Breakneck Through the Bible · Rabbi Bentzi Epstein

Ep. 52 - A Grain of Truth

Abraham tells the people of Gerar that Sarah is his sister, the second time he's made this claim about her. King Abimelech then takes her into his house, and that night G

Ep. 51 - Too Tired to Run

Lot is standing outside Sodom with two angels, just before the city burns, and they tell him to run for the mountains. He asks for an alternative: a nearby town named Zoa

Ep. 50 - Bring Them Out to Us

The angels have entered Sodom, and Lot has pulled them into his home despite the risk, in a city where sheltering a guest overnight is itself a crime. Rabbi Epstein and T

Ep. 49 - Sitting at Sodom's Gate

Sodom is a city under a death sentence. Abraham has just finished negotiating with G-d over how many righteous people it would take to save it. Now the angels sent to car

Ep. 48 - An Exercise in Humility

What is a righteous life worth? Abraham puts that question to G-d directly, negotiating on behalf of a city he owes nothing to and testing how many good people it takes t

Ep. 47 - Why Bother Praying?

This episode opens as the three guests rise from Avraham's table and set out toward Sodom. G-d then tells Avraham about the impending destruction of Sodom. Avraham prays

Ep. 46 - Sarah’s Laugh

Last episode, Avraham sent a messenger to bring his guests water. Everything else, he did himself. This episode picks up where that left off, as Avraham runs to prepare a

Ep. 45 - The Messenger Problem

Avraham rushes to host three strangers and personally oversees every detail. Everything, that is, except the water. For that, he sends a messenger. Rabbi Bentzi Epstein

Ep. 44 - Putting G-d on Hold

It's been three days since Avraham's circumcision. He is in pain, sweating in the midday heat, when G-d comes to visit him. Then three strangers appear in the distance, a

Ep. 43 - The One-Time Mitzvah

Avraham has already passed nine of his ten tests, and G-d is standing in front of him with a covenant that will be stamped into the flesh of every Jewish male for the res

Ep. 42 - Walk Before Me and Be Perfect

Avram is 99 years old when Hashem appears to him with a new name for Himself, El Shaddai, and an interesting command: walk before Me and be perfect. Rabbi Epstein and Tom

Pesach Special: The Inner Exodus

The Haggadah tells us that if we don't mention three things on Seder night, we haven't fulfilled the mitzvah: Pesach, Matzah, and Maror. But why reduce one of the most la

Ep. 40 - Where have you come from, and where are you going?

Sarai had a plan. Unable to conceive, she tells Avram to take her maidservant Hagar as a concubine. Whatever child comes from this union will be hers. She picks Hagar del

Ep. 39 - Sarai's Gambit

Sarai, the matriarch of the Jewish people, makes a stunning statement to her husband: take Hagar, my maidservant, as a concubine. Whatever child comes from this will be m

Ep. 38 - Locking in for Eternity

G-d has just promised Abraham children and a land to inherit. And then Abraham has the audacity to ask G-d: "How will I know that I will inherit it?" How could he ask tha

Ep. 37 - Looking Down at the Stars

Abraham just defeated four kings. He refused their wealth. He should feel victorious. Instead, he's terrified. G-d appears to him in a vision and says: "Fear not, Abraham

Ep. 36 - Not a Thread

Abraham comes back from the battle. The king of Sodom is waiting with an offer: keep all the wealth, just return the people. Abraham won't touch any of it. Not a thread,

Ep. 35 - Abraham's Impossible War

Four mighty kings wage war against five. They crush armies, wipe out giants, conquer cities. When the fighting ends, Lot has been taken captive. A fugitive named Og brin

Ep. 34 - Lot's Gamble

Abraham and Lot can't stay together anymore. Their shepherds are fighting. The land can't support both of them. It's time to separate. But here's what makes this moment

Ep. 33 - Famine, Faith, and Divine Silence: Abraham's Egyptian Descent

Abraham finally arrives in the land G-d promised him…and immediately faces famine. No rain. Dying animals. A starving community. This is G-d's idea of a blessing? This i