Is Religious Tolerance a Jewish Idea?

Jonathan Ziring comments on the "Jewishness" of religious tolerance.

A Controversial Halakhic Case Against the State of Israel

Shmuel Silberman reviews Yirmiyahu Cohen's anti-Zionist book "I will Await Him."
Rabbi Aharon Lichtenstein

Rabbi Aharon Lichtenstein and Academic Talmud Study

Rami Reiner breaks new ground, analyzing Rabbi Aharon Lichtenstein's view of academic Jewish studies.

Vaccines, Hysteria, and Rabbinic Responsibility: A Plea from the Trenches

Jeremy Brown comments on the history and necessity of vaccination in the Jewish community.

Bittul Torah or a Taste of the World to Come? Fathers and Young Children

In honor of Father's Day, Yosef Bronstein shares thoughts about the Talmud's perspective on the relationship between fathers and children.
Jewish Law

What is Jewish Law? Uncovering a Debate between the Tur and the Ran

Lehrhaus Editor Shlomo Zuckier examines two divergent understandings of Jewish law.

Buying Jewish Whiskey

Last year, Nathan B. Oman, a Latter-day Saint and law professor, bought hametz from the members of Chaim Saiman’s synagogue before Passover. This is his story—a profound meditation on the nature of religious law and legal fiction — with an introduction by Chaim Saiman.

Why Are Women Obligated in Some Time-Bound Positive Commandments and Exempt from Others? A...

Michael Broyde offers a new theory for why halakhah obligates women in some time-bound positive mitzvot and exempts them from others.

Kamtza and Bar Kamtza in the Age of Cancel Culture

The Talmudic story of Kamtza and Bar Kamtza is often used to highlight the destructive consequences of baseless hatred. In an intriguing reading, David Hellman suggests that the hatred that motivated the tale’s participants is more complex than meets the eye.

What is Yerushalmi Shekalim Doing in the Babylonian Talmud?

As Daf Yomi learners begin studying Shekalim, Tamara Morsel-Eisenberg offers an erudite answer to the question: What is Yerushalmi Shekalim doing in the Babylonian Talmud?