Tola ben Puah: Savior of Israel
With only two verses about him in the Book of Judges, not much is known about Tola ben Puah. Ami Hordes takes clues from his story's text and context to paint a fuller picture of who the judge was and why he was important.
The Sacrifice of Obedience
Shlomo Zuckier asks what we can learn from Shaul's mistakes in this week's Haftara.
The Philosopher King and the Poet Messiah: Hellenic and Hebrew Republics Compared
In this essay, written in honor of Yom Yerushalayim, Bezalel Naor explores the differing visions for the ideal state held by Plato and the Rabbis, Maimonides and Rabbi Nahman of Breslov.
A Ripe Old Age: Abraham, Gideon and David
Daniel Lifshitz explains the connection between Abraham, Gideon, and David through the lens of this week's Parshah and Haftarah.
The Christian Monks Who Saved Jewish History
Malka Simkovich hunts for Jewish texts in some unlikely places.
When Elijah’s Mantle Fell: The Judaism of Leonard Cohen
The Yom Kippur War was a defining moment in the life of poet Leonard Cohen, a moment when his entire spiritual destiny hung in the balance. Bezalel Naor on Cohen's priestly imagination.
The King’s Great Cover-Up and Great Confession
Ezra Sivan explores the idea of confession, through the eyes of King David
Did the Prophet Amos Predict the Women’s Siyum Daf Yomi?
Yaakov Jaffe explains how Biblical grammar and parables come together in Amos to teach us about women's Talmud Torah.
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 Prophets Did Not Take Political Stands, and You Should Too
Alex Ozar comments on preaching politics from the pulpit.
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