the big question: Can we see God work in our daily lives?

God called to Abraham, “Lech lecha, leave your home and go to the land that I will show you!” It’s such a familiar story that we never stop to ask – why did Abraham follow God’s call? Was it because he was so pious? Because he was the first monotheist who devoted his life to God? Or maybe, just maybe, it was because God promised him a reward of children and a great nation. It’s an uncomfortable thought to entertain, but it doesn’t seem so crazy when we read the text carefully. What was Abraham’s true motivation for following God’s command? Join Daniel Loewenstein as he compares this story with another time when God called Abraham, “Lech lecha – go!” It turns out that reading these two stories together can hold a key to understanding the defining moments in how Abraham responded to God's call. Check out Rabbi Fohrman’s course, "Akeidah: Was the Sacrifice of Isaac Heroism or Murder?"

Miriam and the Waters of Strife Part I

In Parshat Ha’azinu, the Israelites receive a frightening prophetic “song” about their future failure to follow God’s will, and the punishment they receive as a result. When Moshe introduces this prophecy, he states that he hopes his speech will fall “ke-se’irim alei desheh” -- like some sort of ‘rain upon grass.’ What does that mean? And why is it stated as an introduction to the song? Join Daniel Loewenstein and Ami Silver as they explore the hidden layers of meaning in Ha’azinu, and the crucial questions it raises for us today.

Please note that this audio was recorded as an 'unplanned' lecture between Lecture III and Lecture V, addressing questions raised by thoughtful listeners. Enjoy! Abraham's Journey 2 is the third of four sets of lecture series that span the entire book of Genesis! Be sure to listen to it all! The first two set of lectures are found in the series titled: A Brief History Of The World: From Adam To Abraham and Abraham's Journey 1. The following lecture series is Jacob: Man of Truth?

Phantom Akeidah: The Sacrifice of Ishmael Part IV

This week, we ask, what is Moses arguing with God about after the Golden Calf, and how does that relate to the land of Israel, and the prayer of Hallel? Rabbi Fohrman argues that Moses and God are really discussing what it is to honor God. If you'd like to follow this lecture with sources, the following might be helpful: Hallel itself (Psalms 113-118), Job 1:21, Splitting of the sea (Exodus 14, 15), Moses hitting the rock (Exodus 17, Numbers 20), Golden Calf (Exodus 32-34), End of Moses' life (Deuteronomy 33, 34), Moses' final speech (1:11), Spies (Numbers 13, 14), Judges (Exodus 18).