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I’m not a rabbi, so every week, I look at our Torah portion and try to put it in conversation with the world around me. Judaism is rich in tradition, and each of us deserves the chance to find our own meaning in its words, but like the text says, "there's nothing new under the sun."Whether you’re studying Torah daily, or taking a moment to prepare for Shabbat, new to text and maybe even Judaism, or a longtime yeshivanik, I hope you’ll make a few minutes of my Torah part of your week.Thanks f ...
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This is a bit of a break from the regular Modern Torah feed, but I want to share a new, limited-series podcast with you that I've just released. It's called 72 Miles til Kentucky, and it's a storytelling podcast all about Jewish life in my home state. Here's the quick blurb. You can check out the full podcast here. 72 Miles features the stories of …
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This week, I was reading about the final stages of the plan to remove the Confederate Veterans Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery. The memorial, if you’ve never seen it, is atrocious. It’s the tallest structure in the cemetery, for starters, and it’s covered with racist, apologist imagery that glorifies the Southern cause. The monument is sche…
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Sometimes, when I'm feeling bored in shul I flip to the back of the book, and read Pirkei Avot. There's a particular passage, in the fifth chapter, that I often find myself turning to, especially in weeks that I'm feeling old. Like this week. Because this year, and this week's Torah portion Miketz, marks 25 years since my Bar Mitzvah on December 19…
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I went to graduate school at Brandeis University, and if I hadn't, I would've gone to law school at the Louis D. Brandeis School of Law, in Louisville, KY, where the first Jewish justice to sit on the Supreme Court was born, and raised. But what if I told you that story was almost wildly different. That the first Jewish nominee to sit on the bench …
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Obadiah, Ovadiah. Obadi-ah. However you pronounce it, you might not remember it, but Obadiah is the name of the shortest book in the Hebrew Bible, and the Haftorah portion the rabbis chose to pair with this week's Torah portion, Vayishlach. Music Courtesy of Chillhop Records: Leavv, Maduk - Company https://chll.to/db033300 Ian Ewing, Maduk - Stay L…
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This week, I'm all about cucumbers. This humble vegetable, which the Talmud calls a delicacy of kings, became an internet craze a few years ago when Macka B released his "Cucumber Rap." Check it out in my source sheet for this episode. The Talmud has a lot to say about cucumbers, including a discussion about whether or not they're good for your bod…
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I updated my phone this week, which made it a great time to repost this episode, from two years ago. What does it mean to actually have choice? Are the choices we see the actual choices that we have? Are we supposed to pick a path through the woods, or turn around, or just sit in the mud and cry? I have a new episode coming later this week, in time…
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There's a poem I've been reading recently, a long form epic poem originally written in Yiddish, about a Jewish blacksmith who settles down in rural Kentucky, in the mid-19th century. It's part of a project called 72 Miles, which I'm about to release, but this week I couldn't get away from a scene in the story that seems ripped from the headlines of…
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This might be a bold statement, but there are probably few things in the world that cause people to pray more than children. We pray for their health, their safety, their growth, that they’ll find their place in this chaotic world. Even if you don’t have kids, you’re probably praying for them, and if you’re trying to have kids you’re definitely pra…
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It took me a while, these past few weeks, overseas, In Israel, and here at home. It took a while to figure out what was going on and why I felt so strongly, feelings that seem to move, strangely, in too many directions at once. It wasn’t until President Biden’s speech in Israel, and his warnings about the mistakes our country made earlier this cent…
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I thought long and hard about whether or not I wanted to weigh in on the current crisis in Israel. In the end, I couldn't not, and I found myself turning as I often do to the words of Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel. Shabbat Shalom. -- Music Provided by Lofi Girl: Promise Due - Kinissue & Artemis Flow Wicked Thoughts - Kinissue & Tibeauthetraveler Far…
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It's a critical question that the rabbis debate, partially in response to last week's Torah portion, and partially in response this week's parsha. "Is emerging backwards still emerging?" "Well no," says Rabbi Shmuel, "and here's why." "I agree that the answer is no, but not with how you got there," replies Abaye. "Emerging backwards isn't emerging,…
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We're still on leprosy this week in the Torah portion. There's beauty in things that peel, as we see in nature. I ordered some trees this week that shed their bark in beautiful curls of golden and orange, because I want to bring that beauty into my yard, even if it looks to some like the trees have been struck by disease. ————— I'm not a rabbi, so …
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In this week's Torah portion, Aaron is invested as high priest, as are his sons, in a lavish ceremony before the entire Israelite community. It's a high moment for Aaron, a week before his world will fall apart. I don't know why the rabbis segmented the Torah portions this way, but perhaps its a reminder to keep everything in balance, and to focus …
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It's been a long wait, but shows are starting to pop up in my media stream again. One of my favorites returned after a long hiatus (what else is new?) for it's 5th and final season. Watching the first few episodes, I couldn't escape its relationship to this week's Torah portion, and the work of asking for help, guidance, and strength from the divin…
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We're halfway through November, which means the end of 2021 is coming up quickly. With a few weeks left in the year, I took a moment this week to reflect on some goals I'd set at the start of the year, how much progress I've made towards them, and where I find myself as the year wraps up. The Torah this week finds Jacob journeying to the house of L…
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Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference. This week, I put Robert Frost's famous poem—"The Road Not Taken"— in conversation with our weekly Torah portion, Toldot. The parsha covers the story of Isaac, including the exchange between his sons Jacob and Esau, where Esau sells his birthr…
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I finally set my television up after moving in, which meant last Sunday morning was the perfect time to break in the new space with a fine home cinema experience. Naturally I picked Ferris Bueller's Day Off, because I love it, and because it's leaving Netflix at the end of this month. What I didn't expect was to spend the whole movie reflecting on …
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Getting to this episode has been a journey. I took a break in May 2021, after producing 59 episodes, with plans to return in September 2021, at the start of the Jewish New Year. Then my wife and I bought a house, and life got busy with housework. Then my mother's illness took a turn for the worse and life got busy with life. My mother died on Septe…
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This may come as a surprise, or not, especially if you know me, but I identify with Korach the much demonized revolutionary who gathers followers and challenges Moses's leadership in this week's Torah portion. Most of Jewish history makes Korach out to be the bad guy—seeking power for power's sake, power he thinks he has a right to but which has be…
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This episode was recorded in May 2021, and somehow never published. So I'm delivering it now, in November 2021, because the world can never have enough Torah. I’m not a rabbi, so every week, I look at our Torah portion and try to put it in conversation with the world around me. Judaism is rich in tradition, and each of us deserves the chance to fin…
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This week, as the Torah returns to the theme of counting, in Parshat Bamidbar, the world seems to have more to count than ever—infection rates to be sure, but also global vaccine programs. And if you’re focused on Israel you might be tracking rockets fired from Gaza, interceptions by the Iron Dome. Of course, you might also be tracking Palestinian …
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Some weeks it’s hard to wrap my head around the world, and how it seems to perfectly line up with the week’s Torah portion. This week was one of those weeks. I’ve been reading Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer, in the same week the Torah presented the laws of shmitta in Parshat Behar. The shmitta tradition is all about our cyclical obligat…
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I had a plan this week, to weave the complicated and problematic language we find in the Torah into a metaphor about the ebbs and flows of the Jewish people's eternal fight for social justice. But then I put off writing this for a few days, and I read the news instead, and it became harder and harder to talk about embracing new perspectives, or wai…
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This week has been a full week, and to be honest, I'm shocked that this episode is actually being released. I wrote, recorded, and produced it in a single day, and I'm not even sure if it makes sense, so if you're reading this and you give it a listen, let me know! This week, the Torah offers another double Torah portion, Achrei Mot & Kedushim, whi…
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Recently, the Arkansas legislature overrode their conservative Christian governor's veto of a bill, now state law, that criminalizes gender-affirming healthcare for children. The state government, effectively, has legislated away the ability of compassionate healthcare providers to support trans kids in the Arkansas. It's a dramatic contrast to the…
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John Prine died a year ago this week, and I wrote this week's episode on the anniversary of his death. This week's Torah portion, Parshat Shmini, features the deaths of Nadav and Avihu who, as Ibn Ezra comments, died before G-d doing something they thought was acceptable before G-d. They had made a mistake and deviated from the instructions G-d gav…
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By the time this episode airs, we'll have already celebrated our second year of socially distanced Seders. Passover is all about seeing yourself as a participant in the exodus from Egypt, and applying that experience to improving our world today. That intention has led to a slew of games, toys, and content designed to make the Seder more approachab…
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As they wandered the desert, the Israelites carried the Tabernacle, and all its holy objects, so they could offer the sacrifices G-d had required of them. The Tabernacle provided a venue for these offerings, as the priests burned some or all of the sacrifices brought to them by the people. Fire was an essential component to the Israelites ritual sa…
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This week's Torah portion, Vayikra, kicks off the Book of Leviticus with a familiar feeling theme—G-d calling to Moses and delivering a set of instructions. In this case, G-d delivers detailed instructions for the sacrifices Aaron, his sons, and their priestly descendants will perform on behalf of the Israelite people. These sacrifices are the Isra…
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As they journey through the desert, the Tabernacle is the defining feature of the Israelite camp. This week's double Torah portion, Vayakhel-Pikudei, deals with the details of the Tabernacle's construction. The entire community participated in this process, bringing freewill offerings to build the Tent of Meeting. At a certain point, though, enough…
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I can’t imagine why, but this year I’ve been particularly struck by all the plague related content sprinkled throughout the Torah. In past years, plagues have always seemed like metaphors for greater threats or external burdens we place on ourselves. This year plagues feel very real. Modern Torah put the Torah in commentary with the world around us…
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In a week when our Torah portion, Tetzaveh, collides with the holiday of Purim, I couldn't think of a more appropriate topic to discuss than superheroes. No spoilers for WandaVision, at least not intentionally, but honestly it's not accident that there are so many Jewish themes woven throughout the superhero universe. Our sacred texts are full of c…
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A catastrophe has been playing out this week, unrelated to the coronavirus, as the electrical grid in Texas failed under the pressure of winter weather, leaving millions stranded without heat during an unusually fierce cold snap. While it may seem odd to compare the electrical grid with the Tabernacle built by the Israelites in the desert, there ar…
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Marking & Labeling: Torah From A Week on Clubhouse
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I've spent a lot of time this week on Clubhouse. It's a new social media platform, with an audio only format, that's becoming really popular during the pandemic. There's tons of videos about Clubhouse out there, so go check it out, and feel free to email me if you're interested in getting on the platform. What I love about Clubhouse, though, is the…
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At the heart of most religious traditions, including Judaism, is a series of simple questions. Can you talk to God? If you can talk to God, how? Does God hear you? If so, will God answer? One of my favorite movies, since the very first time I saw it, is the Kevin Smith classic, Dogma, which might seem like a funny topic for a Jewish podcast about t…
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Changes of heart happen, sometimes often. I had a change of heart recently, about the future of this podcast, something I've been thinking about for a while. I thought I wanted to put it to bed, having accomplished all of my goals for this project. When I didn't post an episode for a full month, people started reaching out to me. So I'm back, and e…
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Transitions of power don't come around that often, even in the United States, but when they do they offer us a chance to reflect on an important topic, one that seems particularly relevant this week as a new President is sworn in at the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C. I’m not a rabbi, so every week, I look at our Torah portion and try to …
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It only takes ten verses this week for the Israelite people to fall about as far as a people can, from the height of privilege as new immigrants who had saved the Empire all the way to slavery in Egypt. This episode was written in the wake of the January 6th riots at the U.S Capitol. It was delivered live that week at my synagogue's community Kabba…
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Storytelling is so important to the Torah, and this week the rabbis employ one of the oldest tricks in the book, right out of a Hollywood movie—a good cliffhanger, right in the middle of a global catastrophe that only one man can see coming. This episode was written during the week of Christmas, 2020. It was recorded and posted a few weeks later. I…
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When Joseph interprets Pharaoh's dreams in this week's Torah portion, Miketz, he offers an almost apocalyptic vision of the future. After being appoint by Pharaoh to lead Egypt through the seven years of abundance, followed by seven years of famine, he benefits from the authority Pharaoh wielded as a diving king. In the last weeks of 2019, there we…
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This week's Torah portion, Vayeshev, features the story of Joseph, whose ability to correctly interpret the dreams of those around helps him gain tremendous power, with a few spectacular falls from grace along the way. Joseph's story spans more than one parsha, and this week, the Torah cuts the story short on an emotional cliffhanger, with Joseph l…
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This week's Torah portion contains violence, and if you're someone who's triggered by scenes of sexual violence, you might want to skip this week. This week, the Torah prominently features the rape of Jacob’s daughter Dina, and the reaction of her siblings—Jacob’s sons—to that act of violence. Having returned to Canaan with his new family, and made…
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This week, our Torah portion focuses on Jacob as he departs on a long journey to gather wealth, find a wife, and build a new life for himself, his family, and his descendants. He migrates to his uncle's household, where he spends years working for Laban, even as his uncle employs trickery, leveraging Jacob's love for Laban's daughter Rachel, to sec…
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This year, of course, has reminded me of the importance of family, especially as we approach a season that, at least in the United States, people associate with family. Whether it's the family you were born into, the family you chose, or even the family that chose you, family is an inescapable reality in life. Still, family can be incredibly compli…
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There's probably never been a better week in the history of the Jewish people than this one for Vayera, this week's Torah portion, to pop up in our regular reading cycle. Because something, all you can do when you look at the world, is laugh. I’m not a rabbi, so every week, I look at our Torah portion and try to put it in conversation with the worl…
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This week is a little different. For the first time Modern Torah isn't just my Torah. This week, my wife makes her Modern Torah debut, speaking to a subject that, I think you'll agree, we're all better off hearing about from her, rather than me. I’m not a rabbi, so every week, I look at our Torah portion and try to put it in conversation with the w…
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In the opening lines of this week's Torah portion Noah, the namesake and relative hero of this parsha, is referred to as a righteous man who walked with G-d. Yet Noah's actions, or inactions, call his righteousness into question. The rabbis of the Talmud debate this, and compare the righteousness of Noah with a different figure, one who doesn't app…
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This week, we start the Torah over again, from the beginning, with Bereshit. And that means, we get to revisit the original dispute of the Torah—not between Cain and Abel, but between the Aleph and the Bet, the letters that is. I’m not a rabbi, so every week, I look at our Torah portion and try to put it in conversation with the world around me. Ju…
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At the end of Sukkot, Jews around the world make a small change to our routine of daily prayers. Beginning on Shmini Atzeret, we add a request for rain to the second blessing of the Amidah—the core of our prayer service that we recite three times each day. This prayer, though, doesn't just ask G-d for rain, but for rain in its proper season. See ac…
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