Was the Sotah Meant to be Innocent?

For Parshat Naso, Lehrhaus editor Yosef Lindell compares three twentieth-century rereadings of the Sotah ritual that make the passage more palatable to modern audiences.

Incensed by Coronavirus: Prayer and Ketoret in Times of Epidemic

Dr. Eddie Reichman, an ER doctor on the front lines of fighting Coronavirus, and an expert in the history of halakhah and medicine, shares a unique perspective on history of combatting plagues in the Jewish tradition.

On the Importance of the Twentieth of Iyar

Ezra Sivan uncovers hidden meaning in what happened and didn't happen during the Israelites' journey in the wilderness.

The Voice and the Sword: A Meta-Narrative in Rashi

Dan Jutan locates a fascinating meta-narrative within Rashi's commentary.

The Nazir and the Priest

Yoni Nouriel examines an episode in the Talmud where Shimon Ha-Tzadik describes his encounter with an impure Nazir.

The Power of Secrets: Jacob, Laban, and the Passover Haggadah

What led the Rabbis of the Seder to present Laban as a more diabolical enemy of the Jews than Pharaoh? Erica Brown shows how Laban took advantage of Jacob's insecurities as he arrived empty-handed at Laban's home.

No Milk, No Trust

Beth Kissileff explains how Moses' complaint about not being the Israelite's nursemaid shows how he is unfit for leadership.

Narcissus and the Nazir

Tzvi Sinensky explores the Talmudic version of the Roman myth of Narcissus

Between Shabbat and Lynch Mobs

Ezra Sivan asks what light the narratives of Shabbat and the scouts shed on some critical social questions.

The Pregnant Sotah: A Case Study in the Ethics of Abortion

Yisroel Ben-Porat grapples with whether the case of the pregnant Sotah has implications for the debates surrounding abortion.