Madlik Podcast – Disruptive Torah Thoughts on Judaism

Geoffrey Stern
  • 5.0 (15)
  • Judaism
  • Updated Weekly

The Malcolm Gladwell of the Torah -- That's how listeners describe Madlik™ – where sharp insight meets sacred text. With the curiosity of a cultural critic and the soul of a yeshiva bochur, Madlik ignites Jewish thought from a post-orthodox perspective. Each weekly episode explores the Torah with fresh eyes — drawing unexpected connections, challenging assumptions, and offering a heterodox yet deeply rooted take on halachic and philosophical questions. Born of a lifelong love for Jewish texts and a refusal to let tradition become static, Madlik keeps the flame of Judaism burning — not by preserving the embers, but by lighting new fires. In Hebrew, מדליק (Madlik) means to ignite. But in modern slang, it simply means cool. We aim to be both.

  1. 4d ago

    Hasbara - Inside and Out

    There's a terrifying line between having unwavering faith in your homeland and blinding yourself to a reality that is tearing it apart. Did the spies lie? For generations, Jews have read Parshat Sh'lach as the story of a faithless generation that listened to ten pessimistic scouts instead of Joshua and Caleb. The rabbis saw their tears as a "bechi shel chinam"—a gratuitous cry whose consequences echoed through Jewish history. But what happens when history forces us to reread the story? Key Takeaways The Spies Didn't Just Report the Facts—They Shaped the Narrative The Torah's first Hasbara crisis was not about military intelligence but about interpretation. The spies and Joshua saw the same land, the same giants, and the same challenges. The debate was over what those facts meant. Every generation faces the challenge of distinguishing between reality and the stories we tell about reality. 2. Sometimes Ancient Texts Force Us to Reconsider Our Assumptions For centuries, Jews have read the spies as the villains of the story. Yet in a moment of war, division, and uncertainty, we asked whether there are times when their warnings deserve to be heard. The enduring power of Torah is that it does not merely answer questions—it challenges each generation to confront its own historical moment. 3. Hasbara Begins at Home The spies were not speaking to the Canaanites; they were speaking to their fellow Israelites. Before a nation can explain itself to the world, it must understand itself. The conversation explored whether Israel's greatest challenge today is not external public diplomacy, but maintaining a shared sense of purpose, responsibility, and destiny among its own people. Timestamps [00:00] Meet Pamela Peled [03:07] Spies and Perception [07:29] Zionist Journey to Israel [11:11] When Fear Feels Real [18:10] Hasbara Begins at Home [21:34] Sponsor Break [22:32] Israel Not Apartheid [24:30] Needless vs Authentic Tears [28:52] Conflict and Corruption [32:05] Hope and Closing Blessing Links & Learnings Sign up for free and get more from our weekly newsletter https://madlik.com/ Sefaria Source Sheet: https://voices.sefaria.org/sheets/733929 Transcript here: https://madlik.substack.com/

    36 min

  2. Jun 3

    Entitlement Reform Cont.

    For thousands of years, who your father was determined your entire life—until the Torah decided to tear that system down to the ground. For most of us, the defining moments of Jewish history are obvious: the Exodus from Egypt and the Revelation at Sinai. But what if we've overlooked another revolution hiding in plain sight? Key Takeaways The Torah's hidden revolution was the attack on birthright. We tend to think of the Exodus as a liberation from slavery and Sinai as the birth of law. But running beneath the surface is another revolution: the dismantling of inherited privilege. 2. The Exodus story itself was reshaped to tell that story. The Torah repeatedly links the sanctification of the firstborn to the death of Egypt's firstborn. The result is that the Exodus becomes more than a story about freedom from Pharaoh. It becomes a polemic against the ideology that underpinned Egypt itself: hierarchy, inherited power, and entitlement. The plague of the firstborn is not only a punishment of Egypt. It becomes a theological statement that holiness and authority are not guaranteed by birth. 3. Judaism ultimately replaced pedigree with character and learning. The transfer from firstborn to Levites was only one stage in a much longer process. The Rabbis completed the revolution: A Torah scholar can outrank a High Priest. The crown of a good name surpasses priesthood and kingship. Maimonides teaches that the holiness of Levi is available to anyone who dedicates themselves to God. The trajectory of Judaism is clear: Birth → Service → Learning Or, put differently: The Torah begins by challenging inherited privilege and ends by teaching that true authority comes not from who your father was, but from who you become. Timestamps 00:00] Torah's Hidden Revolution [01:23] Madlik Intro and Setup [02:23] Menorah, Rashi, and Levite Tension [04:55] Levites Replace Firstborn [09:17] Golden Calf Theory Questioned [11:59] Sponsor Break [13:00] Exodus Firstborn Laws Reframed [19:36] Counting Swap and Five Shekels [23:28] Mashup Theory and Firstborn Focus [27:55] From Birthright to Merit [31:55] 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/732770 Transcript here: https://madlik.substack.com/

    32 min

  3. May 28

    Splitting Hairs

    If you've ever wondered why your observant grandmother didn't cover her hair, you're about to discover a hidden truth that changes everything about how Jewish law actually works. What if the way your grandmother practiced Judaism no longer matches what contemporary Orthodoxy claims Judaism always required? This week on Madlik, Geoffrey Stern and Rabbi Adam Mintz sit down with Professor Michael Broyde to discuss his groundbreaking new book Splitting Hairs — a deep dive into women's hair covering that becomes a much larger conversation about how halakha actually works. Key Takeaways Jewish law has never evolved in isolation from lived Jewish experience, communal norms, and surrounding culture. The debate over women's hair covering reveals a deeper tension between objective halakha (Dat Moshe) and socially conditioned practice (Dat Yehudit). Great rabbinic authorities like the Ben Ish Chai, Rav Moshe Feinstein, and Rav Ovadia Yosef often defended inherited communal practice rather than simply imposing rigid uniformity. Timestamps [00:00] Hair and Halakha [02:25] Meet Michael Broyde [04:14] Why Hair Covering [06:18] What Counts as Covering [08:16] Defending Communal Practice [14:49] Sponsor Break [15:57] Sotah Text and Rashi [21:15] Dat Moshe and Yehudit [24:57] Ben Ish Chai and Culture [30:11] Ovadia Yosef and Wigs [35:13] Israel America Modesty [36:25] Closing and 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/731684 Transcript here: https://madlik.substack.com/

    37 min

  4. May 13

    We The Tribes

    We usually think of the ancient world as being ruled by dangerous, power-hungry kings, but the Torah actually commanded a radical, unified democracy thousands of years before America. What if the Book of Numbers is not really about numbers? What if the census in the wilderness was actually the birth of the first constitutional government? Key Takeaways Bamidbar is not just a census — it is a constitutional moment. The Torah counts the Israelites not as isolated individuals but as tribes, clans, and representative units, revealing a revolutionary political vision: a nation built through covenant among distinct groups. The Torah's model of unity preserves difference rather than erasing it. From tribal banners surrounding the Tabernacle to the Bible's vision of the end of days, Judaism imagines a shared moral order where tribes, nations, and differing opinions retain their unique identities. Jewish political culture may explain Jewish intellectual culture. The same covenantal federalism that allowed tribes to remain distinct while united may also underlie Judaism's enduring embrace of argument, dissent, and multiple opinions within a shared tradition. Timestamps [00:00] Numbers Reimagined [01:24] Bamidbar Setup [02:33] Census Text Walkthrough [05:46] Journey and Authority [07:40] Elazar Tribal Federation [10:48] Camp Flags Communication [12:33] Counting Methods Leaders [14:47] Twelve Tribes Problem [18:42] Sponsor Break [19:48] Elazar Biography [21:15] Numbers as Constitution [24:24] Federalism Covenant Model [30:39] Federal Mindset Today [31:40] 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/725075 Transcript here: https://madlik.substack.com/

    32 min

  5. May 6

    Made on Sabbath

    What if the Jewish secret to creating your best work is actually learning how to do absolutely nothing? Is Shabbat really about rest… or is it about creation? Is it about ceasing from activity—or a unique form of production? The Torah says something strange: during the Sabbatical year, you don't eat crops—you eat "Shabbat." And when we are commanded to keep the Sabbath—we are told to make it. Key Takeaways Shabbat Isn't Passive — It's Creative. The Torah doesn't just say observe Shabbat—it says "make" Shabbat. Rest isn't the absence of creation—it's a different kind of creation. 2. Letting Go Produces More Than Holding On In Shemitah, you don't eat what you grow—you eat what grows when you release ownership. Real abundance comes not from control, but from hefker, withdrawal, and trust. 3. Shabbat Only Exists Because We Create It. Unlike every other mitzvah, Shabbat has no physical form. It becomes real only when we live it— by stopping, we actually bring it into existence. Timestamps [00:00] Creation Through Stopping [01:14] Lag BaOmer And Sevens [02:01] Shmita Text And Shabbat Haaretz [03:41] Rashi Ramban And The Oxymoron [08:23] Nullification And Ownerless Yield [11:20] Tzimtzum And Hidden Goodness [15:12] To Do The Sabbath [16:39] Making Shabbat Commentaries [19:29] Sponsor Break [23:10] Torah Temimah Makes Shabbat Real [26:00] Shabbat As Human Construct [28:42] Closing Lag BaOmer And Chazak Links & Learnings Sign up for free and get more from our weekly newsletter https://madlik.com/ Sefaria Source Sheet: https://voices.sefaria.org/sheets/723691 Transcript here: https://madlik.substack.com/

    29 min

  6. Apr 29

    Holiness When Life Refuses to Cooperate

    What if the Torah's strictest, most uncomfortable laws about perfection weren't actually meant to keep us out, but to give us permission to be broken? What does holiness look like… when life refuses to cooperate? In this episode of Madlik, we dive into one of the Torah's most uncomfortable passages—Parshat Emor—where the priestly caste is commanded to live a life untouched by death, imperfect relationships, and even physical blemish. No funerals. No complicated marriages. No broken bodies. It's a vision of holiness that feels… impossible. But what if we've been reading it wrong? Key Takeaways Holiness as Separation, Not Just Morality The priestly laws aren't random restrictions—they form a unified system built on distance from life's messiness: death, complicated relationships, and physical imperfection. Holiness here isn't about being good—it's about being set apart. 2. A Vision of Perfection… or a Problematic Ideal The Kohen represents an almost utopian human—untouched by loss, imperfection, or disruption. But that raises a tension: is this an aspirational model meant to uplift, or the creation of a spiritual hierarchy that excludes real human experience? 3. From "Disqualified" to "Permitted" The word ḥalal, usually translated as profane or disqualified, may actually point in a different direction. What if it means not rejected—but released? Not unholy—but free to live fully human lives, where imperfection isn't a flaw… but the norm. Timestamps [00:00] Holiness Without Cracks [01:40] Show Intro and Big Question [02:53] Priestly Mourning Limits [04:35] Marriage Rules and Separation [06:53] Rashi and Modern Practice [10:23] Talmud and Funeral Optics [13:52] Why These Marriage Bans [21:20] Physical Blemishes and Theater [27:00] Halal as Permission [29:57] Wrap Up and 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/722306 Transcript here: https://madlik.substack.com/

    31 min

  7. Apr 22

    Brotherly Love in Lisbon

    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/

    32 min

  8. Apr 15

    When Homes Are Torn Open

    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/

    32 min
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About

The Malcolm Gladwell of the Torah -- That's how listeners describe Madlik™ – where sharp insight meets sacred text. With the curiosity of a cultural critic and the soul of a yeshiva bochur, Madlik ignites Jewish thought from a post-orthodox perspective. Each weekly episode explores the Torah with fresh eyes — drawing unexpected connections, challenging assumptions, and offering a heterodox yet deeply rooted take on halachic and philosophical questions. Born of a lifelong love for Jewish texts and a refusal to let tradition become static, Madlik keeps the flame of Judaism burning — not by preserving the embers, but by lighting new fires. In Hebrew, מדליק (Madlik) means to ignite. But in modern slang, it simply means cool. We aim to be both.

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