A Word Search Adventure

Mollie Fish reviews Mitchell First’s new book, From Eden to Exodus: A Journey into Hebrew Words in Bereshit and Shemot.

Hendiadys in the Pre-Shofar Acrostic Prayer: An Introduction to an Overlooked Principle of Biblical...

In unpacking the meaning of a tricky verse from Eikhah that we say as part of the Shofar service on Rosh Hashanah, Mitchell First introduces us to the literary principle called hendiadys, which can help us understand various phrases throughout Tanakh.

Saving Non-Jews on Shabbat: Two Perspectives on the Development of a Sensitive Halakhah

Jonathan Ziring explores the innovative nature of different Halakhic rulings permitting violating Shabbat to save non-Jewish lives.

Cross-Dressing and Cross-Conduct: When Lo Yilbash Meets Contemporary Western Culture

Moshe Kurtz examines the Torah’s prohibition on cross-dressing as a lens to view the shifting contemporary gender norms.

Judaism and its Others: A Review Essay

Menachem Kellner reviews Judaism’s Challenge: Election, Divine Love, and Human Enmity.

The Function of the Centrist Orthodox Gadol

Lawrence Kaplan I read Chaim Saiman’s essay, “The Market for Gedolim: A Tale of Supply and Demand,” with growing excitement and admiration. Saiman’s shift of...

Ha-Kalir’s Kinot – Poetry and Theological Narrative

Zvi Grumet suggests that when read in sequence, the kinot of R. Elazar Ha-Kalir—often seen as the ones most difficult to understand—offer a powerful theological narrative from despair to hope.

Letters to the Editor: Responses to Jeff Fox on Football

Yoni Zolty and Jordan Soffer respond to Jeff Fox's recent article on football and halakhic values.

Letters to the Editor: Does Torah u-Madda Answer Today’s Questions?

Today's letters to the editor rethink the utility of Torah u-Madda in today's world. Noam Stadlan reminds us that all knowledge is God's creation and thus inherently valuable, while Larry Grossman (author of “The Rise and Fall of Torah U’Madda“) argues that Torah u-Madda fails to address the various issues that now confront Modern Orthodoxy.

On the Educational Mission of Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik

Seth Farber explores the Rav's 1932 in local Boston historical context.