Sivan Says: Taking the Torah Personally

This week, as we start the Book of Deuteronomy, we begin with Parshat Devarim, which is about the words we speak. It's the words of Moses that guide us. In the parsha, Moses gives his final speech, telling the story of himself, and of us. In doing so, Sivan explains, he invites us to take part in this story. To transcend distractions and immediate satisfaction. To connect to collective meaning and universal truths. What's this got to do with Sivan waking up at 4am? Listen 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 affairs.

Check out Liel’s new book, How the Talmud Can Change Your Life: Surprisingly Modern Advice from a Very Old Book, available directly from the publisher, or wherever you purchase books.

You can find all of Tablet’s podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

This week, as we come to the end of the Book of Numbers, we're met with a double parsha - Parashat Matot-Masei, or tribes and journeys. Sivan ties the parashot to her new free booklet, To Be a Jew: Faith and Hope in Challenging Times, where she channels Rabbi Jonathan Sacks thought to seek answers to the challenging questions that Jews face today. How can we better comprehend our personal journeys amidst the noise of our day to day lives? How can we escape the minutia of the moment and connect to the bigger picture - of oneself, and of the Jewish people? Why does this have less to do with politics and more to do with hugs? 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 affairs.

Check out Liel’s new book, How the Talmud Can Change Your Life: Surprisingly Modern Advice from a Very Old Book, available directly from the publisher, or wherever you purchase books.

You can find all of Tablet’s podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

This week, on Parashat Pinchas, we focus on one single sentence. The most important verse in the entire Torah. Not "Shema Israel" or "Love Thy Neighbor," but something even grander: "The first lamb you shall sacrifice in the morning, and the second lamb you shall sacrifice in the afternoon." Come again? How is this sentence, neither well known nor all that interesting, the most important in our holy book? What does it say about our own lives, which are filled not just with passion and joy, but with constancy and repetition? And what's it got to do with Sivan personally, from preparing sandwiches for her kids to her career as a Knesset reporter? Listen 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 affairs.

Check out Liel’s new book, How the Talmud Can Change Your Life: Surprisingly Modern Advice from a Very Old Book, available directly from the publisher, or wherever you purchase books.

You can find all of Tablet’s podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

On this week's parsha, Parashat Balak, King Balak orders the prophet Balaam to curse the people of Israel. And Balaam tries and tries - even by way of a talking donkey! - to fulfill the king's wishes. Yet each time he tries, he gives blessings instead. Why does King Balak care more about destroying the Israelites than he does about caring for his own kingdom? What can this teach us about our own blessings and curses? And what's it got to do with Mohammad Deif and Donald Trump? 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 affairs.

Check out Liel’s new book, How the Talmud Can Change Your Life: Surprisingly Modern Advice from a Very Old Book, available directly from the publisher, or wherever you purchase books.

You can find all of Tablet’s podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

Today's episode, on Parashat Chukat, is full of heifers, and snakes, and curses, and blessings. It's also full of goodbyes, to some of our holy book's holiest heroes. This week, Sivan tells us, it's Miriam's time to shine. She explains that after 40 years of tough desert wandering, so close yet so far to entering the promised land, Miriam's song, dance, and prayer inspired others, with hope, optimism, and faith. But how was Miriam able to maintain this positivity without seeing the way out of darkness? And how can you yourself keep the faith like Miriam did, even through ups and downs? Listen 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 affairs.

Check out Liel’s new book, How the Talmud Can Change Your Life: Surprisingly Modern Advice from a Very Old Book, available directly from the publisher, or wherever you purchase books.

You can find all of Tablet’s podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

On this week's episode, Liel and Sivan join us from the road to talk about Parshat Korach. Motivated by jealousy and a sense of entitlement, Korach leads a rebellion against Moses and Aaron. But he fails, and as punishment the earth opens up and swallows him and his followers whole. What can we learn from this split among our people? How, unlike Korach, can we better figure out our own life missions? And what's this all got to do with the Lubavitcher rebbe? Listen 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 affairs.

Check out Liel’s new book, How the Talmud Can Change Your Life: Surprisingly Modern Advice from a Very Old Book, available directly from the publisher, or wherever you purchase books.

You can find all of Tablet’s podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

On Parashat Shelach, spies are sent into the Land of Israel, and report back on its flowing milk and honey. But the majority are scared to enter. Many Israelites even want to go back to Egypt. Now imagine yourself in the desert, Sivan asks. Would you go with the majority opinion, not confident in your and your people's abilities? Or would you find the inner optimism needed to succeed? What's this got to do with the great rebbe Jerry Seinfeld? 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 affairs.

Check out Liel’s new book, How the Talmud Can Change Your Life: Surprisingly Modern Advice from a Very Old Book, available directly from the publisher, or wherever you purchase books.

You can find all of Tablet’s podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

With this week's parsha, Parshat Beha'alotekha, we ask the question: how do we want to want? Sivan ties the parsha's disparate stories together, from Aaron's lighting of the menorah to Miriam being punished with leprosy, through the theme of wanting to take ourselves higher. Desiring to raise ourselves up. Aspiring to help others and connect with those around us. Sounds like a lot, right? So how can we do all that and more? 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 affairs.

Check out Liel’s new book, How the Talmud Can Change Your Life: Surprisingly Modern Advice from a Very Old Book, available directly from the publisher, or wherever you purchase books.

You can find all of Tablet’s podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

This week, we're skipping Parshat Naso and bringing you an episode all about Shavuot. To celebrate this great holiday where we received the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai, Sivan brings us five things we can each do to strengthen our connection to Judaism. From checking out Torah translations, like ArtScroll, to reading Liel and Sivan's latest books, to listening to beautiful Jewish music, like Thinking of Her by Aaron Razel, Sivan asks each of us to find ways to connect to Judaism, to ourselves, and to those around us.

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 affairs.

Check out Liel’s new book, How the Talmud Can Change Your Life: Surprisingly Modern Advice from a Very Old Book, available directly from the publisher, or wherever you purchase books.

You can find all of Tablet’s podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

Today we begin the Book of Numbers with Parshat Bamidbar. In the Sinai Desert, God commands the Israelites to conduct a census. It's about numbers, and counting, sure. But, as Sivan explains, the parsha is really about making sure each person feels like they personally count. It's about validating others and raising their heads high. It's about experiencing oneself as an essential part of a whole. What's this got to do with Jewish leaders, from Moses to the Rambam, Rabbi Jonathan Sachs to the Lubavitcher Rebbe? Listen 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 affairs.

Check out Liel’s new book, How the Talmud Can Change Your Life: Surprisingly Modern Advice from a Very Old Book, available directly from the publisher, or wherever you purchase books.

You can find all of Tablet’s podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

Parshat Bechukotai's got a lot of blessings, and a lot of curses. Follow God's commandments, you're in the clear. Don't follow ’em, some gnarly stuff can happen. Persecution. Exile. A divine wrath. But could it be that it's all a blessing, even the curses? That the worst sin isn't some particular action, but apathy toward our connection to God? 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 affairs.

Check out Liel’s new book, How the Talmud Can Change Your Life: Surprisingly Modern Advice from a Very Old Book, available directly from the publisher, or wherever you purchase books.

You can find all of Tablet’s podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

In Parshat Behar, we're talking about community. From business dealings to first responders, Sivan explains how the week's parsha emphasizes the bond to "achicha" - in Hebrew, your brother. How do we build this brotherly bond with others? How can we create caring and engaged communities, based not just on mutual trauma but on love and support? Listen and 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 Judaism and current affairs.

Check out Liel’s new book, How the Talmud Can Change Your Life: Surprisingly Modern Advice from a Very Old Book, available directly from the publisher, or wherever you purchase books.

You can find all of Tablet’s podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

Between Yom HaZikaron, Israel's memorial day, and Yom HaAtzmaut, its independence day, Parshat Emor's got us thinking about the difference between valuing life and valuing death. What can we learn from those who've fallen in defense of the Jewish state? How can they teach us to live fulfilling Jewish lives in the face of rising hate? And what's this got to do with stickers found on Israeli streets? Listen and 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 Judaism and current affairs.

Check out Liel’s new book, How the Talmud Can Change Your Life: Surprisingly Modern Advice from a Very Old Book, available directly from the publisher, or wherever you purchase books.

You can find all of Tablet’s podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

In this week's parsha, Parshat Kedoshim, we get holy. With 51(!) mitzvot - about family, salaries, sex, blindness, gossip, neighborly love, you name it - Sivan explains how the parsha is really about...everything. It's about your life. The lives of those around you. About loving others, and also ourselves. It's about elevating our worlds by becoming just a little bit holier. Wondering how? Tune in!

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 Judaism and current affairs.

Check out Liel’s new book, How the Talmud Can Change Your Life: Surprisingly Modern Advice from a Very Old Book, available directly from the publisher, or wherever you purchase books.

You can find all of Tablet’s podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

Parshat Acharei Mot is all about taking action. Sivan brings three examples - from Aaron, Moses' brother, to Elie Wiesel, and to the founder of Zionism himself, Theodor Herzl - and explains how each took charge, even in the wake of major crises. How can we follow their lead? 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 Judaism and current affairs.

Check out Liel’s new book, How the Talmud Can Change Your Life: Surprisingly Modern Advice from a Very Old Book, available directly from the publisher, or wherever you purchase books.

You can find all of Tablet’s podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

On this week's episode, Sivan tells us a bit about Parshat Metzora, and a lot about Passover. The word Seder, as Sivan explains, means order. And in a chaotic world, a little Monday night Seder is what Jews around the world need right now. But what about the unaffiliated Jews, still in exile, not invited to a Seder? And what's the difference between discussing and eating Passover values? Listen to Sivan 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 Judaism and current affairs.

Check out Liel’s new book, How the Talmud Can Change Your Life: Surprisingly Modern Advice from a Very Old Book, available directly from the publisher, or wherever you purchase books.

You can find all of Tablet’s podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

As we start hodesh ha'aviv, the rejuvinating Passover-prep filled spring season, Parshat Tazria tells us all about...tzara'at - supernatural plagues! Sivan takes us from the RamBam to the Lubvutcher Rebbe to Rebbenu Jonathan Sachs in order to answer the question: What does tzara'at have to do with lashon hara - evil speech - social media, and quarantine? Listen and 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 Judaism and current affairs.

Check out Liel’s new book, How the Talmud Can Change Your Life: Surprisingly Modern Advice from a Very Old Book, available directly from the publisher, or wherever you purchase books.

You can find all of Tablet’s podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

This week we're talking Parshat Shemini, which tells the story of the death of Aaron's two sons, and gives insights into the laws of Kashrut. And, as Sivan tells us, the two go hand in hand: the death of Aaron's sons teaches us the importance of silence, while the laws of kashrut teach us how to differentiate. Got questions? Sivan's got answers.

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 Judaism and current affairs.

Check out Liel’s new book, How the Talmud Can Change Your Life: Surprisingly Modern Advice from a Very Old Book, available directly from the publisher, or wherever you purchase books.

You can find all of Tablet’s podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

On today’s episode, we discuss Parshat Tzav, the second parsha in the book of Leviticus, and it’s about…ANIMAL SACRIFICES. You would think sacrifices have very little relevance for us moderns. However, as Sivan explains, the parsha has two urgent messages: do hard things, and how gratitude, not attitude. How do you put these insights into practice? Sivan’s got you covered.

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 Judaism and current affairs.

Check out Liel’s new book, How the Talmud Can Change Your Life: Surprisingly Modern Advice from a Very Old Book, available directly from the publisher, or wherever you purchase books.

You can find all of Tablet’s podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

Today is the debut of our brand new weekly parsha podcast, Sivan Says: Taking the Torah Personally. It’s with me, Liel Liebovitz, and Israeli journalist and Torah scholar Sivan Rahav-Meir.

And we start things off by talking about, well, not parsha, but Purim! Sivan tells us all about the story in Megillat Esther, the Book of Esther; explains how this year’s Taanit Esther - Esther’s Fast - takes on new meaning for the families of female hostages; and teaches four Purim commandments for us to do in our own lives.

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 Judaism and current affairs.

Check out Liel’s new book, How the Talmud Can Change Your Life: Surprisingly Modern Advice from a Very Old Book, available directly from the publisher, or wherever you purchase books.

You can find all of Tablet’s podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

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.