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
Jan 31, 2024
Jan 31, 2024
40 min
We are traditionally taught that we ALL stood together at Sinai. And yet the Torah reveals that certain people and certain voices were excluded from that pivotal moment. I talk with Rabbi Dalia Marx about finding and recapturing those silenced voices, in order to create a more inclusive Judaism.
Rabbi Dalia Marx is author of From Time to Time: Journeys in the Jewish Calendar.
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- Seven Minute Torah is a production of LAASOK. To support the production of this podcast, visit either www.patreon.com/sevenminutetorah (for per-episode contribution) OR https://laasok.org/support-laasok/ (for a one-time or monthly contribution).
- For info on our weekly Zoom Torah study groups or other learning opportunities go to https://laasok.org/.
- To join the Seven Minute Torah Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/sevenminutetorahgroup
- Comments or questions? Email me at rabbistreiffer@gmail.com.
Jan 23, 2024
Jan 23, 2024
9 min
In this parashah, the Torah tells the story of the parting of the Red Sea. The Rabbis tell the story of the brave person who made that miracle possible. In doing so, they turn the story on its head - they make it about OUR capacity for miracle-making.
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- Seven Minute Torah is a production of LAASOK. To support the production of this podcast, visit either www.patreon.com/sevenminutetorah (for per-episode contribution) OR https://laasok.org/support-laasok/ (for a one-time or monthly contribution).
- For info on our weekly Zoom Torah study groups or other learning opportunities go to https://laasok.org/.
- To join the Seven Minute Torah Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/sevenminutetorahgroup
- Comments or questions? Email me at rabbistreiffer@gmail.com.
Jan 16, 2024
Jan 16, 2024
10 min
The story of Pharaoh and the plagues is a story of how fear leads us toward actions that don't reflect our best selves.
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- Seven Minute Torah is a production of LAASOK. To support the production of this podcast, visit either www.patreon.com/sevenminutetorah (for per-episode contribution) OR https://laasok.org/support-laasok/ (for a one-time or monthly contribution).
- For info on our weekly Zoom Torah study groups or other learning opportunities go to https://laasok.org/.
- To join the Seven Minute Torah Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/sevenminutetorahgroup
- Comments or questions? Email me at rabbistreiffer@gmail.com.
Jan 9, 2024
Jan 9, 2024
10 min
The idea that God "hardened Pharaoh's heart" is a major theological conundrum. Does it mean there's no free will?? We explore what some of the commentators have said about this, and what it means for our own lives.
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- Seven Minute Torah is a production of LAASOK. For info on our weekly Zoom Torah study groups or other learning opportunities go to https://laasok.org/.
- To support the production of this podcast, visit either www.patreon.com/sevenminutetorah (for per-episode contribution) OR https://laasok.org/support-laasok/ (for a one-time or monthly contribution).
- To join the Seven Minute Torah Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/sevenminutetorahgroup
- Comments or questions? Email me at rabbistreiffer@gmail.com.
Jan 2, 2024
Jan 2, 2024
14 min
As we start a new book of the Torah, why does it sound like we're right in the middle of something? We talk about the significance of this transitional moment for Jewish identity and continuity, and for both Jewish and Palestinian self-understanding.
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- Seven Minute Torah is a production of LAASOK. For info on our weekly Zoom Torah study groups or other learning opportunities go to https://laasok.org/.
- To support the production of this podcast, visit either www.patreon.com/sevenminutetorah (for per-episode contribution) OR https://laasok.org/support-laasok/ (for a one-time or monthly contribution).
- To join the Seven Minute Torah Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/sevenminutetorahgroup
- Comments or questions? Email me at rabbistreiffer@gmail.com.
Dec 12, 2023
Dec 12, 2023
12 min
One of the subtexts of the Joseph story is the ongoing growth of Judah, who increasingly demonstrates an ability to take responsibility and to care about the needs and well-being of others. This makes him a secondary "hero" of Joseph's story.
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- Seven Minute Torah is a production of LAASOK. For info on our weekly Zoom Torah study groups or other learning opportunities go to https://laasok.org/.
- To support the production of this podcast, visit either www.patreon.com/sevenminutetorah (for per-episode contribution) OR https://laasok.org/support-laasok/ (for a one-time or monthly contribution).
- To join the Seven Minute Torah Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/sevenminutetorahgroup
- Comments or questions? Email me at rabbistreiffer@gmail.com.
Dec 5, 2023
Dec 5, 2023
14 min
Joseph's story is the story of how holding a vision of a better world helps us work toward a better world.
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- Seven Minute Torah is a production of LAASOK. For info on our weekly Zoom Torah study groups or other learning opportunities go to https://laasok.org/.
- To support the production of this podcast, visit either www.patreon.com/sevenminutetorah (for per-episode contribution) OR https://laasok.org/support-laasok/ (for a one-time or monthly contribution).
- To join the Seven Minute Torah Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/sevenminutetorahgroup
- Comments or questions? Email me at rabbistreiffer@gmail.com.
Nov 28, 2023
Nov 28, 2023
14 min
The terrible story of the rape of Dinah, Jacob's daughter, teaches about cycles of violence and vengeance, and about how victims' voices can so easily be erased or ignored.
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- Seven Minute Torah is a production of LAASOK. For info on our weekly Zoom Torah study groups or other learning opportunities go to https://laasok.org/.
- To support the production of this podcast, visit either www.patreon.com/sevenminutetorah (for per-episode contribution) OR https://laasok.org/support-laasok/ (for a one-time or monthly contribution).
- To join the Seven Minute Torah Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/sevenminutetorahgroup
- Comments or questions? Email me at rabbistreiffer@gmail.com.
Nov 21, 2023
Nov 21, 2023
11 min
What does it mean when Jacob exclaims, "God is in this place and I did not know it!" How can we work to recognize, and bring, the Divine into the world during dark times?
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- Seven Minute Torah is a production of LAASOK. For info on our weekly Zoom Torah study groups or other learning opportunities go to https://laasok.org/.
- To support the production of this podcast, visit either www.patreon.com/sevenminutetorah (for per-episode contribution) OR https://laasok.org/support-laasok/ (for a one-time or monthly contribution).
- To join the Seven Minute Torah Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/sevenminutetorahgroup
- Comments or questions? Email me at rabbistreiffer@gmail.com.
Nov 14, 2023
Nov 14, 2023
13 min
The story of Isaac quarrelling with the Philistines over the digging of wells is a reminder that living in the land of Israel has always meant sharing the land and its resources, making space for multiple peoples and multiple stories.
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- Seven Minute Torah is a production of LAASOK. For info on our weekly Zoom Torah study groups or other learning opportunities go to https://laasok.org/.
- To support the production of this podcast, visit either www.patreon.com/sevenminutetorah (for per-episode contribution) OR https://laasok.org/support-laasok/ (for a one-time or monthly contribution).
- To join the Seven Minute Torah Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/sevenminutetorahgroup
- Comments or questions? Email me at rabbistreiffer@gmail.com.