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At Madlik we light a spark or shed some light on a Jewish Text or Tradition. Created by Geoffrey Stern, an ex-Yeshiva student and along with Rabbi Adam Mintz we host Madlik Disruptive Torah on clubhouse every Thursday and share it as the Madlik podcast on your favorite platform.
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The Nativity of MosesParshat Shemot - The story of the miraculous birth, rescuel and rise to power of Moses is striking in how closely it parallels other birth of a savior myths both before and after. It is also striking how Moses’s birth story, like his final resting place is like an unmarked grave. It leaves little to no mark on Jewish tradition or the subsequent story of the Exodus. We explore.
unto the third generation - grandparentingParshat Vayechi - The blessing given to Ephraim and Manasseh is iconic and right up there with the Priestly blessing. It is traditionally given every Friday night to one's children around the Shabbat table. Surprisingly, it is actually a blessing of Jacob; a grandfather to his grandchildren. We use this as an opportunity to explore the role of grandparenting in our tradition.
Making Lemonade from LemonsParshat Vayigash - Joseph reconciles with his bothers and the text provides a paradigm not so much of forgiveness but rather for rehabilitation, acceptance of failure and the ability to turn a culture of grievance to a narrative of ambition and success.
Geoffrey Stern•195 Views•January 1, 2025•Reconciliation,Blame,Joseph and His Brothers,Vayigash,Forgiveness (מחילה)
Lost & FoundParshat Ki Teitzei - The Torah teaches that one must return a lost object and the great sages Abaye and Rava argue over the dynamics of loss and despair! We swim in this iconic Talmudic text to find what we have lost...
Geoffrey Stern•1153 Views•September 10, 2024•Despair,Greek,יֵאוּשׁ,Abaye,Anthropology,Rava,Talmud,Sociology
Joseph Slave TradeParshat Vayeshev - The Joseph Story connects Genesis with Exodus but breaks the rule that the father's favorite first-born son is not chosen. Joseph is different than his predecessors in so many ways. He is forced to leave his home, without a blessing or a promise of return. He is beautiful, immature and tactless, wise beyond his years, wildly successful and grows up without a mother. But most important of all Joseph is sold into slavery by his brethren.
IMAGINE and the jewsShabbat Hanukah - Christmas is a universal “Imagine” holiday while Hanukah celebrates the victory of the few against the many in the 2nd century BCE Seleucid Empire. There are those, especially nationalistic Jews, who have argued that Christmas and Hanukah actually showcase the contrasting world-view of Christianity and Judaism. The one naively universal and the other preferential, particular and partisan. The one utopian and the other multi-cultural. While there may be truth to these distinctions, we risk negating the universal and utopian from Judaism which gave historical progress and redemption to the world. So, join us as we use a traditional Shabbat-meal song to compliment John Lennon’s IMAGINE to make our point.
What Israel MeansParshat Vayishlach - From the first chapters of Genesis when Adam named the animals, naming in the Biblical narrative is a powerful tool which defines destiny. This process reaches a climax with the re-naming of Jacob and the birth of Israel. We explore the nuances of this name Israel, that until today defines and inspires the Jewish People and their land.
Geoffrey Stern•198 Views•December 10, 2024•Straight,Crooked,Limp,Heal,VaYishlach,Israel,Names,Yaakov
Scaling the Temple MountParshat Vayetzei - Jacob wakes up in the morning after a dream of a ladder with angels ascending and descending and declares the place holy and thus begins the various claims surrounding the sanctity of the Temple Mount. We explore the Biblical, Rabbinic, Christian, Muslim and contemporary sources to understand this turf war.
The Philistinians and the HebrewsParshat Toldot - Are we defined by our names or by the stories we tell? We explore Parashat Toldot, diving into the intricate relationships between the Philistines and ancient Israelites "up until today." Join Geoffrey Stern and Rabbi Adam Mintz in a conversation that highlights the melting pot of cultures in ancient Israel. We reveal that the Philistines, like the Hittites and Hebrews, were newcomers to the land and for the most part contributed culturally and integrated well. When friction arose, they willingly separated and made agreements that showcased mutual recognition and trust. In a week that the 2024 cease fire between Israel and Lebanon is consummated and we in the US celebrate Thanksgiving we wonder what lessons from the past we can take to guide us in these challenging times.
The Day AfterParshat Chayei Sara - The post traumatic impact of the attempted sacrifice of Isaac is shared by all participants. We explore the entire narrative of Abraham, Sarah, Hagar, Isaac and Ishmael through the lens of trauma and healing and recognize the implications for our own generation.
Geoffrey Stern•206 Views•November 18, 2024•Ishmael,Abraham,Trauma,Reconciliation,Suffering,Sacrifice,Hagar,Chayei Sara
God Forbid!Parsha Vayera - Abraham does not argue with God on moral or ethical grounds, but primarily on a theological basis. He argues that it would not be Godlike (hallila) to act in a way unbecoming of how God is perceived; as an impartial Judge. We explore the origin and history of the expression chas v'hallilah and chas v'shalom as well as the implications of this argument.
Radical Disruption and the Birth of FaithParshat Lech L'cha - We wake up one morning and our world is in chaos. We do the most radical thing that a man can do. We leave our home, our family and our prior beliefs and we leave. Today, we follow a founder of the Abrahamic Faiths as he makes his move and we find inspiration.
Words Without BordersParshat Noah - We continue our exploration of division as a seminal force in the Creation Story of the Hebrew Bible. In this case, the
Splitting the AdamParshat Bereshit - There are those who would have us believe that in Creation, God made unity from chaos and that the Torah’s end game is to find that unity once again. We explore an alternative, counterfactual approach, where God created through division and with a goal of creating a world where divisions are emphasized, managed but definitely not erased.
Geoffrey Stern•209 Views•October 22, 2024•Unity,Creation,Bereishit,Diversity,Kiddush and Havdalah,Havdalah,Parashat Bereshit
God in ExileParshat Nitzavim-Vayeilech - God, so to speak, “joining the Jewish People in Exile”, is a radical Rabbinic concept that in the words of Rabbi Akiva would have been blasphemous had it not been supported by Scripture. We explore the source of “God in Exile” (Shechinta B’Galuta - שְׁכִינְתָּא בְּגָלוּתָא) in Rabbinic texts and ponder its ramifications for modern-day Jewish Thought.
Geoffrey Stern•403 Views•September 23, 2024•Nitzavim-Vayeilech,Shechina,Shechinta B'Galuta,Yitz Greenburg,Elie Wiesel,שְׁכִינְתָּא בְּגָלוּתָא
The Sukka will rise again..The holiday of Sukkot begins and we leave the security of our homes and dwell in the temporary booths of farmers. In previous episodes we have focused on what makes this falling dwelling so permanent and eternal, but this year, in the shadow of Oct 7th we focus on the darker side of these exposed dwellings. We also explore the potential of the sukkah and the Jewish People to rise from the ashes like the Phoenix.
Pour Out Your Wrath... or notAn analysis of the "Pour out Your Wrath" incantation to understand the propriety of it's inclusion at the most climactic moment of the Seder, and some suggestions for alternatively authentic replacements.
What's New in the Jewish New YearAn exploration of the major themes of Rosh Hashanah; Malchuyot, Zichronot and Shofarot in the context of Ancient Near Eastern New Year festivities and rites. (2016)
Jew as MetaphorParshat Ki Tavo - Moses warns the Israelites that if they do not live up to God's expectations, they will be vilified as a caricature of evil. The world will use the Jew to personify failure and depravity. We discuss the use of the Jew as metaphor in our texts and literature.
Geoffrey Stern•327 Views•September 18, 2024•Literature,Caricature,Ki Tavo,Allegory,Proverbs,Metaphor
The whole mitzvahParshat Eikev - The Book of Deuteronomy presents the Torah's various rules and regulations as a corpus. It uses a unique expression; כׇּל־הַמִּצְוָ֗ה variously translated as "All the commandment" or "instruction", the "entire mitzvah" . We explore how this impacted later Rabbinic thought and Jewish practice.
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Geoffrey Stern
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