Jewish Thought and History

Tzvi Goldstein's recent piece on Centrist and Haredi Orthodoxy has generated many responses from our readers. Today we share a response from Chaim Goldberg, who vigorously argues that the greatest pillar for contemporary Haredi ideology is not Ramhal's Mesilat Yesharim but Rav Hayyim Volozhin's Nefesh Ha-Hayyim.

The Hasidic work, Aish Kodesh, under the scholarly microscope, by Henry Abramson.

Shlomo Zuckier presents Rav Aharon Lichtenstein's own thoughts on academic Talmud.

Yaakov Jaffe examines Yehudah Ha-Levi's High Holiday poem "Yashen, Al Teradam"

Do Jewish texts teach racism? It depends on how you read them, answers Chaim Trachtman.

Batya Hefter uses the case of Isaac to illuminate how hasidic masters read the Bible.

Yisroel Ben-Porat offers historical, hashkafic, and personal reflections on what’s often called the “Judeo-Christian” tradition and whether a Torah u-Madda outlook can embrace the study of Christianity.

Through an analysis of Hanukkah ads, Yael Buechler explains how Yiddish newspapers used the Old Country language to acculturate Jews to the New Country.

Ariel Krakowski explores the connection between Maimonides and the Stoics.

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