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PODCAST

Sivan Says: Taking the Torah Personally

Each week, Israeli journalist and Torah scholar Sivan Rahav-Meir and Tablet’s own Liel Leibovitz discuss the week’s parsha, giving practical advice from our holiest book.

religion & spirituality judaism

All Episodes

16:40

Bamidbar / Shevuot

Sivan Says: Taking the Torah Personally ·

2025/05/28

In this week’s parsha, the Israelites are counted after being divided into the 12 tribes, each with their own mission. However, before they could take on those tasks, they needed to build the Mishkan, before all else, because the need for holiness should not be postponed. The holiday of Shevuot highlights the importance and urgency of this task and being unified. What is your personal Mishkan and what should you do with it? Listen and find out.

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15:53

Behar-Bechukotai

Sivan Says: Taking the Torah Personally ·

2025/05/21

This week’s parashot, Behar and Bechukotai, bring us to the end of the book of Vayikra, also known as Leviticus. We begin with Mount Sinai, and finish with a promise that by following the commandments, the Jews will receive prosperity and security in the land of Israel, or be rebuked if they don’t.Can you really have it all? Listen and find out.

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18:24

Emor

Sivan Says: Taking the Torah Personally ·

2025/05/14

On this week’s parsha, we read about the responsibilities of the kohanim and the rhythm of the Jewish calendar—from Shabbat to Passover, from Rosh Hashanah to Sukkot. But these are more than holidays. They're appointments with the divine—reminders that what matters should be part of your calendar, not just your dreams.We also learn about Pesach Sheni, a “second Passover” granted to those who missed the first—proof that Judaism always makes room for second chances. What does it mean to sanctify

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17:12

Acharei Mot–Kedoshim

Sivan Says: Taking the Torah Personally ·

2025/05/07

This week’s ⁠parashot⁠, Acharei Mot and Kedoshim, take us from the grief of tragedy to the challenge of holiness. In the wake of Nadav and Avihu’s deaths, Aaron is commanded to carry on—ushering in the sacred rituals of Yom Kippur. And in Kedoshim, we’re told, “You shall be holy,” with dozens of mitzvot spelling out exactly how. What does it really mean to keep going—and to become holy—in a world that keeps breaking our hearts? Tune in to find out.

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19:40

Tazria-Metzora

Sivan Says: Taking the Torah Personally ·

2025/04/30

This week’s parashot explore the mysterious affliction of tzara’at, a physical ailment tied to spiritual misdeeds like gossip. What does it mean to be impure? And can the words we choose really shape the people we become? Tune in to find out.

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15:15

Shemini

Sivan Says: Taking the Torah Personally ·

2025/04/23

This week’s parsha includes the instructions about the laws of Kashrut, which remain some of the most complicated and baffling commandments in Judaism. How can the things we choose to eat—or not eat—define us? And can keeping a mitzvah truly transform us even if we’re not feeling transformed? Tune in to find out. Sivan Rahav-Meir is a leading Israeli journalist, media personality, and Torah scholar. You can sign up for her The Daily Thought WhatsApp group, where Sivan sends small insights about

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18:57

Shevi'i shel Pesach

Sivan Says: Taking the Torah Personally ·

2025/04/16

As we celebrate Pesach, we’re reminded that the story of our freedom doesn’t end with leaving Egypt. It’s a continual process—one that asks us to look beyond the present moment, to imagine the future, and to carry the lessons of hope, unity, and perseverance forward. How do you become the best version of yourself? Tune in to find out.

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17:31

Tzav

Sivan Says: Taking the Torah Personally ·

2025/04/09

As we clean our homes and prepare for Pesach, this week’s parsha commands us to focus on what matters. The offerings, the rituals, the laws: it can all feel overwhelming. But sometimes, the holiest thing is the simplest one. Chametz is chametz. A mitzvah is a mitzvah. What does it mean to return to the basics—at the Seder and in life? Tune in to find out.Sivan Rahav-Meir is a leading Israeli journalist, media personality, and Torah scholar. You can sign up for her The Daily Thought WhatsApp

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16:35

Vayikra

Sivan Says: Taking the Torah Personally ·

2025/04/02

On this week’s parsha, we begin the book of Vayikra, often dismissed as a list of sacrificial rituals. But beneath the detailed laws lies a deeper truth: giving—whether through korbanot, acts of kindness, or personal sacrifice—creates love and strengthens our connections to others and to God. How does this idea tie into Pesach and the concept of redemption? Tune in to find out.

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18:38

Pekudei

Sivan Says: Taking the Torah Personally ·

2025/03/26

In this week’s parsha, the Israelites finally complete building the Mishkan, God’s temporary dwelling place on earth. But finishing a task, or pausing en route to the Promised Land, doesn’t mean that the journey is over or even on hold. What does a wise commentary by Rashi teach us about carrying on when we feel stuck? Tune in to find out.

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18:37

Vayakhel

Sivan Says: Taking the Torah Personally ·

2025/03/19

In this week’s parsha, the Israelites are faced with a pretty steep challenge: How do you bounce back from the sin of the Golden Calf? But instead of some cathartic, head-turning moment, we receive what sounds like a repetition of the instructions on how to build the Mishkan, God’s temporary dwelling place on earth. Why tell us things we’ve already heard? And what can this repetition teach us about bringing God’s divine wisdom down here to earth? Tune in to find out.

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18:55

Ki Tisa / Purim

Sivan Says: Taking the Torah Personally ·

2025/03/12

In this week’s parsha, the Israelites commit what may be their gravest sin: dancing in front of the Golden Calf. How do we make up for such a misstep? Maybe by observing the four commandments of Purim, which bring us back in touch with ourselves, our loved ones, and our community. How is a festive meal an act of spiritual affirmation? Tune in to find out.

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19:21

Tetzaveh / Shabbat Zachor

Sivan Says: Taking the Torah Personally ·

2025/03/05

In this week’s parsha, the Torah delivers detailed instructions about the priestly garments, but because it’s the Shabbat before the holiday of Purim, we also revisit the ancient commandment not to forget the evils of Amalek. Why must we remember Amalek’s wickedness, and what does the war against Amalek, still raging on, look like these days? Tune in to find out

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16:26

Terumah

Sivan Says: Taking the Torah Personally ·

2025/02/26

In this week’s parsha, the Torah instructs us how to build the Mishkan, God’s temporary dwelling place on earth. And whereas the entire creation of the whole entire world required 31 verses, instructions for building the Mishkan occupy a whopping 450 verses. Why is the Mishkan so important? And how did the hostages held captive by Hamas in Gaza give us all an inspiring lesson in the importance of taking charge of our own destiny, no matter how difficult life gets? Tune in to find out.

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15:50

Mishpatim

Sivan Says: Taking the Torah Personally ·

2025/02/19

After the grand revelation at Mount Sinai, this week’s parsha shifts from the dramatic to the practical, laying out 53 mitzvot that guide daily Jewish life—from civil laws to ethical responsibilities. But Mishpatim isn’t just a list of rules; it’s a blueprint for bringing Sinai into every moment. How do we take big, sacred ideas and make them part of our everyday lives? Tune in to find out.

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16:33

Yitro

Sivan Says: Taking the Torah Personally ·

2025/02/12

In this week’s parsha, Moses' father-in-law, Yitro, joins the Israelites after hearing about their miraculous escape from Egypt. He offers Moses crucial leadership advice just before the defining moment at Mount Sinai—the giving of the Ten Commandments. These commandments shape not just Jewish identity but the foundation of moral law, emphasizing both commitment and restraint. What does true unity look like, and why is the ability to say "no" just as important as saying "yes"? Tune in to find

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17:38

Beshalach

Sivan Says: Taking the Torah Personally ·

2025/02/05

On this week’s parsha, Moses parts the sea and the Israelites spend 40 years in the desert. But the real miracle in this pasha isn’t the stunning feats God performs. The miracle is how the Israelites responded to their circumstances. How can we be the miracle in our own lives? Tune in to find out.

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16:33

Bo

Sivan Says: Taking the Torah Personally ·

2025/01/29

On this week’s parsha, God delivers the last three of the Ten Plagues, and the Israelites are set free and receive no fewer than 20 new mitzvot. What do these commandments, interspersed as they are with the very dramatic tale of the Exodus, teach us about life under particularly trying circumstances? Tune in to find out.Sivan Rahav-Meir is a leading Israeli journalist, media personality and Torah scholar. You can sign up for her The Daily Portion WhatsApp group, where Sivan sends small insights

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19:24

Vaera

Sivan Says: Taking the Torah Personally ·

2025/01/22

On this week’s parsha, Moses and Aaron beg Pharoah to let the Israelites go, and God sends plagues to Egypt. Moses relates God’s message to the Israelites, but they’re so beaten down that they don’t realize they’re about to be redeemed from their enslavement. How are we similarly blinded by the trials of our everyday lives and how can we pay attention despite distractions? Tune in to find out. Sivan Rahav-Meir is a leading Israeli journalist, media personality and Torah scholar. You can sign up

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20:20

Shemot

Sivan Says: Taking the Torah Personally ·

2025/01/15

On this week’s parsha, the children of Israel multiply in Egypt and Pharoah tries to wipe them out. We meet Moses for the first time and the story of the Jewish people’s redemption begins. What can we learn from our first impressions of Pharaoh, Moses, and the Jewish people? Tune in to find out. Sivan Rahav-Meir is a leading Israeli journalist, media personality and Torah scholar. You can sign up for her The Daily Portion WhatsApp group, where Sivan sends small insights about Judaism and current

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