Stories We Tell: The Spoonful of Oil
On the Other Hand: Ten Minutes of Torah – Yitro: Breaking Down Labels
This week’s Torah portion, Parashat Yitro, is named for the Midianite Priest, Jethro, and depicts his first encounter with Moses in the desert. The two forge a relationship despite their different faiths and ethnicities, and Moses ends up marrying his daughter, Tziporah.
On the Other Hand: Ten Minutes of Torah – B'Shalach: Remembering Debbie Friedman z"l on Shabbat Shira
This week’s Torah portion, Parashat B’shalach, is read on Shabbat Shira, the Shabbat of Song.
On the Other Hand: Ten Minutes of Torah – Vayak'heil: How Do We Build Our Communities?
Constructing the Miskhan brings us to ask - how can we build our communities? What do we need besides a synagogue space in order to engender a communal environment? Even something as simple as seating makes all the difference.
Three ways to listen:
On the Other Hand: Ten Minutes of Torah – Bo: What is Lost in Translation
In Parashat Bo, we learn about the last three of the plagues that are visited upon the Pharaoh of Egypt. Rabbi Rick Jacobs focuses on the plague of darkness, and examines how the translations of the ancient Hebrew by Robert Alter allow us to glean new meanings from this portion.
On the Other Hand: Ten Minutes of Torah – Va-eira: What Do We Really Think About God?`
In the opening lines of this week’s Torah portion, Parashat Va-eira of the Book of Exodus, Moses meets God for the first time.
On the Other Hand: Ten Minutes of Torah – Sh'mot: Putting Faith into Action
Happy 2018! In our first episode of the secular new year, Rabbi Rick Jacobs welcomes guest host and friend Reverend Frederick A. Davie, Executive Vice President of Union Theological Seminary. Together, they discuss parashat Sh’mot and our individual capacity to drive change in the world.
On the Other Hand: Ten Minutes of Torah -- Bo: Fighting for Freedom
Parashat Bo features the four famous words, "let my people go,” a refrain for countless communities seeking freedom.
On the Other Hand: Ten Minutes of Torah - T'rumah: The Right Ways to Give
In Parashat T'rumah, God asks the Israelites for gifts and there are so many different ways and reasons that people give - but is there a best way? Rabbi Rick Jacobs discusses different perspectives on giving in this episode of On the Other Hand.
On the Other Hand: Ten Minutes of Torah – T'rumah: Building a Sacred Space
Parashat T'ruma describes building a mishkan, a sacred space, and the first central praying place in Jewish life. People were asked to give both their skills and their material possessions to build it, and together they created something both beautiful and portable.