Seven Minute Torah
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
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?
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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 ...
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.
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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.
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- Seven Minute Torah is a production of LAASOK. For info on our weekly Zoom study groups and other learning opportunities go to https://laasok.org/.
- T...
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.
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- Seven Minute Torah is a production of LAASOK. For info on our weekly Zoom study groups and other learning opportunities go to https://laasok.or...
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.
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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.
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- Seven Minute Torah is a production of LAASOK. For info on our weekly Zoom study groups and other learning opportunities go to https://laasok.org/.
- To support the pr...
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.
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- Seven Minute Torah is a production of LAASOK. For info on our weekly Zoom study groups and other learning opportunities go to https:/...
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.
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- Seven Minute Torah is a production of LAASOK. For info on our weekly Zoom study groups and other learning opportunities go to https:/...
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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- Seven Minute Torah is a production of LAASOK. For info on our weekly Zoom study groups and other learning opportunities go to http...
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.
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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.
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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.
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- Seven Minute Torah is a production of LAASOK. To support the production of this podcast, visit either www.p...
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?
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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/ (for a tax-deduc...
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.
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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-epi...
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.
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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.
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