Sivan Says: Taking the Torah Personally

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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.

17.10.2025

On this week’s parsha, we begin again

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 Shabbat. So what does it mean to begin again, not only in the Torah but in our own lives? Tune in to find out.
06.10.2025

Sukkot

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 Shabbat, and reconnecting with her heritage. Her story captures what it means to be an “October 8 Jew,” part of a new wave of Jews rediscovering their roots in the aftermath of tragedy. As we gather under the Sukkah this year, the question feels especially relevant: what can this fragile shelter teach us about resilience, connection, and joy in uncertain times? Tune in to find out.
30.09.2025

Ha'azinu

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 Shabbat of the year into the second, and the third, and the days beyond? Tune in to find out.
25.09.2025

Vayelech

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.
17.09.2025

Nitzavim

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 is within reach, ready to be lived and acted upon. Renewal is possible, change is attainable, and the work of teshuvah can be done with joy. So how do we take that first step into the new year, with resolve, with community, and with gladness? Tune in to find out.
10.09.2025

Gratitude isn’t just a feeling. It’s a declaration.

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.
03.09.2025

Ki Teitzei

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 commands that we act. And our commentators expand this: the principle applies to every corner of life, from forgotten objects to “lost souls” disconnected from their community. The lesson is simple but profound: each mitzvah is a chance to connect the physical and the divine, to bring holiness into the world. Whether returning a lost item, giving charity, or observing daily rituals, we are invited to participate in a partnership with God, sanctifying our lives in concrete, tangible ways. So as the school year begins and Elul marches on, how can we turn everyday acts into opportunities to reveal goodness and care in the world? Tune in to find out.
27.08.2025

Shoftim

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 is even harder. But this month, Moses’ call is clear: take one step, however small, toward making those gates holy. So how do we begin—by lofty resolutions or by one small, practical change? Tune in to find out.

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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.

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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.