Adam’s Absence: Rereading the Primordial Sin
Yisroel Ben-Porat analyzes a Midrash offering non-misogynistic takes on the original sin.
(Mis)Quoting Scripture in American Politics
AJ Berkovitz offers a charitable perspective on American politicians' apparent errors in citing the Bible.
Must Creativity and Rigor be Either/Or?
In his review of Michael Hattin’s commentaries on the books of Joshua and Judges, Francis Nataf explores how greater collaboration between creative Tanakh teachers could help reduce the number of overly speculative readings.
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.
Surrender or Struggle? The Akeidah Reconsidered
Herzl Hefter provides critical perspective on a stream of Akeidah interpretation from Kierkegaard to the Rav
Of Sages, Prophets, and Politics from the Pulpit
Jason Herman examines whether or not rabbis should talk politics in shul.
On the Importance of the Twentieth of Iyar
Ezra Sivan uncovers hidden meaning in what happened and didn't happen during the Israelites' journey in the wilderness.
The Directional Shaking of the Lulav: Bible, Mysticism, and Religious Polemics
Yaakov Jaffe traces the origins and evolution of the custom to shake the lulav in different directions.
Hebrew Bible or Old Testament? Evaluating the American Biblical Tradition
Did the Founding Fathers derive their biblical values from the Hebrew Bible, or just the Old Testament? Yisroel Ben-Porat reviews "Proclaim Liberty Throughout the Land."
Puritan Purim
How did Esther shape the way Puritans saw the ideal role of the contemporary woman? Cotton Mather, a major player in the Salem Witch Trials, had much to say in his Ornaments for the Daughters of Zion. Stuart Halpern of Yeshiva University explains, wishing us all a Puritan Purim.
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