On the Other Hand: Ten Minutes of Torah

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 t

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 focusi

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, o

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 uni

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 J

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

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

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 agai

"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

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

Go Ahead, Be an Innovator

Parashat Sh'mini tells of the deaths of two men who are though to have been punished for the sin was innovation - but today, don't we look at innovation as a positive thi

A Passover of Hope

Why is this Passover not like all other Passovers? How can we observe this festival meaningfully and connected to one another during this COVID-19 pandemic? How can we us

Following Their Lead

Jewish wisdom says a child's Torah education should start with the Book of Leviticus. As we read its second portion, Parashat Tzav, we share an episode that first ran in

The Laws of Leviticus, Choice, and A.J. Jacobs, the Gratitude Expert

How can we find modern meaning in ancient rituals? From our "greatest hits" collection comes this episode from March 2019, featuring Rabbi Rick Jacobs in conversation wit

Special Episode: Announcing a New Format, Coming Soon!

Four years after launching our weekly Torah podcast, we're getting ready to shake things up a little! Exciting new changes are coming to On the Other Hand: Ten Minutes of

Three United Faiths, One Divine Presence

In Vayak'heil-P'kudei, we see that God was so pleased with the Israelites' sacred space (the Tabernacle) that God's own presence descended upon them as they wandered thro

Slowing Ourselves to Anger

What is the Jewish approach to anger? How do we deal with it in a way that's healthy? This week, Rabbi Rick Jacobs explores Parashah Ki Tisa and explores God's anger towa

Let Your Eternal Light Shine

This week, Rabbi Rick Jacobs takes a look at parashat T'tzaveh, in which the Israelites are commanded to create the ner tamid (eternal light) in the Tabernacle. He wonder

Building Our Own Tabernacle Together

In this week's Parashah, the Israelites contribute whatever they can to Moses in order to help build the Mishkan (Tabernacle). Join Rabbi Rick Jacobs and special guest An

Mindfulness, Being Present, and Having Heart

What does it mean to be "mindful," to truly slow down and pay attention to what's happening in our daily lives? This week, Rabbi Rick Jacobs explores this question throug