Inconsistencies in the Torah: Shamor vs. Zakhor
Gavriel Lakser explains how the change from Zakhor to Shamor is one of the earliest examples of Oral Torah.
U-shemor Nafshekha: The Curious History of the (Supposed) Mitzvah to Maintain One’s Health
What does the Torah mean when it says to "guard your nefesh (soul)"? Lehrhaus editor David Fried reevaluates the common understanding of a Torah mandate for healthy living.
What Do We Know About Moses’s Burial Place?
Ezra Zuckerman Sivan explains what it means when the Torah says that Moses's burial site was hidden.
“And I will Betroth You unto Me”: On Fading Tefillin Strap Marks
In an earlier Lehrhaus piece, Jeffrey Saks pointed to an obscure custom referenced by Shai Agnon not to eat until the tefillin strap marks fade from one’s arm. Here, Mois Navon shares what happened when he tried adopting this custom for himself.
The Children of the Beautiful Captive
Miriam Gedwiser explains how the Rabbis of the Talmud put the law of yefat to'ar in conversation with the David narrative, and what this teaches us about how we should approach passages of this nature.
The Difference Between Lo Tahmod and Lo Tit’avveh: An Insight Based on the Hitpa’el
Mitchell First explains the difference in the wording of the tenth commandment in Exodus and Deutoronomy in light of a grammatical insight by Benno Jacob.
The Sacrifice of Moses
David Fried argues that the question of Moses seeing the face of God reveals the tragic choice Moses made in choosing between his own spirituality and that of his people.
Also the Diseases
At the height of the cholera epidemic in 1831, Hatam Sofer delivered a timely sermon on a perplexing midrash to Parshat Ki Tavo. The take-home, suggests Elli Fischer, is all-too familiar in the COVID era.
Parshat Ki Tavo: The Curse of the Law
Baruch Sterman describes how an encounter with a missionary led him to a greater understanding of Ramban's commentary on this week's Parshah.
From Kayin to Korah: The Fellow Founders of Foment
Shlomo Zuckier wonders why the earth opened its mouth for both Korah and Kayin.