Rivkah’s Existentialism: Wholeness and Brokenness
This past Shabbat, Rivkah took center stage, making a dramatic decision that altered the course of her descendants’ histories. Sruli Fruchter examines the angst that preceded Rivkah’s fateful actions.
The Torah’s Song
What is the meaning of a biblical song? Writing for Parshat Ha'azinu and in memory of her beloved cousin, Shira Shaindel Rodman (née Brilliant) z”l, Elana Stein Hain reviews Geula Twersky's theory of biblical poetry as portrayed in her 2022 book Torah Song.
The Child at this Moment, the child that Could Become: A Torah Meditation in...
Dan Ornstein examines the rabbinic interpretation of the phrase "ba-asher hu sham," and applies it to the current conflict in Israel.
Rabbinic Creativity and the Waters that would Consume the World
Levi Morrow explores how the Rabbis use creative exegesis to save the world
from drowning in a flood
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.
Love (and Trust) Conquer All: Another Angle on the Akeidah
Alex Ozar drills down on the point of the Akeidah, responding to Herzl Hefter and Tzvi Sinensky.
Imagining Passover
As we prepare for Passover, enjoy these three poems by Bruce Black meditating on the past, present, and future of our Exodus.
The Prince and the Precedent: Genesis 34 in its Socio-Legal Context
How should one respond to ominous cultural trends that have not yet had a direct impact? Alex Maged's thoughts on the rape of Dinah.
The Wanderings of Adam and Cain – A Tale of Midrashic Migration
Shlomo Zuckier on the mechanics of a midrashic motif.
What Yitro Can Teach Us About Synagogue Leadership
Gidon Rothstein mines parashat Yitro for insight into best practices in synagogue governance.