Latest Essays
Aleinu: God of All, or God of the Jews?
Aleinu: God of All, or God of the Jews?
The Aleinu prayer begins, עלינו לשבח לאדון הכל, “It is for us to praise the Master of all,” which creates theological tension: If God is presented here as the Master of all, why is it only Jews who are to praise God?
The Sacrifice of Isaac in Context: Recovering a Lost Ending of the Akedah
The Sacrifice of Isaac in Context: Recovering a Lost Ending of the Akedah
The earliest version of the birth and sacrifice of Isaac account questioned the identity of the boy’s father and concluded with Abraham sacrificing him to God.
U’Netaneh Tokef: Repentance, Prayer and Charity Cancel the Decree?
U’Netaneh Tokef: Repentance, Prayer and Charity Cancel the Decree?
A linguistic analysis of וּתְשׁוּבָה וּתְפִלָּה וּצְדָקָה מַעֲבִירִין אֶת רֹעַ הַגְּזֵרָה, “But repentance, prayer and charity cancel the harsh decree.”
Embracing Academic Torah Study: Modern Orthodoxy’s Challenge
Embracing Academic Torah Study: Modern Orthodoxy’s Challenge
The study of biblical criticism cuts to the very meaning of the value system of Modern Orthodoxy, i.e. forging a distinctive synthesis of modern culture with traditional values.
The Psalm of the Shofar: Its Use in Liturgy and Its Meaning in the Bible
The Psalm of the Shofar: Its Use in Liturgy and Its Meaning in the Bible
Psalm 47 makes no explicit mention of Rosh Hashana. Its reference to the shofar and royal imagery point not to God’s judgment of Israel’s deeds, but to the post-exilic hope that God vindicate Israel and reign over all the earth.
Marrying Your Daughter to Her Rapist
Marrying Your Daughter to Her Rapist
Are the Torah’s laws perfect or do they reflect biblical times and can adapt as society develops? The punishment of a rapist is a good test case for thinking about morally problematic biblical laws.
Deuteronomy: Religious Centralization or Decentralization?
Deuteronomy: Religious Centralization or Decentralization?
Deuteronomy’s centralization of worship (in Jerusalem) is commonly seen as increasing the power of the cult. However, it is also part of Deuteronomy’s laicization program, which shrinks the power of priests and Levites, and extends covenantal holiness requirements to all Israel.
