This week we look at one of the strangest stories in the whole Torah. God is out to kill someone. And a makeshift circumcision is the only thing that will stop Him.

Confused yet?

Some people believe the Bible has hidden codes that we can use to predict the future. That might sound crazy to you, but here's an even stranger idea: Could it be that the characters in the Torah, themselves, were looking for secret codes in the Torah?! This week we look at a tradition that makes that surprising claim.

How does the heart respond to shocking news - good or bad? This week we see Jacob completely overwhelmed, on the verge of death, and then suddenly okay again. What happened to him in that moment, and how did he recover?

There's a lot of crying in the Torah. But no one cries more than Joseph. What is it that has him weeping so often? We attempt a psychological study of the man - with the help of some of the great commentators.

This week, for anyone who's been wondering what the heck this podcast is all about, we take the opportunity to give a general introduction to the whole genre of "parshanut."