Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast Seven Minute Torah
| Titre | Date | Durée | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Remember to Remember (Sh'mot) | 06 Jan 2026 | 00:15:23 | |
What does it mean when the Torah tells us that God “hardened Pharaoh’s heart”? Rabbi Micah Streiffer explores a contemporary interpretation that understands Pharaoh’s stubbornness as a return to entrenched, harmful habits—and considers how this reading speaks to our own era of geopolitical uncertainty and our enduring responsibility to pursue justice. Notes and Links:
| |||
| Joseph and His Brothers Find Repentance (Vayigash) | 23 Dec 2025 | 00:30:40 | |
In this week’s Torah portion, Joseph tearfully reunites with his brothers after two decades of separation, and many more years of pain and animosity. Rabbi Micah Streiffer speaks with Rabbi Steven Garten about how this powerful story can serve as a model for repentance and redemption in our own lives. Cross-posted with the Jewish Faith and Facts podcast. Notes and Links:
| |||
| They Buried Him Together (Chayei Sarah - encore) | 11 Nov 2025 | 00:10:36 | |
When Abraham dies, the Torah surprises us by revealing that his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him together. What lessons can we learn from this surprising moment in Torah? What does it teach us about family, about our own relationships, and about relations between nations. An encore presentation of Rabbi Micah's 2021 podcast on this parsha. Per the episode, the short story "A Wind From the South," can be found here: https://jewishliteraryjournal.com/fiction/a-wind-from-the-south/. Notes and Links:
| |||
| Seeing God (Vayera) | 04 Nov 2025 | 00:11:50 | |
The Torah tells us we can’t see God—yet this week’s portion, Vayera, begins with the words, “God appeared to Abraham.” What does it mean to “see” a God who has no image? In this episode, Rabbi Micah explores how Vayera—filled with stories of Abraham, Sarah, Hagar, and Isaac—turns the act of seeing into a spiritual theme. The challenge is not that God can’t be seen, but that we so often forget to look. Notes and Links:
| |||
| Yes, You Are Your Brother's Keeper (Bereshit) | 21 Oct 2025 | 00:11:14 | |
The Torah begins with a question: "Am I my brother's keeper?" And although it never answers it directly, the rest of the Torah IS an answer to that question. In this episode, Rabbi Micah Streiffer discusses why the answer is a resounding "Yes!" and what that means for our Jewish lives today.
Notes and Links:
| |||
| Do We Have to Forgive? Lessons from a Gourd Plant | 01 Oct 2025 | 00:12:54 | |
A Yom Kippur reflection with Rabbi Micah Streiffer -- exploring a Talmudic story, the book of Jonah, and the lessons of a gourd plant. What does Jewish tradition really teach about forgiveness, and how can seeing the humanity in others move us toward healing? ---------------------------------
| |||
| When Society Goes Astray (Nitzavim) | 17 Sep 2025 | 00:13:16 | |
How can we respond when the world feels chaotic—when society seems to be unraveling around us? Join Rabbi Micah Streiffer in exploring what Torah teaches about finding responsibility and purpose in challenging times. ---------------------------------
| |||
| In the Image of God (Ki Tetze) | 02 Sep 2025 | 00:15:16 | |
One of Judaism’s most famous teachings is that every person is created B’tzelem Elohim—in the image of God. But what does that really mean for how we see and treat each other, especially those who have done wrong? In this episode, Rabbi Micah Streiffer digs into a surprising Torah passage and rabbinic midrash to explore dignity, justice, and the limits (or lack thereof) of seeing the divine in every human being. ---------------------------------
| |||
| God is Oneness (Re'eh) | 19 Aug 2025 | 00:13:08 | |
This week’s Torah portion is full of laws—about food, tithes, debts, sacrifice. Hard to relate to? Maybe. But beneath the rules lies a profound truth: the Shema’s declaration that God is Oneness. What happens when we see the divine not as a distant lawgiver, but as the sacred unity that connects us to everything and everyone? ---------------------------------
| |||
| Across the River; Not Off the Hook (Matot-Masei) | 22 Jul 2025 | 00:16:16 | |
As two and a half tribes choose to settle outside the Promised Land, Moses asks: Will your siblings go to war while you stay here? This week's Torah portion raises timeless questions about what we owe each other as Jews—especially across distance, disagreement, and diaspora. Rabbi Micah Streiffer explores ancient texts, modern Israel-diaspora dynamics, and the Talmudic idea that all Israel are guarantors for one another. What does that really mean in 2025—and what happens when we stay silent? ---------------------------------
| |||
| When the Extremists are in Charge (Pinchas) | 15 Jul 2025 | 00:13:16 | |
How do we respond when the Torah condones violent extremism? How might our response shape our own Jewish lives, not to mention our relationship with Israel? In this episode, Rabbi Micah Streiffer argues for the importance of acknowledging when extremism is present, rather than trying to explain it away.
---------------------------------
| |||
| Donkey Midrash (Balak) | 08 Jul 2025 | 00:12:42 | |
What does a donkey have to do with your soul? In this episode, Rabbi Micah Streiffer explores stories from Midrash and Torah about donkeys - and how they teach people about our ethical and spiritual responsibilities.
---------------------------------
| |||
| The Arrogance That Thinks It Knows All Truth (Korach) | 24 Jun 2025 | 00:13:04 | |
Korach is not just a rebel. He's the embodiment of what the prayerbook calls "the arrogance that thinks it knows all truth." The Torah comes to remind us that we have a lot left to learn - even from people we disagree with. ---------------------------------
| |||
| How to be Caleb (Sh'lach Lecha) | 17 Jun 2025 | 00:12:40 | |
Many of us know very little about the biblical figure of Caleb. But he is a model of positivity, faith, and believing in what's possible - even when the world around you doesn't. Rabbi Micah Streiffer explores some midrash about Caleb, and asks what we can learn for the bleak world we're living in. ---------------------------------
| |||
| Ruling by Fear Will Never Work (B'ha-alotcha) | 10 Jun 2025 | 00:12:38 | |
Far from being threatened by others, Moses acts in a way that upholds the rights of others to speak their minds. In that sense, this Torah portion portrays him as the opposite of an authoritarian ruler. ---------------------------------
| |||
| You're Not So Special (Achrei Mot-Kedoshim) | 08 May 2025 | 00:12:25 | |
In this week's haftarah, the prophet Amos contradicts the Torah portion! How can he tell us we're not so special when the Torah called us kedoshim - holy? It's in that juxtaposition of ideas that the true essence of Judaism is found. ---------------------------------
| |||
| Creation and Suffering (Sh'mini) | 22 Apr 2025 | 00:14:54 | |
In this week's Torah portion, a moment of celebration and creation turns tragic. What is the relationship between creation and suffering? We look at some midrash and try to understand how these two very human experiences can coexist. ---------------------------------
| |||
| Actually Listening to Each Other (Vayikra) | 01 Apr 2025 | 00:15:23 | |
In a deeply divided society, Jewish tradition has some advice for how to be with each other: actually listen. Rabbi Micah Streiffer explores texts from Torah and Talmud that teach us about community and about recognizing one another's unique gifts. ---------------------------------
| |||
| Finding our Half Shekel of Agency (P'kudei) | 25 Mar 2025 | 00:14:41 | |
The kind of society that you have matters. That's the message under the surface of this dry, number-filled Torah portion. Rabbi Micah Streiffer explores how an accounting of silver half-shekels translates into a message about the worth of human beings and justice in society. ---------------------------------
| |||
| Study is an Act of Resistance (Vayak'hel) | 18 Mar 2025 | 00:13:22 | |
In challenging times, Jews turn to study not only for comfort and connection, but also to empower ourselves. In this episode, Rabbi Streiffer talks about how our Jewish learning can be an act of empowerment and resistance when those in power attempt to control information and actions. ---------------------------------
| |||
| Build WHO a Sanctuary? (Terumah) | 25 Feb 2025 | 00:12:46 | |
In the Torah, God commands the people to "build me a sanctuary." But goes God really need a house? Who is the Mishkan really for? We look at some ancient midrash, and also compare to modern, liberal Jewish ways of thinking about ritual. ---------------------------------
| |||
| On Redemption and Relocation: A Response to Trump's Gaza Proposal (B'shallach) | 07 Feb 2025 | 00:13:00 | |
As the Torah tells the story of the Exodus, it sends a strong message that redemption is not only about moving to the geographic Promised Land, but also about moving toward a more just society and a repaired world. This is why the idea of forcibly relocating Palestinians from Gaza is completely anathema to Jewish teaching. ---------------------------------
| |||
| Truth to Power: Bishop Mariann Budde and the Question of Religion and Politics (Bo) | 28 Jan 2025 | 00:09:16 | |
Should priests and rabbis have something to say about policy? Is it the role of ministers and imams to speak on matters of politics and partisanship? Rabbi Micah Streiffer explores questions about religion and politics, ethics and responsibilities, through progressive Jewish eyes. You can also read this article on JTA.
---------------------------------
| |||
| Looking Backwards and Ahead (Vay'chi) | 07 Jan 2025 | 00:10:36 | |
Jacob's blessing of his grandchildren also invokes the names of his grandparents. It is a reminder that we are links in a chain of tradition. And that we are responsible both to be aware of the blessings of the past and to commit ourselves to a better future. ---------------------------------
| |||
| Believing it's Possible (Vayeshev - encore) | 18 Dec 2024 | 00:12:12 | |
Joseph seems to keep finding his way of out hard spots, over and over. Is there something about the way he believes and/or acts that makes that possible? ---------------------------------
| |||
| Sorrow to Strength (Vayishlach) | 10 Dec 2024 | 00:11:52 | |
Why does Jacob change the name of Rachel's youngest son from Ben-Oni (child of sorrow) to Binyamin (child of strength)? Rabbi Micah Streiffer explores the Torah's message about finding strength in our pain and sorrow.
---------------------------------
| |||
| Families Come in All Shapes and Sizes (Vayetze) | 03 Dec 2024 | 00:15:36 | |
This week we explore the emotional lives of Rachel and Sara and how they cope with family and societal expectations. Reading a modern Midrash from Hagit Bartov, we explore her suggestion about "opening up" our picture of what family and identity "should" look like. ---------------------------------
| |||
| She Fell off Her Camel (Chayei Sarah) | 19 Nov 2024 | 00:14:20 | |
Why did Rebekah fall off her camel when she met Isaac? Is that even what really happened? And what does that have to do with marriage, partnership, and misogyny? In this episode, Rabbi Micah Streiffer explores some Midrash on Rebekah and Isaac, painting two parallel pictures of what the matriarch and patriarch mean for Jewish life today. ---------------------------------
| |||
| Sharing the Covenant (Vayera) | 13 Nov 2024 | 00:14:35 | |
This week's Torah portion contains two stories - the incident of Sodom and Gomorrah, and the incident of Hagar and Ishmael - that teach important Jewish values about justice and about the way we are supposed to relate to neighboring peoples. In this episode, Rabbi Micah Streiffer speaks about the ideas that come out of these narratives, and about how they relate to Jewish life and to Israel today. ---------------------------------
| |||
| Standing Against Injustice (Lech Lecha) | 06 Nov 2024 | 00:12:58 | |
The midrash teaches us that Abraham is an idol smasher. Heschel teaches us that an idol is "any god concerned with me but not with you." In other words, Judaism says that injustice is idolatry, and that we must to stand up against injustice even when - especially when - it is the policy of our own government. This is an important message in the current political moment, as we look to what the next 4 years will bring. ---------------------------------
| |||
| Being Human (Bereshit) | 22 Oct 2024 | 00:13:32 | |
We mostly think of the story of Adam and Eve as a story about sin and punishment, but Rabbi Micah Streiffer wants to suggest that it is actually a story about what it means to be human. This episode is the beginning of season 6! ---------------------------------
| |||
| Why Moses Had to Die (V'zot Ha'Bracha) | 15 Oct 2024 | 00:14:35 | |
As we read the Torah's last portion, we ask about the death of Moses, and explore a Midrash about life and death, leadership and legacy. Chazak chazak v'nitchazeik! Be strong, be strong, and let us strengthen one another!
---------------------------------
| |||
| Wood Choppers, Water Drawers, and Undocumented Immigrants (Nitzavim - encore) | 24 Sep 2024 | 00:10:22 | |
This week's Torah portion suggests a framework for how to include those who live at the outskirts of society. A message of social justice and human dignity that speaks powerfully to our moment.
---------------------------------
| |||
| Reclaiming T'fillin (Ki Tavo) | 17 Sep 2024 | 00:13:40 | |
In a strange passage of Talmud, the Rabbis imagine God putting on t'fillin. They tie it back to this week's Torah portion - to an image of God and the Jewish people "affirming" their covenant with each other. In this episode, Rabbi Micah Streiffer will talk about this surprising image of the Divine, and why it just might help us reclaim t'fillin in liberal Judaism. ---------------------------------
| |||
| Who cares?? (Ki Tetze) | 10 Sep 2024 | 00:13:20 | |
As liberal Jews, what are we supposed to do with obscure, esoteric laws in the Torah that seem to have nothing to do with Jewish life today? This portion contains one of the Torah's most obscure laws: the prohibition against mixing wool and linen (shaatnez). Rabbi Micah Streiffer talks about the possible meanings behind it, and how to make modern meaning from a section like this. ---------------------------------
| |||
| We Are All Responsible (Shoftim - A Conversation with Alden Solovy) | 04 Sep 2024 | 00:46:59 | |
Alden Solovy is a poet and a creator of beautiful modern liturgy. In this episode, he joins Rabbi Micah Streiffer to discuss the idea of communal responsibility (as expressed in an intensely strange event in this week's Torah portion), to talk about the ongoing events in Israel and Gaza, and to read some of his original meditations for the High Holy Days. Alden's newest book is Enter These Gates: Meditations for the Days of Awe from CCAR Press. A 20% discount is available using code HHD5785.
---------------------------------
| |||
| Disagreeing with the Torah (Re'eh) | 27 Aug 2024 | 00:12:36 | |
The Torah makes a grand pronouncement: Israelites should distance themselves physically and spiritually from neighboring peoples so as not to be tempted to "follow their ways." But how does this sit with modern, progressive Jews who believe in interfaith dialogue? Isn't it important to learn about other religious and cultural groups? In this episode, Rabbi Micah Streiffer explores what it means to disagree with the Torah on this topic. ---------------------------------
| |||
| Judaism is About Love (Ekev - A Conversation with Rabbi Shai Held) | 21 Aug 2024 | 00:54:49 | |
Rabbi Shai Held is one of the most important thinkers in modern Jewish life. President and Dean of the Hadar Institute, he is a theologian, rabbi, educator, and author. In this interview, he joins Rabbi Micah Streiffer to talk about the Torah's command to love the stranger, and about the broader idea that Judaism is about love. Rabbi Held's latest book is Judaism is About Love. ---------------------------------
| |||
| Knowing When to Step Aside (Pinchas) | 23 Jul 2024 | 00:12:30 | |
In this portion, Moses faces the prospect of his own death. The Midrash paints a picture of him as a leader who both struggles with own mortality and cares deeply about the welfare of the people he leads. We explore these messages, comparing them with contemporary events. ---------------------------------
| |||
| Beware the Demagogue (Korach) | 02 Jul 2024 | 00:12:38 | |
Korach claims that "all the people are holy," but his actions seem to be less about the people and more about his own interests. In that sense, he reminds us of some politicians we know today. ---------------------------------
| |||
| You Don't Know What Someone Else is Thinking (Sh'lach Lecha) | 25 Jun 2024 | 00:12:54 | |
The Torah's famous story of the "scouts" is a pivotal moment - the beginning of the 40 years of wandering in the wilderness. But what did the scouts do wrong? We take a look at a Midrash that suggests that, in part, it was because they made assumptions about what the people of the land were thinking about them. We talk about the cognitive distortion of "mind reading" and how it harms our well-being, our relationships, and our world. ---------------------------------
| |||
| Would That All God's People Were Prophets (B'ha-alot'cha - encore) | 18 Jun 2024 | 00:10:48 | |
This parashah tells about a strange incident in which two Israelites prophesy "illicitly." Moses's reaction to them teaches something important about leadership and listening. (Encore from 2022.) ---------------------------------
| |||
| 70 Faces of Torah (Naso) | 11 Jun 2024 | 00:14:58 | |
A midrash says that the Torah is "one" but has seventy faces. We explore how Jewish life sits at the intersection of unity and pluralism. ---------------------------------
| |||
| The Questions that Make Up Jewish Life (B'midbar - A Conversation with Rabbi Mark Washofsky) | 05 Jun 2024 | 01:01:43 | |
In this interview episode, Micah talks with Rabbi Mark Washofsky about B'midbar, the opening parsha of the book of Numbers. They discuss the census in the desert, why it takes place and what it says about Jewish life. And they go on to talk about a variety of related topics around Reform Judaism and halakhah (Jewish law). Rabbi Washofsky is the author of Reading Reform Responsa. ---------------------------------
| |||
| Are We in Exile? (Behar and Bechukotai) | 21 May 2024 | 00:15:58 | |
Is Jewish life supposed to be lived in the land of Israel? Can you live a fulfilling and meaningful life in diaspora? How do we, as liberal Jews, relate to the traditional Jewish notion of "exile?" We explore some midrash on the topic. ---------------------------------
| |||
| For Whom is the Light? (Emor) | 15 May 2024 | 00:11:48 | |
In this week's Torah portion, God asks the people to provide a Ner Tamid - an eternal light - in the sanctuary. But does God need a light? And by extension, does God need our rituals and prayers? We look at some midrash and explore the question: Who are our rituals for? ---------------------------------
| |||
| Who Is My Neighbor? (Kedoshim) | 09 May 2024 | 00:14:06 | |
The Torah commands: "Love your neighbor as yourself?" But who is the neighbor that I'm commanded the love? The answer is not straightforward. In fact, it's one of the great debates of Judaism. ---------------------------------
| |||
| Yom Kippur in May?? (Achrei Mot - encore) | 01 May 2024 | 00:11:48 | |
Sacrifice? Demons? A scapegoat?? This parashah describes the strange, levitical practices of Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. What meaning is there to be found for modern Jewish life in this ancient, priestly ritual? ---------------------------------
| |||
| Lessons from Leprosy (Metzora) | 16 Apr 2024 | 00:13:46 | |
How often do we dehumanize or ostracize people who are suffering from disease, poverty, mental health challenges, etc? This week we focus on some Midrash surrounding how you're supposed to treat people afflicted with leprosy. The Rabbis find some surprising and affirming messages embedded in this strange Torah portion. ---------------------------------
| |||
| The Healing Power of Presence (Tazria - encore) | 09 Apr 2024 | 00:10:12 | |
Tazria is about scaly skin disease and priestly diagnosis. But when we examine it through the Rabbis' eyes, it is about our responsibility to each other in times of suffering. We explore a story from the Talmud that helps drive home that idea. ---------------------------------
| |||