Holidays

The Talmudic story of Kamtza and Bar Kamtza is often used to highlight the destructive consequences of baseless hatred. In an intriguing reading, David Hellman suggests that the hatred that motivated the tale’s participants is more complex than meets the eye.

Last year, Nathan B. Oman, a Latter-day Saint and law professor, bought hametz from the members of Chaim Saiman’s synagogue before Passover. This is his story—a profound meditation on the nature of religious law and legal fiction — with an introduction by Chaim Saiman.

Tzvi Sinensky explores the Biblical origins of Tu be-Av.

Dan Margulies explores various opinions on where to light a Hanukah Lamp in dorms and apartments.

As another Pesach in isolation approaches, Will Friedman examines how Rabbinic texts take solo sedarim into account.

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

Zach Truboff argues that Purim reminds us of our vulnerability even with the State of Israel.

For Jennifer Raskas, the seder narrative reflects on the past and informs the future.

This year, instead of thinking about the reasons for Jonah’s flight from Nineveh in particular, we can gain a new appreciation for his need to break free altogether. Ahead of Yom Kippur, Erica Brown considers the unique resonance of the book of Jonah in an era marked by isolation and quarantine.

Tzvi Sinensky suggests that the Megillah itself confronts the question of Purim's legitimacy.