(Tuesday) An analysis of the parasha, incorporating innovative approaches as well as traditional commentaries, with particular attention to literary aspects and their religious meaning. We welcome the addition of Dr. Yoshi Fargeon and Rabbanit Esti Rosenberg and the return of Rav Itiel Gold, an educational psychologist and teacher of Jewish Philosophy, to the writing staff of this series.

(Wednesday) Addresses (sichot) on the weekly parasha by the Rashei Yeshiva of Yeshivat Har Etzion: Harav Yaakov Medan, Harav Baruch Gigi and Harav Mosheh Lichtenstein, with a focus on messages for contemporary life.

(5783 - Spring Semester) (Sunday) Shemot 1-15 describes in vivid detail Israel’s experiences in Egypt, from slavery to liberation. This series will utilize literary tools, midrashim, biblical exegesis and scholarship’s understanding of Ancient Egypt to broaden our understanding of these seminal biblical chapters. Above all, this series aims to explore the text of the foundational story of the nation to discover its moral depth, its theology, and its vision of Israel’s place in the world.

(5783) (Tuesday) In this series we will deal with the connections between the weekly parasha and the Haftarot that are read in Shul. By comparing the two texts, we will enrich our understanding of the prophets and the scriptures at the same time as our understanding of the Bible. The unique path of Rosh Yeshiva Harav Yaakov Medan, one of the most famous pioneers in Bible study, begins with his vast knowledge of Tanakh, continues with a deep familiarity with the customs of our country, and ends with an original interpretation that captures the imagination of the text.

(Wednesday) VBM Digest, concise divrei Torah in a pdf format, prepared weekly by Rav Dov Karoll, for distribution in shuls. Previous years' archives of VBM Digest can be found here>>.

The psalms are heartfelt poems of longing for a connection to God, and therefore they serve as the basis of our prayers. This series will study a number of mizmorim, utilizing tools of linguistic and poetic analysis and traditional commentaries, from medieval times until our own.

(5783) (Thursday) An analysis of the major issues in the gemara, geared for students who are learning the basic text on their own. This sidra - on Ketubot - allows, in essence, every Jew in the world to join a beit midrash, and receive a weekly gemara study lesson at home. It is intended for yeshiva graduates, chevrutot and anyone who wants to enrich his study of the gemara by an in-depth iyuni shiur. The lessons are based upon advanced preparation of sources (source sheets are included).

(SUMMER 5782 - Monday and Wednesday STARTING AFTER TISH'A B'AV) If you want to recognize the One who spoke and the world came into being, learn aggada. (Sifrei, Devarim 49). Aggada, the non-legal sections of the Talmud, have not received their due in classical Torah learning. This series comes to remedy that ill and return the aggada to its rightful place as a powerful tool to learn about God and his ways.

(5782-5783) (Thursday)(We will resume mailing this series shortly after the Chagim.) Although Torah She-be’al Peh (the Oral Law) is the lifeblood of Judaism, its students often fail to address foundational issues: Which components were given at Sinai and which were developed by the Sages? What is the relationship between the simple meaning of biblical verses and their interpretation by the Oral Law? What can account for the discrepancy between the literal meaning of a Mishna and its interpretation in the Gemara? How did sages throughout the generations address a changing reality using the tools of the Oral Law? These questions and  others receive comprehensive and in-depth treatment in this series. New subscribers are welcome to join. We recommend that you use the summer to become acquainted with the first year's installments.

(5783) (Sunday) Both the Talmud and Chasidut, though separated by over a millennium, convey some of their most central messages by means of stories. In both, these stories interact with more formal presentations of law and belief. This series will examine the centrality and function of the story in both of these literatures, and also the ways each of these disparate periods sheds light on the other.

(Summer 5782 - Sunday and Tuesday STARTING AFTER TISH'A B'AV) This series deals with the Jewish family from a halakhic perspective. We will study the relationship that Halakha outlines between family members and examine the relationships it is trying to create - at every stage of life: childhood, marriage, parenthood and old age.

(5782-5783) (Thursday, every other week) Guided, source-based study of halachot pertaining to women, from a woman's perspective. This series is presented in conjunction with Deracheha: Women and Mitzvot, a halachic education website sponsored by Yeshivat Har Etzion in partnership with the VBM and Beit Midrash Migdal Oz. 

(5783) (Mondays) The 20th century hosted many more remarkable poskim than we tend to notice. This series will give us a chance to get more acquainted with the teshuvot of R. Kook (known more for his philosophical works), R. Uziel (the first Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Israel), R. Herzog (the first Ashkenazic one), these latter two involved in the interesting questions that arise when building a new country, and R. Hayyim David HaLevi, the longtime Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Tel Aviv. By sampling their responsa, we will get a sense of who they were, what they contributed to the Torah conversation of the Jewsh people, and how.

(5783) (Monday) “And you shall live by them.” The Torah preserves and and enhances life, and this fundamental principle drives the thought behind a whole set of halakhot - “pikuach nefesh,” the protection of life. This series will discuss the main principles of pikuach nefesh on Shabbat and Yom Tov, with an emphasis on public systems. Some of these questions are relatively new, innovations of modernity and sovereignty, and therefore not discussed in the literature before the establishment of the State of Israel. We will evaluate the activity of public and governmental systems that are designed to preserve the health, safety and welfare of the community as a whole in light of the guiding principles of pikuach nefesh.

(Summer 5782 - Thursday STARTING AFTER TISH'A B'AV) Rav Kook's thought is deep and multifaceted. This series explores the sundry topics that Rav Kook covered in his voluminous works. It discusses his thought thematically, allowing the reader to get a grasp of the broad underlying topics that Rav Kook tackles. 

(5783) (Wednesday) Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik was not only one of the outstanding Talmudists and religious leaders of the past century, but also one of its most creative and seminal Jewish thinkers. This comprehensive study of Rabbi Soloveitchik's religious philosophy offers a broad perspective and balanced understanding of his work. By interpreting and analyzing both individual essays and overarching themes in an accessible and engaging manner, it uncovers the depth, majesty, and fascination of his thought.

(5783 - Spring Semester) (Sunday) The first year of this series (5774) focused on the first two values of Berit Avot – Jewish peoplehood and the Land of Israel. The sequel  series, released in 5779, continued on to the latter two values of ethical living and of pursuing a rich spiritual life. We are pleased to announce that Rav Dr. Goldberg will tentatively be writing an additional 15 shiurim for release this coming Spring (5783) on spirituality in Judaism, berit Avot and Jewish leadership, and covenantal values that predate berit Avot. We recommend that you sign up now, and use the interim months to review the archived shiurim.

(5782-5783) (Wednesday) Behind our routines of daily prayer lies a hidden world of interiority, which touches upon both the heights of faith and the depths of the soul. This past year, the series explored the insights of great medieval and early modern thinkers, from R. Saadia Gaon to R. Moshe Chayyim Luzzato, and next year the series will continue with Hasidic and contemporary thinkers. We will continue with this series shortly after the chagim. New subscribers are welcome to join!

(5783) (Monday) With our return to the land of Israel we have experienced seismic historical shifts and have entered a new period of history. This has awakened hopes for redemption and has altered our sense of peoplehood. How can we navigate this uncharted territory and how do past sources provide signposts for this journey?