Nations and peoples are largely the stories they feed themselves. If they tell themselves stories that are lies, they will suffer the future consequences of those lies. If they tell themselves stories that face their own truths, they will free their histories for future flowerings.
—Ben Okri, A Way of Being Free (Head of Zeus, 1997)
What is Torah?
It’s a book. Some would say, The Book. But it’s also a body of wisdom that keeps evolving. How can it be both?
Join Rabbi Amichai Lau-Lavie to reveal the radical root of Jewish wisdom.
Here’s a hint: story is at the core of everything. And this story is alive.
This episode tells three stories about the Torah:
14:16 We travel back in time to the 5th century BCE, when we witness the Torah read out loud for the very first time. But even more radically - we see how it was translated in the moment so everyone could understand it.
25:20 Translation is interpretation, a kind of code-switching between what the Torah was, what it is, and what it still can be. This never-ending story continues to this day at every synagogue where people come together for sacred storytelling.
35:25 If the Torah is so many things, how can we find a consensus of which is the “right” Torah?
Rabbi Amichai teaches us that in every generation, we get to talk back to Torah and continue the conversation, making new meaning from our oldest stories, again and again.
Alef Bet is a journey through ancestral Jewish wisdom re-imagined for right now. Rabbi Amichai Lau-Levie is the tour guide for your experience. Whether you’re Jewish, Jew-ish, or Jew-curious, this is your starting point. No prior knowledge required—just bring your questions.
Explore more with Episode 3 Study Guide!