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For centuries, we've used the word "scapegoat" to mean blaming someone else—but what if the Torah meant the exact opposite? What does the scapegoat really mean on Yom Kippur? In Parashat Acharei Mot, two identical goats stand at the center of the ritual—one for God, one sent into the wilderness. Most read this as ancient ritual. Isaac Abarbanel reads it as something far more radical. Key Takeaways The Scapegoat Isn't About "Them"—It's About Us Abarbanel reframes the ritual: the two goats are not Israel vs. its enemies, but two possible versions of Israel itself—closeness or distance, covenant or exile. 2. In the Face of Persecution, He Chooses Hope Over Revenge Writing in the shadow of expulsion, Abarbanel could have turned the scapegoat into a symbol of blame. Instead, he offers introspection and resilience—a theology of survival, not vengeance. 3. Exile Is Not the End—It's Part of Redemption The goat sent away does not die. It survives. For Abarbanel, exile becomes a stage in a larger story—one that ultimately bends toward return and renewal. Timestamps [00:00] Twin Goats Opening [01:01] Show Intro Lisbon Setup [01:45] Why Study Abarbanel [03:04] Don Isaac Biography [08:24] His Commentary Method [11:43] Two Goats Text [13:18] Abarbanel Long Preface [14:49] Sponsor Break [15:56] Twenty One Questions [19:58] Jacob Esau Reading [26:36] Israel In Exile Reading [30:26] Hopeful Takeaways [31:39] Closing Shabbat Shalom Links & Learnings Sign up for free and get more from our weekly newsletter https://madlik.com/ Sefaria Source Sheet: https://voices.sefaria.org/sheets/720530 Transcript here: https://madlik.substack.com/

Look closely at the broken walls of Israel, and you might just see the hidden history, resilience, and ancient secrets waiting to be uncovered in the rubble. The Bible contains an enigmatic set of laws about a house that becomes afflicted—and somehow needs to be cured. But the Rabbis flip the script. What if this "plague" isn't a punishment… but a gift? What if tearing down a wall reveals something hidden בתוך הקיר—inside the wall? Key Takeaways Our homes are not just structures—they are stories The Torah teaches that a house can carry memory, history, and even moral weight. Whether through Midrash, archaeology, or modern Israel, we learn: What's inside the walls is not empty—it's the past, waiting to be uncovered. 2. Sometimes breaking is a form of revealing What looks like destruction can also be exposure. The Rabbis reframed tzara'at not as punishment—but as a gift: When the walls come down, hidden truths—about the past and about ourselves—come to light. 3. The real "treasure" is resilience Today, as we see homes in Israel torn open, it's hard to imagine anything positive. And yet: The treasure isn't gold in the walls— it's the strength, courage, and resilience of the people who built—and will rebuild—again. Timestamps [00:00] Afflicted House Mystery [01:08] Meet The Hosts [01:29] Reading Metzora Laws [03:32] Rashi Hidden Treasures [08:00] Why Only In Israel [09:34] Mold Medicine And Ritual [15:37] Walls Have Ears [18:26] Sponsor Break [19:33] Archaeology And Spolia [25:50] Artist Finds In Concrete [29:15] War Ruins And Resilience [31:10] Closing Blessings Links & Learnings Sign up for free and get more from our weekly newsletter https://madlik.com/ Sefaria Source Sheet: https://voices.sefaria.org/sheets/719351 Transcript here: https://madlik.substack.com/

There is one powerful verse the ancient rabbis purposefully cut from the Passover story—and for good reason. Everybody asks why Moses is missing from the Haggadah. But what if we're asking the wrong question? In this final episode of the Madlik Haggadah, we explore a deeper and more urgent mystery: Where is the stranger?   Key Takeaways   The Haggadah Stops Too Soon The Mishnah tells us to read the Exodus story "until the end." But we don't. And the ending we skip is the most important part: "You, and the stranger in your midst."   2. Being Oppressed Doesn't Automatically Make You Moral The Torah doesn't assume we'll learn the right lesson. It commands—again and again: Love the stranger. Because history shows: those without power don't always become compassionate when they gain it."   3. Redemption Isn't Leaving Egypt—It's What You Do After For centuries in exile, this was theoretical. Not anymore. Now that we have power, the story changes: The real test of freedom is how we treat the stranger.   Timestamps   [00:00] Welcome to Malik [00:26] Where Is the Stranger [02:21] Mishnah's Hidden Clue [03:52] The Verse We Skip [05:57] Why Rabbis Cut It [06:28] Power and Hagar [08:31] Sponsor Break [09:29] Back in the Land [11:24] Responsibility With Power [12:30] The Real Praise   Links & Learnings   Sign up for free and get more from our weekly newsletter https://madlik.com/ Sefaria Source Sheet: https://voices.sefaria.org/sheets/229545 Transcript here: https://madlik.substack.com/

What if I told you that the most powerful way to read the Passover Haggadah... is to write your own? In this episode of Madlik, we explore a radical idea born on Israel's early kibbutzim in the 1920s and 30s: that Judaism isn't just inherited—it's authored. We're joined by Eran Yarkoni and Anton Marks of the Shittim Institute, who are traveling the U.S. with their exhibition Haggadah of Hope.   Key Takeaways   1. The Haggadah Isn't a Book—It's a Framework The kibbutzim didn't treat the Haggadah as sacred text to preserve, but as a structure to fill. They understood something we often forget: the power of the Seder comes not from repeating the words—but from making them speak to your moment. 2. "Bechol Dor Vador" Is a Command to Create We've been taught to relive the Exodus. The kibbutzim took it one step further: we are obligated to rewrite it. Every generation doesn't just inherit the story—it adds a chapter. 3. Ritual Isn't Escapism—It's How We Process Reality From pioneers in the 1930s to displaced families after October 7, the Seder became a place to confront the present, not escape it. By writing their pain, loss, and hope into the Haggadah, these communities show that ritual, at its best, is not about the past—it's about making meaning in real time.   Timestamps   [00:00] Kibbutz Haggadah Reimagined [01:24] Meet the Shitim Institute [04:07] Haggadah of Hope Tour [07:09] Inside the Kibbutz Archive [10:44] Haggadah as a Living Story [13:23] After October 7 Texts [15:01] Sponsor Break [16:08] Return Home in the Fourth Cup [23:26] Ma Nishtana Then and Now [28:23] US Reactions and Roadshow [30:16] Wrap Up and Passover Wishes   Links & Learnings   Sign up for free and get more from our weekly newsletter https://madlik.com/ Sefaria Source Sheet: https://voices.sefaria.org/sheets/715964 Transcript here: https://madlik.substack.com/ To donate to Shitim Institute: https://pefisrael.org/charity/machon-shittim/

Unlike almost every other major world religion, Judaism has absolutely no Pope—and the beautiful reason why is hidden deep in the Book of Leviticus. Rabbis today are "ordained." But the original system of rabbinic ordination—semikhah, the laying on of hands—collapsed almost 1,600 years ago. So how did rabbinic authority survive? In this episode of Madlik Disruptive Torah, Geoffrey Stern and Rabbi Adam Mintz trace the surprising story of how a simple biblical gesture—placing hands on a sacrifice—became the foundation for Jewish leadership and authority. Key Takeaways Authority in Judaism started as a gesture, not an institution Rabbinic authority survives not because the chain held—but because it broke Judaism chose influence over control Timestamps [00:00] Hands and Authority [01:49] Leviticus Semikhah [05:26] Blessing and Transference [08:50] Two Hands Rule [11:40] Women and Semikhah [15:17] Sponsor Break [16:23] Communal Offerings [21:30] Joshua Commissioned [23:22] Chain of Tradition [25:13] Ordination Disrupted [29:14] No Pope in Judaism [30:53] Closing Reflections Links & Learnings Sign up for free and get more from our weekly newsletter https://madlik.com/ Sefaria Source Sheet: https://voices.sefaria.org/sheets/714754 Transcript here: https://madlik.substack.com/

The Torah is incredibly strict about what goes into its holiest sanctuary, which is why one bizarre detail in Exodus chapter 38 makes absolutely no sense. In the inventory of materials used to build the Mishkan, the Torah accounts for the weight and value of all the gold, silver, copper, wood, and linen material used. It's very clinical, with no reference to significance or context. There is one striking exception. Exodus 38:8 tells us that the priestly washing basin was made "from the mirrors of the women who gathered at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting." Why does the Torah suddenly reveal the provenance of this one object? Who were these women—and what were they doing there? In this episode of Madlik Disruptive Torah, Geoffrey Stern and Rabbi Adam Mintz explore how a single enigmatic verse sparked generations of interpretation. Key Takeaways The Holiest Objects May Come from the Least Holy Places A Tiny Detail Can Create a Whole Tradition A Mirror Is the Perfect Metaphor for Interpretation Timestamps [00:00] Mirrors in the Mishkan [00:56] Meet the Hosts [01:36] Podcast Intro [02:51] Reading Exodus 38 [04:48] Women at the Tent [07:40] Rashi's Famous Midrash [13:01] Word Study on Mirrors [14:32] Sponsor Break [15:45] Eli's Sons and Innuendo [19:22] Scholars Offer Explanations [22:43] Egyptian Mirrors and Fertility [26:02] Repurposing Pagan Objects [26:42] Cassuto and Poetic Memory [29:39] Found Object Theology [31:26] Modern Fertility Sculpture [32:52] Wrap Up and Farewell Links & Learnings Sign up for free and get more from our weekly newsletter https://madlik.com/ Sefaria Source Sheet: https://voices.sefaria.org/sheets/713285 Transcript here: https://madlik.substack.com/  

What if I told you the Talmud's greatest secret for surviving a crisis isn't fighting harder—it's assuming the exact opposite of what you think is true? In this special Purim episode of Madlik Disruptive Torah, Geoffrey Stern and Rabbi Adam Mintz explore the Megillah's phrase וְנַהֲפוֹךְ הוּא (ve-nahafoch hu) — "everything was turned upside down" — and ask what it means after Purim, in a world facing crisis and uncertainty. Key Takeaways Reversal Is a Mindset, Not a Miracle. Crisis Is an Invitation to Rethink the Paradigm. Argue Hard. Stay Together. Timestamps [00:00] Purim Eve Tension [00:43] V'nahafoch Hu Mindset [01:57] Meet the Hosts [03:20] Esther Texts Reversal [05:01] Greenberg on Paradox [07:15] Turn It Over, Pirkei Avot [09:18] Talmudic Opposite Logic [14:55] Cafe Hafuch and Disagreement [18:31] Purim Rule Breaking [21:44] Kuhn and Paradigm Shifts [25:26] Startup Nation Debate Culture [28:26] War Reality and Prayer Links & Learnings Sign up for free and get more from our weekly newsletter https://madlik.com/ Sefaria Source Sheet: https://voices.sefaria.org/sheets/711758 Transcript here: https://madlik.substack.com/  

If you want to understand the Jewish story, start with a color. This week we're rebroadcasting one of my favorite episodes from 2022 — an episode about a single color that somehow contains an entire Jewish narrative: tekhelet, that rare, stubborn, unforgettable blue. We're revisiting a conversation that feels more timely than ever. As antisemitism re-emerges in public life, people are reaching again for symbols — simple, visible markers that say: I'm here. I'm not hiding. I'm not alone. One of those symbols is the Blue Square Campaign — a small square of blue worn or posted as a public expression of solidarity. Key Takeaways Blue teaches that holiness belongs to everyone. Blue reminds us that identity is visible, resilient, and remembered. Blue proves that a people can lose its Temple and still keep its thread. Timestamps [00:00] Why Blue Now [02:23] The Torah's Blue Thread [04:19] Tekhelet in the Mishkan [08:27] From Priest to People [13:19] Sea, Sky, and the Throne of Glory [17:04] The Desert Supply Mystery [19:45] Royal Blue and Authority [22:40] Lost and Found Tekhelet [25:20] Fakes and Black Markets [28:01] Tzitzit and P'til Tekhelet: Wordplay [32:29] Blue and White, and Israel [34:18] Shabbat Wrap Up Links & Learnings Sign up for free and get more from our weekly newsletter https://madlik.com/ Sefaria Source Sheet: https://voices.sefaria.org/sheets/383005 Transcript here: https://madlik.substack.com/

We usually think a 'gift with strings attached' is a bad thing, but the Torah actually forbids giving without them. No Free Gifts | Terumah, Purim & The Language of Reciprocity There is no such thing as a free gift. In this episode of Madlik Disruptive Torah, Geoffrey Stern and Rabbi Adam Mintz explore Parshat Terumah through the provocative lens of French sociologist Marcel Mauss and his groundbreaking work The Gift. Key Takeaways Every gift binds. Giving is a language. Reciprocity builds society. Timestamps [00:00] No Such Thing as a Free Gift: Torah Meets Anthropology [00:43] Terumah & Purim: Gifting as Covenant and Community Glue [01:57] Welcome to Madlik: What We're Really Exploring This Week [02:36] Hong Kong & Chinese New Year: Ritual Exchange in Real Life [04:33] Exodus 25 'Take for Me a Gift': The Strange Language of Terumah [06:21] Rashi's French 'Apaisement': Gifts, Favor, and Propitiation [12:24] Marcel Mauss' The Gift: Reciprocity vs. Utilitarianism [14:33] Potlatch, Honor, and Sacrifice: When Gifts Demand a Return [19:06] Sponsor Break: Voice Gift Tag (A Gift That Speaks) [20:00] Purim's Unique Mitzvah: Mishloach Manot as Required Reciprocity [21:38] Why No Blessing on Charity? Fixed Measures & Receiver Dependence [23:30] Megillat Esther's Two Gifts: Friends vs. the Poor [24:48] Halakhic Details: What Counts as Mishloach Manot (and Why) [28:18] Talmud Stories: Reading Meaning into the Gifts We Send [31:35] Meals, Kashrut, and Unity: Maimonides & Rabbi Riskin's Take [32:50] Closing Blessings: Shabbat Shalom and Heading Toward Purim Links & Learnings Sign up for free and get more from our weekly newsletter https://madlik.com/ Sefaria Source Sheet: https://voices.sefaria.org/sheets/709029 Transcript here: https://madlik.substack.com/  

The Torah doesn't celebrate freedom. It teaches dependence. Parashat Mishpatim opens with a shock: the Torah's great civil code begins with laws of slavery—spoken to a nation freshly freed from slavery. In this episode of Madlik Disruptive Torah, Geoffrey Stern and Rabbi Adam Mintz ask why the Torah doesn't give an "Emancipation Proclamation," and what freedom even means in a world built on mutual dependence. From Thoreau's Walden myth to Bob Dylan's "You've got to serve somebody," and Yeshayahu Leibowitz's insistence that the Exodus is about serving God, we explore a radical reframing: freedom in the Torah isn't the absence of dependence—it's learning how to depend justly. Key Takeaways Freedom in the Torah is not independence. Mishpatim isn't about preserving slavery — it's about dismantling it. The Torah meets society where it is — and pushes it forward. Timestamps [00:00] Introduction: The Illusion of Absolute Freedom [00:17] Thoreau's Shack and the Reality of Independence [00:40] The Torah's Perspective on Slavery and Freedom [01:35] Welcome to Malik: Exploring Jewish Texts [01:57] The Paradox of Emancipation and Slavery in the Torah [02:56] Analyzing the Laws of Slavery in Exodus [05:18] Rabbinic Interpretations and Commentaries [09:28] Modern Reflections on Slavery and Freedom [29:19] Conclusion: The Interdependence of Society Links & Learnings Sign up for free and get more from our weekly newsletter https://madlik.com/ Sefaria Source Sheet: https://voices.sefaria.org/sheets/707773 Transcript here: https://madlik.substack.com/

In the darkest place imaginable, four men discovered that gratitude can keep you alive. This episode of Madlik Disruptive Torah begins not in ancient text, but underground—inside the testimony of former hostage Eli Sharabi, who describes a ritual he and three others created in captivity: every night, they forced themselves to name one good thing that happened that day. Not because it felt true—but because without gratitude, hope would die. Key Takeaways Gratitude isn't a feeling—it's a practice Jethro's greatest gift wasn't law—it was blessing Saying it out loud is how we stay human Timestamps [00:00] Introduction: The Power of Gratitude [02:04] Elie Sarabi's Story of Survival [03:05] The Ritual of Thanksgiving [06:24] Jethro's Blessing and Its Significance [09:45] The Concept of Blessings in Judaism [13:24] Voice Gift Play: A New Way to Share Stories [14:27] The Importance of Verbalizing Gratitude [27:31] Finding the 'Why' in Survival [30:52] Conclusion: The Secret to Survival Links & Learnings Sign up for free and get more from our weekly newsletter https://madlik.com/ Sefaria Source Sheet: https://voices.sefaria.org/sheets/705869 Transcript here: https://madlik.substack.com/  

How a Story of Liberation Was Used to Exclude What if the Exodus wasn't just a story of freedom… but also a story of exclusion? Key Takeaways Redemption stories are rarely neutral—they are often weapons. The charge of being "left behind" usually says more about the accuser than the accused. A story about leaving becomes an excuse for not moving at all. Timestamps [00:00] Moses' Uncompromising Message to Pharaoh [00:24] The Irony of the 'Left Behind' Story [01:48] Introduction to Madlik and This Week's Topic [02:42] Exploring the Tradition of Those Left Behind [04:00] The Ambiguous Word in Exodus 13:18 [05:24] Rashi's Interpretation and the Fifth Child [11:08] Ezekiel's Rewriting of the Exodus Narrative [13:25] The Polemic Against Those Who Stayed Behind [25:05] The Tradition of Jewish Names, Language, and Dress [29:56] Conclusion and Final Thoughts Links & Learnings Sign up for free and get more from our weekly newsletter https://madlik.com/ Sefaria Source Sheet: https://voices.sefaria.org/sheets/704560 Transcript here: https://madlik.substack.com/

The Exodus isn't just a freedom story — it's the Torah's first argument about gatekeeping. Pharaoh asks a simple question: "Who exactly is going?" — mi va-mi ha-holchim. Moses answers with a revolution: Everyone. Key Takeaways Who's going?" really means "Who counts? Inclusion isn't modern — it's Torah. Presence matters more than status. Timestamps [00:00] Pharaoh's Question: Who's Going? [01:26] Introduction to Madlik and This Week's Topic [01:58] The Essence of Hasidism and Inclusion [05:03] Exploring the Exodus Story [07:14] Moses' Radical Answer to Pharaoh [17:08] Modern Interpretations and Commentary [20:45] The Inclusive Revolution in Judaism [27:35] Concluding Thoughts and Reflections Links & Learnings Sign up for free and get more from our weekly newsletter https://madlik.com/ Sefaria Source Sheet: https://voices.sefaria.org/sheets/702597 Transcript here: https://madlik.substack.com/

Rav Shlomo Wolbe, Mussar, and the Theology of Human Greatness Moses delivers the greatest promise in Jewish history—freedom, redemption, a future—and the Torah says something heartbreaking: the Israelites don't listen. Not because they reject God or Moses, but because of "kotzer ruach" (Exodus 6:9)—shortness of spirit. Key Takeaways The Torah's Greatest Threat Isn't Sin — It's Smallness True Greatness Is Internal, Not External Mussar Teaches Us How to Grow, Not Just What to Do Timestamps [00:00] The Devastating Reality of kotzer ruach [00:45] Introduction to Rabbi Shlomo Wolbe [03:11] The Teachings of Rabbi Shlomo Wolbe [08:08] The Greatness of the Human Being [10:25] The Inner Life and Human Potential [17:15] Modern Reflections and Critiques [27:40] Conclusion: Embracing Our Greatness Links & Learnings Sign up for free and get more from our weekly newsletter https://madlik.com/ Sefaria Source Sheet: https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/701299 Transcript here: https://madlik.substack.com/  

What Children Hear That Adults Miss We begin the Book of Shemot (Exodus) with a New Year's-style resolution: read more Torah out loud—to our children, and to our grandchildren. Because the Exodus isn't just Judaism's greatest story; it's Judaism's most re-read story—told at the Seder, year after year, the longest-running book club in history. We're joined by scholar and author Ilana Kurshan to discuss her new book Children of the Book, a beautiful exploration of how reading to kids shapes not only them, but us. Together we read Exodus through young eyes: the burning bush as a lesson in attention, "seeing" as a form of leadership, pictures as commentary, and Moses himself sounding like a nervous child—"slow of speech." Whether you're a parent, grandparent, or just someone who loves texts, this episode is about the power of rereading—and the intimacy of reading aloud. Key Takeaways The Torah is meant to be reread Reading out loud is how Jewish memory is formed Reading with children changes how we read. Timestamps [00:00] Introduction to Malik Disruptive Torah [00:35] Guest Introduction: Scholar Arthur Ilana Khan [00:54] The Importance of Reading Aloud [01:38] Meet Ilana Khan: Author and Scholar [03:43] The Concept of Repetition in Jewish Reading [08:54] The Burning Bush: A Story of Attention and Vision [10:52] The Role of Close Reading in Jewish Tradition [13:52] The Art of Reading in Modern Times [24:05] Children's Unique Perspective on Stories [31:41] The Power of Reading Aloud to Children [34:53] Conclusion and Final Thoughts Links & Learnings Sign up for free and get more from our weekly newsletter https://madlik.com/ Link to Ilana's Book: https://ilanakurshan.com/ Sefaria Source Sheet: https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/699868 Transcript here: https://madlik.substack.com/