Shows / Richmond Jewish Learning Experience
Richmond Jewish Learning Experience
Torah recordings with Rabbi Don Cantor and the Richmond Jewish Learning Experience
Episodes
- Richmond Jewish Learning Experience
Does God Have Regrets? Part 2: Golden Calf
source sheet https://docs.google.com/document/d/1OIlt9Dvi2C__FCZs61oLt8C-jR1ElViwWtWxbRYK-i8/edit?usp=drivesdk (recorded 10/28/26)
- Richmond Jewish Learning Experience
Does God Have Regrets? Part 1: Noach
What do we learn from God's "regrets"? (recorded 10/21/2026)
- Richmond Jewish Learning Experience
Crash Course in High Holiday Prayers: Yom Kippur
Why do we start with Kol Nidrei? What is the deal with all of the confessions? (recorded 9/16/2026)
- Richmond Jewish Learning Experience
How Scary are the High Holidays?
How did we get from "go party" in the book of Nehemia to "who will live and who will die?" in the machzor? (recorded 9/6/2026)
- Richmond Jewish Learning Experience
Crash course in the Machzor part 1
What are the significant differences between Shacharit on Rosh Hashanah and a regular shabbos or yom tov? (recorded 9/2/2026)
- Richmond Jewish Learning Experience
Vaera: Magic, Miracles, and Belief in God
What is with all the magic? (recorded 1/14/26)
- Richmond Jewish Learning Experience
Shemot: Moshe's Origin Story
Why does Rashi say Moshe's house was filled with light when he was born? (recorded 1/7/2026)
- Richmond Jewish Learning Experience
Farmers vs. Shepherds part 1
Why does God distrust farmers? (recorded 12/25/25)
- Richmond Jewish Learning Experience
Thanksgiving: The Jewish Way to Give thanks
Recorded Thanksgiving 2025
- Richmond Jewish Learning Experience
Toldot: Esav Nabs Some Shiva Food
Why does Rashi think that Esav was the cause of Abraham's "premature" death? (Recorded 11/19/2025)
- Richmond Jewish Learning Experience
What Does Atonement Mean?
The root כפר/k.p.r. is used in a variety of contexts in the Torah. What does it mean for the high holidays? (recorded 9/17/25)
- Richmond Jewish Learning Experience
Ki Teitze: Parshanut and Polygamy
What can we learn from the style and context of the command not to favor the son of a favored wife? (recorded 8/3/25)
- Richmond Jewish Learning Experience
Shoftim: Does the Torah Endorse Monarchy
What is the ideal form of government according to scholars throughout Jewish history? (Recorded 8/27/25)
- Richmond Jewish Learning Experience
Va'etchanan: Zachor vs. Shamor
Why are the Ten Commandments told differently in Va'etchanan than they were told in Exodus? (recorded 8/6/25)
- Richmond Jewish Learning Experience
Devarim: eMOSHEnal Intelligence
Devarim is an illustration of Moshe's deftness in speaking to the Jewish people. Rashi helps us see it. (recorded 7/30/25)
- Richmond Jewish Learning Experience
Matot-Masei: East of the Jordan
Was the request made by Reuven and Gad good or bad? How did Menashe get roped into the deal? (recorded 7/23/25)
- Richmond Jewish Learning Experience
Pinchas: Good or Bad?
What do the rabbis think about Pinchas? What do we make of the stories involving him in Yehoshua and Shoftim? (recorded on 7/16/25)
- Richmond Jewish Learning Experience
Balak: Did Bilam Curse the Jews?
3 ways to understand the enigmatic story of Balak and Bilam. (recorded 7/9/25)
- Richmond Jewish Learning Experience
Korach: How the Punishment Fits the Crime
Why did the earth swallow people up? (6/25/25)
- Richmond Jewish Learning Experience
Shelach: Faith as Hope
What did the spies get wrong? What can we learn from the two spy stories in Joshua? The relevance of the parsha to current events. (recorded on 6/18/25)
- Richmond Jewish Learning Experience
The Anxiety of Waiting for Iran's Response - Thoughts
We are thousands of miles away and just waiting. What does God want of us? (recorded 6/13/25)
- Richmond Jewish Learning Experience
Behaalotcha: Two Complaints, One Story
The Jews complain, and so does Moshe. Hashem has two different reactions. What's with the word ruach? (recorded 6/11/25)
- Richmond Jewish Learning Experience
Naso: A Mishkan for All People
Why aren't the mitzvot in Naso where they are supposed to be in the book of Vayikra? (recorded on 6/04/25)
- Richmond Jewish Learning Experience
Ruth: Real Story vs. Reel, Story
How does the historical context of Ruth inform our understanding of the story?
- Richmond Jewish Learning Experience
Emor: Blasphemy, Sympathy, and Accountability
The parsha ends with an enigmatic story about blasphemy and its repercussions. Rashi helps us relate. (recorded 5/15/25)
- Richmond Jewish Learning Experience
Acharei Mot Kedoshim: The Nadav and Avihu Non-Sequitur
Why does the Torah mention the deaths of Nadav and Avihu at the beginning of our parsha?
- Richmond Jewish Learning Experience
Yom Haatzmaut/Tazria-Metzora: Pain and Partial Geula
Lessons from the rabbis and the navi for celebrating Yom Haatzmaut during trying times. (recorded 4/30/25)
- Richmond Jewish Learning Experience
Elitism in the Priesthood: The Sin of Nadav and Avihu
Rashi and Rashbam differ as to what Nadav and Avihu did wrong. Parallels between the revelation at Mt. Sinai and the inauguration of the 8th day add depth to…
- Richmond Jewish Learning Experience
All You Need to Know About: Shabbos Erev Pesach
Link to class outline: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1w6K_br8iiKM1Ws6tBhLD7eEOCUUB5J_ATPRDoeZSCyg/edit?usp=sharing recorded 4/6/2025
- Richmond Jewish Learning Experience
Did Lot Celebrate Pesach?
Why does Rashi say that Lot baked matza for the angels because it was Pesach? What does that say about the Exodus story?
- Richmond Jewish Learning Experience
Vayakhel: The Golden Calf and the Mishkan
What was the real sin of the Golden Calf? Why did God "allow" sacrifices?
- Richmond Jewish Learning Experience
Mordechai: Hero or Shlemeil?
What did the Jews at the time think of Mordechai? W hat does the author of the Megilla think?
- Richmond Jewish Learning Experience
A Torah thought on the hostage tragedy
Processing the grim events of the return of murdered hostages
- Richmond Jewish Learning Experience
The Purim Story: Midrashic and Historical Context
Why Did the Purim Story Happen? Why does the Gemara connect Purim to the Book of Daniel?
- Richmond Jewish Learning Experience
Yitro: Thinking Outside the Box
The gemara says that Yitro blessed God for the Exodus before the Jews did. Why? How is it connected to Yitro's advice to Moshe?
- Richmond Jewish Learning Experience
Beshalach: Sota Stream
What is the symbolism behind the bitter waters of Marah?
- Richmond Jewish Learning Experience
Va'era: Plagues, Politics, and Pedagogy
Why did the rabbis suggest the plague of frogs was brought about through one frog? What political effects did the plagues have?
- Richmond Jewish Learning Experience
Shemot: What Was Moshe's Real Name?
Did Moshe's mother give him a name? Why does the Torah use the name given by Pharaoh's daughter?
- Richmond Jewish Learning Experience
Vayechi: Why THESE Stories?
Bereshit is a curated series of stories about our ancestors. Why did God choose to tell these to us? (recorded 1/9/2025)