Episodes
-
In this week’s special Passover episode of Honi’s Circle we study a text from the Haggadah about the original move of Jacob and his family to Egypt. We have a saying “We were refugees too” because Jewish history is filled with a series of persecutions and expulsions, but what if we go back to our very first immigration as a family (ie. the family of Jacob) moving from the land of Canaan to Egypt because famine was “heavy in the land.”? Having as part of our identity a people formed by climate refuge seeking can help instill empathy and move us to action for the millions being caused to move by the climate making their homelands unlivable. Follow along with the source sheet here: www.sefaria.org/sheets/550019
-
In this week’s episode of Honi’s Circle we study a text from tractate Taanit, in which Rabbi Berekhya says that in the book of Hoshea the Jews asked for a divine relationship akin to rain, and G-d retorts that what they actually want is one like dew. We use this text as a way of looking at how a fear of imperfection and unintended consequences can paralyze us in inaction, but that the way that G-d gently corrects the Jewish people can serve as a model for motivation to pursue imperfect solutions (instead of none at all). Follow along with the source sheet here: https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/541043?lang=bi
-
Missing episodes?
-
In this week’s episode of Honi’s Circle we study a text from Tractate Taanit, that offers great praise of rain by comparing it to Torah and the resurrection of the dead. We see this text as a religious mandate for us to be very concerned with what is going on in the world (including climate change) and not just our mission of connecting with the divine via spiritual imagination. In equal measure we see the metaphor going the other way and that having a felt sense of awe for nature (in the form of rainfall and spring) can strengthen our connection to the Torah and imagining the messianic times. Follow along with the source sheet here: https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/541046.1?lang=bi
-
In this week’s episode of Ḥoni’s Circle we study the blessing for rain in its original form in Tractate Taanit, as well as how it is found in the Shulchan Arukh, and commented on by Ashkenazi halachic authorities the Mishnah Berurah and the Rema. We talk about how this blessing can be a powerful cultivator for gratitude for “each and every drop” of rain. We also explore how our place and relationship to the land can affect our attitude toward the weather. Follow along with the source sheet here: https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/541045?lang=bi
-
In this week’s episode of Ḥoni’s Circle we study the first half of Psalm 24. We find this psalm, recited when bringing the Torah back to the ark on non-shabbat days, to be full of messages pertinent to the climate cause, from the acknowledgement that all the Earth belongs to the divine, to its referral to the interplay between land and water, to it’s reference to a “wild heart.” We end by discussing how the image of a person with a wild heart and clean hands bringing a gift back from the mountain of the Lord, can be a metaphor for the leadership role each of us can take in the climate movement, and how this needs to be done with an open mind, a sense of empathy, and integrity. Follow along with the source sheet here:https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/492086
-
In this week’s episode of Ḥoni’s Circle we study a text from Mishneh Torah, a halachic tract by the Rambam, about the sacrifice of wood and the customs surrounding it. We imagine the practice of having a rotation of families bringing the wood that would be used on the altar in the temple, and how the practice might have emphasized the joy of volunteerism, facilitated an appreciation and respect for fuel, had a built-in system to stem burnout, and may have been based on sustainable forestry. All inspirations for our fight against climate change. Follow along with the source sheet here:https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/528697
-
In this week’s episode of Ḥoni’s Circle we study Psalm 121, with commentary by Malbim. This is the psalm we’ve been adding to our services since October 7th and is traditionally recited by Jews in times of distress. We discuss the unusual metaphor of divine protection from dangers from the moon, possibly referring to protection from despair, changes in the water cycle, and the unanticipated. All are pertinent to our grappling with climate change. Follow along with the source sheet here: www.sefaria.org/sheets/529750
-
In this week’s episode of Honi’s Circle we study Tractate Rosh Hashana 1:2, a section of the Mishna that talks about the four days of judgement in the year. We discuss how, while all creatures mentioned: animals, grains, and fruit trees, depend on the rain for their survival, in a way the judgement of people affects the other three because of human-caused climate change. We also talk about how ritualizing our acknowledgement of the precariousness of the water cycle and its dependent agriculture can increase our involvement in the fight for the environment. Follow along with the source sheet here: https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/518545
-
In this week’s episode of Ḥoni’s Circle we study the Prayer for Rain, Geshem, and a supplemental piyyut (liturgical poem) by Ruth Gan Kagan that adds Miriam to the list of ancestors whose merit we call upon to be given rain for a blessing. We talk about how this ancient prayer points to the fact that humans have always understood that water is a powerful force on which our lives depend, and in the times of floods, droughts, forest fires and hurricanes, having this prayer as an elevated part of our liturgy can be an inspiration to work on issues contributing to this change in our climate. Follow along with the source sheet here: https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/521685
-
In this week’s episode of Ḥoni’s Circle we study the end of the book of Jonah, 4:5-4:11. We get an interesting perspective on a thousands of years old urban/rural divide, and a retreat into nature that has Jonah diving deep into his feelings. We discuss the benefit of planting more trees in urban areas to combat rising temperatures, analyzing our own feelings in relationship to Climate Change, and think through what natural retreats can give us. Follow along with the source sheet here: https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/531308
-
In this week’s episode of Honi’s Circle we study the book of Jonah, 3:6-4:4, where Jonah goes to Nineveh to proclaim the city’s destruction if they don’t repent, the city repents and is not destroyed, and Jonah gets mad. We discuss Nineveh’s amazing turnaround and what we might implement in our own lives to be able to change our own community’s habits and practices that contribute to climate change. We also discuss Jonah’s inability to forgive and how that reflects on our own ability to accept back into the fold entities that have in the past contributed to climate change, but now want to fight against it. Follow along with the source sheet here: www.sefaria.org/sheets/518540
-
In this week's episode of Ḥoni's Circle we read a section from Nehemiah about the Jewish people returning from Babylon and celebrating their first Sukkot, according to the text, in centuries. We talk about the value of tying new rituals back to old traditions, Sukkot as a holiday that connects us to the nature around us, and needing diversity in both our ecosystems and the people that are part of the climate movement. Follow along with the source sheet here: www.sefaria.org/sheets/518541
-
In this week's episode of Ḥoni's Circle we study a Rashbam commentary on a verse from Leviticus explaining why we dwell in sukkahs for the holiday of Sukkot. Rashbam explains that the holiday comes right after we have gathered the bounty of the fields into our houses so that we will not grow arrogant about our place in the world. We discuss how acknowledging our vulnerability within a loving community and, on the flip side, cultivating a sense of "enoughness", can foster joy. We also talk about how our slowness in the energy transition can be seen as similar to the Jewish people's slowness to accept their freedom, ie. change is hard, even if the status quo is not great. Follow along with the source sheet here: https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/518542
-
In this week's episode of Ḥoni's Circle we discuss Psalm 93. The psalm is a striking portrait of the raging seas and the divine, with no human or animal presence. We see this as a reminder both of the enduring awesomeness of a natural phenomenon that preceded humanity, but also as a reminder of the power of water in human lives (as seen in floods, droughts, and sea level rise) as the true signs of climate change, and a power that has been recognized since ancient times. Follow along with the source sheet here: www.sefaria.org/sheets/492089
-
Enjoy this special crossover episode from Climate Papa. Find Climate Papa at https://www.climatepapa.com/ and wherever you get podcasts. To follow along see Unetaneh Tokef here: https://www.sefaria.org/Unetaneh_Tokef.4?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en
For the complete show notes, the episode here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1m1Rnoc8w5yfQcGtotQyNa
-
In this week's episode of Ḥoni's Circle we discuss Psalm 23. This psalm, most famous for the line "As I walk through the valley of the shadow of death..." is often said at funerals or shivah minyans, but also at the closing of Shabbat. We discuss how it's themes of the comfort of the natural world and trust in G-d help can relieve distress. We also discuss the phrase "only good and steadfast love shall pursue me", and how we can learn to look for the positive things around us as a way to motivate productive developments in the face of climate change. Follow along with the source sheet here: www.sefaria.org/sheets/492094
-
In this week's episode of Ḥoni's Circle we discuss Psalm 147. We talk about how the psalm specifically refers to G-d as "the healer of broken hearts", and how our hearts break when we hear about species extinction, agricultural failures, and forced migration due to climate change. We then go on to discuss how psalms have been traditionally used as a source of comfort, and how the awe of nature (as described beautifully in Psalm 147), and communal singing and prayer, can not only help console us, but also inspire us to fight for the beautiful world described in the psalm. Follow along with the source sheet here: https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/492088
-
In this week's episode of Ḥoni's Circle we discuss two sources: Deuteronomy 8:10 "When you have eaten your fill, give thanks" and a section from the tractate Brachot giving over a rabbinic explanation for blessing before eating. We explore how both asking for permission to eat (blessing before) and gratitude for the food eaten (blessing after) can be powerful tools for viewing food as part of the divinely created world, as well as natural ecosystems. Fostering a sense of gratitude and holiness of resources can help us address food waste which is a contributor to global warming. We also look at the word "v'Savatah" - "and are satisfied" from the Torah verse, as a basis for conscious consumption. Follow along with the source sheet here: https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/474654
-
In this week's episode of Ḥoni's Circle we study a verse from Devarim (Deuteronomy 20:19) and the accompanying Rashi and Ibn Ezra commenting on the phrase "For is the tree of the field a man". This is the source text for bal tashchit, the rabbinic injunction against needless destruction or waste. We first look at the commentators' different readings of the verse, and how whether we view trees through a lense of difference or similarity, the commandment to not cut them down makes sense. We then go on to discuss the Torah's desire to protect long-term resources in the face of short-term needs, as well as the much wider benefit of large non-fruit bearing trees to our society. Rabbi Rose concludes by pointing out that one thing we need now, that wasn't imagined in the past, is the non-destruction of the environment. Follow along with the source sheet here: https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/474661
-
In this week's episode of Ḥoni's Circle we study two texts from the Talmud and Midrash that both address the question "Is it better that humans should have been created or not?" When Bet Shamai and Bet Hillel voted on this question, not having been created won out, when the ministering Angels debated it at creation, they were split down the middle, and in our own day and age it is a question that comes up again in the context of human-made destruction of species and ecosystems. However, in all cases, humans are here and so we must go forward with the way we live and affect our planet in a positive way. Follow along with the source sheet here: https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/452951
- Show more