Talmud
Israel’s biggest threats demand unity, not partisan warfare - opinion
Israelis must decide whether politics exists to strengthen the country – or whether the country itself will surrender its fate to partisan warfare.
The real threat behind Europe’s crackdown on brit milah - opinion
What Shavuot teaches about Israel’s haredi military service debate
Once, Jews defended themselves to survive. Now this reflects defeat - opinion
Silence is complicity: What is the right way to speak out? - opinion
Jewish tradition contains this idea as well, that shtika k’hoda’a – a person’s silence can be taken as acquiescence. This leaves us with the question, how do ensure that we are not silent?
Hanukkah: To pretend or to be really religious?
For religious Jews, Judaism’s constant demand to follow Halacha (Jewish law) may give the impression that Judaism depends solely on the need to “observe.”
Hanukkah: One last taste of sovereignty
We know what sovereignty tastes like. For centuries, Hanukkah kept that taste alive. We never forgot how Jews were meant to live. Hanukkah would not let us forget.
What is the connection between chess and Judaism? - opinion
Some people believe that Jewish chess players use the same way of thinking while playing chess as if they were studying Talmud.
Nancy Pelosi and Rabban Gamliel: A Talmudic tale of succession - opinion
Much like Speaker Pelosi, the Talmud tells us that Rabban Gamliel rules the house of study, with an iron fist, and with a desire for unity. However, Rabban Gamliel takes this desire a step too far.
The Jewish leaders leading the Jewish people - then and now - opinion
Living in modern Israel is like living in a real-time ongoing Talmudic dispute.
What does Judaism think of sports? - opinion
It can be said that as long as it does not come at the expense of other important duties, sports are very much encouraged in Judaism and perfectly legitimate as a hobby.
Simhat Torah: Why Jews should look in the mirror now
This analysis of a midrashic text is obviously not intended as a comment on or opinion about the recent United States Supreme Court decision.
Social justice and Judaism: The rabbinic voice can overcome polarization
Issues like immigration policy, criminal justice reform, and fighting poverty involve nuanced thinking, compromise, and the ability to integrate multiple perspectives.
Why did the cherubim on the Ark of the Covenant face the walls?
Cherubim appear in many biblical passages. The texts do not explicitly define them. Were they real or just imaginary? What we find in the Bible is not so much what they are but what they do.