Re'eh - We begin with Moses setting before Israel “a blessing and a curse,” a covenant ceremony tied to Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim. Our discussion dives into the age-old debate over the true location of these mountains before considering the interruption that follows—the sudden insertion of the central Law Code (Deut 12–26). Is this…
Ekev (Deuteronomy 7:12–11:25) - We track Deuteronomy’s recurring four-verb covenant formula (שמע–למד–שמר–עשה), its call to love God, and its heart-focused theology. We wrestle with the debated “hornet” (MT) versus “plague” (Shapira/Valediction) in 7:20, revisit the Hebrew behind “leprosy” (is it…
This week on Torah Pearls (Deuteronomy 3:23–7:11), we explore Va’etchanan through the lenses of the Documentary Hypothesis and the Moses Scroll. Moses says God was angry with him “because of you” (Deut 1:37; 3:26; 4:21)—but is that what Numbers reports?…
As we open the Book of Deuteronomy, something shifts. Moses begins to speak—but so does a narrator. Whose voice are we hearing? And is this the same story we’ve heard before? In this episode, Ross, Jono, and Ezra work through the first portion of Deuteronomy (1:1–3:22), tracing familiar events—Horeb, the spies, the wilderness journeys, battles…