loader from loading.io

Reading the Torah like a Child

Madlik Podcast – Disruptive Torah Thoughts on Judaism

Release Date: 01/08/2026

The Haggadah After October 7 show art The Haggadah After October 7

Madlik Podcast – Disruptive Torah Thoughts on Judaism

What if I told you that the most powerful way to read the Passover Haggadah... is to write your own? In this episode of Madlik, we explore a radical idea born on Israel’s early kibbutzim in the 1920s and 30s: that Judaism isn’t just inherited—it’s authored. We’re joined by Eran Yarkoni and Anton Marks of the Shittim Institute, who are traveling the U.S. with their exhibition Haggadah of Hope.   Key Takeaways   1. The Haggadah Isn’t a Book—It’s a Framework The kibbutzim didn’t treat the Haggadah as sacred text to preserve, but as a structure to fill. They understood...

info_outline How the Rabbis got their Power show art How the Rabbis got their Power

Madlik Podcast – Disruptive Torah Thoughts on Judaism

Unlike almost every other major world religion, Judaism has absolutely no Pope—and the beautiful reason why is hidden deep in the Book of Leviticus. Rabbis today are “ordained.” But the original system of rabbinic ordination—semikhah, the laying on of hands—collapsed almost 1,600 years ago. So how did rabbinic authority survive? In this episode of Madlik Disruptive Torah, Geoffrey Stern and Rabbi Adam Mintz trace the surprising story of how a simple biblical gesture—placing hands on a sacrifice—became the foundation for Jewish leadership and authority. Key Takeaways Authority in...

info_outline Midrash Through the Looking Glass show art Midrash Through the Looking Glass

Madlik Podcast – Disruptive Torah Thoughts on Judaism

The Torah is incredibly strict about what goes into its holiest sanctuary, which is why one bizarre detail in Exodus chapter 38 makes absolutely no sense. In the inventory of materials used to build the Mishkan, the Torah accounts for the weight and value of all the gold, silver, copper, wood, and linen material used. It’s very clinical, with no reference to significance or context. There is one striking exception. Exodus 38:8 tells us that the priestly washing basin was made “from the mirrors of the women who gathered at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting.” Why does the Torah suddenly...

info_outline Upside Down Thinking show art Upside Down Thinking

Madlik Podcast – Disruptive Torah Thoughts on Judaism

What if I told you the Talmud’s greatest secret for surviving a crisis isn’t fighting harder—it’s assuming the exact opposite of what you think is true? In this special Purim episode of Madlik Disruptive Torah, Geoffrey Stern and Rabbi Adam Mintz explore the Megillah’s phrase וְנַהֲפוֹךְ הוּא (ve-nahafoch hu) — “everything was turned upside down” — and ask what it means after Purim, in a world facing crisis and uncertainty. Key Takeaways Reversal Is a Mindset, Not a Miracle. Crisis Is an Invitation to Rethink the Paradigm. Argue Hard. Stay Together. ...

info_outline The Lost Color of the Jewish People show art The Lost Color of the Jewish People

Madlik Podcast – Disruptive Torah Thoughts on Judaism

If you want to understand the Jewish story, start with a color. This week we’re rebroadcasting one of my favorite episodes from 2022 — an episode about a single color that somehow contains an entire Jewish narrative: tekhelet, that rare, stubborn, unforgettable blue. We’re revisiting a conversation that feels more timely than ever. As antisemitism re-emerges in public life, people are reaching again for symbols — simple, visible markers that say: I’m here. I’m not hiding. I’m not alone. One of those symbols is the Blue Square Campaign — a small square of blue worn or posted as...

info_outline No Free Gifts show art No Free Gifts

Madlik Podcast – Disruptive Torah Thoughts on Judaism

We usually think a 'gift with strings attached' is a bad thing, but the Torah actually forbids giving without them. No Free Gifts | Terumah, Purim & The Language of Reciprocity There is no such thing as a free gift. In this episode of Madlik Disruptive Torah, Geoffrey Stern and Rabbi Adam Mintz explore Parshat Terumah through the provocative lens of French sociologist Marcel Mauss and his groundbreaking work The Gift. Key Takeaways Every gift binds. Giving is a language. Reciprocity builds society. Timestamps [00:00] No Such Thing as a Free Gift: Torah Meets Anthropology [00:43] Terumah...

info_outline From Freedom to Slavery show art From Freedom to Slavery

Madlik Podcast – Disruptive Torah Thoughts on Judaism

The Torah doesn’t celebrate freedom. It teaches dependence. Parashat Mishpatim opens with a shock: the Torah’s great civil code begins with laws of slavery—spoken to a nation freshly freed from slavery. In this episode of Madlik Disruptive Torah, Geoffrey Stern and Rabbi Adam Mintz ask why the Torah doesn’t give an “Emancipation Proclamation,” and what freedom even means in a world built on mutual dependence. From Thoreau’s Walden myth to Bob Dylan’s “You’ve got to serve somebody,” and Yeshayahu Leibowitz’s insistence that the Exodus is about serving God, we explore a...

info_outline Blessed are the Survivors show art Blessed are the Survivors

Madlik Podcast – Disruptive Torah Thoughts on Judaism

In the darkest place imaginable, four men discovered that gratitude can keep you alive. This episode of Madlik Disruptive Torah begins not in ancient text, but underground—inside the testimony of former hostage Eli Sharabi, who describes a ritual he and three others created in captivity: every night, they forced themselves to name one good thing that happened that day. Not because it felt true—but because without gratitude, hope would die. Key Takeaways Gratitude isn’t a feeling—it’s a practice Jethro’s greatest gift wasn’t law—it was blessing Saying it out loud is how we stay...

info_outline Left Behind-The Jewish Rapture show art Left Behind-The Jewish Rapture

Madlik Podcast – Disruptive Torah Thoughts on Judaism

How a Story of Liberation Was Used to Exclude What if the Exodus wasn’t just a story of freedom… but also a story of exclusion? Key Takeaways Redemption stories are rarely neutral—they are often weapons. The charge of being “left behind” usually says more about the accuser than the accused. A story about leaving becomes an excuse for not moving at all. Timestamps [00:00] Moses' Uncompromising Message to Pharaoh [00:24] The Irony of the 'Left Behind' Story [01:48] Introduction to Madlik and This Week's Topic [02:42] Exploring the Tradition of Those Left Behind [04:00] The Ambiguous...

info_outline Who’s In, Who’s Out — A 3,000-Year-Old Debate show art Who’s In, Who’s Out — A 3,000-Year-Old Debate

Madlik Podcast – Disruptive Torah Thoughts on Judaism

The Exodus isn’t just a freedom story — it’s the Torah’s first argument about gatekeeping. Pharaoh asks a simple question: “Who exactly is going?” — mi va-mi ha-holchim. Moses answers with a revolution: Everyone. Key Takeaways Who’s going?” really means “Who counts? Inclusion isn’t modern — it’s Torah. Presence matters more than status. Timestamps [00:00] Pharaoh's Question: Who's Going? [01:26] Introduction to Madlik and This Week's Topic [01:58] The Essence of Hasidism and Inclusion [05:03] Exploring the Exodus Story [07:14] Moses' Radical Answer to Pharaoh...

info_outline
 
More Episodes

What Children Hear That Adults Miss

We begin the Book of Shemot (Exodus) with a New Year’s-style resolution: read more Torah out loud—to our children, and to our grandchildren. Because the Exodus isn’t just Judaism’s greatest story; it’s Judaism’s most re-read story—told at the Seder, year after year, the longest-running book club in history.

We’re joined by scholar and author Ilana Kurshan to discuss her new book Children of the Book, a beautiful exploration of how reading to kids shapes not only them, but us. Together we read Exodus through young eyes: the burning bush as a lesson in attention, “seeing” as a form of leadership, pictures as commentary, and Moses himself sounding like a nervous child—“slow of speech.”

Whether you’re a parent, grandparent, or just someone who loves texts, this episode is about the power of rereading—and the intimacy of reading aloud.

Key Takeaways

  1. The Torah is meant to be reread
  2. Reading out loud is how Jewish memory is formed
  3. Reading with children changes how we read.

Timestamps

  • [00:00] Introduction to Malik Disruptive Torah
  • [00:35] Guest Introduction: Scholar Arthur Ilana Khan
  • [00:54] The Importance of Reading Aloud
  • [01:38] Meet Ilana Khan: Author and Scholar
  • [03:43] The Concept of Repetition in Jewish Reading
  • [08:54] The Burning Bush: A Story of Attention and Vision
  • [10:52] The Role of Close Reading in Jewish Tradition
  • [13:52] The Art of Reading in Modern Times
  • [24:05] Children's Unique Perspective on Stories
  • [31:41] The Power of Reading Aloud to Children
  • [34:53] Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Links & Learnings

Sign up for free and get more from our weekly newsletter https://madlik.com/

Link to Ilana's Book: https://ilanakurshan.com/

Sefaria Source Sheet: https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/699868

Transcript here: https://madlik.substack.com/