On Subjectivity and Pluralism: Sparks of Rav Shagar’s Thought
Udi Dvorkin offers a plea to take Rav Shagar at his full value, which means reading him in the original Hebrew.
Revisiting Maimonides’s Merkavah Chapters
In this timely piece, David Fried analyzes Maimonides' explanation of the ma'aseh merkavah in light of the Talmud's strictures on its teaching outlined in Hagigah. Fried's analysis reveals how Maimonides changed course from the Aristotelianism that he posited at other points in his career.
Shavuot: The Wakeup Call
Batya Hefter explores a Hasidic understanding of “Sinai consciousness” and proposes a way to re-experience it on Shavuot.
The Pregnant Sotah: A Case Study in the Ethics of Abortion
Yisroel Ben-Porat grapples with whether the case of the pregnant Sotah has implications for the debates surrounding abortion.
Prophecy is a Mitzvah
Alex Ozar analyzes the writings of R. Soloveitchik and several other contemporary Jewish thinkers to argue for the existence of a Mitzvah of become a prophet.
The Dark Side of Torah u-Madda: Chaim Potok and Core-to-Core Cultural Confrontation
The debate about Torah u-Madda and pop culture continues. Noah Marlowe argues that Chaim Potok's literature offers a useful conceptual framework for, and embodiment of, a profound confrontation between Judaism and elite elements of general culture.
Surrender or Struggle? The Akeidah Reconsidered
Herzl Hefter provides critical perspective on a stream of Akeidah interpretation from Kierkegaard to the Rav
An Old Jew and His Grandchildren
In the 1950s, Eliezer Berkovits reflects on Judaism, tradition and how generations connect with one another.
Peshat and Beyond: The Emergence of A Reluctant Leader
Batya Hefter explores Moses' development as a leader
Rav Kook’s Space Odyssey
Bezalel Naor offers a stirring, other-worldly rendition of Rav Kook's poem "The Conversation of the Angels"