Making modern meaning from ancient texts! Each week Rabbi Micah Streiffer discusses the weekly Torah portion in about 7 to 10 minutes, through liberal Jewish eyes. We weave together philosophy, spirituality, tradition, and social justice - and derive meaning for today‘s life from our sacred sources. Longer episodes include a bonus interview with leading rabbis and Jewish thought leaders. With questions or comments, please contact me at rabbistreiffer@gmail.com.
Episodes
Thursday Mar 04, 2021
Thursday Mar 04, 2021
The story of the Golden Calf is a story of the dangers of acting out of fear. Our fears can bring out the worst in us, but they can also impel us to be our best. We quote the research of Dr. Kelly McGonigal about stress and wellness.
Friday Feb 12, 2021
Friday Feb 12, 2021
By reminding us that we were once slaves in Egypt, the Torah teaches that we are responsible to care for the vulnerable in society.
#Torah #JewishLearning #Podcast #SocialJustice
Friday Feb 05, 2021
Friday Feb 05, 2021
Did God hand down 10 Commandments on stone tablets at Mount Sinai? When we stop reading the Torah so literally, we can see that it is actually about us and our own lives.
#Judaism #Torah #TenCommandments #JewishPodcast
Thursday Jan 28, 2021
Thursday Jan 28, 2021
The Torah says that the Israelites took the long route through the wilderness to the Promised Land. A perfect metaphor for our own journeys.
#Torah #Podcast #Judaism #Transformation #BestSelf #Wellness
Friday Jan 22, 2021
Friday Jan 22, 2021
This week's parashah tells us that God "hardened Pharaoh's heart." It sounds like either a fairy tail or a weird/problematic rejection of free will. But it's actually a lesson about open-mindedness and what it takes to be our best selves.
Shout out to President Joe Biden, who quoted this portion in his inaugural address.
#Torah #Podcast #Unity #JewishLearning
Friday Jan 15, 2021
Friday Jan 15, 2021
The Torah says that the Israelite slaves couldn't even conceive of the possibility of freedom. How did Moses help them believe things could be better? What can we learn from this for our own "narrow places" in life?
#ThriveNotSurvive #Torah #learning #podcast #Judaism #wellness
Friday Jan 08, 2021
Friday Jan 08, 2021
The Torah warns us about leaders who seek power simply for the sake of being in power, without regard for the good of the people. And it holds up Moses as an example of a different kind of lawmaker.
#Torah #Judaism #CapitolRiots
Thursday Dec 31, 2020
Thursday Dec 31, 2020
With the death of Jacob and the end of the book of Genesis, the Torah teaches about legacy, learning, and resilience.
Thursday Dec 24, 2020
Thursday Dec 24, 2020
The story of Joseph is, in the end, a story of forgiveness. What can we learn about our own relationships from a millennia-old story?
Friday Dec 18, 2020
Friday Dec 18, 2020
The Joseph story is about the things we long for and how far we have to go to fulfill our dreams. The lesson might surprise you!