The Pen & The Yad

By Rabbi Michael Siegel & Jonathan Eig

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Category: Judaism

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Episodes: 267

Description

A rabbi and a writer talk torah.

Episode Date
Emor: Rabbis Are Not Priests
May 12, 2024
Kedoshim: Our Struggle with Cruelty as Individuals and a Society
May 08, 2024
Achrei Mot: The Scapegoat: Then and Now
May 01, 2024
Special Pesach Episode • April 2024
Apr 25, 2024
Metzora: We Are All Vulnerable
Apr 18, 2024
Tazria: The Resonance of Our Words
Apr 09, 2024
Tzav: Assuming the Flawed Humanness of Our Leaders Instead of Being Surprised By It
Mar 28, 2024
Shabbat Zachor: Remembering Amalek in America
Mar 19, 2024
Pekudei: We Are Off to See the Wizard: Not Oz, but G-d
Mar 10, 2024
Vayakhel: There is Nothing Like a Good Ritual to Bring a Community Together
Mar 04, 2024
Ki Tisa: Can You Handle the Truth?
Feb 26, 2024
Tetzaveh: The Creativity That Flows from Ritual
Feb 18, 2024
Terumah: Can Judaism Be Coerced?
Feb 15, 2024
Mishpatim: The World's Oldest Sermon
Feb 05, 2024
Yitro: Is All Killing Murder?
Jan 29, 2024
Beshalach: The Circuitous Road to Freedom
Jan 22, 2024
Bo: How Distinct Do We Really Want to be as Jews?
Jan 16, 2024
Vayera: What’s In a Name, and What Can We Learn from G-d’s Name?
Jan 07, 2024
Shemot: Writing the Biography of Moses
Jan 02, 2024
Vayechi: It Ain’t Over ’Til Its Over: The Jewish Argument Against Fate
Dec 24, 2023
Vayigash: Judah and the Hero that Exists Inside of Us
Dec 18, 2023
Special Episode: Rabbi Michael Siegel Discusses His Recent Trip to Israel
Dec 18, 2023
Miketz: Joseph, Chanukah, and the Limits of Assimilation
Dec 10, 2023
Vayeshev: Joseph and Where Does Greatness Come From?
Dec 03, 2023
Vayishlach: The Often Unseen Power of Women in the Torah
Nov 30, 2023
Vayetzei: I Have a Dream, Now What?
Nov 19, 2023
Toldot: Wisdom, Our Parents, and Redigging the Wells of Tradition
Nov 13, 2023
Chayei Sara: Abraham and His Descendants and the Ownership of Land
Nov 06, 2023
Vayera: Does the Arc of Justice Stop at Sodom and Gomorrah?
Oct 30, 2023
Lech Lecha: Lot: The Bibles First Hostage
Oct 23, 2023
Noach: Hamas in the Midst of the Flood
Oct 17, 2023
Bereshit: The Power of Words to Create and To Destroy
Oct 13, 2023
Special Episode: War with Gaza
Oct 10, 2023
Simchat Torah: Celebrating the Entire Jewish Community in the Embrace of the Torah
Oct 03, 2023
Sukkot: Enjoying the Imperfect Sukkah of Peace
Sep 27, 2023
Ha’azinu / Shabbat Shuva: The Role of National Shuva
Sep 19, 2023
Rosh Hashanah Episode: 80th Anniversary of the Rescue of Danish Jewry
Sep 15, 2023
Nitzavim-Vayelech: What, Me Worry?
Sep 07, 2023
Ki Tavo: The Dangers of Procrastination
Aug 27, 2023
Ki Teitzei: The Power of a Birds Nest: How Small Acts Can Have a Huge Effect
Aug 25, 2023
Shoftim: The Relevant Lesson of the Song Dovid Melech Yisrael
Aug 13, 2023
Re’eh: The Torah and Artificial Intelligence
Aug 07, 2023
Eikev: What Can the Idea of Mitzvot Teach Us About Climate Change?
Jul 31, 2023
Vaetchanan: Causeless Hatred Amongst Brothers and Sisters and the Path To Comfort
Jul 23, 2023
Devarim: The Purpose of a Memoir
Jul 17, 2023
Matot-Masei: War—What is It Good For?
Jul 10, 2023
Pinchas: Standing for Something: Rosa Parks and the Daughters of Zelophehad
Jul 02, 2023
Chukat: The Philosophy of Death and Life
Jun 26, 2023
Korach: Finding the Will to Speak Out in Dangerous Moments
Jun 22, 2023
Sh’lach Lecha: Letting Our Children Fail Forward: Parenting Lessons from the Torah
Jun 11, 2023
Beha’alotcha: Did Law Change Society, or Did Society Change the Law?
Jun 05, 2023
Nasso: What We Can Learn From an Ancient Ordeal
May 30, 2023
Bamidbar: Central Issues and the Power of Structure
May 15, 2023
Behar Behukotai: Liberty or Release From Poverty: The Message of the Liberty Bell
May 12, 2023
Emor: Counting Your Steps, and Your Blessings
May 01, 2023
Achrei Mot: Scape-Goating and Responsibility
Apr 24, 2023
Tazria: The Power of Child Birth
Apr 17, 2023
Pesach Episode 2023
Apr 10, 2023
Shemini: The Sounds of Silence: Getting Comfortable with Being Quiet
Apr 10, 2023
Pesach: Reflections on the Burning Issues of Prayer
Mar 26, 2023
Vayikra: The Power of the Peace Offering
Mar 22, 2023
Vayakhel-Pekudei: Come Together Right Now: Jew and Me
Mar 13, 2023
Ki Tisa: Assessing the Breakage: Lessons Learned from the Broken Tablets
Mar 08, 2023
Tetzaveh: The Scent of Authenticity
Feb 26, 2023
Terumah: The Importance of the Giving Heart
Feb 23, 2023
Mishpatim: Taking Another Look at an Eye for an Eye, and a Tooth for a Tooth
Feb 13, 2023
Yitro: The Ten Commandments
Feb 06, 2023
Beshalach: The Long and Winding Road to Freedom
Jan 30, 2023
Bo: Why Isn’t Lamb on the Seder Menu?
Jan 23, 2023
Vaera: Cecil B. DeMille and the One True God
Jan 16, 2023
Shemot: Moses and the Danger of Complacency
Jan 09, 2023
Vayechi: Bless Your Children Well
Jan 03, 2023
Vayigash: What Does it Take to Lead?
Dec 27, 2022
Miketz: What’s The Name (Change)?
Dec 19, 2022
Vayeshev: The Rhyming of Jewish History: Joseph and anti-Semitism in Our Time
Dec 11, 2022
Vayishlach: Going to the Mat with Jacob: Lessons We Can Learn from Wrestling
Dec 05, 2022
Vayetzei: Is the Diaspora Good for the Jews?
Nov 28, 2022
Toldot: Brothers and Others: The Power of Compromise
Nov 21, 2022
Chayei Sara: Isaac, Ishmael, and Thanksgiving
Nov 14, 2022
Vayera: Standing Up and Becoming a Blessing
Nov 08, 2022
Lech Lecha: Leaders Lead, But How?
Oct 31, 2022
Noach: The Arc of Justice
Oct 24, 2022
Bereshit: Shabbat: The Pause That Lends Holiness
Oct 19, 2022
V'zot Habracha: Do Funerals Really Matter?
Oct 12, 2022
Yom Kippur: Teshuva and The Age of Google
Oct 03, 2022
Vayeilech: The Writing of the Torah: Moses’ Last Will and Testament
Sep 29, 2022
Rosh Hashanah: Thinking of the New Year
Sep 25, 2022
Nitzavim: Reading the Future Through the Lens of the Past and the Present
Sep 19, 2022
Ki Tavo: The Art of Storytelling and The People of the Story
Sep 12, 2022
Ki Teitzei: Does Judaism Have to Be Defined by Our Suffering?
Sep 06, 2022
Shoftim: War: What is it Good For?
Aug 29, 2022
Re’eh: Virtually or In-Person: How Do We Experience God?
Aug 20, 2022
Eikev: Thinking About Food Consumption and Gratitude
Aug 15, 2022
Vaetchanan: Think Before You Speak, Think After You Speak: Considerations on the Shema
Aug 08, 2022
Devarim: Justifying the Conquest of Israel: Where Are The Silver Platters?
Aug 01, 2022
Matot-Masei: The Jewish Triptych: Myth and Reality
Jul 28, 2022
Pinchas: The Limits of Zealotry
Jul 18, 2022
Balak: Blessings and Curses, Then and Now
Jul 11, 2022
Chukat: Leading and Listening, Two of the Components of Great Leadership
Jul 05, 2022
Korach: The Risks and Rewards of Rebellion
Jun 27, 2022
Sh’lach: The Threads That Bind
Jun 23, 2022
Beha’alotcha: Leadership is More Than Just Slogans
Jun 12, 2022
Nasso: A Lesson On The Act and the Intention of Giving
Jun 07, 2022
Bamidbar: Parents As Friends, Or Parents as Parents?
Jun 01, 2022
Bechukotai: A Sense of Belonging
May 23, 2022
Behar: Does Charity Begin and End at Home?
May 15, 2022
Emor: What’s In a Name?
May 09, 2022
Kedoshim: The One Thing That All Jews Can Agree On
May 02, 2022
Achrei Mot: Parenting, Child Sacrifice, and Honoring the Name of God
Apr 25, 2022
Last Days of Pesach: Elijah’s at the Door…Now What?
Apr 18, 2022
Pesach: When Does Israel Fit Into the Story of Passover?
Apr 11, 2022
Metzora: The Riddle of Proper Speech
Apr 07, 2022
Tazria: The Healing Power of the Human Touch
Mar 28, 2022
Shmini: Overcoming Our Discomfort of Death and Responding to the Mourning
Mar 21, 2022
Tzav: Measuring Our Humanity by the Ear, Thumb, and Big Toe
Mar 13, 2022
Vayikra: The Sin Offering and Whoopi Goldberg
Mar 07, 2022
Pekudei: Is God a Parental Model?
Feb 28, 2022
Vayakhel: Effective Punishment Must Include Atonement
Feb 24, 2022
Ki Tisa: Is Anyone Beyond Reproach?
Feb 14, 2022
Tetzaveh: What if We Took Prophets Seriously in Our Day? Would the World be Any Different Today?
Feb 11, 2022
Terumah: The Revolution of Portability Is More Ancient Than You Might Think
Feb 02, 2022
Mishpatim: How We Treat Our Enemies is a Barometer of the Health of Our Society
Jan 24, 2022
Yitro: Dissecting the Ten Commandments
Jan 18, 2022
Beshalach: Choosing the Right Path
Jan 10, 2022
Bo: The Passover Lamb and the Courage of Your Convictions
Jan 05, 2022
Vaera: The Power and Mystery of Gods Name
Dec 29, 2021
Shemot: Killing the Egyptian Task Master: Different Perspectives on Moses
Dec 20, 2021
Parashat Vayechi: The Power of Myths
Dec 14, 2021
Parashat Vayigash: The Courage of Convictions
Dec 06, 2021
Parashat Miketz: Changing Our Names; Hiding Our Jewishness
Nov 29, 2021
Vayeshev: Judah, Tamar and the Art of Confession
Nov 22, 2021
Vayishlach: Going Into Battle and Retaining Your Humanity: Jacob and Esau
Nov 14, 2021
Vayetzei: Finding Our Moral Compass
Nov 08, 2021
Toldot: Family Feud: The Moral Implications of Family Dysfunction
Nov 02, 2021
Chayei Sara: Does Kindness to Animals Translate into Kindness for Humans?
Oct 26, 2021
Vayera: Too Salty? What We Can Learn from Lot’s Wife
Oct 19, 2021
Lech Lecha: Breaking the Idols: Then and Now
Oct 12, 2021
Noach: The Power of Diversity
Oct 07, 2021
Bereshit: The Image of God and Human Dignity
Sep 27, 2021
Sukkot: Float Like A Butterfly, Sit in a Sukkah: The Meaning of a Sukkah and the Life of Mohammad Ali
Sep 23, 2021
Ha’Azinu: God as Parent: The Transformative Idea of a Loving God
Sep 13, 2021
Special Episode: Shabbat Shuva
Sep 10, 2021
Special Episode: Rosh Hashanah
Sep 05, 2021
Nitzavim: The Power of Forgiveness
Aug 29, 2021
Ki Tavo: What is Your Jew-PS? Determining Your Location in the Jewish Story
Aug 23, 2021
Ki Teitzei: What You Can Get Out of a Get: A Conversation on Jewish Divorce
Aug 16, 2021
Shoftim: Aligning Judges and Judgement
Aug 09, 2021
Re'eh: A Return to the Garden of Eden
Aug 01, 2021
Eikev: The Blessing of Food
Jul 26, 2021
Vaetchanan: Are You Really Listening?
Jul 19, 2021
Devarim: Equity Begins with Brotherhood
Jul 12, 2021
Matot-Masei: The Power of a Jew-PS System
Jul 04, 2021
Pinchas: The Limits of Zealotry
Jun 27, 2021
Balak: How is a Culture and a Tradition Passed Down?
Jun 21, 2021
Chukat: When is the Time for A Great Leader to Step Aside for the Next Generation of Leadership?
Jun 14, 2021
Korach: The Limits of Protest and Managing Its Legacy
Jun 07, 2021
Shelach Lecha: Does The Way We Present Ourselves Make A Difference?
Jun 01, 2021
Beha’alotcha: The Challenge of a Selective Memory
May 26, 2021
Nasso: What Have We Learned from COVID?
May 20, 2021
Bamidbar: The Teacher as a Parent and the Parent as a Teacher
May 10, 2021
Behar-Bechukotai: Liberty: American or Biblical Style
May 04, 2021
Achrei Mot-Kedoshim: Whatever Happened to Love Your Neighbor as Yourself: The Derek Chauvin Verdict
Apr 21, 2021
Tazria-Metzora: Rugged Individualism and Communal Responsibility
Apr 13, 2021
Shemini: The Power of Eight
Apr 06, 2021
Pesach: Special Episode
Mar 30, 2021
Parsha Tzav: The Dignity of Labor: Torah Style
Mar 23, 2021
Vayikra: What We Can Learn About Innovation from the Sacrificial Order
Mar 15, 2021
Vayakhel: Living in the Shadow of Betzalel: What is Your Gift That God has Implanted in You?
Mar 08, 2021
Ki Tisa: The Breaking of the Tablets: the First Case of CONTROL-ALT-DELETE
Mar 01, 2021
Special Purim Episode: The Eerie Relevance of Purim on Saturday Night Live
Feb 23, 2021
Parsha Terumah: Who Needs a Synagogue Anyway?
Feb 15, 2021
Mishpatim: From Canaan to Whole Foods
Feb 09, 2021
Yitro: Getting Out of Our Bubble and Learning from Others
Feb 02, 2021
Beshalach: Where’s Naashon When You Need Him?
Jan 26, 2021
Bo: Don’t Let the Facts Get in the Way of the Meaning of the Exodus Story
Jan 18, 2021
Vaera: Standing Up for Justice
Jan 12, 2021
Shemot: Women Make The World Go Around: Then and Now
Jan 04, 2021
Vayechi: Joseph vs. Moses / Utilitarianism vs. Ideals
Dec 28, 2020
Miketz: Jewish Identities Hidden and Revealed from Joseph to Judah Maccabee
Dec 15, 2020
Vayeshev: Family Feud: Biblical Edition
Dec 10, 2020
Parsha Vayishlach: Wrestling with Our Better Angels
Dec 01, 2020
Parsha Vayetzei: Stairway to Heaven—Jewish-Style
Nov 24, 2020
Parsha Toldot: Judging Others and Getting Beyond the One-and-Done Syndrome
Nov 16, 2020
Chayei Sara: How Death Becomes Us
Nov 10, 2020
Parsha Vayera: Standing Up For Justice
Nov 02, 2020
Lech Lecha: Abraham and the Lessons that We Would Do Well To Learn From Thirteen-Year-Olds
Oct 27, 2020
Noach: Noach’s Modern Moral Arc
Oct 20, 2020
Bereshit: Finding God in the Order of Creation
Oct 13, 2020
Special Sukkot Episode: How Do You Measure Joy? Shemini Atzeret: One More Day
Oct 02, 2020
Special Yom Kippur Episode • Jonah: The Dove Who Refused to Return
Sep 23, 2020
Shabbat Shuva / Ha'Azinu Shuva: The Jewish Superpower
Sep 22, 2020
Rosh Hashanah: The Messiness of Redemption
Sep 17, 2020
Nitzavim-Vayelech: Hayom: The Power of Today
Sep 08, 2020
Ki Tavo: Identity and Memory: The Ultimate Jew-PS
Sep 01, 2020
Ki Teitzei: Sparing the Rod and Spoiling the Child, Torah Style!
Aug 26, 2020
Shoftim: Who Judges Our Judges?
Aug 18, 2020
Re’eh: We Are What We Eat As A Society: Jewish Views on Meat and Morality
Aug 12, 2020
Eikev: Rain, with a Chance of Punishment: The Weather and its Theological Implications
Aug 06, 2020
Vaetchanan: Making Sense of Hearing Over Seeing
Jul 29, 2020
Devarim: Compromise: Can You Compromise if You Feel Compromised?
Jul 21, 2020
Matot-Masei: Our Choice to Live in the Diaspora: A Response to Moses and Herzl
Jul 14, 2020
Pinchas: A zealot, A Reactionary, or Freedom Fighter and a Hero?
Jul 09, 2020
Chukat: A Biblical Lesson in Anger Management
Jun 30, 2020
Balak: What is So Good About Jewish Homes and Synagogues?
Jun 30, 2020
Korach: The Fine Line Between Leadership and Demagoguery
Jun 23, 2020
Shelach Lecha: What’s the Big Idea and What Does it Matter?
Jun 17, 2020
Special Episode: A Conversation on Racism: Dr. King & George Floyd
Jun 15, 2020
Beha'alotcha: Light My Fire: The Power of Human Potential
Jun 11, 2020
Nasso: Count Me In, Count Me Out: The Challenges of a Census
Jun 04, 2020
Shavuot: Pick a Commandment, Any Commandment
May 27, 2020
Bamidbar: Counting and Being Counted: The Power of a Census
May 21, 2020
Bechukotai: Truth or Consequences
May 14, 2020
Emor: Having the Time of Our Jewish Lives
May 06, 2020
Acharei Mot-Kedoshim: How Do We Define Holiness In Our Time?
Apr 29, 2020
Tazria-Metzora: Caring for the Ill in Time of Fear
Apr 23, 2020
Shemini: Living in Seven and Trying to Get to Eight: The Power of Numbers
Apr 08, 2020
Tzav: Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust, Recycling to Recycling
Apr 02, 2020
The Challenge of the Coronavirus: Where Does God Fit In?
Apr 02, 2020
Vayikra: Close to You: Before the Carpenters There was Leviticus
Mar 25, 2020
Vayakel-Pekudei: How Do We Define Labor? How Do We Allow Our Labor to Define Us?
Mar 18, 2020
Ki Tisa: How Far Do We Stick Our Neck Out for Others? The Leaders Responsibility to Love His People
Mar 13, 2020
Tetzaveh: The Garment of Leadership
Mar 05, 2020
Terumah: Does Giving from the Heart Lead to Giving with Heart?
Feb 27, 2020
Mishpatim: You Don’t Have to Live in the Past to Learn from the Past
Feb 19, 2020
Yitro: Jethro or Amalek - Rewards, Dangers and Responsibilities for Jews Living in a Non-Jewish World
Feb 13, 2020
Beshalach: Hardened Hearts
Feb 06, 2020
Bo: What Was the Purpose of the Plagues? It Depends on Who You Ask
Jan 30, 2020
Vaera: The Binding of Isaac: An Act of Faith or Recognition of Ownership?
Jan 23, 2020
Shemot: So--You Think You're God?
Jan 16, 2020
Vayechi: Are There Things That We Can Just Never Forgive—Even if It is Family?
Jan 09, 2020
Vayigash: It Is One Thing to Make Changes in Your Life, It is Another Thing Entirely For Others to Accept Those Changes, But It Can Make all the Difference
Jan 02, 2020
Miketz: Who Determines Jewish History? The Narrator, The Listener, or God?
Dec 26, 2019
Vayeshev: The Choice Between Being Right and Doing Right In Terms of Our Most Important Relationships
Dec 18, 2019
Vayishlach: Jewish Wrestling: What Makes It Real?
Dec 13, 2019
Vayetzei: Let's Make a Deal: Biblical Style
Dec 05, 2019
Toldot: Let's Make a Deal with God. I'll Take What's Up with the Ladder
Nov 26, 2019
Chayei Sara: How I hear You, But am I Hearing You: The Power and the Blessing of Focused Hearing
Nov 21, 2019
The Binding of Isaac: An Act of Faith or the Recognition of Ownership?
Nov 14, 2019
Lech Lecha: The Tears of Hagar and The Fulfillment of a Bitter Prophecy
Nov 07, 2019
Noach: Everyday Heroes
Oct 31, 2019
V'Zot Habracha: What Makes for a Jewish Hero? Why is Moses So High on the List?
Oct 17, 2019
Special Episode: Sukkot
Oct 10, 2019
Bonus Yom Kippur Episode: Jonah - Prophet or Realist?
Oct 03, 2019
Special Episode: Yom Kippur
Oct 02, 2019
Nitzavim: What is the Glue that Connects the Jewish People? Is It Strong to Hold Us Together
Sep 26, 2019
Ki Tavo: My Father was a Wandering What? Being True to Our Own Stories
Sep 19, 2019
Ki Teitzei Amalek: The Hatred that Refuses to Stay in the Past
Sep 12, 2019
Shoftim: It's Good to be King-Sort of: The limitations of Jewish Kingship
Sep 05, 2019
Re'eh: What is the Relevance of the Pilgrimage Festivals?
Aug 29, 2019
Eikev: Cloudy with a Chance of Exile
Aug 22, 2019
Vaetchanan: What does it mean to be a witness for God? Can a person be passive and still be a witness?
Aug 15, 2019
Devarim: Have I Got a Story for You!
Aug 08, 2019
Pinchas: The Problem with Zealotry
Jul 25, 2019
Balak: Woody Allen & Jewish Identity
Jul 18, 2019
Chukat: Cheeseburgers and Red Heifers: What Does Faith Have to Do with it?
Jul 11, 2019
Ko'ach: When Do We Challenge Authority?
Jul 03, 2019
Shelach Lecha: Great Acts and Great Confidence
Jun 26, 2019
Beha'alotcha: Saying It and Praying It with Feeling
Jun 19, 2019
Nasso: A New Take on an Ancient Blessing
Jun 12, 2019
Bamidbar: Community and the Challenge of Technology
Jun 06, 2019
Bechukotai: The Power of the word "If"
May 30, 2019
Behar: Release Us from Economic Bondage
May 23, 2019
Emor: Does God Care About Physical Imperfections?
May 16, 2019
Kedoshim: Defining Holiness
May 10, 2019
Achrei Mot: Send in the Goats
Apr 30, 2019
Metzorah: Gossip & Slander as the Leprosy of Our Time
Apr 11, 2019
Tazria: Discovering a New Understanding of the Role of Women in an Unlikely Text
Apr 04, 2019