Jewish Thought and History

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

William Kolbrener offers insight into the intellectual underpinnings of the Rav's 1932 interview recently re-published by The Lehrhaus.

Lawrence Kaplan makes a case for Mendelssohn's vision for our time.

Bezalel Naor translates and contextualizes a poem by Pinchas Peli about the home of Rav Kook.

Steven Gotlib reviews Raphael Zarum’s Questioning Belief: Torah and Tradition in an Age of Doubt.

Yehuda Fogel comments on the nature of controversy and dispute through the eyes of R. Nahman of Bratslav

In this thoughtful essay, Cypess reflects on the melody that is carrying Israel in the wake of October 7th.

After Professor Yaakov Blidstein's passing on Thursday, Marc Herman recalls his teacher's astonishing blend of scholarly creativity and intellectual humility.

The notion of Torah u-Madda—that Torah and secular studies can enrich each other—has been a byword in the Modern Orthodox community for decades. Yet some have claimed it is in decline. Over the course of the next few weeks, Lehrhaus is proud to present a symposium grappling with Torah u-Madda: how we got here, the challenges that have arisen, and how its meaning continues to evolve over time.

Reuven Mohl explores Rav Soloveitchik’s understanding of Areivut in Kol Dodi Dofek.