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!
Megillat Esther as Second Temple Literature
In this essay, Michael Kurin analyzes the book of Esther in the context of the Second Temple and the diaspora.
Shoftim 11: Vows, Leadership, and Sacrifice
Ori Bach analyzes differing interpretations of Yiftach's vow, and its outcome, in the book of Shoftim.
When Shabbat first provided a Taste of the World to Come
Our modern Shabbat experience has been called "a taste of the world to come." But was this the case for the first Shabbat in the desert? Ezra Zuckerman Sivan considers the question.
No Milk, No Trust
Beth Kissileff explains how Moses' complaint about not being the Israelite's nursemaid shows how he is unfit for leadership.
Manna, Mitzvot, and Meaning
Ned Krasnopolsky explores the roles of meaning and obedience in matan Torah.
An Ishbitz-Radzyn Reading of the Joseph Narrative: The Light of Reason and the Flaw...
Batya Hefter traces Joseph's character development through the eyes of the Ishbitz-Radzyn masters.
Shadal: Translated, Elucidated, and Uncensored at Last
Martin Lockshin reviews Daniel A. Klein’s translation of Samuel David Luzzatto’s commentary on the Book of Vayikra, the latest volume in Klein’s project to translate all of Shadal’s insightful and ever-interesting Torah commentary.
“And I will Betroth You unto Me”: On Fading Tefillin Strap Marks
In an earlier Lehrhaus piece, Jeffrey Saks pointed to an obscure custom referenced by Shai Agnon not to eat until the tefillin strap marks fade from one’s arm. Here, Mois Navon shares what happened when he tried adopting this custom for himself.
How to Curtail Pernicious Social Competition: The Legacy of Zelophehad and his Daughters
Ezra Zuckerman Sivan comments on the story of Zelophehad and his daughters.
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