Narcissus and the Nazir
Tzvi Sinensky explores the Talmudic version of the Roman myth of Narcissus
Re-reading Bereishit: A Review of David Fohrman’s New Book
Tammy Jacobowitz reviews David Forman's latest book, a companion to Sefer Bereishit, and finds engaging, instructive literary analysis that pulls new insights from familiar stories.
Leviticus, Leonard Cohen, and the Paradox of Rest
Sarah Rindner asks what the Book of Leviticus, Leonard Cohen and the Liberty Bell all have in common.
Shades of White: A Fresh Look at Lavan’s Relationship With Yaakov
Yitzchak Etshalom comments on the relationship between Lavan and Yaakov.
In God We Trust or Do We? The Fears of Isaac and Jacob
Meshulam Gotlieb analyzes a midrash on Jacob's ladder dream to understand Jacob's lifelong fear, how he became so fearful and how it affected his life.
The Christian Monks Who Saved Jewish History
Malka Simkovich hunts for Jewish texts in some unlikely places.
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.
Avraham’s Test of Loyalty
Mark Glass puts the Akeidah in conversation with the surrounding narratives of the book of Genesis.
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.
Pinhas’ Parts: Of Priests, Peace, and Disturbing the Piece
What was the covenant of peace God gave Pinchas? R. Shlomo Zuckier puts the pieces together to find out
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