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. Seven Minute Torah is a production of LAASOK, the liberal Beit Midrash ("House of Study"). Contact us at info@laasok.org with comments or questions.
Episodes
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!
Friday Dec 11, 2020
Friday Dec 11, 2020
The story of Joseph teaches a lesson about the little ways that we change the world.
Friday Dec 04, 2020
Friday Dec 04, 2020
Is praying just about asking God for things, or is there something deeper, more unexpected going on? This week's Torah portion has some insight.
Friday Nov 27, 2020
Friday Nov 27, 2020
The story of Jacob's ladder teaches about finding holiness in unexpected places. It's an idea that saved and formed Judaism in ancient times. There couldn't be a more important message for the pandemic.
Friday Nov 20, 2020
Friday Nov 20, 2020
This week's Torah portion teaches about how to disagree respectfully. We could learn a thing or two for our own lives and our political system.