Seven Minute Torah by Rabbi Micah Streiffer

06.05.2024

The Questions that Make Up Jewish Life (B'midbar - A Conversation with Rabbi Mark Washofsky)

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...

05.21.2024

Are We in Exile? (Behar and Bechukotai)

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...

05.15.2024

For Whom is the Light? (Emor)

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...

05.09.2024

Who Is My Neighbor? (Kedoshim)

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. --------------------------------- Seven Minute Torah is a production of LAASOK....

05.01.2024

Yom Kippur in May?? (Achrei Mot - encore)

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? --------------------------------- Seven Minute Torah is a production of...

04.16.2024

Lessons from Leprosy (Metzora)

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...

04.09.2024

The Healing Power of Presence (Tazria - encore)

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...

04.02.2024

Don't eat that! Or do... it's up to you (Sh'mini)

Sh'mini outlines the laws of kashrut - which animals traditionally may and may not be eaten in Judaism. How does liberal Judaism approach the rules and traditions around keeping kosher in modern Jewish life? --------------------------------- Seven Minute Torah is a production of...

03.26.2024

We Need Each Other (Tzav)

In this portion we find an obscure rule about the thanksgiving offering: it must be eaten on the day that it is offered. Turns out there is an important lesson there about our need for community. --------------------------------- Seven Minute Torah is a...

03.19.2024

Does God Hear our Prayers... and Does it Matter?? (Vayikra)

This week's Torah portion is about sacrifice in the ancient Jewish Temple. It's a good opportunity for us to talk about the purpose(s) of prayer, and about how we can relate to prayer if we're not sure that God is...

03.12.2024

Building a Sanctuary; Building a World (P'kudei)

The book of Exodus ends with the completion of the Mishkan - the portable sanctuary in the desert. Why do the Rabbis compare the creation of the Mishkan with the creation of the entire world? --------------------------------- Seven Minute Torah is a production...

03.05.2024

A Good Name (Vayak'hel)

In this episode we explore a Midrash on the Torah portion, in which the Rabbis talk about what it means to have a "good name." --- Seven Minute Torah is a production of LAASOK. To support the production of this podcast, visit...

02.27.2024

Xenophobia and the Golden Calf (Ki Tisa)

A midrash blames the Golden Calf incident on the "mixed multitude" that accompanied the Israelites in the desert. What can we learn from it about acceptance and xenophobia in Jewish life? --- Seven Minute Torah is a production of LAASOK. To support...

02.21.2024

Do You Have a Shirt That You Really Love? (T'tzaveh)

This Torah portion is about clothes: colors, fabrics, hems, designs - the details of the priestly clothing. We talk about why the Torah goes into such a meticulous description, and what it has to do with our own spiritual lives....

02.13.2024

Planting Seeds of Hope (Terumah)

In the midst of a tedious Torah portion, the Rabbis tell a story that connects the building of the Mishkan (the portable sanctuary in the wilderness) with an audacious act of hope by Jacob 400 years earlier. --- Seven Minute Torah is...

02.06.2024

An Eye for an Eye?? (Mishpatim)

We explore one of the Torah's most infamous laws - the "eye for an eye" passage in Exodus 21 - to discovery what it's REALLY about, and what it says about the imperative for building a just society. We also...

01.31.2024

Recapturing the Silenced Voices (Yitro - A Conversation with Rabbi Dalia Marx)

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...

01.23.2024

Making a Miracle (B'shallach - encore)

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 -...

01.16.2024

Fear Leads to the Dark Side (Bo)

The story of Pharaoh and the plagues is a story of how fear leads us toward actions that don't reflect our best selves. --- Seven Minute Torah is a production of LAASOK. To support the production of this podcast, visit either www.patreon.com/sevenminutetorah...

01.09.2024

Hardening Our Hearts (Va’era)

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. --- Seven Minute Torah...

01.02.2024

AND These are the Names (Sh’mot)

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...

12.12.2023

Judah the Growing Hero (Miketz)

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...

12.05.2023

Envisioning a Better World (Vayeshev)

Joseph's story is the story of how holding a vision of a better world helps us work toward a better world. --- Seven Minute Torah is a production of LAASOK. For info on our weekly Zoom Torah study groups or other learning...

11.28.2023

Violence, Vengeance, and Voice in the Rape of Dinah (Vayishlach)

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. --- Seven Minute Torah is a production of LAASOK. For info on our...

11.21.2023

Connection is an Act of Godliness (Vayetze)

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? --- Seven Minute Torah is a production of...

11.14.2023

Sharing The Land (Toldot)

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. --- Seven...

11.07.2023

The Abrahamic Family (Chayei Sarah)

The story of the death of Sarah and Abraham is also a story about their children, and how we are all family. --- Seven Minute Torah is a production of LAASOK. For info on our weekly Zoom Torah study groups or other...

10.31.2023

Seeing Each Other’s Humanity (Vayera)

Abraham's argument with God over the residents of Sodom and Gomorrah is actually a message - an eminently relevant message - about seeing the humanity in each person. --- Seven Minute Torah is a production of LAASOK. For info on our weekly...

10.24.2023

What’s in a Name? (Lech Lecha)

A prominent feature of this week's Torah portion is the name changes of Abraham and Sarah. We discuss the meaning of their names, and what it means to have a name. --- Seven Minute Torah is a production of LAASOK. For info...

10.17.2023

The Earth Was Filled with Lawlessness (Noach)

The story of Noah's flood begins with a world "filled with lawless violence." With a nod to Donniel Hartman and the "For Heaven's Sake" podcast, we look at how this might apply to Israel's current moment. --- Seven Minute Torah is a...

10.11.2023

Chaos, Order, and Words (Bereshit - A Conversation with Alden Solovy)

In the wake of last weekend's horrific acts of terror, and in the midst of a mounting crisis in Israel, I talk to poet Alden Solovy about life in Jerusalem, about Bereshit, and about how words can uncover layers of...

10.03.2023

A Final blessing (V’zot Ha’brachah)

In his final blessing to the people of Israel, Moses leaves us with a message for moving forward. --- Seven Minute Torah is a production of LAASOK. For info on our weekly Zoom Torah study groups or other learning opportunities go to...

09.19.2023

Adversity and Growth (Ha’azinu - encore)

The Torah's penultimate parashah is a poem about covenant, fidelity, adversity and growth. A perfect message for the High Holy Days, and for every day. --- Seven Minute Torah is a production of LAASOK. For info on our weekly Zoom Torah study...

09.05.2023

Until 120 (Nitzavim-Vayelech)

Moses dies at the age of 120. In this episode, we explore the meaning of that "age" in Jewish tradition and Jewish life. Turns out it may not be about age after all. --- Seven Minute Torah is a production of LAASOK....

08.29.2023

Praying in Hebrew, Praying in English (Ki Tavo)

This week's Torah portion describes a ritual that, according to the Rabbis, must be recited in Hebrew. But what if not everyone knows Hebrew? We look at a Talmudic text and a Hasidic story about the importance of praying both...

08.22.2023

Preserving the Earth (KI Teitzei)

In a parsha packed of laws, a series of statements about not "mixing" things (seeds, animals, materials) leads to a discussion about our responsibility to safeguard the world. --- Seven Minute Torah is a production of LAASOK. For info on our weekly...

08.15.2023

Judaism in Constant Evolution (Shoftim - encore)

This week's parashah is about various kinds of leaders in ancient Israel. It's also about the way Judaism is constantly evolving - and our ongoing responsibility to find new meanings in ancient traditions. (An encore of our 2022 podcast for...

08.10.2023

Eating is an Act of Holiness (Re’eh - encore)

This parashah describes the dietary laws - what Jews traditionally may and may not eat. We'll talk about a liberal Jewish approach to keeping kosher. (An encore of our 2022 podcast on Re'eh) --- Seven Minute Torah is a production of LAASOK....

08.02.2023

Helping the Rains Fall (Ekev - encore)

An encore presentation of last year's popular episode about Judaism and the earth. This week's parashah, Ekev, contains the middle paragraph of the Shema - a challenging passage that speaks of God as Source of "reward and punishment." Should this passage...

07.25.2023

The Reason(s) For Shabbat (Va’etchanan)

When Moses repeats the Ten Commandments, he makes some changes - including to the wording around Shabbat. His changes teach us something very important about the reason(s) for Shabbat, and what we're supposed to learn from it. --- Seven Minute Torah is...

07.18.2023

These Are the Words (D’varim)

As the book of Deuteronomy opens, Moses retells some of the stories of the Israelites' desert wanderings - but with major changes. We explore why he changes the story, and we explore the possible origins of Deuteronomy in the religious...

07.11.2023

On the Other Side of the Water (Mattot-Masei)

As the Israelites are about to cross over into the Promised Land, the tribes of Reuven and Gad step forward and say that they've decided to stay where they are. What happens next teaches us a lot about what it...

07.04.2023

Of Sacrifice and Ever-Evolving Judaism (Pinchas)

Among other things, parashat Pinchas lists the festivals - and the sacrifices associated with them. We talk about how the Rabbis crafted a Judaism of ritual and prayer out of a sacrifice-based system, and what it shows us about Judaism's...

06.28.2023

A Good Reason? (Chukat)

The ritual of the Red Heifer is perhaps the most obscure, confusing practice in the entire Torah. In this episode we talk about whether Jewish rituals need reasons - and how that debate plays out traditionally and in liberal Judaism. --- Seven...

06.20.2023

And Korach Took... (Korach)

Korach's argument seems like a reasonable one: all of the people are holy. So why does his movement/rebellion end so badly? We take a look at what the Rabbis have to say about where Korach went wrong. --- Seven Minute Torah is...

06.14.2023

Reframing Our Relationship with the Earth (Sh’lach) - A Conversation with Rabbi Andy Kahn

In Sh'lach Lecha, the scouts - and the people of Israel - are punished for not having a wide enough view to see their power and their responsibility. I talk with Rabbi Andy Kahn, editor of The Sacred Earth (CCAR...

06.06.2023

The Power of Story (B’ha-alot’cha) - A Conversation with Rabbi Zoe Klein

I talk with Rabbi Zoe Klein, author of Candle Feather Wooden Spoon. We find some interesting tidbits hidden in this week's parashah, and then go on to talk about the power of story in Torah and in Jewish life. --- Seven Minute...

05.30.2023

Isolation and Support (Naso)

The Torah requires the isolation of certain people afflicted with ailments. How does Jewish tradition weigh that against the human need for community and support. --- Seven Minute Torah is a production of LAASOK. For info on our weekly Zoom Torah study...

05.23.2023

Shavuot and Gender Roles

The Torah commands that "all your males shall appear" before God on Shavuot. Why does it exclude women from participating in this part (but not other parts) of the holiday celebration? What are we supposed to do with it as...

05.16.2023

In the Wilderness (B’midbar) - A Conversation with Rabbi Judith Siegal

As we begin a new book of the Torah, I talk with Rabbi Judith Siegal about what it is to wander in the wilderness, and why those "in between places" open us up for creativity. We also talk about the post-covid...