Jacob’s Silence and the Rape of Dinah
Ari Silbermann examines one of the most traumatic events in the Torah.
In Six Barleys were Wrapped an Enduring Legacy
Ezra Zuckerman Sivan examines the significance of the six barleys that Boaz gives Ruth in light of the story of Rachel, Leah, and the duda'im.
To Be a Stiff-Necked People
Is Jewish stubbornness a stereotype or a source of pride? In the Torah, it appears as a criticism, but also as a veiled praise for the people of Israel’s unique power of commitment. Zach Truboff highlights this strength in an application of the words of the Piaseczner Rebbe to our current moment of crisis.
The Ballad of Cain and Adam
Ari Lamm on The Boss and The Bible
The Problem of Mosaic Authorship You Never Heard of: What is Parashat Bilam?
The Talmud speaks of a mysterious passage on Bilam authored by Moses. What is it?
What Yitro Can Teach Us About Synagogue Leadership
Gidon Rothstein mines parashat Yitro for insight into best practices in synagogue governance.
Narcissus and the Nazir
Tzvi Sinensky explores the Talmudic version of the Roman myth of Narcissus
How to Curtail Pernicious Social Competition: The Legacy of Zelophehad and his Daughters
Ezra Zuckerman Sivan comments on the story of Zelophehad and his daughters.
Rabbeinu Bahya and the Case of the Mysterious Medieval Lightning Rod
Did Rabbeinu Bahya mention a lightning rod centuries before it was discovered? Yaakov Taubes takes us on a journey through science, magic, and religion to help explain this medieval commentator’s cryptic comment about the Tower of Babel.
Love (and Trust) Conquer All: Another Angle on the Akeidah
Alex Ozar drills down on the point of the Akeidah, responding to Herzl Hefter and Tzvi Sinensky.