Sivan Says: Taking the Torah Personally

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.  

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 time, even in moments of chaos? Tune in to find out.

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.

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.

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 Judaism and current affairs. Check out Liel Leibovitz'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 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. 

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 group, where Sivan sends small insights about Judaism and current affairs. Check out Liel Leibovitz'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, 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.

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.

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.

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.  

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

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.

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.

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 out.

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. 

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 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, 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 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, 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 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, the last in the book of Genesis, Jacob blesses his descendants before his death. He gives his grandchildren, the sons of Joseph, a blessing that may strike us as strange. How do we develop our spiritual identity and independence? Tune in to find out. 

On this week's parsha, Joseph and his brothers reunite and meditate on that thorniest of topics: Identity. How can we maintain our sense of self even in a world often determined to make us conform? And how does one act of bravery in the tunnels of Gaza teach us an inspiring lesson for Hanukkah? 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.

On this week's parsha, Joseph interprets Pharaoh's dreams to predict seven years of plenty and seven years of famine and becomes a governor of Egypt. Despite the trials that Joseph has endured, he never lost sight of his vision of how his destiny would unfold. What can we learn from Joseph seeing the bird's eye view and taking an active role in how his story would play out? 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.

On this week's parsha, the Torah raises one of its most difficult questions: How could Jacob's righteous sons, the forefathers of us all, treat their brother Joseph so harshly? How could they plot to kill him, and why did they eventually sell him off to slavery? The question resonates with us today, as we continue to fight among ourselves, but the Torah, thankfully, gives us a powerful prescription for ending this strife. How can we become closer and create unity in the Jewish world? 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.

On this week's parsha, Ya'akov returns home to face his fears and his brother Esau, and earns his eternal name, Israel, by fighting with an angel. But this story of extraordinary struggles contains a few key insights for us ordinary people trying to bounce back from very difficult blows. How is an ancient ruling about not eating one specific cut of meat a reminder of what we ought to do when the going gets tough? 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.

On this week's parsha, we meet Ya'akov as he flees his brother Esau's wrath. But as the story unfold, he transforms into a man in full, no long running away from something frightening but working towards a good and great goal. How can we, too, stop seeing ourselves as victims and connect instead to a higher, brighter calling? 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.

On this week's parsha, Toldot, the Torah gives us Isaac, a man with a dilemma: when the one and only Abraham is your dad, what do you do for an encore? The answer has to do with digging wells, an activity that may not sound glamorous but holds many key insights to happiness, community, and spiritual growth. What can we do in our lives to continue Isaac's sacred and absolutely necessary well-digging? 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.

On this week's parsha, Chayei Sarah, the Torah gives us one profoundly brilliant life hack: always do more. But what does it mean in practice? And how can we apply this principle, embodied by Rebecca, to continue and grow as people in every area of our lives? 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.

On this week's parsha, Vayera, the Torah teaches us that if we want to help people, we have to do more than merely offer them food, drink, and other basic necessities. True charity, we learn, involves giving people the education they need to have faith and strive to uplift themselves and others. What can we learn from Abraham about being kind to strangers? 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.

On this week's parsha, Lech Lecha, the Torah gives us a master class on journeys, not just towards destinations unknown but also, and more importantly, into our own souls, our own destinies, and our own best selves. But what must we do when we're seized by doubt and uncertainty? 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.

On this week's parsha, Noach, the Torah reminds us that we can't really expect to make it through the flood of life unless we have an ark of our own, a safe and sturdy vessel to carry us when things get too choppy. What's the best sort of ark we can find now that the challenges that plague us are a bit more modern than a good, old fashioned flood? 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, our parsha-less streak reaches its home stretch, as we celebrate the holiday of Simchat Torah. It's a loaded one this year, as this otherwise joyous holiday marks the one year anniversary of the October 7 massacre. What do the families of those murdered on that dark day think we should do now that we're heartbroken yet are commanded to sing and dance and be merry? 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.

Dreyfus: A Very Modern Affair is an October 7th story, but one that begins not in 2023, but in October of 1894 with the arrest of French military officer Alfred Dreyfus, who also happened to be a Jew. The implications of his framing, arrest, incarceration and the fallout of his eventual exoneration reverberate today. Over this five-episode series, we examine how these events unfolded, and how they connect to the antisemitism that exists today. Visit https://www.tabletmag.com/dreyfuspodcast or search for Tablet Studios on your podcast app for the rest of the series.

This week, we continue with our parsha-less streak, celebrating the High Holidays And this week, it's time for Sukkot, the festival that commands us to take all of our meals for one week in a rickety outdoor hut. But could it be that this rickety hut is actually more stable than our homes? And is Sukkot the natural antidote to a life made so much more complicated and stressful by digital technology? 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, there's no parsha. Because this Friday evening we mark the beginning Yom Kippur, the only Jewish festival that we celebrate even when it falls on Shabbat. Most of us consider it a solemn, somber day of awe, but is it also, maybe, joyous? And what does it have to teach us about not letting our good ideas and good intentions just fade away without action? 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 continue to read the Torah, but are focused on celebrating Rosh Hashanah. What is the holiday's central mitzvah, and why is it, surprisingly, not about doing anything but merely about stopping, paying attention, and taking stock? 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.

On this week's parashot, a double-header of Nitzavim and Vayelech, the Torah gives us a practical guide to life, a reminder that we can tackle even the most daunting of tasks and that nothing we're commanded to do is too great for our earthly powers. What does a famous story about a small child visiting a zoo have to teach us about our true potential? 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.

On this week's parsha, Parshat Ki Tavo, we discuss how to act when we enter the land of Israel. With all sorts of terrible things that can happen, what should we focus on? How should we act? As Sivan explains, one verse directs us: "Because you did not serve God with happiness and gladness of heart when you had an abundence of everything." We should pay attention to what we have. Thank God for what we are given. Appreciate the privilege in our lives. But how can we be happy after such a challenging year? How can we create happy Jewish futures? And what does this have to do with the famous Israeli singer Ishay Ribo? 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 this week's parsha, Parshat Ki Teitzei, we read seventy four mitzvot, the largest number out of all the parshot in the Torah. But Sivan zeroes in on just one: HaShavat Aveda, or lost and found. That if you see something astray, you are commanded to return it to its owner. Yes, this relates to physical objects in the world. But it's also about those who are spiritually lost. That when one strays away, we must help bring them back. How do we help others return to themselves? How do we help ourselves if we've gone adrift? What's this got to do with Sivan's first time keeping shabbat? 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, Parshat Shoftim, we focus on a particular verse that can help us through this challenging week: "Tamim Tihiyeh Im Hashem Elokecha" - that we become wholehearted, blameless, innocent before God. At the funeral of Hersh Goldberg Polin, Sivan explains, we had an opportunity to see this command in action. In their eulogies, Hersh's parents praised God for gifting them their son. They thanked the nation of Israel for supporting them through their battle to bring him home. They asked Hersh to shine his light on them from above. Wondering how to take action in light of tragedy? To help support the families of the hostages? To become innocent before God, and to do so in this holy month of Elul? 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.

On this week's parsha, Parshat Re'eh, we learn to see. Of the fifty-five mitzvot laid out in the parsha, Sivan focuses on the very first verse, which, she explains, can help us keep them all: to see God's blessings and his curses. This is because the mitzvot are not there to be blindly obeyed. Nor are they there just for intellectual appreciation. It's about seeing the mitzvot clearly - about feeling God's spiritual world - and integrating them into your life. What's this got to do with the saying the mourner's kaddish for 10/7 victims? 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's parsha, Parshat Eikev, is all about perspective. Because in Moses's closing speech, he tells the Israelites that if they fulfill the commandments, they will prosper, and if they don't, they won't. This, Sivan explains, is a warning to us moderns: that when one has everything, and in large quantities at that, we can easily lose focus on what really matters. Can we connect to the commandments and not just our pocketbooks? Can we zoom out, take a breath, and appreciate God's attention in the world? What's this got to do with fresh squeezed orange juice? 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.

In this week's parsha, Parshat Vaetchanan, we talk about begging and repenting. Because when Moses begs to enter the promised land, his dream is not fulfilled. So how does he continue in the face of this hurdle? Tshuva, or repentance. The idea that you can falter and sin and still come back to yourself, others, and God. What does this have to do with survivors of the Nova music festival attack celebrating Shabbat? 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 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 Parshat 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.