Our special guest this week, Rabbi Zvi Grumet, was ordained by Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik and holds an Ed.D. from the Azrieli Graduate School of Yeshiva University. He is the author of numerous articles in both Tanakh and education, and has edited various publications, including Jewish Education in Transition. Rabbi Dr. Grumet is a senior staff member at The Lookstein Center for Jewish Education where he is the editor of Jewish Educational Leadership. He is also coordinator of the Tanakh Department at Yeshivat Eretz HaTzvi in Jerusalem, and a faculty member at the Pardes Institute and at Hebrew College (Boston). Rabbi Grumet's new book Moses and the Path to Leadership, (Urim Publications), will be available later this year.
This week's Torah portion- Parashat Bo (Exodus 10:1-13:16)- features the final three plagues of Egypt, the People of Israel's departure from Egypt, and the first Passover celebration. Our discussion focuses on a curious little episode in the Exodus story- the one in which the people of Israel ask the Egyptians to 'borrow' their gold, silver, and clothing before they leave- and on its significance.