A Torah Theodicy: The Very Goodness of Evil

Gavriel Lakser offers a new approach to the problem of evil based on the beginning of Genesis.

How To Cleanse A Sanctuary

In honor of Flag Day, Michael Bernstein argues that national flags do not belong in our shul sanctuaries. Drawing on halakhic responsa, news reports, and photographic evidence, Bernstein locates the practice of displaying flags in shuls in its historical context and proposes that flags do not ever belong in prayer spaces.

Modern Orthodox Theology in a Post-Soloveitchik World

David Fried reviews a recent book that considers the divergence of Rabbis Yitz Greenberg, David Hartman, and Jonathan Sacks from the teachings of R. Joseph B. Soloveitchik.

Halakhah: Navigating Between Unity and Plurality

Aaron Segal reviews Staying Human by Harris Bor.

There Is Nothing New Under the Sun: A Reply to Gil Perl

In response to Gil Perl's Postmodern Orthodoxy, Gidon Rothstein asks for another look at Rabbi Aharon Lichtenstein and the limits of pluralism and what we consider "truth."

In Search of Modern Orthodoxy

In introducing his embrace of Rav Shagar, Rabbi Dr. Gil Perl details his personal journey of being initially excited, then disappointed with the writings of our...

Are Modern Orthodox Jews More Comfortable with Mysticism or Anthropomorphism?

This siddur, Yaakov Jaffe argues, is where to look to find out what Orthodox Jews believe.

Letter To The Editor: Responses To Tzvi Goldstein On Centrist Orthodoxy And Haredi Orthodoxy

Tzvi Goldstein's recent piece on Centrist and Haredi Orthodoxy has generated many responses from our readers. Today we present two stimulating letters by R.A. Alpert and Yaakov Resnik, who examine Goldstein's analysis from the perspectives of Hirschian Torah im Derekh Eretz and his analysis of the underpinnings of the Haredi hashkafa, respectively.

The Legacy of Rav Moshe Kahn zt’’l

In commemoration of the upcoming Sheloshim of Rav Moshe Kahn, Mindy Schwartz Zolty shares a Hesped of her teacher in which she discusses his derekh ha-limmud and his derekh as a melamed.

Why Pandemics Happen to Good People

What theological language can we use to describe our current pandemic moment? In an excerpt from his forthcoming book, Jeremy Brown takes scope of the ancient and modern notions of plague theodicy and reviews some ideas from the 2021 National Jewish Book Award Winner Torah in a Time of Plague.