Upside Down Thinking

What if I told you the Talmud's greatest secret for surviving a crisis isn't fighting harder—it's assuming the exact opposite of what you think is true? In this special Purim episode of Madlik Disruptive Torah, Geoffrey Stern and Rabbi Adam Mintz explore the Megillah's phrase וְנַהֲפוֹךְ הוּא (ve-nahafoch hu) — "everything was turned upside down" — and ask what it means after Purim, in a world facing crisis and uncertainty. Key Takeaways Reversal Is a Mindset, Not a Miracle. Crisis Is an Invitation to Rethink the Paradigm. Argue Hard. Stay Together. Timestamps [00:00] Purim Eve Tension [00:43] V'nahafoch Hu Mindset [01:57] Meet the Hosts [03:20] Esther Texts Reversal [05:01] Greenberg on Paradox [07:15] Turn It Over, Pirkei Avot [09:18] Talmudic Opposite Logic [14:55] Cafe Hafuch and Disagreement [18:31] Purim Rule Breaking [21:44] Kuhn and Paradigm Shifts [25:26] Startup Nation Debate Culture [28:26] War Reality and Prayer Links & Learnings Sign up for free and get more from our weekly newsletter Sefaria Source Sheet: Transcript here:

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Upside Down Thinking is an episode from Madlik Podcast – Torah Thoughts on Judaism From a Post-Orthodox Jew by Geoffrey Stern.

This episode is 29:40 long.

This episode was published on Mar 4, 2026.

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