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?

Return… Again? Theories of Twice-Baked Teshuvah

Lehrhaus founder Shlomo Zuckier examines the debate about whether we can repeat Teshuvah for the same sin.

Human Words: Rav Elhanan Nir’s “Intentions for Rosh Hashanah”

Levi Morrow provides an all-new translation of Rav Elhanan Nir’s “Kavvanot for Rosh Hashanah,” and analyzes how these theological poems speak about our relationship with God and prayer on Rosh Hashanah.

The Shofar as a Mekonenet, a Singer of Laments

  Rebecca Cypess As the only musical instrument used in modern Jewish liturgy, the shofar possesses a humble form. Halakhah forbids the modification of the shofar’s...

Prayerful Poetry: A Translators’ Battle that Spanned the Atlantic

Yosef Lindell recounts the controversy surrounding different attempts at translating the Tishrei prayers.

The Birthplace of Infertility

Infertility figures as a tragic theme not only on Rosh Hashanah but also in biblical narrative and modern life. This morning, Yael Leibowitz writes lyrically on The Birthplace of Infertility.

Before, After, and During: Yehuda Amichai’s “Beterem”

In this timely article, Wendy Zierler examines how Israeli poet Yehuda Amichai's "Beterem" can provide readers with the inspiration they need leading up to the Days of Awe

There’s No Need to Sacrifice Sacrifice: A Response to Rabbi Herzl Hefter

Tzvi Sinensky responds to Herzl Hefter's Akeida essay.

“Like a Fleeting Dream”: U-netaneh Tokef, Dreams, and the Meaning of the High Holy...

Man’s actions—even those that seem fleeting and insignificant—can have an impact, positive or negative. Oren Oppenheim explores themes of u-Netaneh Tokef

Beyond Perfect Repentance

Eliezer Finkelman discusses the meaning of perfect repentance.