Rav Nachum Rabinovitch and the Art of Ancient Dyeing

Baruch Sterman, founder of the @Ptil Tekhelet Institute, tells the story of Rav Rabinovitch's pivotal role in the discovery of the tekhelet - and an episode of "The Worst Jobs in History," a 2004-2006 BBC series.

The Fourth Chapter of Avot as an extended reflection on Epicurean Philosophy

In the spirit of Hanukkah, Yaakov Jaffe offers an intriguing thesis tying together a series of Mishnayot in the fourth chapter of Pirkei Avot: they are all responding to various aspects of Epicurean philosophy.

Pat Yisra’el and Two Approaches to the Aseret Yemei Teshuvah

David Fried explores the humra of pat Yisrael during the aseret yemei teshuvah.

Halakhah’s Insiders and Outsiders

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

Darkness We Have Come to Dispel: Between The Light of Hanukkah and the Black...

Mois Navon explores what makes Hanukkah so special.

First Fruits: A Selection of Poems on Mishnah Bikkurim 3

In honor of Shavuot 5784, Dalia Wolfson presents five new bilingual poems that explore the themes of the third perek of Mishnah Bikkurim and contemplate their possible inversion.

Can a Court Really Ban Kapparot and Why it Matters for the American Jewish...

Michael (Avi) Helfand on a recent court case with implications for American Jews as members of both a religious and a minority community.

The Nature of Halakhic Civil Law

Chaim Saiman analyzes how the Torah's two introductions to the revelation at Sinai correspond to two perspectives on the nature of halakhic civil law.

The Challenge and Joy of Living With Tension

Shayna Goldberg contributes to the Lehrhaus Symposium on the recent OU statement regarding female clergy.

Holidays Reimagined: From Pesah To Purim To Post-Hurban Pesah

Shimon Laufer examines how Rabbinic understanding of the holiday of Passover influenced the holiday of Purim, and how one of the oldest manuscripts of the Mishnah hints that the converse may be true as well.