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Vayishlach 5784: Faith in Humanity vs. Survival

What can a fraught meeting between brothers teach us about our own instincts?

The events of October 7 shattered the worldview for many of us, and can cause us to approach how we understand the Torah differently. In this week’s episode, Rabbanit Nechama Goldman Barash and Rabbi Zvi Hirschfield unpack the emotionally charged reunion between Ya’akov and Esav and the fears that Ya’akov might have dealt with leading up to that moment.

Credits: Rabbanit Nechama Goldman Barash and Rabbi Zvi Hirschfield – Pardes Faculty

Nechama Goldman Barash

Rabbanit Nechama Goldman Barash is Senior Faculty at Pardes, where she teaches contemporary halakha and Talmud and also holds the positions of Education Director of the Pardes Learning Seminar and Sexual Misconduct Officer. Nechama studied in Matan’s Advanced Talmud Institute and Hilkhata. She holds a Masters in Talmud from Bar-Ilan University, and is a certified Yoetzet Halakha from Nishmat.

In addition to her work at Pardes, Nechama is Senior Faculty at Midreshet Torah V’Avodah, Lecturer at Matan Jerusalem, and Director of Kitvuni at Matan. She has published Uncovered: Women’s Roles, Mitzvot and Sexuality in Jewish Law, which explores questions of women and halakha in contemporary Jewish life. Nechama lives in Gush Etzion with her family and enjoys ice cream, meditation and yoga.