PODCAST · religion
Ḥoni's Circle
by Tamar Libicki and Rabbi Paula Rose
Ḥoni's Circle is a climate chevruta (partner text study), In which Rabbi Paula Rose and Tamar Libicki explore Jewish texts from the Torah, the Talmud, and Commentaries to grapple with climate change. Rabbi Paula Rose is the associate Rabbi at Congregation Beth Shalom in Seattle, Washington. This Podcast is a project of Congregation Beth Shalom and Ahavat V'Avodat HaAdama, our community's environmental group.
Episodes
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The Craving for Meat: Part Two
This week's episode is part two of a double episode exploring a text from Bamidbar about the Israelites’ intense craving for meat and the subsequent arrival of the quail. We shift our focus from the meat itself to the dynamics of leadership and community, examining how the "riffraff" or asaf-suf...
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The Craving for Meat: Part One
This week's episode is part one of a double episode exploring a text from Bamidbar about the Israelites’ intense craving for meat and the subsequent arrival of the quail. We examine the tension between the miracle of the manna—a versatile food that nonetheless left the people feeling...
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The Plague of the Death of the Firstborn
In this week’s episode we conclude our Ten Plagues series with the plague of the death of the firstborn. We explore how this unprecedented disaster mirrors the modern climate crisis, where significant action is often delayed until a crisis impacts everyone with the same unavoidable universality.…
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Tu Bishvat
In this week’s episode we celebrate Tu Bishvat by exploring the Shulchan Aruch and the Pri Etz Hadar, examining how a day historically framed as a legal timekeeper and distinguished only by the omission of somber prayers is now seen as a cornerstone for modern Jewish environmentalism. We discuss...
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The Plague of Darkness
In this week’s episode we continue our Ten Plagues series with the plague of darkness. We explore the stark power imbalance in Egypt, where Pharaoh holds all the agency while his people are rendered immobile, drawing a parallel to our modern struggle where those most affected by climate change...
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Energy Conservation in the form of the Menorah
In this week’s special Chanukah episode we study a text from the tractate Shabbat, noting how the Rabbis shift the narrative focus from military victory to the miracle of a single jar of oil lasting eight days. We explore the Menorah as a symbol of energy, drawing a parallel between the miracle…
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The Plague of Locusts
In this week’s episode we continue our Ten Plagues series with the plague of locusts. We observe the pivotal shift in Pharaoh’s courtiers, who finally use their proximity to power to lobby for a change in policy rather than clinging to the status quo. We analyze the unique threat of this…
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The Plague of Hail
In this week’s episode we continue our Ten Plagues series with the plague of hail. We look at the unprecedented nature of this weather event, noting how the language used in the Torah—that such hail had never occurred since Egypt became a nation—parallels modern climate news stories where extreme...
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Plagues of Livestock Disease and Boils
In this week’s episode we continue our Ten Plagues series with the plagues of Livestock Disease and Boils. We think about how these plagues are similar to climate related “plagues” in the present (smoke from forest fires) and in the recent past (dust pneumonia in the Dust Bowl) and the theorized...
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The Plague of Lice & Arov
In this week’s episode we continue our Ten Plagues series with the plagues of lice and “arov”. We first address the ambiguity of the plague of arov, most commonly being understood as a plague of wild animals but translated by Rashi as a plague of swarms of insects. We see in arov the first time...
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Shemini Atzeret Replay: Ep. 26 - The Blessing of Rain
In this week’s Shemini Atzeret replay episode of Honi'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...
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Sukkot Replay: Ep. 22 - Reconnecting with Nature as a Community
In this week’s Sukkot replay episode of Honi'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…
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Yom Kippur Replay: Ep. 24 - The Role of Forgiveness in Large Social Change
In this week’s pre-Yom Kippur replay 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...
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The Shofar Wake-up Call
In this week’s special Elul episode, we study a text from Maimonides’ Mishneh Torah on Repentance that explores the shofar’s role as a spiritual wake-up call. We discuss how the shofar calls us to set aside our normal preoccupations with vanities and focus on what is most important in life. We…
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The Plague of Frogs
In this week’s episode we are on plague number two of our Ten Plagues series with the plague of frogs. We talk about how the plague of frogs can be seen in the light of air pollution, since the smell of the frogs is specifically described. We talk about how involving a strong motivation like fear...
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The Plague of Blood
In this week’s episode we kick off our Ten Plagues series with the first plague, the plague of blood, seeing how changing water availability (which climate change fundamentally does), has a cascading effect on ecosystems and agriculture. We also see the speed of human ingenuity and thus climate...
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Food Waste
In this week’s episode we study another excerpt from Maasechet Taanit about Rav Hunah and how he would buy all the leftover vegetables from the farmer’s market on Friday afternoon and throw them in the river. This sparks a discussion about food waste, what methods we have on a large, medium, and...
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Weatherization and Incentives
In this week’s episode we look at an excerpt from Maasechet Taanit about Rav Hunah and how he would ride around in his golden carriage identifying walls that were in danger of falling, notifying the owners, and requiring the walls to be repaired, either with the owner’s money or Rav Hunah’s (if…
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Prozbul
In this week’s episode (third installment in the Shmita series with guest Avi) we study another text from Mishna Sheviit talking about how Shmita, an exemplar of a traditional Jewish attitude towards the land, is also a remittance of all loans. How does a respect for the autonomy and sacredness…
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The Corners of the Field
In this week’s special Shavuot episode of Honi’s Circle, we study a text from Leviticus and one from Ruth—first, in Leviticus, the commandment in the Torah to set aside a corner of your field for the poor to glean from; second, the story in Ruth, seeing gleaning in action. We speak about how...
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Money in the Sabbatical Year
In this week’s episode we study a text from Mishna Sheviit about how money functions differently in the Sabbatical year, ie. Shmita. After a conversation about the non-fungibility of money involved in the purchase of Shmita produce, we look at how both Shmita and working to prevent Climate…
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The Sabbatical Year
In this week’s episode we study a text from Leviticus about the laws of the Sabbatical year, ie. Shmita. The section describes a special connection between the land and the divine, which points to a spiritual orientation of treating the land as an autonomous entity deserving of rest and respect....
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Pre-Passover Replay: Ep. 34 – Climate Refugees
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...
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Consumption Makes us Happy
In this week’s episode we study a text from the Shulchan Aruch about ways to bring joy for a holiday, which includes meat and wine, toasted nuts and grains, and new clothes. We talk about the joy of getting new things, and how, often in our modern society, we buy so many new things that the joy...
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Pharmacology, Angels, Astrology, Science
In this week’s episode we study a section from Bereshit Rabah about how different aspects of the natural world were created by the divine for specific purposes. We discuss how this passage, about the creation of plants for the sake of pharmacology as well as the constellations controlling certain...
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What can We Learn from Shatnez?
In this week’s episode we study texts from Devarim, Vayikra, and the Talmud tractate Yoma. We have a far-ranging discussion including talking about the figure of the Satan in Judaism, and how it can be seen as internalized cultural messages telling us to stall on fighting climate change, how some...
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How did Joseph Convince Egypt to Take Climate Action?
In this week’s episode we look at the story of Joseph’s interpretation of Pharaoh’s dreams and the subsequent plan to prepare for coming famine (ie. climate disaster) and how the plan was carried out. We discuss how the regime in Egypt was an authoritarian one, in which only one person needed to…
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Are Climate Disasters a Punishment for our Sins?
In this week’s episode we look at a text from the end of the book of Job (and Rashi’s commentary on it) about the power that G-d holds over the weather. We discuss the idea of divine punishment for sins, and how, while there are clear articulations of this concept in our sacred texts, we have a...
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Fire and Water as Divine Power
In this week’s episode we look at text from Midrash Tanchuma on Exodus 19:16, which describes all the fiery wonders that accompanied the giving of the Torah. The midrash goes on to also recount many watery wonders done by G-d to show divine power, including inundating a third of the surrounding...
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The Individual Business Owner's Responsibility to the Environment of the Community
In this week’s episode we look at text from the Mishna and Gemara of Bava Batra, an ancient text regulating air pollution. We discuss how, to uphold our deepest values, we have to set up structures that enforce them. We further discuss how a growing and more spread out population creates…
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The Ark as Seed Vault
In this week’s episode we look at Ramban’s comment on Genesis 8:11 asking where the olive branch that the dove was carrying came from and how vegetation regenerated after the flood. While we feel that, living in the era of climate change, we are living in unprecedented times, Judaism has stories…
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The Righteous are Happy for the Good of the Creatures
In this week’s episode we look at the Sefer Hachinuch’s comment on the commandment not to destroy fruit trees during a siege. The text presents one of the mitzvot foundational to the Jewish environmental movement, Bal Tashchit, the prohibition against wasting, which has been used to talk about...
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Climate Despair Can Blind Us to Possibilities
In this week’s episode we look at Parashat Vayerah to read the story of Ishmael and Hagar’s exile and near-death in the wilderness. We see Hagar so overwhelmed by her own despair that she cannot be near her dying child, then the angel comes to reassure her that they are not meant to die, and she...
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Compassion to Animals
In this week’s episode we discuss a section from Bava Metzia that tells the story of an affliction that punished Rabbi Yehuda Hanasi because he ignored the suffering of a calf going to the slaughter. We talk about how this passage can inspire us to be more compassionate and aware of both the...
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The Shelter of Peace
We are putting out this episode on the tail-end of Sukkot and wrapping up our 5785 High Holiday season by looking at the phrase "sukkat shelomecha" or "sukkah of peace" taken from the Hashkiveinu prayer recited in the evening. We discuss how the metaphor of a sukkah of peace can be seen in…
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Sleeping While the Storm is Raging
In preparation for Yom Kippur, arriving at the end of the week this episode is coming out, we read the first chapter of the book of Jonah, which is traditionally read on Yom Kippur afternoon. We discuss how Jonah’s sleeping through the raging storm can be viewed through the lens of a depressed...
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Why Were Humans Created Last?
To start preparing for Rosh Hashana, a week from when we are putting this episode out, we revisit the creation of the world (since traditionally the world was created on Rosh Hashana) as well as other New Year's themes of humility and the need to contemplate the consequences of actions before...
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Being Responsible for the Earth or Watching it Fall
In this week’s episode we talk about a text from Bereshit Rabah that discusses a quote from the creation story “dominate over the fish of the sea”. We discuss how the text sets up this idea that the one who is created in G-d’s image will dominate while those not created in G-d’s image will fall....
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Trees Conversing, People Praying
In this week’s episode we talk about a text from Bereshit Rabah that discusses the trees conversing with each other and with human beings, and then humans talking with each other and praying about the land and the temple. We talk about how now we know that trees do communicate with each other…
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Impossibly Good Fruit?
In this week’s episode we discuss the section in Bamidbar about the spies who were sent by Moshe to observe the land of Canaan before the Israelites go in to inhabit it. We talk about how the report they bring back emphasizes both the impossibly large fruit but also the seeming impossible task of...
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Honoring G-d's Creation by Improving it
In this week’s episode we discuss a verse from Genesis (and Friday night Kiddush) and commentary on it from Bereshit Rabbah which asks the question of why the extra word of “La’asot” sometimes translated as “(that G-d) had done” is included in the verse. Bereshit Rabbah states that everything G-d...
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Honoring G-d's Creation by Not Meddling
In this week’s episode of Honi’s Circle we study a verse from Leviticus (19:19) about not interbreeding cattle, mixing seed in a field, and not mixing textiles and Ramban's deeper read of this verse as being about not diminishing creation by trying to be a Creator oneself. This verse brings up...
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When One Sins, Everyone Feels it
In this week’s episode of Honi’s Circle we study a text from Vayikra Rabbah, that features a parable told by R’ Shimon bar Yochai about a sailor drilling a hole in a boat, and being challenged by his friends. The parable goes to show the effect that our actions have on the whole community. We...
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If you Destroy it, there will be no one to Repair it
In this week’s episode of Honi’s Circle we study texts from Likutei Moharan and Kohelet Rabbah that speak about how, when we feel ownership over creation, we are called to protect it, educate ourselves about it, and improve its condition. We talk about one way of improving the environment, which…
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Trees as a paradigm of perfection
In this week’s episode of Honi’s Circle we study a text from tractate Taanit, in which Rav Nachman asks for a blessing from Rav Yitzchak, and Rav Yitzchak blesses him by saying he should be like a tree, which is close to perfect. However, the one thing the tree can use good wishes for is that the...
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Climate Refugees
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...
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God knowing what we need (rain vs. dew)
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...
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Rain as Equivalent to (or Greater than?) Torah and Resurrection
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…
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What blessing do we (not) say over rain?
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...
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Going to the Mountains to Experience the Divine
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...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Ḥoni's Circle is a climate chevruta (partner text study), In which Rabbi Paula Rose and Tamar Libicki explore Jewish texts from the Torah, the Talmud, and Commentaries to grapple with climate change. Rabbi Paula Rose is the associate Rabbi at Congregation Beth Shalom in Seattle, Washington. This Podcast is a project of Congregation Beth Shalom and Ahavat V'Avodat HaAdama, our community's environmental group.
HOSTED BY
Tamar Libicki and Rabbi Paula Rose
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Ḥoni's Circle have?
Ḥoni's Circle currently has 79 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Ḥoni's Circle about?
Ḥoni's Circle is a climate chevruta (partner text study), In which Rabbi Paula Rose and Tamar Libicki explore Jewish texts from the Torah, the Talmud, and Commentaries to grapple with climate change. Rabbi Paula Rose is the associate Rabbi at Congregation Beth Shalom in Seattle, Washington. This...
How often does Ḥoni's Circle release new episodes?
Ḥoni's Circle has 79 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Ḥoni's Circle?
You can listen to Ḥoni's Circle on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Ḥoni's Circle?
Ḥoni's Circle is created and hosted by Tamar Libicki and Rabbi Paula Rose.
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