Best Tamar Libicki Podcasts (2024)

1
Honoring G-d's Creation by Not Meddling 21:29

2h ago21:29

21:29

In this week’s episode of Honi’s Circle we study a verse from Leviticus (19:19) about not interbreeding cattle, mixing seed in a field, and not mixing textiles and Ramban's deeper read of this verse as being about not diminishing creation by trying to be a Creator oneself. This verse brings up mixed feelings about Halacha's role in hampering Jews f…

1
When One Sins, Everyone Feels it 15:55

2M ago15:55

15:55

In this week’s episode of Honi’s Circle we study a text from Vayikra Rabbah, that features a parable told by R’ Shimon bar Yochai about a sailor drilling a hole in a boat, and being challenged by his friends. The parable goes to show the effect that our actions have on the whole community. We discuss what can contribute to self- and environment-sab…

1
If you Destroy it, there will be no one to Repair it 18:59

2M ago18:59

18:59

In this week’s episode of Honi’s Circle we study texts from Likutei Moharan and Kohelet Rabbah that speak about how, when we feel ownership over creation, we are called to protect it, educate ourselves about it, and improve its condition. We talk about one way of improving the environment, which is aligning our diets to reduce our ecological impact…

1
Trees as a paradigm of perfection 19:03

2M ago19:03

19:03

In this week’s episode of Honi’s Circle we study a text from tractate Taanit, in which Rav Nachman asks for a blessing from Rav Yitzchak, and Rav Yitzchak blesses him by saying he should be like a tree, which is close to perfect. However, the one thing the tree can use good wishes for is that the its offspring should be like it. We discuss the myri…

1
Climate Refugees 18:01

3M ago18:01

18:01

In this week’s special Passover episode of Honi’s Circle we study a text from the Haggadah about the original move of Jacob and his family to Egypt. We have a saying “We were refugees too” because Jewish history is filled with a series of persecutions and expulsions, but what if we go back to our very first immigration as a family (ie. the family o…

1
God knowing what we need (rain vs. dew) 16:24

3M ago16:24

16:24

In this week’s episode of Honi’s Circle we study a text from tractate Taanit, in which Rabbi Berekhya says that in the book of Hoshea the Jews asked for a divine relationship akin to rain, and G-d retorts that what they actually want is one like dew. We use this text as a way of looking at how a fear of imperfection and unintended consequences can …

1
Rain as Equivalent to (or Greater than?) Torah and Resurrection 16:30

4M ago16:30

16:30

In this week’s episode of Honi’s Circle we study a text from Tractate Taanit, that offers great praise of rain by comparing it to Torah and the resurrection of the dead. We see this text as a religious mandate for us to be very concerned with what is going on in the world (including climate change) and not just our mission of connecting with the di…

1
What blessing do we (not) say over rain? 19:52

4M ago19:52

19:52

In this week’s episode of Ḥoni’s Circle we study the blessing for rain in its original form in Tractate Taanit, as well as how it is found in the Shulchan Arukh, and commented on by Ashkenazi halachic authorities the Mishnah Berurah and the Rema. We talk about how this blessing can be a powerful cultivator for gratitude for “each and every drop” of…

1
Going to the Mountains to Experience the Divine 16:54

5M ago16:54

16:54

In this week’s episode of Ḥoni’s Circle we study the first half of Psalm 24. We find this psalm, recited when bringing the Torah back to the ark on non-shabbat days, to be full of messages pertinent to the climate cause, from the acknowledgement that all the Earth belongs to the divine, to its referral to the interplay between land and water, to it…

1
The Sacrifice of the Wood 18:14

5M ago18:14

18:14

In this week’s episode of Ḥoni’s Circle we study a text from Mishneh Torah, a halachic tract by the Rambam, about the sacrifice of wood and the customs surrounding it. We imagine the practice of having a rotation of families bringing the wood that would be used on the altar in the temple, and how the practice might have emphasized the joy of volunt…

1
Protection from the Sun and the Moon 16:42

6M ago16:42

16:42

In this week’s episode of Ḥoni’s Circle we study Psalm 121, with commentary by Malbim. This is the psalm we’ve been adding to our services since October 7th and is traditionally recited by Jews in times of distress. We discuss the unusual metaphor of divine protection from dangers from the moon, possibly referring to protection from despair, change…

1
Judgement of Rain 16:17

6M ago16:17

16:17

In this week’s episode of Honi’s Circle we study Tractate Rosh Hashana 1:2, a section of the Mishna that talks about the four days of judgement in the year. We discuss how, while all creatures mentioned: animals, grains, and fruit trees, depend on the rain for their survival, in a way the judgement of people affects the other three because of human…

1
The Blessing of Rain 17:45

7M ago17:45

17:45

In this week’s episode of Ḥoni’s Circle we study the Prayer for Rain, Geshem, and a supplemental piyyut (liturgical poem) by Ruth Gan Kagan that adds Miriam to the list of ancestors whose merit we call upon to be given rain for a blessing. We talk about how this ancient prayer points to the fact that humans have always understood that water is a po…

1
Thinking about our Emotions in and about Nature 16:28

7M ago16:28

16:28

In this week’s episode of Ḥoni’s Circle we study the end of the book of Jonah, 4:5-4:11. We get an interesting perspective on a thousands of years old urban/rural divide, and a retreat into nature that has Jonah diving deep into his feelings. We discuss the benefit of planting more trees in urban areas to combat rising temperatures, analyzing our o…

1
The Role of Forgiveness in Large Social Change 17:57

8M ago17:57

17:57

In this week’s episode of Honi’s Circle we study the book of Jonah, 3:6-4:4, where Jonah goes to Nineveh to proclaim the city’s destruction if they don’t repent, the city repents and is not destroyed, and Jonah gets mad. We discuss Nineveh’s amazing turnaround and what we might implement in our own lives to be able to change our own community’s hab…

1
Reconnecting with Nature as a Community 20:15

8M ago20:15

20:15

In this week's episode of Ḥoni's Circle we read a section from Nehemiah about the Jewish people returning from Babylon and celebrating their first Sukkot, according to the text, in centuries. We talk about the value of tying new rituals back to old traditions, Sukkot as a holiday that connects us to the nature around us, and needing diversity in bo…

1
A Sukkah as Symbol of Humility 16:15

9M ago16:15

16:15

In this week's episode of Ḥoni's Circle we study a Rashbam commentary on a verse from Leviticus explaining why we dwell in sukkahs for the holiday of Sukkot. Rashbam explains that the holiday comes right after we have gathered the bounty of the fields into our houses so that we will not grow arrogant about our place in the world. We discuss how ack…

1
The Endurance of the Mighty Waters 12:36

10M ago12:36

12:36

In this week's episode of Ḥoni's Circle we discuss Psalm 93. The psalm is a striking portrait of the raging seas and the divine, with no human or animal presence. We see this as a reminder both of the enduring awesomeness of a natural phenomenon that preceded humanity, but also as a reminder of the power of water in human lives (as seen in floods, …

1
Repentance, Prayer, and Justice 56:19

10M ago56:19

56:19

Enjoy this special crossover episode from Climate Papa. Find Climate Papa at https://www.climatepapa.com/ and wherever you get podcasts. To follow along see Unetaneh Tokef here: https://www.sefaria.org/Unetaneh_Tokef.4?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en For the complete show notes, the episode here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1m1Rnoc8w5yfQcGtotQyNa…

1
Love and Abundance in Nature 16:33

10M ago16:33

16:33

In this week's episode of Ḥoni's Circle we discuss Psalm 23. This psalm, most famous for the line "As I walk through the valley of the shadow of death..." is often said at funerals or shivah minyans, but also at the closing of Shabbat. We discuss how it's themes of the comfort of the natural world and trust in G-d help can relieve distress. We also…

1
Comfort from Divine Awe Found in Nature 13:32

10M ago13:32

13:32

In this week's episode of Ḥoni's Circle we discuss Psalm 147. We talk about how the psalm specifically refers to G-d as "the healer of broken hearts", and how our hearts break when we hear about species extinction, agricultural failures, and forced migration due to climate change. We then go on to discuss how psalms have been traditionally used as …

1
Blessings from the Earth via the Divine 18:13

11M ago18:13

18:13

In this week's episode of Ḥoni's Circle we discuss two sources: Deuteronomy 8:10 "When you have eaten your fill, give thanks" and a section from the tractate Brachot giving over a rabbinic explanation for blessing before eating. We explore how both asking for permission to eat (blessing before) and gratitude for the food eaten (blessing after) can …

1
Is the Tree of the Field a Human? 16:10

11M ago16:10

16:10

In this week's episode of Ḥoni's Circle we study a verse from Devarim (Deuteronomy 20:19) and the accompanying Rashi and Ibn Ezra commenting on the phrase "For is the tree of the field a man". This is the source text for bal tashchit, the rabbinic injunction against needless destruction or waste. We first look at the commentators' different reading…

1
Is it Better that Humans Exist or not 16:27

12M ago16:27

16:27

In this week's episode of Ḥoni's Circle we study two texts from the Talmud and Midrash that both address the question "Is it better that humans should have been created or not?" When Bet Shamai and Bet Hillel voted on this question, not having been created won out, when the ministering Angels debated it at creation, they were split down the middle,…

1
People Enveloped in the Created World 13:21

1y ago13:21

13:21

In this week's episode of Ḥoni's Circle we study Psalm148, a psalm read each day during P'Sukei D'Zimrah. In the psalm, all levels of creation, from angels to the sun and moon, to hail and smoke, to humans, are all joyfully praising G-d. We ask if we can see ourselves and the natural world in a state of joyous awe daily? We also ask if we can conti…

1
Ecosystems Side by Side with Human Society 15:41

1y ago15:41

15:41

In this week's episode of Ḥoni's Circle we study Psalm 104, the psalm read on Rosh Ḥodesh, the new month holiday. We discuss the themes of interdependence, humanity's smallness compared to the complex and large surrounding ecosystem, and the natural world's independent relationship with the divine. We also discuss the how the mention of sinners at …

1
Will there always be Poor People? 17:01

1y ago17:01

17:01

In this week's episode of Ḥoni's Circle we study Deuteronomy 15:4-11, a section of the Torah with conflicting messages about whether or not there will always be poor people, as well as our obligation to lend to them and raise them out of poverty. Through this passage we see the Torah's conception of the land being a "loan" from G-d, our obligation …

1
Food Security 15:05

1y ago15:05

15:05

In this week's episode of Ḥoni's Circle we study excerpts from three prayers: Bore Nefashot, Birkat HaMazon, and Ashrei. In these prayers we find themes of our dependence on the Divine via the land, our kinship with the animal realm, and the importance of continuously cultivating gratitude and keeping entitlement at bay. While these prayers can ser…

1
Elijah's Lessons for Climate Despair 18:37

1y ago18:37

18:37

In this week's episode of Ḥoni's Circle we study the story of Elijah's flight from Jezebel, his deep despair over the children of Israel's abandonment of the covenant with G-d, and G-d's revelation in the "small still voice". We find parallels in Elijah's anguish and our own climate despair, and look in the passage for coping inspirations. Follow a…

1
Trees and Torah Study 17:05

1y ago17:05

17:05

In this week's episode of Ḥoni's Circle, we we juxtapose two texts from Pirkei Avot and the Zohar about trees and Torah study. We discuss how these texts see the relationship between Torah study and appreciation of the natural world. Are they antagonistic, hierarchically ranked, or can we hold them both as a holistic system informing each other? We…

1
Interconnectedness and Interdependence 15:21

1+ y ago15:21

15:21

In this week's episode of Ḥoni's Circle, we study a section of Maasechet Brachot where Ben Zoma enumerates all the steps that lead to a loaf of bread or a piece of clothing. We discuss how, implicit in this text, is a sense of gratitude for the entire community of artisans active in the process of providing our daily needs, and relate this to clima…

1
Revelation in the Burning Bush and the Burning Mountain 14:01

1+ y ago14:01

14:01

In this week's episode of Ḥoni's Circle, we study side by side the descriptions of the Burning Bush and Mount Sinai at the giving of the Torah. We discuss how the fire in both circumstances cultivated attention and awe, but how in the case of Mount Sinai also cohered the people with a shared experience that was necessary for them to embark on the c…

1
The Divine is a Consuming Fire 18:01

1+ y ago18:01

18:01

In this week's episode of Ḥoni's Circle, we study a section from Vayikrah in which Nadav and Avihu, the sons of Aaron, are consumed by divine fire after bringing "strange fire" into the new tabernacle. We talk about this story from a few angles including the need for humility, how one conveys one's story being important to its acceptance, and how t…

1
We are dependent on God for sustenance, AND our choices have the power to affect our harvests/weather 15:22

1+ y ago15:22

15:22

In this week's episode of Ḥoni's Circle, we study a section from Dvarim (that also appears in the second paragraph of the daily Shema) about how in the land of Israel the weather and consequently agricultural yields depend on fidelity to G-d and the commandments. We talk about how this section has become meaningful in the context of climate change …

1
Our Responsibility for Species Preservation 15:21

1+ y ago15:21

15:21

In this week's episode of Ḥoni's Circle, we study the verse, shortly after the flood, that allows people to eat animals. Alongside the verse we read commentaries by Ḥizkuni and Breishit Rabbah that initially seem to contradict each other about the roles of humans and animals in creation. In the end, both commentaries are strong arguments for ecolog…

1
Planting and Providing for Future Generations 17:28

1+ y ago17:28

17:28

In this week's episode of Ḥoni's Circle, we return to Ḥoni the Circle Maker, (our namesake), and another story in Mishna Ta'anit about the Talmudic Rip Van Winkle. We discuss what this story can tell us about living for future generations, appreciation of nature and the work of our ancestors, and the power of dreaming. Follow along with the source …