Letter To The Editor: Responses To Tzvi Goldstein On Centrist Orthodoxy And Haredi Orthodoxy
Tzvi Goldstein's recent piece on Centrist and Haredi Orthodoxy has generated many responses from our readers. Today we present two stimulating letters by R.A. Alpert and Yaakov Resnik, who examine Goldstein's analysis from the perspectives of Hirschian Torah im Derekh Eretz and his analysis of the underpinnings of the Haredi hashkafa, respectively.
From Master to Father: The Evolving Character of God in the Creation Narrative
Gavriel Lakser argues that the first two chapter of Genesis give us different insights into the character of God. The first chapter shows us a transcendent and omnipotent God, while the second shows us a God much more imminent and concerned for the lives of the creation. These two aspects are complimentary and mutually deepens our understanding of the human-God relationship.
Three in One: Creation, Exodus, and Equality
Ezra Sivan presents a new analysis of Shabbat and how it throws light on so much more in the Torah.
The Tragic Heroes of Bratslav: R. Nathan Bratslaver on Dispute and Multiple Truths
Lehrhaus editor Yehuda Fogel asks: What does R. Nosson Bratslaver's understanding of controversy have to do with Hegel?
Confronting God on Tishah Be-Av in Yehudah ha-Levi’s Yom Akhpi Hikhbadti
Yosef Lindell examines how Yehudah ha-Levi's kinnah about the bubbling blood of Zechariah modifies the story found in Talmudic sources and thus tackles the question of theodicy.
The Hasmoneans as a Paradigm for Modern Jewish Sovereignty
R. Shimshon Nadel explores the connection between the Hasmonean dynasty and the modern-day State of Israel.
Torah u-Madda’s Moment
Stu Halpern weighs in on the eternal wisdom Torah u-Madda offers the world during the fraught times in which we live.
Masculinity and the Hanukkah Hero: Toward a New Interpretation of Biblical Gevurah
The Maccabees were renowned as gibborim. But what exactly is gevurah, and what does it mean for dicussions about manhood and Zionism? Tzvi Sinensky uses Hanukkah as a starting point for this contemporary conversation.
Catastrophic Miracles and Miraculous Catastrophes: The Torah of Pregnancy in Tazria and Toldot
In her winning Ateret Zvi essay, Leah Sarna explores two simultaneously true stories about pregnancy: it is at once a beautiful, incredible miracle, and also a demanding journey, both physically and mentally, that often feels more like a catastrophe. Studying the Torah's accounts of pregnancy in Tazria and Rivkah's life, Sarna offers a moving analysis of what it means to hear, tell, and live these stories.
Why Wasn’t Jonah Punished? Reading Jonah during COVID
This year, instead of thinking about the reasons for Jonah’s flight from Nineveh in particular, we can gain a new appreciation for his need to break free altogether. Ahead of Yom Kippur, Erica Brown considers the unique resonance of the book of Jonah in an era marked by isolation and quarantine.