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.
Reeding Between the Lines: Parallels Across the Yam Suf and Baby Moshe Narratives
Ben Greenfield examines the curious parallels between the stories of Moshe in the ark and the splitting of the sea.
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.
Isaac, the Eternal Optimist
Isaac occupies the middle position among the three Patriarchs. Gavriel Lakser offers a novel reading of his character that portrays Isaac as a uniquely relatable figure for our times.
Shemot: The Book Without Names
Ben Greenfield calls attention to a crucial, but unnoticed feature of the early narratives in Exodus.
Bilam, God, and the Silent and Slanted Spaces
For Eve Grubin, Bilam's hidden messages is a lesson for the Torah and for life.
By Whose Blood Do We Live?
Jon Kelsen uncovers a deeper rabbinic meaning to the blood needed to "passover" the Israelites.
Our Torah—Illustrated?
Sholom Eisenstat presents a passage of the Zohar about the inverted nuns in Parashat Beha'alotekha to explore the interplay between design and interpretation of the Torah.
Can We Learn from Jonah’s Happiness?
Beth Kissileff on the book of Jonah and its relevance on Sukkot.
Aspects of My Father’s Philosophy of Jewish History
This essay by Aaron Zeitlin—originally published in Yiddish in 1967 and translated here into English by Daniel Kraft—explores Aaron’s father Hillel Zeitlin’s approach to anti-semitism by way of the Book of Jonah.
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