Madlik Podcast – Disruptive Torah Thoughts on Judaism

Forgive Me, for We Have Sinned

On Yom Kippur, we lovingly honor our parents' memories during Yizkor—so why does the climax of the confession force us to stand up and blame them for our sins? On Yom K

The Strange Exodus Story Hidden in Ki Tavo

Why did the Rabbis tell the Exodus through the words of a farmer—and leave Mount Sinai out of the story? What if the Torah's shortest version of the Exodus leaves out t

The Barren Woman's Song

Isaiah didn't just offer passive comfort to a broken nation—he hijacked the oldest stories in the Book of Genesis to force them to survive. What do you do when there is

Shake Off the Dust and Dance

We usually associate Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur with judgment and fear, but a closer look at the texts reveals a completely different, shocking command: rejoice.  

Becoming Good

What if Judaism has been misunderstood all along, and the real reward for doing good isn't what you get, but who you become? Is Judaism really about reward and punishm

The Torah's Theory of History

We've all heard the old cliché that "history repeats itself," but the Torah actually reveals a massive flaw in that idea. The Greeks believed history repeats itself. En

From Moses to Modern Populism

If you think your flaws and failures automatically make you a better, more "authentic" leader, you've completely misunderstood the lesson of Moses. Most civilizations t

The Lost Art of Paying Attention

What if the greatest cure for our distracted, scroll-addicted minds was written over 3,000 years ago? Deuteronomy isn't just repeating the Torah. It's teaching us how to

Yehoshua Pfeffer and the Haredi

From the ancient words of the Torah to the modern frontlines, a hidden shift is taking place that will redefine what it means to be an Israeli. Is the Haredi draft cri

From Moses to Hamilton

What if the Founding Fathers didn't invent American democracy, but actually lifted its most crucial laws directly from the Torah? Did the Founding Fathers borrow from t

A Midsummer Nightmare

Why did ancient rabbis look at the longest, brightest day of the year and feel a sudden sense of impending doom? As archaeologists uncover evidence of ancient solstice

Creation and Re-Creation

What happens when an ancient religion that forbids any new rules gets caught secretly reinventing itself in plain sight? Can God still create something new? At the cl

Hasbara - Inside and Out

There's a terrifying line between having unwavering faith in your homeland and blinding yourself to a reality that is tearing it apart. Did the spies lie? For generat

Entitlement Reform Cont.

For thousands of years, who your father was determined your entire life—until the Torah decided to tear that system down to the ground. For most of us, the defining mom

Splitting Hairs

If you've ever wondered why your observant grandmother didn't cover her hair, you're about to discover a hidden truth that changes everything about how Jewish law actuall

We The Tribes

We usually think of the ancient world as being ruled by dangerous, power-hungry kings, but the Torah actually commanded a radical, unified democracy thousands of years be

Made on Sabbath

What if the Jewish secret to creating your best work is actually learning how to do absolutely nothing? Is Shabbat really about rest… or is it about creation? Is it abo

Holiness When Life Refuses to Cooperate

What if the Torah's strictest, most uncomfortable laws about perfection weren't actually meant to keep us out, but to give us permission to be broken? What does holines

Brotherly Love in Lisbon

For centuries, we've used the word "scapegoat" to mean blaming someone else—but what if the Torah meant the exact opposite? What does the scapegoat really mean on Yom K

When Homes Are Torn Open

Look closely at the broken walls of Israel, and you might just see the hidden history, resilience, and ancient secrets waiting to be uncovered in the rubble. The Bible