In this episode, I explore Parshat Tetzave and what it means that the Kohen is clothed before he serves. The Torah details every thread, every stone, every garment, and through it, teaches us something about dignity, identity, and spiritual agency.

I speak about 7 Adar and Moshe Rabbeinu as the archetype of redemption within us. I reflect on Amalek as the voice of doubt that weakens us from the inside, and on the teaching that we are no longer meant to serve G-d from being crushed, but from abundance.

Tetzave invites us to reconsider our relationship with clothing, food, and the ordinary rhythms of life. Holiness is not only found in elevated spaces, it waits for us in the mundane.

Lea

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Listen to the More to the Story Podcast:
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In this episode, I explore what it means to build a Mishkan, not only in the desert, but within ourselves.

The Torah begins Terumah with the invitation: “Take for Me a contribution from every person whose heart moves them to give.” I reflect on the power of ratzon, our will, as the foundation of marriage, adulthood, and divine service. A sanctuary cannot be built from obligation alone. It must come from the heart.

We walk through the vessels of the Mishkan and their parallel within the human body: the Aron as the heart, the Menorah as the mind, the Shulchan as nourishment, the beams as our inner structure. I speak about reclaiming desire, maturing beyond our younger parts, and building a home where G-d can truly dwell.

Terumah is not only about gold and wood. It is about becoming a vessel that wants to give.

Lea

Subscribe to the More to the Story Podcast: www.youtube.com/@MTTSPodcast
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Listen to the More to the Story Podcast:
Apple Podcasts | https://shorturl.at/JtdA9
Spotify | https://shorturl.at/DF2Ro

In this episode, we return to Har Sinai, but not to the thunder and revelation, but to what came next.

Parshas Mishpatim moves us from the ecstasy of receiving the Torah into the detailed laws that shape a holy society. I explore what it means that immediately after Sinai, we are given laws about slavery, dignity, financial responsibility, protecting the vulnerable, honoring parents, and guarding the integrity of our communities.

These laws can feel technical or even uncomfortable. But beneath them is something deeply tender: G-d showing us the structure required for His presence to dwell among us.

Mishpatim asks: What kind of world are we building? Are we creating space for compassion, accountability, and protection of the widow, the orphan, and the convert? Are we strong enough to hold both the fire of revelation and the discipline of law?

Lea

Subscribe to the More to the Story Podcast: www.youtube.com/@MTTSPodcast
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Listen to the More to the Story Podcast:
Apple Podcasts | https://shorturl.at/JtdA9
Spotify | https://shorturl.at/DF2Ro