Why does Unkelos translate “I will go down with you to Egypt” literally—when he usually avoids any language that suggests God has a body? In this episode of Unperplexed, we follow the Rambam’s answer and discover a deep principle about prophecy, interpretation, and why reverence for great thinkers still matters today.

We usually think the Torah is deeply critical of our attachment to money and property. But what if the law itself assumes that attachment—and even takes it seriously? This episode explores a surprising Rambam, an anxious moment in the Yosef story, and what they reveal about human nature and the Torah’s legal wisdom.

Sources: Guide 3:40, De’ot 3:1-2, Gen. 43:18 with commentaries.

The Rambam argues that sin offerings are so often goats because the brothers dipped Joseph's coat into goat blood. In fact, in just a few words, he reframes our understanding of offerings, sin, repentance, and Jewish peoplehood. And we learn of the debts we carry.

Sources: Guide 3:46, Gen. 37:31

Yaakov dreams that he wrestles and angel and somehow comes out with a limp. Is this possible? And what does it mean?

In fact, it contains the kernel of a great and life changing idea.

Sources: Guide 2:42, 6, Rabbi Avraham ben HaRambam to Gen. 32:26.

Pictured: Gustave Doré, Jacob Wrestling with the Angel (1855)

Jacob dreams of angels climbing a ladder and God standing above them. But God doesn't stand and angels don't need to climb. So what does his dream actually mean? In one of the famous passages of the Guide, the Rambam explains and- in doing so- he explains what Jewish spirituality really is.

Rivkah found out that Esav was planning to kill Yaakov, so she sent him away. What did she hear and how? And what lesson does that contain for us?

Gen. 27:41-42 with commentators, Guide 1:65, Pesachim 54b.

This week, I will share a wonderful surprise with you. That is, according to the Rambam, Eliezer, the servant of Avraham, made a mistake. He was right that God runs the world. But he misunderstood how we, as God’s independent creations, need to act in that world. In fact, Eliezer was like a gambler, who flips a coin and wins big. The outcome doesn’t prove his method was wise, only that he was lucky.

And that contains a central lesson for us, for how we think of Jewish faith in God, and for how we make our decisions.

Avimelech says he's righteous, Avraham says he's not. God seems to agree with both of them (this is Judaism, after all). So which is it and what should we learn from this moral conundrum?

Pictured: Jan de Herdt, 'Abraham and Abimelech'.