Making modern meaning from ancient texts.! Each week Rabbi Micah Streiffer discusses the weekly Torah portion in about 7 to 12 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
Feb 5, 2021
Feb 5, 2021
8 min
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
Jan 28, 2021
Jan 28, 2021
7 min
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
Jan 22, 2021
Jan 22, 2021
8 min
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
Jan 15, 2021
Jan 15, 2021
7 min
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
Jan 8, 2021
Jan 8, 2021
7 min
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
Dec 31, 2020
Dec 31, 2020
7 min
With the death of Jacob and the end of the book of Genesis, the Torah teaches about legacy, learning, and resilience.
Dec 24, 2020
Dec 24, 2020
7 min
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?
Dec 18, 2020
Dec 18, 2020
8 min
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!
Dec 11, 2020
Dec 11, 2020
7 min
The story of Joseph teaches a lesson about the little ways that we change the world.
Dec 4, 2020
Dec 4, 2020
7 min
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.