x

75% of people globally want unbiased news (Pew Research) but are concerned they're not getting that.

Get balanced coverage with Symby. See how stories are covered across diverse outlets and spot when one side covers a story the other skips.

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

17:27

Bereshit

Sivan Says: Taking the Torah Personally ·

2025/10/17

In this week’s parsha, the story begins: God creates the world, light breaks through darkness, and humanity takes its first breath. But Bereshit is more than a tale of beginnings. It’s an invitation to start fresh, to choose connection and creation once more.This week, that sense of renewal feels especially real. Twenty hostages returned home just before Simchat Torah, and across the world, Jews are finding their way back: lighting candles, learning Torah, rediscovering what it means to keep

en

20:23

Sukkot

Sivan Says: Taking the Torah Personally ·

2025/10/06

This week, we pause the regular Torah reading for Sukkot, the festival of joy, unity, and fragility. Sivan reflects on how entering the Sukkah connects us to generations who found stability in something temporary. The Sukkah mirrors our history: delicate in form but enduring in spirit, a reminder that strength often begins with humility and faith.Sivan shares a letter from Masha, a listener from California who grew up far from Jewish life. After October 7, she began studying Torah, keeping

en

19:38

Ha'azinu

Sivan Says: Taking the Torah Personally ·

2025/09/30

In this week’s parsha, Moshe sings of God’s care for Israel, of the dangers of complacency, and of the eternal covenant that binds us still. As Yom Kippur gives way to Shabbat, his words echo through time: ha’azinu—listen.Across Israel, new generations are doing just that: students gathering on Zoom to prepare for Shabbat, young people filling hotels in Jerusalem to greet its light, first-timers discovering peace in a day without phones. So how do we carry the fire of Yom Kippur and the first

en

19:56

Vayelech

Sivan Says: Taking the Torah Personally ·

2025/09/25

In this week’s parsha, the shortest in the Torah, Moshe offers a final charge: Though God may hide His face, He will never abandon His people. Again we hear the refrain chazak v’ematz—"be strong, take courage"—as the gates of repentance stand open before us.As Yom Kippur nears, the invitation is to shed pretense and step into our truest selves. What does it mean to begin the year with strength, sincerity, and joy? Tune in to find out.

en

19:24

Nitzavim

Sivan Says: Taking the Torah Personally ·

2025/09/17

This week’s parsha is short, but it holds some of the Torah’s deepest principles. Moses gathers the people before God, reminding them that unity is the starting point of Jewish life: “You are standing today, all of you.” He speaks of exile and return, of redemption, and of freedom of choice. Life and death, blessing and curse are set before us and it is up to us to choose.As Rosh Hashanah approaches, the message feels especially timely. Nitzavim reminds us that Torah is not distant or abstract. It

en

20:09

Ki Tavo

Sivan Says: Taking the Torah Personally ·

2025/09/10

This week’s parsha introduces the mitzvah of bikurim—bringing the first fruits to Jerusalem, handing them to the priest, and speaking words of thanks. It’s not enough to feel gratitude; we must declare it out loud, with joy, and connect our personal harvests to the larger story of our people.So what are the “first fruits” in our own lives today, and how can we offer them with joy and purpose? Tune in to find out.

en

18:21

Ki Teitzei

Sivan Says: Taking the Torah Personally ·

2025/09/03

This week’s parsha opens with a farewell speech from Moses and lays out 74 commandments, the most of any single Torah portion. They cover everything from inheritance laws to caring for lost property, from ethical treatment of workers to remembering Amalek’s assault. Amid so many instructions, one mitzvah stands out this Elul: Lo tachalel alem—“Do not remain indifferent.” If you see a lost ox, a stray sheep, or a person in need, you cannot just walk by. The Torah doesn’t politely suggest; it

en

20:05

Shoftim

Sivan Says: Taking the Torah Personally ·

2025/08/27

This week’s parsha opens with Moses’ command: "Appoint judges and officers at all your gates." On the surface, it’s about building a legal system. But our commentators go deeper: every person is a city, with gates of eyes, ears, and mouth. And just as a city needs judges and guards, so do we.Elul is the season of checking what enters and leaves those gates. What do we choose to see? What do we let ourselves hear? What words do we send into the world? To judge ourselves is hard; to guard ourselves

en

17:57

Re'eh

Sivan Says: Taking the Torah Personally ·

2025/08/20

This week’s parsha, Re’eh, opens with a challenge: See, I set before you today a blessing and a curse. Moses tells the Israelites that faith isn’t just about words; it’s about the power of choice. Every moment offers us the chance to step toward blessing, or away from it.The timing is no accident. As we prepare to enter the month of Elul—the 40-day journey toward Yom Kippur—this call to “see” becomes even more urgent. These days are not just about repentance, but about vision: What do we want to

en

20:14

Eikev

Sivan Says: Taking the Torah Personally ·

2025/08/13

In this week’s parsha, Moses warns the Israelites about the greatest spiritual danger they’ll face: not hunger or enemies, but comfort. As they prepare to enter a land flowing with milk and honey, he tells them to remember who gave it to them. Eat, be satisfied, bless, but don’t forget. Because forgetting leads to pride, and pride leads to thinking you did it all yourself.This warning feels just as urgent today, in a world where abundance is only a click away. When everything is easy, where is the

en

21:32

Va’etchanan

Sivan Says: Taking the Torah Personally ·

2025/08/06

In this week’s ⁠parsha⁠, Moses pleads with God to enter the land of Israel and is told no. Instead, he turns to the people, delivering some of the most iconic words in the Torah: the Ten Commandments, the Shema, the Ve’ahavta; words that shape Jewish identity across generations. But what happens when those words are forgotten?As we move from Tisha B’Av to Tu B’Av, from destruction to love, what kind of Jewish memory are we rebuilding? Tune in to find out.

en

16:32

Devarim

Sivan Says: Taking the Torah Personally ·

2025/07/30

In this week’s parsha, we begin the book of Devarim, Moses’ final words to the Israelites before they enter the Promised Land. After four books of epic events, this one slows down. No plagues, no miracles, just a speech. But it’s a speech that matters. Because before a people can move forward, they have to remember where they’ve been. Devarim is a reminder that the most powerful tool a nation has isn’t its army or its land. It’s its story. As we enter the Shabbat of vision, what kind of future does

en

19:56

Matot-Masei

Sivan Says: Taking the Torah Personally ·

2025/07/23

This week's parsha opens with what looks like just a long list—42 places the Israelites traveled through on their way from Egypt to the Promised Land. But those stops aren’t just historical footnotes. They’re reminders that every leg of the journey matters. As Jews, we’re always walking, always evolving. Mas’ei asks us to look back at our own paths and ask: What have I learned? What was the purpose of that detour, that delay, that disaster? Can the act of remembering become its own kind of movement

en

19:46

Pinchas

Sivan Says: Taking the Torah Personally ·

2025/07/16

In this week's parsha, we watch as Moshe’s leadership begins to pass to the next generation. He won’t enter the land of Israel with the people he led out of slavery, but his story isn’t a failure. It’s a reminder that sometimes, we play a vital role in a journey we’ll never see completed. What does it mean to be part of a story bigger than yourself? Tune in to find out.

en

18:06

Balak

Sivan Says: Taking the Torah Personally ·

2025/07/09

In this week’s parsha, Balak hires the prophet Bilam to curse the Israelites. But every time he opens his mouth, blessings come out instead. From these unexpected prophecies, we get some of our most enduring ideas, like the image of Israel rising “like a lion,” and the quiet holiness of privacy ("How good are your tents, O Jacob"). Thousands of years later, the contrast still feels familiar—between those who build and those who destroy, between the noise of social media and the sanctity of a home

en

17:32

Chukat

Sivan Says: Taking the Torah Personally ·

2025/07/02

In this week's parsha, Miriam and Aharon die, and Moshe learns he won’t enter the land either. It’s a moment of grief, transition, and disorientation. But even as leaders pass, the Mishkan remains as the spiritual center that holds the people together.This week, as we mark the Lubavitcher Rebbe’s yahrzeit, we’re reminded that true leadership leaves a lasting imprint. How do you stay grounded when everything else shifts? Tune in to find out.

en

16:03

Korach

Sivan Says: Taking the Torah Personally ·

2025/06/24

On this week’s parsha, we meet Korach, who challenges Moshe’s leadership and Aaron’s priesthood, arguing that the entire nation is holy. But Rav Sivan Rahav-Meir reminds us that holiness doesn’t mean sameness—and that dissatisfaction with your role in life can quickly turn destructive. What do you do when you feel stuck—or are you never really stuck at all? Tune in to find out.

en

16:25

Sh’lach

Sivan Says: Taking the Torah Personally ·

2025/06/18

In this week’s parsha, Moses sends twelve spies into the land of Israel. Ten return with fear and doubt; only two return with faith. The Israelites, overwhelmed by the giants they imagine, choose fear and are condemned to wander the desert for forty years. But the parsha isn’t just about the past. It's about now. Who are we listening to today? The fearful majority or the faithful few? Are we grasshoppers in our own eyes or are we rising lions? Tune in to find out.

en

18:56

Beha’alotcha

Sivan Says: Taking the Torah Personally ·

2025/06/11

This week's parsha opens with a command to Aharon: light the lamps of the menorah until the flame rises on its own. But this parsha isn’t just about lighting candles—it’s about raising people up, carrying light through darkness, and transforming inspiration into lasting action. What does it really mean to carry the light forward beyond yourself? Listen to find out.

en

18:43

Naso

Sivan Says: Taking the Torah Personally ·

2025/06/04

In this week’s parsha, the after the Israelites have beencounted, we learn about the kohanim and their responsibilities . We then see a specific explanation about offerings given by each of the twelve tribes.What can this parsha tell us about the importance of each individual, even when taking a selfie? Listen and find out.

en

84 results

Similar Podcasts

Jeff Haygood, Pastor

PodPoint

PASTOR ALVARO VALENCIA

Pastor Alvaro Valencia

Grace Life Church CT.

PodPoint

Pleasant View Church

Ted Nance

Christian Heritage Church"s Podcast

PodPoint