Adam’s Absence: Rereading the Primordial Sin
Yisroel Ben-Porat analyzes a Midrash offering non-misogynistic takes on the original sin.
Bilam, God, and the Silent and Slanted Spaces
For Eve Grubin, Bilam's hidden messages is a lesson for the Torah and for life.
Rosh HaShanah And God’s Battle for Compassion
Akiva Mattenson writes on the relationship between God and Judgement.
The Myth of the Judaic Puritans
Did the English Puritans of New England emulate Jewish prayers and practices? Yisroel Benporat investigates the common claim and its complexities--as well as what the myth itself tells us about Jews in America.
Esther the Queen, Hester Prynne, and The Scarlet Letter as Biblical Commentary
Tzvi Sinensky explores the hidden world of Esther with the help of Nathaniel Hawthorne.
Joy at Last: Reflections on the End of Esther
Erica Brown explores the deeper meaning of joy in Megillat Esther and beyond.
“Looking for a Havvayah” A Genealogy of “Experience” on the High Holy Days
With the Yamim Noraim approaching, Avinoam Stillman analyzes Ḥavvayah, “experience,” in the thought of A.D. Gordon.
Ode to a Nightingale
A passionate sonnet by Yocheved Friedman in memory of the Rav, zt'l.
Pesah as Zeman Simhateinu: What Does it Mean to Rejoice Over Victory?
Judah Kerbel discusses why we say an abbreviated Hallel on the last six days of Pesah and contemplates what that says about the war in Israel; self-defense is a must, as is gratitude toward God, but we also hold space for the losses on the other side.
Boardwalk Closed (April 2020)
Hillel Broder reflects on the edges in life, in his latest poem for the Lehrhaus.
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