Thoughts on Aliyah and the Akeidah from Israel at war
Alan Jotkowitz looks at the current situation in Israel through the lens of modern interpretations of the Akeidah.
Avraham and Sodom: To Pray Against God
Avraham’s challenge to God’s planned destruction of Sodom raises the fundamental ethical problem of collective punishment. The resolution of this challenge, Sruli Fruchter explains, enables Avraham to realize God’s highest ideals and to confront the conflict between compassion for oppressors and consideration for their victims.
Military Might as Reluctant Religious Virtue: The Bizarre Inclusion of Genesis 14 in Tanakh
Abraham’s participation in the war of the four kings against the five fits uncomfortably in the broader narrative of his life. Rabbi Mark Glass argues that this Abrahamic episode articulates a core Torah perspective on military might.
My War Diary
This war diary, presented by Susan Weingarten, relates her experience in a kibbutz on the Gazan border on October 7th and the days following her return to Jerusalem after the Hamas massacre.
Shechem, Place Of Brit
This week's Parashah introduces us to the city of Shechem. Tamar Weissman examines the various appearances of this city throughout Tanakh, explaining that while it is a city of rupture, it is also one of covenant and fraternity.
Noah and the Trauma of Heroic Destiny
Sruli Fruchter examines the story not often told about Noah—the trauma inflicted by immense responsibility amidst immense destruction.
Hevel: The Journey of an Intangible Word
Benjamin Barer traces the word Hevel through Jewish texts, showing how the use of the same word can teach us both about the wisdom of Kohelet we read this past Shabbat and the character of Hevel who we will read about in this week's Parashah.
Rabbi Lamm, Sukkot, and the Spiritual Perils of Materialism
Can we solve the growing problem of materialism in the Orthodox community? Tzvi Sinensky explains how Rabbi Norman Lamm’s Sukkot sermons shine some light on the matter
Istanis: Is it Ever Too Hot for Halakhah?
Moshe Kurtz looks as discomfort as a factor in Halakha
The Yom Kippur War and Yeshivat Har Etzion: Letters from a Talmid
On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Yom Kippur War, published here are excerpts from letters of an American student studying in Israel in 1973. These letters, written during and immediately after the war, shed light on Yeshivat Har Etzion in its formative years and the lasting impact of the Yom Kippur War.