It Already Belongs to You | Annie Nagel & Hadassah Shemtov on Women's Torah Study

Does the Torah belong to every woman? This week, I host a roundtable with two women who've built their lives around Torah: Annie Nagel, who left a thriving law career for the classroom and a PhD in Tanakh, and Hadassah Shem Tov, founder of Batsheva Learning Center. We trace the halachic sources on women's Torah study, where the historic hesitation came from, and the Lubavitcher Rebbe's radical reframe: that women's learning isn't damage control, but the direction history was always moving towards.We also talk about the practical experience of Torah study for women: How do you keep Torah alive when you're working eighty hours a week with three babies? What does learning look like in a season when deep scholarship simply isn't possible? And what would it take for the next generation of girls to believe, without question, that no Jewish book on the shelf is off-limits to them?EPISODE SPONSOR: This week's episode was sponsored by a woman who wants to empower other women to learn and take ownership of their birthright within Torah. * * * * * * *To inquire about sponsorship & advertising opportunities, please email us at info@humanandholy.comTo support our work, visit humanandholy.com/sponsor.Find us on Instagram @humanandholy & subscribe to our channel to stay up to date on all our upcoming conversations ✨Human & Holy podcast is available on all podcast streaming platforms. New episodes every Sunday & Wednesday on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Podcasts.* * * * * * *TIMESTAMPS:00:00 "The Torah belongs to every woman" — who this episode is for02:19 Annie's story: from law to a classroom and a PhD in Tanakh04:42 Hadassah's story: the year in Israel that set her trajectory07:32 "I'm not making the time I want to for my own learning"09:26 What the pivot cost Annie: trade-offs and peers making partner13:55 Framing the sources: were we all really at Sinai?16:07 The halacha, plainly: are women obligated in Torah study?21:33 Why the hesitation was about an era, not about women's minds22:03 Moshe waits a day: Hashem holds back the Shechinah until every woman is there24:14 Do women feel the Torah is theirs?28:03 How Annie kept Torah alive when life was consuming33:08 The Lubavitcher Rebbe's reframe: not a concession to the times, but the trajectory toward Moshiach38:19 The common language of the house is Torah42:54 The "living Torah" — when your whole life is already an offering47:00 "Listen to what stirs your neshama" — Torah study without pressure or guilt50:01 Why reading it yourself is irreplaceable53:35 What would it take for the next generation to know the Torah is theirs?54:08 Ending the split between text and hashkafa58:00 "No sefer on the shelf is off-limits to you"01:00:13 Rapid fire: one text to start with, the woman who lost her practice, where to begin from zero01:06:18 One message, soul to soul01:07:00 Closing