Sivan Says: Taking the Torah Personally Tablet Studios

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.