Endless Exploration: Judaism’s Only “Principle of Faith”

Hasdai Crescas criticized Maimonides for counting belief as a Mitzvah, arguing that we have no control over what we believe. Dovid Campbell explores a surprisingly common defense of Maimonides that places his views closer to those of Crescas than we might have initially imagined.

A Return to the World of Medieval Ashkenaz

Alan Jotkowitz reviews the latest volume of Dr. Haym Soloveitchik’s collected essays, bringing us back to the world of medieval Ashkenaz.

Madda or Hokhmah? Rabbi Jonathan Sacks on the Integration of Torah and General Wisdom

In the next installment of our Torah u-Madda symposium, Dr. Erica Brown reflects on the concepts and values expressed by Rabbi Jonathan Sacks zt"l in his discussions on the integration of Torah and secular life.

Torah u-Madda Thirty Years Later

Elana Stein Hain explores how the frameworks offered by the humanities can mesh with our Torah-driven lives.

Finding Meaning in Determinism: How Jewish Thinkers Reconcile the Contradiction between Determinism and Human...

Natan Oliff looks at the various ways Jewish thinkers have found meaning in determinism.

Sin-a-gogue: A Must-Read for the Yamim Noraim

Jennie Rosenfeld reviews David Bashevkin's "Sin-a-gogue: Sin and Failure in Jewish Thought."

When Rambam Met the Izhbitser Rebbe: Response to a Straussian Reading of Hilkhot Teshuvah

Bezalel Naor responds to Bezalel Safran's Straussian reading of the Rambam.

Chosenness and Bias in the Jewish Community

Alan Kadish offers a vision for how Orthodox Jews should think about "chosenness."

A Kinnah in Kislev: The Enduring Elegy of Dolce of Worms

In honor of the yahrtzeit of Dolce, the wife of Rabbi Eleazar of Worms, Chaya Sima Koenigsberg explores Rabbi Eleazar's moving elegy for his wife and reflects upon Dolce's character as a model for Koenigsberg's own life and the lives of Jewish women today.

The Christian Monks Who Saved Jewish History

Malka Simkovich hunts for Jewish texts in some unlikely places.