On the Other Hand: Ten Minutes of Torah Podcast
1) L’hitraot, for Now...
After four years of bringing you a new episode nearly every week, this podcast is taking a little break. Listen to this episode to learn more about our hiatus and where to find us in the meantime.
2) The Antidote to Kvetching
Most of us today aren’t tasked with wandering through the desert, like the ancient Israelites were... but we still find plenty to kvetch about! What if, instead of focusing on small annoyances, we tur...Show More
3) The Blessing of Blessing One Another
Parashat Naso, the longest of all the Torah portions, features a famous blessing – but what does it mean for us to bless one another? Is it a power reserved for clergy, or is it something any of us ca...Show More
4) How the Book of Ruth Connects Us All Today
Chag Sameach and welcome to a special Shavuot edition of On the Other Hand! On this week’s holiday episode, Rabbi Rick Jacobs talks about Ruth, her connection to this unique Jewish festival, and what ...Show More
5) Where the Mishnah Meets the #MeToo Movement
Parashat Naso includes a passage about the sotah, the "errant woman" who is accused of adultery. It's a complex and problematic part of ancient Judaism, says Rabbi Rick Jacobs, so sometimes it's delib...Show More
6) Our Multiracial Jewish Community
The Torah commands us to take a census of the “whole Israelite community” – but who does the counting, and who, exactly, is counted? In this episode, which first aired in June 2019, Rabbi Rick Jacobs ...Show More
7) Do You Really Care?
How much do you care about the environment? Yourself? Other people? Rabbi Rick Jacobs talks about our fundamental responsibility to care for God’s earth and attend to the neediest among us. It’s not a...Show More
8) What Is Blasphemy, Anyway?
In ancient times, crimes of blasphemy were punished by stoning - but what does it really mean today to blaspheme? Rabbi Rick Jacobs explains the biblical prohibition against Chilul HaShem, desecrating...Show More
9) "Loving the Stranger" Isn't Always Intuitive
Let's talk about love: Torah talks about three kinds of love - and in fact, the phrase “love the stranger” appears in the Torah 36 times. Why is it written so often? Who is "the stranger," anyway? And...Show More
10) Using Our Words to Heal, Not Hurt
For many Jews, Parashiyot Tazria and M’tzora are perhaps the most nerve-inducing of all the Torah portions. After all, none of us is exactly eager to discuss leprosy - or the fact that, in our ancient...Show More