The Patron Saint of Rabbis’ Kids
The father heard the voice of God, Elli Fischer explains, but the son ends up with the blade on his neck.
Team of Rivals: Building Israel Like Rachel and Leah
Ezra Sivan reexamines the relationship between Rachel and Leah.
Shades of White: A Fresh Look at Lavan’s Relationship With Yaakov
Yitzchak Etshalom comments on the relationship between Lavan and Yaakov.
The Autism Question and Beyond: Rereading the Joseph Saga
R. Yitzchak Blau analyzes the 2018 book, Was Yosef on the Spectrum?
Jacob, Pursuer of Truth
Jacob is described in Rabbinic thought as a pursuer of truth, but many have questioned whether this aligns with the simple reading of the text. Gavriel Lakser argues that a close reading shows that it does, even if he made some mistakes along the way.
Aleinu and Genesis: Against the Twin Idolatries of Universalism & Ethnonationalism
Does the Torah support a universalist or ethnonationalist political orientation? In this timely essay, Ezra Zuckerman Sivan explores the meaning behind key stories in Genesis through the framework of the Aleinu prayer.
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.
Some Thoughts on the Binding of Isaac
Jerome Marcus on the Akeidah: It's not about ethics vs. divine command, but about Hashem versus Elokim!
Navigating Uncertainty: Revisiting Blessings and Deceit in Parashat Toledot
In an original analysis of one of the most famous stories in the Torah, Maier Becker calls into question many long-held assumptions about this week's parasha and proposes a new reading based on the interpretations of traditional exegetes.
Avraham’s Test of Loyalty
Mark Glass puts the Akeidah in conversation with the surrounding narratives of the book of Genesis.