Experience The Library

Do these laws reflect outdated values? This video explores how the laws of female servitude may contain a message with lasting relevance.

Uncover the extensive parallells between God's ark in the tabernacle and Noah's ark in the flood, and see how we can learn from their mysterious connections.

The keruvim, or cherubs, appear in the Tabernacle in three different places. This week, Rabbi Fohrman asks, what is the meaning of the keruvim? To answer, he brings us back to the original keruvim, who guarded the Garden of Eden after we were expelled.

The very last words God tells to Moses as he's ready to leave Sinai are about the Shabbat. Why? The rabbis give their explanation to this question in the introduction to the Sabbath morning prayers. But looking at the rabbis' explanation, we are left with more questions! Join Rabbi Fohrman as he dives deep into this prayer, and understands the rabbis' answer to God's surprising last words to Moses on Sinai.

This week, Rabbi Fohrman examines a description the Bible gives of Sabbath and asks, what does it mean to bring God into this world through space and through time? In this video, Rabbi Fohrman examines melacha and explains that time and space are the two realms in which we explore our connection with God.

Reading the Purim story year after year sometimes feels just a little bit like being back in third grade. But when you look more closely, important questions pervade the megillah. Why did Haman describe the Jewish people so oddly in his request to have them killed? Why did Achashverosh plan huge, elaborate parties, and impetuously kill his wife? Why did Esther plan parties instead of telling Achashverosh what she needed? In this course, we will explore those questions and more, and uncover a richer understanding of the holiday, the book of Esther, and the meaning of it all.

Rabbi Fohrman introduces the question of why Mordechai doesn’t bow to Haman, dispelling common explanations by showing that bowing, itself, isn’t idolatrous, that the story of Haman’s wearing an idol is not actually in the text, and connecting the narrative to that involving Potiphar’s wife.

Besides for reading the book of Esther, Purim is primarily celebrated through two mitzvot: Mishloach Manot and Matanot la'evyonim. Mishloach Manot is the practice of giving gifts to friends and family and Matanot la'evyonim is the act of giving gifts to the poor. But what makes Mishloach Manot and Matanot la'evyonim so unique to Purim? Sure these are great mitzvot to do – but why do them on Purim, specifically? Through a careful examination of the Purim story, Rabbi Fohrman explores the subtle whispers and foreshadows of these two mitzvot in the text. What emerges is a unique story of the discrete dialogue shared between Queen Esther and Mordechai during this period in the turbulent, Persian Empire. Join Rabbi Fohrman as he explores this fascinating backstory – and never give Mishloach Manot the same way again.

Purim’s almost here! But first, before the happiest day of the year, we’re going to spend the day… fasting. So why do we fast on this day? Is Taanit Esther just a burden we need to get through before all the fun begins, or is there something more to it? What is the deeper meaning behind the fast of Esther?

We often think of Esther almost as a fairytale, with evil Haman, silly Achashverosh, brilliant Mordechai and angelic Esther. In this video course, Rabbi Fohrman uncovers a fascinating connection between the story of the Garden of Eden and the megillah of Esther - and ultimately, Esther's actions help to redeem the fall of humankind after the sin in the Garden of Eden.

Why does dunking in the mikvah’s waters leave us feeling “pure”? The meaning of this mysterious ritual may not be what you expect.

What is so spiritually problematic about mixing milk and meat? Why is it so important to God that we abstain? 

Why does God command the wearing of tzitzit? Is it arbitrary, or is it supposed to teach us some deep spiritual lesson… and if so, what?

Why does God command the wearing of tzitzit? Is it arbitrary, or is it supposed to teach us some deep spiritual lesson… and if so, what?

Why would God want to keep husbands and wives apart? What does menstruation have to do with it? The Torah's laws reveal a surprising answer. 

Before God told Abraham to give up Isaac, God told him to give up Ishmael. This 8-part series probes the stories’ eerie similarities.

What was the meaning of Jacob's dream, a ladder with angels going up and down? It may just shed light on Israel’s mission in the world.

What was the Golden Calf really about? In this 12-part audio series, Rabbi Fohrman raises glaring questions and offers surprising answers.

What was so sinful about the spies' report? We tackle that question by considering the Sages' comment that the sin occurred on Tisha B'Av.

In this 2-part audio series, we explore how to read the Book of Job, and wrestle with the book's central question: Why does God let us suffer?

Why did God write down some laws in the Torah, and reserve others for the Oral Law? Explore this by studying the law not to mix milk and meat.

We probe the Ten Commandments, illuminating the hidden layers in the text and revealing the single core truth that lies beneath them all.

In this 7-part audio series, Rabbi Fohrman argues that the start of the Torah offers a surprising answer to this most essential of questions.

Do these laws reflect outdated values? This video explores how the laws of female servitude may contain a message with lasting relevance.

In this audio clip, we explore how the Torah text itself – its chiasms and intertextual parallels – proves its singular authorship.

How could the Torah leave out such a big part of history? Does it mean Torah and science are at odds? The answer lies in how we approach the Torah as a book, and by grasping that Torah is meant to be a guidebook for life. 

Is midrash meant to be taken literally? Looking at a midrash about Pharaoh's daughter and her magic arm, we explore how to read midrash.

We look at an incredible chiasm, one spanning over 15 chapters, and ask: What does it teach us about the Book of Exodus?

Is there a hidden link between the stories of Genesis and the Torah's later laws? In the law of manslaughter, we find a startling answer.

Watch this 8-part interactive course lead by Rabbi David Fohrman on how to read the Torah in its original Hebrew Aleph Beta style.

This law is often quoted as a slogan or soundbite, but when you open up Lev. 19 to read it in context, a more nuanced meaning emerges.

Only two commandments promise a reward of "long life": honoring parents and sending away a mother bird. What's the common denominator?

A loving relationship that has come apart can be unbearably painful. But repair is possible. The story of Rachel and Leah shows us how.

Is there a parenting guide hidden in the Torah? In this video, Beth Lesch and Rabbi Fohrman share what may just be the closest thing.

What is humility, in the eyes of the Torah? A study of the life of Moshe suggests that humility may not mean what we think it means. 

How do we keep prayer from becoming an empty ritual? And does prayer actually "work"? The stories of Moshe and Adam offer answers.

In this series originally created for Rosh Hashanah, Rabbi Fohrman explores how Chana experienced closeness with God - and we can, too.

What is the unique power of Shacharit? How can we tap into it to infuse our prayer with intention and meaning? The Shema holds the key.

On Shabbat, we insert unique prayers into the Amidah. This webinar explores the deep secrets they reveal about the essence of Shabbat.

In this recording of a live lecture, Rabbi Fohrman delves into the text of Hallel, unearthing hidden clues to find surprising meaning.

Most people know the Book of Ruth as the story of Ruth’s unparalleled loyalty to her mother-in-law Naomi and Boaz’s kindness in redeeming Naomi’s land by marrying Ruth. But in this illuminating course, Rabbi Fohrman reveals that the story of Ruth goes far deeper. Through surprising connections to Adam, Noah, Abraham, and even the Tower of Babel, Rabbi Fohrman uncovers how Ruth’s story is really an expansion of the biblical theme of yibum—the tradition of redeeming family legacy after loss. Ruth’s unwavering faithfulness isn’t just to Naomi; it speaks to an ancient human kindness that honors the dead and uplifts the living through kindness, weaving a narrative that connects us all.

Are Ruth and Boaz truly biblical heroes? After all, the climax of their story is a night that seems to cross lines of seduction and impropriety—hardly what we might call virtuous. In this thought-provoking course, Rabbi Fohrman uncovers surprising links between Ruth’s bold actions and the stories of her and Boaz’s ancestors, connecting Ruth’s story to the uncomfortable tale of Lot’s daughters, as well as Tamar’s deception of Judah. Both stories reveal how yibum, an act meant to preserve family legacy, can go dangerously wrong when it’s forced or lacks true consent. Through Ruth’s relationship with Boaz, however, we witness a transformation in the meaning of yibum. While Ruth’s approach is audacious, she leaves Boaz’s choice in his own hands, bringing a new level of respect and integrity to this ancient tradition. Together, Ruth and Boaz reimagine yibum as an act not only of kindness, but one rooted in mutual respect and partnership.

Abraham is celebrated as the father of the Jewish people, the ultimate patriarch. Yet when the Torah first introduces him, it’s through a seemingly ordinary genealogy at the end of Parshat Noach. Why would the Torah introduce such a central figure in such a mundane way? And, perhaps more importantly, why was Abraham chosen by God in the first place? In this final lecture of the series, A Brief History of the World, Rabbi Fohrman uncovers a surprising answer: this genealogy may hint at an act of heroism by Abraham—yibum, stepping in to preserve the legacy of his deceased brother. This act, hidden within the family tree, may hold the key to why Abraham was chosen to shape a legacy of kindness for generations.

In this two-part series, Rabbi Fohrman uncovers a hidden layer in the Purim story that might just change the way you see Esther and Mordechai’s heroism. In Part One, he reveals how the most climactic moment in the Megillah contains a surprising reference to the laws of yibum (levirate marriage) found in Devarim. Then, in Part Two, Rabbi Fohrman deepens these parallels, showing how Esther and Mordechai, descendants of Benjamin, take on a unique mission to save the Judeans—a bold, almost yibum-like act of preserving their people’s future. (And for a deeper dive into the connections between Mordechai and Esther and Judah and Benjamin, check out this animated course.)  In stark contrast to Mordechai and Esther stands Haman, who is driven by self-interest, seeking only to promote his own name and legacy. Through these characters we see how the willingness to take on yibum responsibilities becomes the true measure of heroism and lasting success, inviting us to rethink the powerful message at the heart of the Purim story.