Ḥoni's Circle

 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 influenced the larger group's descent into dissatisfaction and persistent complaint, effectively undermining the leadership trying to move them toward a better future. We discuss Moses' sense of burnout and exhaustion, looking at how the divine response of spreading the spirit of prophecy among seventy elders offers a model for addressing climate despair through shared responsibility and grassroots movements. Finally, we reflect on the name Kivrot Ta’ava as a cautionary reminder of the consequences of unchecked craving and the necessity of learning from these historical setbacks. Follow along with the source sheet here: www.sefaria.org/sheets/658896 

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 unsatisfied—and their nostalgic, potentially idealized memories of the diverse diet they left behind in Egypt. This narrative provides a framework to discuss the environmental impact of modern meat consumption and the challenges of transitioning toward more sustainable, plant-based diets, even when innovative alternatives are available. We reflect on the historical Jewish model of treating meat as a "sometimes food" reserved for special occasions, exploring how economic and cultural factors have shifted our relationship with animal protein. Ultimately, we view the Israelites' longing as an invitation to celebrate the vast biodiversity of our planet’s offerings and to investigate how we might find vitality and pleasure in a more varied and sustainable abundance. Follow along with the source sheet here: www.sefaria.org/sheets/658896

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. By comparing the sudden, collective shock of this plague to our experiences with the pandemic, we examine how upending rigid power structures and traditional leadership can make room for more collaborative, harmonious models to arise. Ultimately, we find hope in the possibility of rebalancing these systems to move away from strife and toward a unified commitment to our planet. Follow along with the source sheet here: https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/694341

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 how the holiday’s timing is rooted in the Gemara’s observation of accumulated rainfall, serving as a ritualized reminder of the essential role water plays in our lives and the shifting patterns of our climate.  We examine how the Tu Bishvat seder and the practice of eating dried fruit foster a deeper connection to the land, cultivating gratitude for nature's future abundance and finding hope in the promise of growth during the year’s leanest months. Follow along with the source sheet here: voices.sefaria.org/sheets/694301

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 often lack the power to enact the changes that those in authority refuse to make. We look at the plague’s unique nature—though not inherently deadly, its disorienting and isolating effect move Pharaoh more than any previous plague. We analyze this darkness as a poignant metaphor for climate despair, representing the feeling of being paralyzed and cut off from one another in the face of an overwhelming crisis. Ultimately, we find hope in the Israelites' transition from their own historical despair toward a new-found purpose, concluding that the antidote to such darkness is to gather a community of like-minded people to take collective action. Follow along with the source sheet here: https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/694340

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 of olive oil efficiency and modern technological miracles like LEDs that allow us to move away from fossil fuels. We discuss the difficulty of appreciating such slow developments, emphasizing the need to cultivate "thanksgiving" for slow technological progress. We conclude by celebrating the unnamed heroes—then and now—who take a leap of faith to act despite daunting circumstances, finding that hope is the necessary fuel to fight climate change. Follow along here: https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/694339.1

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 plague—the total and permanent destruction of agriculture—and the terrifying imagery of locusts covering the ground, severing the connection between the people and the earth. This parallels the modern climate reality where the greatest driver of mass migration is not temporary disaster, but the permanent loss of arable land and sea level rise. We conclude by noting the inability to "shut the door" on a food supply crisis, while finding a glimmer of optimism in the courtiers' new-found courage to push back against Pharaoh and the resilience of nature between plagues. Follow along with the source sheet here: www.sefaria.org/sheets/692164

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 weather records are constantly being broken. We explore the critical role of trust during climate disasters, contrasting those who trusted the warning and took shelter with those who relied on Pharaoh’s official "line" and ignored the life-saving advice. This raises questions about how we receive information about climate disasters today, the necessity of cultivating trust in institutions, and the difficulty of imagining a reality that challenges our long-held worldviews. Follow along with the source sheet here: https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/667758

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 link between a rise in epidemics and a warming climate. We also talk about the governmental mechanisms responding to the escalation of the plagues that feel like modern times, including investigation without action and the weakening ability of propaganda to make the plagues seem less severe. We conclude with the hope that we are responding better to our current situation than Pharaoh did. Follow along here: https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/667757

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 that the land of Goshen (the dwelling place of the children of Israel) was exempted from the plague. We look at these two plagues from two angles which make them similar to Climate change: climate denial even when experts affirm that it is happening, and geographical differences in how humanity feels the brunt of climate change effects. Follow along here: http://www.sefaria.org/sheets/642212