On Racism and the Torah
Is the Mishnah racist? To answer the question, begs Elli Fischer, is to get a better understanding of both Judaism and Race
Leviticus, Leonard Cohen, and the Paradox of Rest
Sarah Rindner asks what the Book of Leviticus, Leonard Cohen and the Liberty Bell all have in common.
Gilgamesh and the Rabbis: Knowledge and its Price from Uruk to the Beit Midrash
What do Adam, Enkidu, and Reish Lakish all have in common? Eli Putterman explores.
Rekindling the Holy Fire: Fighting over Faith in the Aish Kodesh
In his newest review, former Lehrhaus webmaster Steve Gotlib looks at Hasidim, Suffering and Renewal: The Prewar and Holocaust Legacy of Rabbi Kalonymus Kalman Shapira and examines scholars’ differing views on whether the Aish Kodesh experienced a crisis of faith due to the Holocaust.
In God’s Country: The “Zionism” of Rashi’s First Comment
Elli Fischer reads one of Rashi's most famous comments against the grain.
Rashashian Kavanot as Concrete Poetry
In advance of the kabbalist R. Shalom Sharabi's 244th yahrtzeit, which falls out this Shabbat, Jeremy Tibbetts offers a primer on Rashash's kabbalistic kavanot and the underappreciated art of concrete poetry.
Tola ben Puah: Savior of Israel
With only two verses about him in the Book of Judges, not much is known about Tola ben Puah. Ami Hordes takes clues from his story's text and context to paint a fuller picture of who the judge was and why he was important.
The Triple Threat to Social Order
Through the lens of social science and game theory, Ezra Zuckerman Sivan connects three stories in Tanakh of people who threatened the social order: the blasphemer, the wood-gatherer, and Achan.
Hilkhot Nashim: A Cautious Revolution
Gila Bieler-Hoch reviews Hilkhot Nashim, published by JOFA and Maggid Books.
American Football: A Case Study in the Limits of Halakhah and the Claim of...
Jeffrey Fox examines whether watching football is problematic from a Torah point of view.
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