Philosophy and Exegesis: Which Leads? A Review of Aaron Koller’s Unbinding Isaac
Zvi Grumet reviews Aaron Koller’s new book on the Akedah and evaluates his surprisingly novel approach to this formative biblical story.
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.
Miriam’s Song and the Persistence of Music in Dark Times
Why did the women bring musical instruments out of Egypt? In her first Lehrhaus article, musicologist Rebecca Cypess draws a fascinating historical analogy between biblical and African-American slavery to shed light on the Exodus in Jewish tradition.
What Does God Want from Humanity? A New Perspective on the Creation Chapters
Yakov Nagen examines the opening chapters of Genesis to explore what God wanted from people for matan Torah.
“Let Truth Spring Up from the Ground”: Truth’s Changing Role Throughout History
Natan Oliff explores the evolving role of truth throughout Tanakh and later Jewish history.
A Torah Theodicy: The Very Goodness of Evil
Gavriel Lakser offers a new approach to the problem of evil based on the beginning of Genesis.
Revelation Deferred but not Denied: the Golden Calf as a Rabbinic Origin Story
Amitai Bin-Nun provides a fresh and intriguing perspective on the story of the Golden Calf by reading it in light of the Talmudic passage in Menahot detailing an encounter between Moses and R. Akiba on Mt. Sinai where God is tying crowns to the letters of the Torah scroll.
Was God Angry at Sarah?
Ben Greenfield
God isn’t angry with Sarah, when she laughs at the idea of birthing a child in her old age (Gen. 18:12-15). God is...
To Be a Stiff-Necked People
Is Jewish stubbornness a stereotype or a source of pride? In the Torah, it appears as a criticism, but also as a veiled praise for the people of Israel’s unique power of commitment. Zach Truboff highlights this strength in an application of the words of the Piaseczner Rebbe to our current moment of crisis.
From Kayin to Korah: The Fellow Founders of Foment
Shlomo Zuckier wonders why the earth opened its mouth for both Korah and Kayin.
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