Bereishit

Laurance Wieder's After Adam was named the Book of the Year in 2019 by First Thing's John Wilson, but has been largely overlooked in the Jewish community. The Jewish Review of Book's Michal Leibowitz seeks to remedy this in her review of Wieder's lyrical retelling of the Bible.

Sam Borodach traces the role of clothing throughout the Joseph narrative.

Alex Ozar drills down on the point of the Akeidah, responding to Herzl Hefter and Tzvi Sinensky.

Tzvi Sinensky responds to Herzl Hefter's Akeida essay.

David Schwartz explores thematic similarities between the Hanukkah miracle and Pharaoh’s dreams.

Building on ideas from Jacques Lacan and Rabbeinu Bahya ibn Pakuda, Zach Truboff offers an innovative psychological reading of the Cain and Abel story.

There’s a miniature kaf at the beginning of the parashah. As Gabriel Slamovits explains, what the diminished letter says about how Abraham mourned for Sarah fits well with a prominent teaching of Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, zt”l.

Gavriel Lakser argues that the first two chapter of Genesis give us different insights into the character of God. The first chapter shows us a transcendent and omnipotent God, while the second shows us a God much more imminent and concerned for the lives of the creation. These two aspects are complimentary and mutually deepens our understanding of the human-God relationship.

Ben Greenfield explains that the attributes commonly associated with our forefathers are not attributes at which they excelled, but rather attributes with which they struggled.

Zohar Atkins presents a new poem on the Akeidah.