Summer Chaplaincy as Modern Priesthood; a Theological Reflection
Eliyahu Freedman compares hospital chaplains to the Kohanim.
In God’s Country: The “Zionism” of Rashi’s First Comment
Elli Fischer reads one of Rashi's most famous comments against the grain.
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!
Our Torah—Illustrated?
Sholom Eisenstat presents a passage of the Zohar about the inverted nuns in Parashat Beha'alotekha to explore the interplay between design and interpretation of the Torah.
There’s No Need to Sacrifice Sacrifice: A Response to Rabbi Herzl Hefter
Tzvi Sinensky responds to Herzl Hefter's Akeida essay.
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.
Noah and the Trauma of Heroic Destiny
Sruli Fruchter examines the story not often told about Noah—the trauma inflicted by immense responsibility amidst immense destruction.
Avraham and Sodom: To Pray Against God
Avraham’s challenge to God’s planned destruction of Sodom raises the fundamental ethical problem of collective punishment. The resolution of this challenge, Sruli Fruchter explains, enables Avraham to realize God’s highest ideals and to confront the conflict between compassion for oppressors and consideration for their victims.
Ki Ani Hashem: A Literary Analysis of the Makkot
Joshua Shapiro explains how close readers of the Biblical text can find a unifying theory for reason behind the ten plagues.
A Pediatric Akeidah
Chaim Trachtman sees the Akeida as addressing the threat to human life, especially that of children, which is always inherent in the religious experience.