Great leaders are often irreplaceable. The greatest leader of them all is certainly irreplaceable. But even Moshe must have a successor. In our Parsha, Moshe asks God designate a successor for him after he passes. Who can possibly fill such large shoes? Who can possibly take upon themselves the mantle of leadership of God's Nation? Who can possibly steward the People, lead them across the Jordan, and fulfill what Moshe was unable to fulfill? There was a bit of a dispute regarding who should be chosen: Moshe wanted his sons to succeed him. God said, otherwise: Joshua, your trusty student and confidante will lead the Nation after your passing. What was the dispute between Moshe and God all about? How can it be that Moshe and God had different ideas regarding who should succeed Moshe? In this fascinating Parsha podcast, we propose a novel answer, an answer replete with dramatic ramifications for our own life and decisions.

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Korach's rebellion claimed many victims: Some of the perpetrators were swallowed up in a miraculous sinkhole; some were consumed by a divine fire; and some were killed in a plague. In our Parsha, we discover that the sons of Korach did not die. Although they were participants in the rebellion initially, at the very last moment, they repented and were spared. In this Parsha Podcast we explore the fascinating story of the sons of Korach and discover a theme that appears in several other instances in our Parsha. At the risk of being overly presumptuous, I am confident that this podcast will prove to be both intriguing and deeply beneficial.

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DONATE: Please consider supporting the podcasts by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!

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Some subjects are way too dicey address publicly - electrified third rail subjects which zap anyone who approaches it. But Blake Cohn is not afraid of third rails. In fact, he recently launched a podcast that is dedicated exclusively to the untouchable "Third Rails" of Judaism. Fittingly, his show was called "Third Rail Judaism", where he explores and ponders some of the forbidden subjects that others are too scared to tackle. I was honored when Blake asked me to be interviewed for the first episode, an exploration of the kidnapping and assault of Dina, daughter of Jacob. If you are interested in exploring these forbidden topics, subscribe to Blake's show, Third Rail Judaism on Apple Podcasts or elsewhere.

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DONATE: Please consider supporting the podcasts by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!

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Pinchas was a man of action, a zealot who avenged God’s vengeance and was handsomely rewarded for it. In this parsha we read about his reward, Moses’ succession plan, the methods through which the Land will be divided, and another census is done.

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DONATE to TORCH: Please consider supporting the podcasts by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!

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Balak, King of Moab, and Bilaam, sorcerer extraordinaire, hatched a plot to annihilate the Jewish people. Had their plan been successful, there would not have been even a single survivor. And they almost pulled it off. In fact, absent a Divine intervention, the glorious Jewish Nation would have been toast. What gave them such power? Where did Bilaam's preternatural ability come from? In this wonderful Parsha podcast we uncover the secrets of Bilaam and discover what it takes to harness this extraordinary force ourselves. Do you have what it takes?

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This Parsha Podcast is dedicated in loving memory of Addison ben Ruth, the father of our dear friend Pat Billman. Addison passed away a few weeks ago at the age of 103. He was a remarkable man who will be sorely missed. May his soul be elevated in Heaven.

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DONATE: Please consider supporting the podcasts by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!

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TORAH 101

What makes up Oral Torah? What are the different types of information included in the Mishnah? In part 3 of the authoritative, magisterial, and comprehensive introduction to Mishnah offered by Rambam, we learn about the five different components of oral Torah, two that come all the way back from the times of Moshe, and three components developed by the Sages over the centuries since. Since. We also learn about the origin and the nature of disputes, and how those disputes do not indicate gaps in tradition or forgetfulness. We learn about the nature of laws deemed "laws from Moshe at Sinai", and how they differ from the accepted explanations from Moshe at Sinai. We also learn why dissenting opinions that are overruled are still included in in the Mishnah. In short, a delightful and profound exploration of the Oral Law included in the Mishnah.

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DONATE: Please consider supporting the podcasts by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!

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After the Jewish nation trounced the mighty kingdoms of Sichon and Og in last week's parsha, the comparatively smaller and weaker kingdom of Moab resorted to unconventional warfare to attack the nation by hiring the prophet of the nations, a wily and devious character named Bilaam, to curse the Jews. It did not work out as planned.

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DONATE to TORCH: Please consider supporting the podcasts by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!

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TORAH 101

When the nation needed water, they found it in a most unexpected place: Moshe struck a rock and it began to spew forth enough water for the entire nation. Why was there water inside the rock? Why when Jacob needed water, he removed the rock blockading it? Why didn't he find water inside the rock too? Water and rocks are often connected, but sometimes the water is found beyond the rock and other times the water is embedded inside the flinty stone. This distinction reveals the two different ways to contend with adversity. When we examine the opening subject of our Parsha, the strange protocol of the red heifer, we see a pattern of the multiple methods of transformation.

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DONATE: Please consider supporting the podcasts by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!

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TORAH 101