Scholarship

Elinatan Kupferberg argues that the boundaries between Torah and Madda have blurred and evolved throughout Jewish intellectual history. This erudite analysis upends our assumptions about Torah u-Madda and breathtakingly reimagines its past, present, and future.

Rabbi Ezra Schwartz reviews Nishmat HaBayit, a responsa collection by the Yoatzot Halacha of Nishmat

Joshua Stadlan carefully explores the “blemishes” that invalidate a kohein for service in the Mishkan to argue that they were not an original part of God’s plan.

Sholom Eisenstat presents a passage of the Zohar about the inverted nuns in Parashat Beha'alotekha to explore the interplay between design and interpretation of the Torah.

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.

With newly found material, Bezalel Naor places Rav Kook's Hasidut into historical and literary context.

Ranana Dine compares Christian and Jewish views on the value of having a beautiful Temple.

Mois Navon explores what makes Hanukkah so special.

Dovid Campbell explores sources indicating that curiosity is a Jewish value.

Shmuel Hain Reviews Chaim Saiman's Halakhah: The Rabbinic Idea of Law.