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BibleProject

BibleProject Podcast

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The creators of BibleProject have in-depth conversations about the Bible and theology. A companion podcast to BibleProject videos found at bibleproject.com
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In "The Mitzvah of Eretz Yisrael," Rav Shlomo Katz takes us deep into the heart and soul of one of Judaism's most profound and debated mitzvot. What does it really mean to conquer, dwell, and truly live in the land of Israel today? Is it merely about physical settlement, or is there a deeper spiritual conquest at play? Drawing on Torah sources, Chassidic insights, and practical halacha, we’ll explore questions like: How central is living in Eretz Yisrael to fulfilling our Jewish destiny? Can ...
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show series
 
Redemption Hyperlink Episode (E11) — There are so many themes in the Bible, from redemption to exile, to mountains and cities. In every series, we attempt to isolate and study one biblical theme. But it’s important to remember that biblical themes are woven together throughout the Bible like instruments in a symphony. Today in this hyperlink episod…
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Redemption E10 — We’ve made it to the end of our series on redemption, where we’ll look at two last examples of redemption in the New Testament. When Jesus redeemed us from sin and death, did he pay a redemption price, and how does his redemption relate to the Torah’s sacrificial system? In this episode, Jon and Tim explore 1 Peter 1 and Hebrews 9,…
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Redemption E9 — So far in the series, we’ve been talking about how redemption means being reclaimed—freed from slavery and returned to where we belong. But what are we enslaved to, and how does Jesus set us free? In this episode, Jon and Tim explore Romans 8 and Hebrews 2 to trace how Jesus enters our suffering and overcomes death to bring us back …
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Redemption E8 — Both in his public ministry and sacrificial death, Jesus redeems people from humanity’s cosmic “pharaohs,” the Satan, sin, and death. Jesus’ miracles show more clearly how this redemption works, but he says very little about how his death serves as a redemption. In fact, the most substantial thing we get is his symbolic body and blo…
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Can non-Jews dwell in Eretz Yisrael according to halacha today? Rav Shlomo Katz explores the status of ger toshav—a non-Jew who commits to the seven Noahide laws and aligns with the values of a Jewish society—and the halachic tension created by the absence of yovel. Drawing from the Rambam, Rav Herzog, and modern examples like the Druze community, …
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As Am Yisrael returns home, the Torah presents clear halachic guidelines about who may dwell in the Land and under what terms. Rav Shlomo Katz explores the opinions of Rashi, the Rambam, and the Sefer HaChinuch on the mitzvos of lo techanem and lo yeshvu be’artzecha—not as political slogans, but as enduring halachic frameworks. Through real-life ex…
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When Am Yisrael returns home, who else is here, and what does the Torah ask of us in response? Rav Shlomo Katz opens a deeply sensitive and essential conversation around two core prohibitions in the Torah: forming covenants and selling land to non-Jews in Eretz Yisrael. With humility and fire, he brings the words of the פסוקים, the wisdom of the sa…
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It’s not just about being back in the Land. It’s about being back in our place. Rav Shlomo Katz opens the gates of time and prophecy, guiding us through the halachic and prophetic conditions for the return of Shemitah and Yovel. With the Rambam, the Gemara in ערכין, and Yechezkel’s vision of tribal boundaries, we’re reminded that the geulah isn’t m…
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Rav Shlomo takes us on a breathtaking historical sweep of the mitzvos that only come alive in Eretz Yisrael. From Yehoshua’s conquest to Ezra’s second sanctification, from exile to return, we trace how mitzvos like Shemitah, Yovel, Terumos and Ma’asros waxed and waned with the presence—or absence—of Am Yisrael in the Land. But the real heart of the…
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Now that we’ve mapped the borders, Rav Shlomo brings us into the heart of what it means to live Torah in Eretz Yisrael. Beyond Shemittah and Terumos, there’s a mitzvah that rests on the entire nation: to establish a society guided by Torah justice. But what happens when the most powerful judges can’t say Shema Yisrael? Through a moving reflection o…
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Rav Shlomo wraps up our deep dive into the גבולות of Eretz Yisrael with a story that’s as hilarious as it is holy—about a בעל תשובה, a chicken parmesan, and a very literal take on the Ramban. But from this “flying mashal,” we soar into something deeper: what it means to keep Torah in the Land versus outside of it, and why mitzvos done here carry a …
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Back east we go, tracing the uncertain outlines of עבר הירדן המזרחי. With love, clarity, and a dash of cartographic chaos, Rav Shlomo Katz explores what happens when the Torah says “from the desert to the river” but leaves the rest to us. Through Rambam’s squared geometry, the conquest of Sichon and Og, and the promise of נהר פרת, we touch the drea…
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Rav Shlomo Katz leads us into the northern edges of the holy land, where the mountains rise and the halachic questions deepen. What and where is הר ההר? How far does the Torah's promise stretch? With ancient maps, differing opinions, and the tension between עולי מצרים and לעתיד לבוא, we journey through the evolving shape of ארץ ישראל. As Rav Shlomo…
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From the wars of Sihon and Og to modern-day Eilat, the southern borders of Eretz Yisrael remain a halachic and historical mystery. Rav Shlomo Katz takes us deep into the confusion around Nachal Mitzrayim, the shifting number of nations to conquer, and the conflicting maps passed down through Torah and tradition. What does all this mean for the mitz…
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Was Moshe Rabbeinu ever in Eretz Yisrael? It’s not as simple as it sounds. Rav Shlomo Katz explores the spiritual and halachic status of עבר הירדן המזרחי—the eastern side of the Jordan River—conquered before we ever entered the land proper. Can mitzvot tied to the land be fulfilled there? Can you force someone to move from east to west? Why couldn’…
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What defines the halachic borders of Eretz Yisrael—and what happens when our feet tread beyond them? Rav Shlomo Katz opens a deep dive into the tension between the Torah’s promised boundaries and modern questions like the status of Eilat or Yamit. Is every inch we settle inherently a mitzvah, or must the original g’vulot come first? With sources fr…
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Rav Shlomo Katz reveals a breathtaking halachic truth: in Eretz Yisrael, working the land isn’t just agriculture. It’s divine service. With the Chasam Sofer as a guide, we learn that planting in the Holy Land is itself a fulfillment of the mitzvah of yishuv ha’aretz. From Boaz’s threshing floor to our own hands in the soil, every act of development…
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Rav Shlomo Katz tackles a painful truth: there is one kind of Lashon Hara that might be worse than speaking badly about another person—speaking negatively about Eretz Yisrael. Through Rav Kook’s writings and the example of Chazal, we explore how the Meraglim’s sin wasn’t just ancient history. It repeats every time we diminish the Land with our word…
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Beyond halachic obligation, does the Torah command us to love the Land? Rav Shlomo Katz brings down a striking Rambam in Hilchot Melachim and a teaching from Rav Eliezer Melamed that reframes everything: when Chazal kissed its stones and rolled in its dust, it wasn’t poetic symbolism. It was halacha. If the Rambam records this in Mishneh Torah, the…
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Rav Shlomo Katz continues exploring the modern implications of the mitzvah of living in Eretz Yisrael—this time focusing on the halachic and spiritual weight of leaving. Whether it’s a short family vacation or a necessary journey, halacha permits it—but what’s the internal consciousness we carry? Quoting the Rambam, Rav Goren, and contemporary posk…
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Rav Shlomo Katz opens up a charged halachic question: Is the mitzvah of Yishuv Eretz Yisrael fulfilled by owning a home here, or does the Torah demand constant physical presence in the Land? We explore the Rambam's rulings, the Gemara in Avodah Zarah, and modern questions of travel, shidduchim, parnassah, and Torah learning. What counted as a heter…
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A sensitive and common question meets the clarity of halacha: When parents object to a child’s desire to move to Eretz Yisrael, what does Torah say? Rav Shlomo Katz dives deep into the rulings of the Shulchan Aruch, the Rambam, and the Ramban to show why living in the Land is a mitzvah that even parental wishes cannot override. With compassion and …
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Rav Shlomo Katz brings a halacha from Even HaEzer that might surprise you: when a couple disagrees about making aliyah, the side refusing to move could lose their halachic standing. Based on the Gemara in Ketubot, we explore powerful rulings that prioritize living in Eretz Yisrael—even over major marital contracts. Whether moving from chutz la’aret…
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Rav Shlomo Katz explores one of the most misunderstood aspects of Yishuv Eretz Yisrael: the difference between Jews merely living in the Land, and actual sovereignty over it. Drawing on the halachic writings of the Beit Yosef and the Bach, we learn that the mitzvah klalit—national fulfillment—requires Jewish control, not just Jewish presence. Even …
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Rav Shlomo Katz delves into the deep halachic question: does conquering and settling the Land of Israel override pikuach nefesh—the Torah’s command to preserve life? Through the teachings of Rav Kook, Rav Goren, and the Minchat Chinuch, we discover that Yishuv Eretz Yisrael is a klal Yisraeli mitzvah, one that may require mesirut nefesh when it com…
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Rav Shlomo Katz unpacks a key question: is living in Eretz Yisrael optional, or an actual obligation? We explore the difference between a mitzvah you fulfill by living here (kiyumit) versus a mitzvah you’re obligated to fulfill (chiyuvit). With halachic sources from the Gemara, the Rambam, and the Tosefta, we learn that dwelling in the Land isn’t j…
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Rav Shlomo Katz shares how the pasuk “Ufaratzta Yama Vakeidma…” teaches us that the mitzvah of Yishuv Eretz Yisrael starts from Yerushalayim and spreads outward. Drawing from Rav Melamed and the vision of Yaakov Avinu, we explore how settling desolate areas—especially near the heart of the land—is a direct fulfillment of the Torah’s call. Even toda…
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Rav Shlomo Katz introduces the powerful teachings of Rav Tzvi Yehuda Kook zt”l, who helped shape modern halachic understanding of settling the land of Israel. We explore a fascinating halacha: Chazal allowed certain Shabbat laws to be pushed aside in order to buy land in Eretz Yisrael from non-Jews. Why? Because the mitzvah of Yishuv Ha’aretz is so…
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Rav Shlomo Katz explores the famous question: why didn’t the Rambam include Yishuv Eretz Yisrael in his list of 613 mitzvot? We dive into the Rambam’s view that living in Israel is a foundational principle—a mitzvah that holds up the rest of Torah, even if it’s not listed like Shabbat or kashrut. Through insights from Rav Teichtal and Rav Rabinovit…
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Rav Shlomo Katz opens the series by laying out the foundations of the mitzvah of Yishuv Eretz Yisrael—settling and dwelling in the Land of Israel. He introduces the famous debate between the Rambam and Ramban: Is this a timeless mitzvah or just a historical one? We also explore the two parts of the mitzvah—conquering the land and actively living in…
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Redemption E7 — When murmurs about the birth of the Messiah began spreading, 1st-century Jewish people already had very specific expectations of what his redemption would look like. He was to be a new Moses who would overthrow Rome, enabling them to live freely in the land. But even after Jesus’ resurrection, none of that had happened. So what kind…
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Redemption E6 — In the book of Psalms, the Hebrew words for “redemption” are often used to simply mean save, rescue, or release. This is especially true in the psalms of King David, who was never a slave but regularly used redemption language to speak of trials with his enemies. As the collection of psalms grew and shifted over many centuries, Davi…
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