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PODCAST

Madlik Podcast – Disruptive Torah Thoughts on Judaism

The Malcolm Gladwell of the Torah -- That"s how listeners describe Madlik™ – where sharp insight meets sacred text. With the curiosity of a cultural critic and the soul of a yeshiva bochur, Madlik ignites Jewish thought from a post-orthodox perspective. Each weekly episode explores the Torah with fresh eyes — drawing unexpected connections, challenging assumptions, and offering a heterodox yet deeply rooted take on halachic and philosophical questions. Born of a lifelong love for Jewish texts and

religion & spirituality judaism

All Episodes

37:32

Bottom Up Torah: How Queer Jews Are Changing Orthodoxy

Madlik Podcast – Disruptive Torah Thoughts on Judaism ·

2025/12/09

Imagine being told you belong to a faith that is fighting to keep you out—and refusing to leave. In this week's Madlik, Geoffrey Stern and Rabbi Adam Mintz welcome Rabbi Steve Greenberg, the first openly gay Orthodox-ordained rabbi, for a deeply personal and wide-ranging conversation. Key Takeaways Vulnerability transforms the meaning of Torah. Bottom-up change is reshaping Orthodoxy. The tradition has the capacity — and the precedent — to grow. Timestamps [00:00:12] Rabbi Steve Greenberg's

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39:46

The Jewish Future Israel Wants… But Fears to Admit

Madlik Podcast – Disruptive Torah Thoughts on Judaism ·

2025/12/04

Beneath the surface, Israel is fighting for the soul of its religion — and most of us don't even see the battle lines. In this episode of Madlik Disruptive Torah, Geoffrey Stern and Rabbi Adam Mintz are joined by Professor Adam S. Ferziger to explore the quiet revolution reshaping Israeli Judaism. Drawing on his new book, Agents of Change, Ferziger reveals how American Modern Orthodoxy—its values, institutions, and worldview—has profoundly influenced Religious Zionism and the broader Israeli

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42:23

What Makes Aramaic the "Internet" of the Ancient World?

Madlik Podcast – Disruptive Torah Thoughts on Judaism ·

2025/11/26

Ready to discover how reviving a lost language can reshape the whole Middle East? Ta Shma (come and hear) Geoffrey Stern and Rabbi Adam Mintz are joined by Shadi Khalloul—IDF paratrooper veteran, founder of the Israeli Christian Aramaic Association, and one of the world's most passionate advocates for reviving the Aramaic language. Together, they explore Parshat Vayetzei and the hidden "Rosetta Stone" moment in Genesis 31, where Jacob and Laban name the same monument in Hebrew and Aramaic. Key

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31:50

Trickery or Evolution? Rethinking Jacob's Stolen...

Madlik Podcast – Disruptive Torah Thoughts on Judaism ·

2025/11/20

What if one of the Torah's greatest heroes was actually its most scandalous trickster? In this episode of Madlik Disruptive Torah, Geoffrey Stern and Adam Mintz dive into one of the most provocative moments in the Torah: Jacob's audacious act of deception to secure his father Isaac's blessing in Parashat Toldot. Rather than smoothing over the ethical wrinkles, we sit with the discomfort, exploring why the Torah insists on portraying our third patriarch as a trickster—and what we're meant to learn

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33:11

Sarah's Separation from Abraham | With Prof. Rabbi...

Madlik Podcast – Disruptive Torah Thoughts on Judaism ·

2025/11/12

What happens when women finally enter the conversation that's been about them all along? In this episode of Madlik: Disruptive Torah, Geoffrey Stern and Rabbi Adam Mintz are joined by Prof. Rabbi Wendy Zierler — Sigmund Falk Professor of Modern Jewish Literature and Feminist Studies at HUC-JIR, ordained by Yeshivat Maharat, and author of Going Out with Knots: My Two Kaddish Years with Hebrew Poetry. Key Takeaways Expect to rethink assumptions about primary biblical characters—especially the

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30:53

Nobody Wants This - Argument With God

Madlik Podcast – Disruptive Torah Thoughts on Judaism ·

2025/11/05

A Netflix rom-com jokes that Judaism "encourages me to argue." Turns out, that's not a joke—it's what set Abraham apart. A Netflix rom-com gives us a throwaway line that might be the most Jewish thing ever said on screen. When a young rabbi admits that Judaism loves two opposing opinions, his girlfriend lights up: "A religion that encourages me to argue? Love that." It's meant as a joke, but this week's Torah portion proves her right. Sarah laughs at divine promises, Abraham bargains with God over

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38:18

Israel More Inclusive? An Immigrant's Perspective

Madlik Podcast – Disruptive Torah Thoughts on Judaism ·

2025/10/29

3,000 years after Abraham heard the call to go forth, a group of 20 somethings booked a one-way ticket to Ben-Gurion. What if the journey of Abraham in the Torah mirrors the modern-day aliyah experience? In this episode we dive into the modern-day "Lech Lecha" story with Noah Efron from The Promised Podcast. From his Young Judea roots to teaching at Bar Ilan University, Noah shares his journey of making aliyah (immigration to Israel) from America in the early 80s, offering a fascinating perspective

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38:24

The Role of Language in Preventing Global Conflicts

Madlik Podcast – Disruptive Torah Thoughts on Judaism ·

2025/10/22

Do They Really Speak with One Voice?” Yigal Carmon on the Arab Street In a world where words can both unite and divide, understanding the true meaning behind them is more crucial than ever. This week's Madlik episode delves deep into the power of language, translation, and cultural understanding with special guest Yigal Carmon, founder of the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI). Key Takeaways The Deception of Unity: The illusion of a single voice in the Arab world often masks complex

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34:17

The 3000-Year-Old Idea That Shaped Modernity

Madlik Podcast – Disruptive Torah Thoughts on Judaism ·

2025/10/21

The Bible's most revolutionary concept wasn't monotheism - it was something far more profound. What if the most revolutionary idea in human history wasn’t freedom, democracy, or even monotheism — but a single verse from Genesis? This week on Madlik Disruptive Torah, Geoffrey Stern and Rabbi Adam Mintz are joined by Dr. Tomer Persico, author of In God’s Image: How Western Civilization Was Shaped by a Revolutionary Idea. Together, they explore how the Torah’s concept of tzelem Elohim — the image of

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34:38

The 3000-Year-Old Idea That Shaped Modernity

Madlik Podcast – Disruptive Torah Thoughts on Judaism ·

2025/10/16

The Bible's most revolutionary concept wasn't monotheism - it was something far more profound. What if the most revolutionary idea in human history wasn’t freedom, democracy, or even monotheism — but a single verse from Genesis? This week on Madlik Disruptive Torah, Geoffrey Stern and Rabbi Adam Mintz are joined by Dr. Tomer Persico, author of In God’s Image: How Western Civilization Was Shaped by a Revolutionary Idea. Together, they explore how the Torah’s concept of tzelem Elohim — the image of

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33:19

What if the Passover Seder was held in our Sukkah?

Madlik Podcast – Disruptive Torah Thoughts on Judaism ·

2025/10/08

The Exodus isn't just a story—it's the operating system of Jewish practice. Most of us were taught that the reason we sit in a sukkah for a full week is to commemorate the booths that the Children of Israel lived in during their forty years in the desert. We might even quote the verse in Leviticus that makes this claim — the only agricultural holiday that the Torah itself re-purposes. The problem is… not only modern scholars, but all the classical rabbinic commentators either don’t take that

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32:14

Asking Permission to Pray

Madlik Podcast – Disruptive Torah Thoughts on Judaism ·

2025/10/01

From Moses to Leonard Cohen: The unexpected dilemma at the heart of Jewish prayer Leonard Cohen called If It Be Your Will “a sort of a prayer.” In this episode of Madlik Disruptive Torah, Geoffrey Stern and Rabbi Adam Mintz uncover just how deeply Jewish that prayer really is. Drawing on the words of Moses in Ha’azinu, the Psalms of David, the prayer of Hannah, and rabbinic debates in the Talmud and Maimonides’ Guide for the Perplexed, we explore how Cohen’s haunting lyrics echo one of the most

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37:59

Yom Kippur: Reflecting on Age

Madlik Podcast – Disruptive Torah Thoughts on Judaism ·

2025/09/25

What if our High Holiday rituals are secretly about confronting aging? Aging Gracefully: Rethinking Our Approach to the Elderly As we approach Yom Kippur, a time of reflection and renewal, it's fitting to explore a topic that touches us all: aging. In this episode of Madlik, we delve into the often-overlooked issue of how our society treats and cares for the elderly. With insights from our special guest, Yossi Heymann, director of JDC Eshel and the visionary behind Muni100, we uncover surprising

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32:08

The Original Sermon on the Mount — Jewish Edition

Madlik Podcast – Disruptive Torah Thoughts on Judaism ·

2025/09/18

From Woodchoppers to Kings: How the Torah's Radical Covenant Redefined Ancient Politics In this episode we're diving into the radical inclusivity of the covenant in Parashat Nitzavim. From princes to woodchoppers, everyone is called to stand before God. But there's more to this than meets the eye. We explore how the rabbis upped the ante, suggesting these "woodchoppers and water carriers" might have been outsiders or even forbidden Canaanites. This covenant wasn't just inclusive - it was pushing

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34:01

Thank God for the Rebellious Son

Madlik Podcast – Disruptive Torah Thoughts on Judaism ·

2025/09/11

Why Some Torah Laws were Meant to be Heard not followed Live at the JCC’s new Shtiebel, Geoffrey Stern and Rabbi Adam Mintz ask: what do we learn from laws that never happened? From the rebellious son to Bialik’s Halakha and Aggada, discover halakhah as a language of Jewish life. In this week's episode of Madlik, we delve into a fascinating exploration of Jewish law that challenges our conventional understanding of mitzvot (commandments). As we navigate through the complexities of Halakhah, we

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29:18

Intentional and Unintentional Holiness

Madlik Podcast – Disruptive Torah Thoughts on Judaism ·

2025/09/04

Are there times were we should strive not to be present or in the moment? As we enter the month of Elul and approach the High Holidays, many of us instinctively tighten our grip on spiritual practices. We double down on prayer, intensify our focus, and strive for flawless kavanah (intention). But what if true holiness sometimes emerges when we loosen our hold? In this week's Torah portion, Ki Teitze, we encounter a surprising perspective on mitzvot (commandments) that challenges our assumptions

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28:42

Can You Bribe God? Rethinking Yom Kippur

Madlik Podcast – Disruptive Torah Thoughts on Judaism ·

2025/08/27

The Torah bans bribery — so why do our holiest rituals look like payoffs? We're diving into a provocative topic as we enter the month of Elul - bribes, sacrifices, and cosmic payoffs in Judaism. We explore the tension between Deuteronomy's clear prohibition on bribery and the sacrificial rituals found elsewhere in the Torah that look suspiciously like attempts to curry favor with the divine. Key Takeaways The language of bribery and ransom intersects with concepts of atonement in Jewish texts

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28:18

Secularization and Sacralization in Deuteronomy

Madlik Podcast – Disruptive Torah Thoughts on Judaism ·

2025/08/21

The Radical Contraction and expansion of Ancient Israelite Religion The book of Deuteronomy presents a radical shift in religious practice that continues to shape modern Judaism and beyond. Far from expanding religious institutions as empires typically do, Deuteronomy takes the surprising approach of contracting and centralizing worship while simultaneously broadening its reach into everyday life. This week's Torah portion, Re'eh, highlights this revolutionary approach. It restricts temple worship

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30:47

How Sound Shapes Jewish Identity

Madlik Podcast – Disruptive Torah Thoughts on Judaism ·

2025/08/14

The Dangers of a world seen on a screen: What Judaism Knew All Along In our visually-dominated world, we're raising a generation that can see but not hear. This week's Madlik episode challenges us to reconsider the primacy of listening in Jewish tradition and its profound impact on our spiritual and emotional lives. Key Takeaways Deuteronomy emphasizes listening 92 times, highlighting Judaism's unique focus on auditory over visual experiences. Memory and Music: We explore how sound and music are

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32:54

Beyond Faith: The Unexpected Joy of Torah Study

Madlik Podcast – Disruptive Torah Thoughts on Judaism ·

2025/08/07

The Torah's allure is so powerful, rabbis had to warn against misusing it. Exploring the concept of "limud" (learning) unique to Deuteronomy, we uncover the rabbis' complex relationship with Torah study. From the joy of learning to the fear of misuse, the discussion spans intentionality, secular study, and the power of Torah to attract even non-believers. We delve into the debate between studying "lishma" (for its own sake) vs. applied learning, and examine how different Jewish movements approach

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