Latest Essays

The Cycle of Life and Torah: Accepting Our Mortality

The Cycle of Life and Torah: Accepting Our Mortality

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The Significance of Ibn Ezra’s Position that Verses Were Added to the Torah

The Significance of Ibn Ezra’s Position that Verses Were Added to the Torah

“And this is the Torah that Moses Placed Before the Children of Israel” —Numbers 9:23

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Why Devarim Matters to Jews Today

Why Devarim Matters to Jews Today

It Is Very Close to You

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Why Conclude with the Daughters of Zelophehad?

Why Conclude with the Daughters of Zelophehad?

When the values of land tenure and patriarchy collide.

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What Do Genealogies Teach Us About Torah?

What Do Genealogies Teach Us About Torah?

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Redactando la Relación en las Tribus de la Transjordania

Redactando la Relación en las Tribus de la Transjordania

Consanguinidad versus Mandamientos

Jacob L. Wright

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Redacting the Relationship to the Transjordanian Tribes

Redacting the Relationship to the Transjordanian Tribes

Numbers 32 combines two versions of how Gad and Reuven receive Moses’ permission to settle the Transjordan. The non-Priestly story emphasizes fraternity and kinship, while the Priestly version emphasizes law and obedience to YHWH. By synthesizing them, the redactor suggests that law can serve as a pillar around which the Israelite community can coalesce.

Jacob L. Wright

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Why Now? Toward a Sociology of Knowledge Analysis of TheTorah.com

Why Now? Toward a Sociology of Knowledge Analysis of TheTorah.com

An analysis of why the approach taken by TheTorah.com has found such a large audience among the Orthodox at this time.

Chaim I. Waxman

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How Ancient Scribes Tried to Make Sense of the Composite Story of Baal Peor

How Ancient Scribes Tried to Make Sense of the Composite Story of Baal Peor

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A Hasidic Matan Torah

A Hasidic Matan Torah

The Revelation of the Divine Voice Within

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Balaam and the Problem of Other People’s Revelation

Balaam and the Problem of Other People’s Revelation

A Pagan “Prophet Like Moses”

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Who Was Balaam’s God: YHWH El? Or Bull El?

Who Was Balaam’s God: YHWH El? Or Bull El?

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Who Is the Eshet Chayil?

Who Is the Eshet Chayil?

Jacqueline Vayntrub

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The Enigmatic Rites of the Red Heifer

The Enigmatic Rites of the Red Heifer

Michael Chernick

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Difficulties with the Text of the Korah Story

Difficulties with the Text of the Korah Story

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Korah and the Documentary Hypothesis

Korah and the Documentary Hypothesis

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Documentary and Redactional Approach: Israel Knohl

Documentary and Redactional Approach: Israel Knohl

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Source and Redaction-Critical Approach: David Frankel

Source and Redaction-Critical Approach: David Frankel

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How Did Korach Die?

How Did Korach Die?

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The Mysterious Literary Life and Death of Korah

The Mysterious Literary Life and Death of Korah

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I Have Not Taken a Donkey!

I Have Not Taken a Donkey!

Why did Moses emphasize a donkey of all things?

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Where Did On Disappear to?

Where Did On Disappear to?

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Whose Idea Was It to Send Scouts?

Whose Idea Was It to Send Scouts?

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Who Were the Loyal Scouts?

Who Were the Loyal Scouts?

Caleb and Joshua or only Caleb?

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What Melacha did the Wood Gatherer Violate?

What Melacha did the Wood Gatherer Violate?

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