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Spark Torah Podcast: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Chana Miriam Bouskila
The Spark Torah podcast is a weekly parsha shiur given over by Chana Miriam Bouskila. Each week we dive into the weekly Torah portion with curated insights that delve deeper, help you understand the parsha, and give you tools to carry away with you into your life. sparktorahpodcast.substack.com
Latest Episodes
The most recent episodes — sign up to get AI-powered summaries of each one.
- 6 days ago19 min
Ep. 87 - Parsha Ha’Azinu 5786
Moshe’s final words to Bnei Israel come as a song. In Parshat Ha’azinu, Shirat Ha’azinu looks back at the Jewish people’s relationship with Hashem: the ways He protected and provided for them, the times they turned away, and the promise that He will ultimately return to His people.In this episode, we explore:Why Moshe calls on both heaven and earth to hear his words—and what that teaches us about carrying the inspiration of Torah and tefillah into everyday life.The beautiful comparison of Torah to rain and dew, and why even a heart that hasn’t been fully “prepared” can still be touched by Torah.How making Torah the center of our lives allows its light to influence everything around it.The spiritual challenge of wealth and material comfort, and how our blessings can become tools for Torah, mitzvot, and kindness rather than ends in themselves.The mechitzah between the spiritual and material worlds—and how bringing holiness into ordinary physical life helps heal that divide.Why the Torah is “not an empty thing”—and the importance of turning to qualified Torah teachers when we don’t know how Torah applies to a particular situation.One theme runs throughout Ha’azinu: don’t leave your inspiration in shul.Torah is meant to come with us: to the kitchen, the workplace, our parenting, our relationships, our gardens, and all the ordinary routines that make up a life. When we take something we have learned or felt and put it into action, we begin bringing heaven down to earth and elevating the earth toward heaven. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sparktorahpodcast.substack.com/subscribe
- 2 weeks ago38 min
Ep. 86 - Parsha Nitzavim Vayelech 5786
This week’s double parsha brings together two seemingly opposite ideas: Nitzavim — standing firm — and Vayelech — moving forward. We explore why we need both: a strong, unwavering foundation of emunah alongside continual growth in Torah, mitzvot, and our relationship with Hashem.In this episode:Stand, think, then move. Nitzavim and Vayelech give us a practical formula for life: pause and think before we speak or act, make a plan, move forward, and then stop again to reflect on how we did.Making our “beyond” our new normal. Teshuvah requires more than returning to where we were. We deepen our relationship with Hashem until the devotion that once felt beyond us becomes part of our ordinary lives.Torah is within reach. Moshe reminds Am Yisrael that Torah is not impossibly distant or reserved for extraordinary people. Hashem asks us for sincere effort.We need Hashem to succeed. Through a personal struggle with anger, I share what happened when I stopped relying solely on techniques and advice and began asking Hashem directly to help me change.The Yehoshua of every generation. Torah itself does not change, but its application to the circumstances of each generation requires Torah leadership—which is one reason having a relationship with a rabbi matters.What other people may reveal about us. When someone else’s behavior bothers us, it can become an opportunity to examine our own middot and ask what Hashem may be showing us.The redwood forest and the Jewish people. Like redwoods whose roots intertwine and support one another, every Jew remains an individual while also being strengthened by—and responsible for—the whole.Carrying Torah into ordinary life. The engraved and written Torah associated with the Aron represent both our intrinsic connection to Torah and our responsibility to carry that connection into the mundane parts of everyday life.Questions or comments? I’d love to hear your thoughts on this week’s parsha and what stood out to you most.Thank you so much for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, I’d love for you to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a friend. Every share helps more people connect with the beauty and depth of Torah learning. Please leave a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, which is an entirely free way to support the pod. For weekly Torah insights, bonus content, and archived episodes, visit sparktorah.substack.com. Thank you for learning with me today! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sparktorahpodcast.substack.com/subscribe
- 3 weeks ago28 min
Ep. 85 - Parsha Ki Tavo 5786
This week we explore Parshat Ki Tavo and what it means to truly enter the gifts, mitzvot, and moments Hashem gives us.We begin with the words “Ki Tavo” — “when you come” and the idea that every new day is a gift waiting for us to step into it. As Rosh Hashanah approaches, we consider what it means not simply to ask Hashem for more days, but to be fully alive and present within them.We also discuss:* Bikkurim and gratitude — recognizing that even after all our hard work, our blessings ultimately come from Hashem.* Being “all in” with mitzvot — why partial entry is not considered entry and what that can teach us about giving a mitzvah our full attention.* Renewing our relationship with Hashem every day — approaching Torah and our covenant with the freshness and enthusiasm of something new.* Growing large enough for our blessings — how Torah, teaching, giving, raising children, and serving others expand our capacity to receive abundance.* “Merov kol” and comparison — learning to see what Hashem has given us as enough rather than measuring our blessings against someone else’s.* The hidden comfort within the Tochachah — even in exile and oppression, ein koneh: ultimately, no one can own our spiritual identity. We remain avdei Hashem.Questions or comments? I’d love to hear your thoughts on this week’s parsha and what stood out to you most.Thank you so much for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, I’d love for you to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a friend. Every share helps more people connect with the beauty and depth of Torah learning. Please leave a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, which is an entirely free way to support the pod. For weekly Torah insights, bonus content, and archived episodes, visit sparktorah.substack.com. Thank you for learning with me today! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sparktorahpodcast.substack.com/subscribe
- Aug 17, 202630 min
Ep. 84 - Parsha Ki Teitzei 5786
This week we’re learning Parsha Ki Teitzei, the parsha with more mitzvot than any other in the Torah!We’ll explore what the Torah’s laws surrounding the captive woman teach us about the powerful influence of our environment, even on the most righteous among us, and what that means for the communities and homes we choose to build.We’ll also look at the mitzvah of returning lost objects through the Or HaChaim’s beautiful interpretation of helping bring a fellow Jew back to Torah, and take a deeper look at the unusual mitzvah of shiluach haken, sending away the mother bird. Why does the Torah promise long life for this mitzvah, and what does it have to do with compassion, children, and the influence we leave behind?Later, we’ll discover how the mitzvah of building a fence around a roof can teach us to put healthy boundaries around our spiritual ambitions, why Miriam’s story still has so much to teach us about the way we speak about others, and how even an accidental mitzvah can bring blessing.Finally, we’ll talk about memory and forgetting. The Torah commands us to remember some things and let go of others—but what happens when we begin to forget Hashem, Torah, and our own Jewish identity? And what does remembering Amalek have to teach us about humility, assimilation, and remaining connected to who we are?Questions or comments? I’d love to hear your thoughts on this week’s parsha and what stood out to you most.Thank you so much for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, I’d love for you to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a friend. Every share helps more people connect with the beauty and depth of Torah learning. Please leave a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, which is an entirely free way to support the pod. For weekly Torah insights, bonus content, and archived episodes, visit sparktorah.substack.com. Thank you for learning with me today! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sparktorahpodcast.substack.com/subscribe
- Aug 10, 202627 min
Ep. 83 - Parsha Shoftim 5786
Parsha Shoftim is filled with laws about leadership. So that begs the question: How do we lead our own lives? With Rosh Chodesh Elul beginning, this becomes an invitation to choose one small area in which to grow, whether that means taking on something new or bringing more intention and consistency to something we already do. We also explore Rav Moshe Feinstein’s fascinating explanation of the matzevah: human beings are not meant to become monuments to past accomplishments. Then we turn to the Torah’s vision of a Jewish king. His power is deliberately limited, and he must keep Torah constantly beside him. The king’s two Torah scrolls offer a lesson for all of us: we need Torah woven into our everyday lives, but we also need regular opportunities to stop and ask whether the way we are living still matches the values we claim to hold. We will also explore the Torah’s prohibition against needless destruction, and two ways of understanding it: valuing the gifts Hashem has given us, and shaping ourselves into people who preserve and build rather than destroy. We will look into the eglah arufah, where the Torah reminds us never to lose sight of the immeasurable value of one individual human life.In this episode: Torah learning that leads to action, choosing an Elul commitment, why spiritual growth never really ends, the king’s two Torah scrolls, what it means to be tamim with Hashem • bal tashchit and our responsibility toward Hashem’s gifts, the infinite value of every human lifeSources discussed: Rav Tov Weinberger, Rabbanit Yemima Mizrachi, Ohr HaChaim, Rabbeinu Yonah, Rashi, Rav Moshe Feinstein, Rabbi Yehoshua Gordon, Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz, the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rambam, Netziv, Sefer HaChinuch, Rav Yosef of Salant, Rav Kook, Rabbi Shalom Rosner, Rabbi Yissocher Frand, Rav Yaakov Yitzchak Ruderman, and Shemen HaTov.Questions or comments? I’d love to hear your thoughts on this week’s parsha and what stood out to you most.Thank you so much for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, I’d love for you to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a friend. Every share helps more people connect with the beauty and depth of Torah learning. Please leave a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, which is an entirely free way to support the pod. For weekly Torah insights, bonus content, and archived episodes, visit sparktorah.substack.com. Thank you for learning with me today!This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sparktorahpodcast.substack.com/subscribe This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sparktorahpodcast.substack.com/subscribe
- Aug 3, 202632 min
Ep. 82 - Parsha Re’eh 5786
This week we dive into Parshat Re’eh, the turning point in Moshe Rabbeinu’s final speech before Bnei Yisrael enter the Land of Israel.We will discuss:The choice of a blessing or a curse and why these are both placed before us.Rav Shlomo Zevin’s insight into transforming both prosperity and hardship into opportunities to serve Hashem.The Lubavitcher Rebbe’s teaching that what appears to be a curse may actually be a blessing.Why the Torah says “today”, and what it teaches us about approaching Torah.The significance of Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal and the choice each of us faces daily.Why the Torah repeatedly speaks about “the place that Hashem will choose” without naming Jerusalem.What it really means to “follow Hashem” and why humility is the key to genuine closeness.The mitzvah of tzedakah, including a lesson from the Vilna Gaon.Why Sukkot is called the festival of joy and how gratitude is the foundation of true happiness.Powerful lessons on appreciating our parents, spouses, spiritual growth, and the blessings already present in our lives.Rabbanit Yemima Mizrachi’s inspiring message about filling our homes with words of bracha instead of negativity as we prepare for the month of Elul.Questions or comments? I’d love to hear your thoughts on this week’s parsha and what stood out to you most.Thank you so much for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, I’d love for you to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a friend. Every share helps more people connect with the beauty and depth of Torah learning. Please leave a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, which is an entirely free way to support the pod. For weekly Torah insights, bonus content, and archived episodes, visit sparktorah.substack.com. Thank you for learning with me today! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sparktorahpodcast.substack.com/subscribe
- Jul 26, 202625 min
Ep. 81 - Parsha Eikev 5786
This week we explore Parshat Eikev, where Moshe reminds the Jewish people that life in the Land of Israel will depend on remembering Hashem—not only during hardship, but especially during times of blessing and success.We will discuss:Why the Torah says “kol hamitzvah” (”the entire mitzvah”) and what it teaches us about treating the mitzvot as a complete package rather than choosing only the ones that come naturally.The spiritual symbolism of the 613 mitzvot and how each one contributes to our spiritual wholeness.Why Birkat HaMazon is considered by many to be the Torah’s only explicit commandment to recite a blessing, and what we can learn from Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach, Rav Schwab, Rav Shach, and Rav Soloveitchik about gratitude and concentration.The surprising lesson of the manna: why abundance and comfort can be just as great a spiritual test as poverty.Moshe’s willingness to take responsibility for breaking the Tablets and what true leadership looks like.The Torah’s repeated commandment to love the ger (convert) and why this mitzvah goes beyond the general obligation to love one’s fellow Jew.The different ways we are called to love Hashem (with all our heart, soul, and might) and why even small efforts to increase our awareness of Hashem matter.Whether we’re struggling or thriving, Parshat Eikev reminds us that every mitzvah, every blessing, and every opportunity to draw closer to Hashem is significant.Questions or comments? I’d love to hear your thoughts on this week’s parsha and what stood out to you most.Thank you so much for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, I’d love for you to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a friend. Every share helps more people connect with the beauty and depth of Torah learning.Please leave a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, which is an entirely free way to support the pod. For weekly Torah insights, bonus content, and archived episodes, visit sparktorah.substack.com. Thank you for learning with me today! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sparktorahpodcast.substack.com/subscribe
- Jul 21, 202633 min
Ep. 80 - Parsha Va'etchanan 5786
This week we explore Parshat Va’etchanan, a parsha filled with some of the Torah’s most foundational passages—including the Ten Commandments, the Shema, and Moshe Rabbeinu’s final pleas to enter Eretz Yisrael.We will discuss:Why Shabbat Nachamu follows Tisha B’Av and how Parshat Va’etchanan itself offers a message of comfort.The Sefat Emet’s beautiful insight that even while in exile, we can still connect to the holiness of Eretz Yisrael through our prayers.Why teaching grandchildren represents something unique in the transmission of Torah, based on the teachings of Rav Yosef Soloveitchik.How Yaakov Avinu’s relationship with Ephraim and Menashe helps explain why we are called Bnei Yisrael.The powerful lesson from Moshe establishing the Cities of Refuge: don’t let fear of not finishing keep you from beginning. Featuring insights from Rashi, the Chafetz Chayim, and the Rambam.The Lubavitcher Rebbe’s explanation of “Ein Od Milvado”—how recognizing Hashem’s presence transforms the way we experience life’s challenges.Why the commandment to honor our parents was first given at Marah, with the explanation of the Ketav Sofer.The difference between following Hashem’s commandments and pursuing Hashem’s will, through the teachings of the Ramban and Rav Elchanan Wasserman.A brief look at the Haftarah of Shabbat Nachamu and its message of redemption, comfort, and Hashem’s ultimate sovereignty over history.Questions or comments? I’d love to hear your thoughts on this week’s parsha and what stood out to you most.Thank you so much for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, I’d love for you to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a friend. Every share helps more people connect with the beauty and depth of Torah learning.Please leave a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, which is an entirely free way to support the pod. For weekly Torah insights, bonus content, and archived episodes, visit sparktorah.substack.com. Thank you for learning with me today! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sparktorahpodcast.substack.com/subscribe
About Spark Torah Podcast
The Spark Torah podcast is a weekly parsha shiur given over by Chana Miriam Bouskila. Each week we dive into the weekly Torah portion with curated insights that delve deeper, help you understand the parsha, and give you tools to carry away with you into your life. sparktorahpodcast.substack.com
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