Pardes From Jerusalem Podcasts
I’ve been listening to the Pardes from Jerusalem podcasts by Rabbi Meir Schweiger and so far they have been wonderful. If you need a serious Hebrew Bible/Old Testament commentary fix, this is a great source.
This morning I listened to a fascinating podcast about the story of Dinah (Jacob’s daughter) in the Bible. It’s a tragic story in many ways - but the level of analysis that was given in the podcast was wonderful. It was a podcast (dated 12/7/06) dealing with a weekly Torah portion referred to as “VaYishlach.”
The podcasts are in English - but there is some Hebrew Bible terminology that is used. However, I think those who haven’t studied Hebrew would still get a lot from what is being said in these podcasts.
About The Author
I’m most interested to hear what the Rabbi offers about the Dinah story.
I’ve never quite gotten over my shock at initial exposure to the bloody deed with which Dinah’s brothers righted the wrong of her over passionate prince and suitor.
Of course, all of history, including the Bible, are full of mass slaughter and slavery, brutality and plunder. While I must simply “deal with it” as part of the nature of man, it is still more difficult to digest it when the bloodiness and conquest become a God-given mission, as in the case of Joshua and Israel.
The Book of Mormon offers a perspective of peoples and nations, once ripe in iniquity, receiving their self-selected consequences. Still, it seems a harsh role for the chosen successors to assume (or be assigned), to be the tool in imposing those grim consequences.
And so this issue continues for me as a background question, to which I welcome new perspectives, trusting to ultimate resolution in a future, more enlightened, setting.