Parshat Vayera begins with God’s visit to Abraham, but the purpose of God’s visit is shrouded in mystery. In this week’s podcast, Judy Klitsner attempts to shed light on the encounter and considers its connections to the tough negotiations between Abraham and God over the fate of the evildoers in Sodom. Along the way, Judy takes a closer look at God’s choice of Abraham as progenitor of the Jewish nation.
This podcast has been generously sponsored by Michael and Daniela Rader in honor of their mom, Barbara Rader’s 75th birthday. If you are interested in sponsoring a podcast, email jamie@pardes.org.
Credits
Larry Kluger – Creative Consultant
Arlene Harel – Production Coordinator
Podcast: Download
Judy Klitsner is a senior lecturer in Bible at Pardes, where she has educated a generation of students, many of whom now serve as educators and heads of school in locations throughout the Jewish world. A student of the great Bible teacher Nechama Leibowitz, Judy weaves together traditional exegesis, modern scholarship and her own original interpretations that are informed by close readings of the text. Judy is a popular international speaker whose teaching style is accessible, interactive and text-based, and she is particularly fond of uncovering the “vibrant conversation” that takes place between the Bible’s parallel stories. Judy has taught Bible to Christian and Muslim religious leaders and she is a regular visiting lecturer at the London School of Jewish Studies. In addition, she is the Bible teacher for the Jewish Theological Seminary’s rabbinical students during their year in Israel. Judy is the author of Subversive Sequels in the Bible: How Biblical Stories Mine and Undermine Each Other, which received a National Jewish book award. The book has recently been released in Hebrew. Judy is founding board chair of Sacred Spaces, an organization that seeks systemically to address abuses of power in Jewish institutions. Click here to read more. You can find books written by Judy by clicking here
