Reish Lakish and Rabbi Yohanan on the Power of Repentance: A Reappraisal

How does Reish Lakish’s classic view of repentance help to account for the tragic dissolution of his relationship with Rabbi Yohanan?

She-Hehiyanu: An Endangered Blessing Species

It is customary to celebrate Tu Bi-Shevat by eating fruits and reciting the She-Hehiyanu blessing on them. This custom, however, has proved challenging in recent years as advances in technology have made it difficult to find new fruit—as defined by halakhah—to say the She-Hehiyanu

Book Review: Haroset: A Taste of Jewish History by Susan Weingarten

Yakov Ellenbogen reviews Susan Weingarten's Haroset: A Taste of Jewish History.

Subjective Experience in Halakhah: Music During Sefirah as a Case Study

Judah Kerbel explores how differing approaches to listening to music during Sefirat ha-Omer balance the appropriate role for subjectivity in halakhic decision-making.

“Filling In” and “The Poet of Auschwitz”

Two new poems by Temima Weissmann address national calamities, both past and present.

Cultural Heritage in an Age of Genocide

Matthew Omolesky considers the importance of culture in the face of genocide.

Anonymous Leadership:  The Emotional Drama in Ishay Ribo’s Seder ha-Avodah

Shira Hecht-Koller and Aaron Koller explore the worship of the Kohen Gadol through the voice of Ishay Ribo.

The Staggering Brilliance of Rambam’s Fourth Chapter of The Laws of Repentance 

Alan Jotkowitz shares insights into Rambam’s Hilkhot Teshuvah

Ki Ani Hashem: A Literary Analysis of the Makkot

Joshua Shapiro explains how close readers of the Biblical text can find a unifying theory for reason behind the ten plagues.

Does a Women’s Friday-Night Prayer Belong As Part of Menorah Lighting?

Yaakov Jaffe advocates adding a song to those sung while lighting Hanukkah candles.