Parshat Ki Tavo: The Curse of the Law
Baruch Sterman describes how an encounter with a missionary led him to a greater understanding of Ramban's commentary on this week's Parshah.
Thoughts on a Death
In this personal reflection, Phil Lieberman addresses the unique pain that accompanies the loss of an abusive parent and considers the uneasy coherence of this pain with Jewish traditions of mourning.
Racism and Religious Particularism: A Corrective Antidote
Do Jewish texts teach racism? It depends on how you read them, answers Chaim Trachtman.
Mitzvah Merchants and their Made-in-America Toys
Zev Eleff examines some of the toys peddled around by mitzvah merchants and other fascinating features of Ultra-Orthodox culture.
Continuing the Trajectory: Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik on King David’s Request
Lawrence Kaplan responds to AJ Berkovitz’s article on the many conflicting interpretations of a passage in Midrash Tehillim, highlighting two different approaches advanced by Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik.
The Patron Saint of Rabbis’ Kids
The father heard the voice of God, Elli Fischer explains, but the son ends up with the blade on his neck.
A Philosophical Reflection on the Halakhification of Warfare
Alex Ozar explores wartime law in the Rambam.
Diaspora Identity in the Wake of October 7th
Historian Malka Simkovich explores ancient diasporic responses to collective trauma and what they can tell us about our responses to the aftermath of October 7th.
God Is Other People
In a chapter adapted from his new book, Be, Become, Bless: Jewish Spirituality between East and West, Yaakov Nagen suggests based on the Zohar that the world endures when we see Godliness in another person's face.
Are Modern Orthodox Jews More Comfortable with Mysticism or Anthropomorphism?
This siddur, Yaakov Jaffe argues, is where to look to find out what Orthodox Jews believe.