Latest Essays

Faith in the wake of an ahistorical Sinai

After Sarah dies, Abraham marries Keturah. Who is she?

After Jacob steals the blessing from Esau, the reactions of both Isaac and Rebecca present numerous narrative difficulties. A source-critical reading reveals two distinct portraits of Jacob: one Jacob who is reactive and on the run, and another who is proactive and purposeful.

At stake is Ibn Ezra’s curse: “May your tongue stick to your palate… may your arm dry up and your right eye go blind.” 

A Surprising Midrashic Portrait of Abraham

YHWH’s appearance to Abraham (Gen 18:1) is interpreted by the midrashic tradition as a vision separate from the arrival of the three guests. However, the plain meaning of the text, which suggests that YHWH is one of the three guests, is supported by an ancient rabbinic “correction” to the text.

The midrashic Parable of the Illuminated Palace centers on Abraham and the existence of God. Maimonides’ interpretation of the parable envisions an Aristotelian Abraham for whom God is a scientific fact.

Hoshana Rabbah, the final day of the High Holiday cycle, has a fascinating ritual service, the hoshanot, which includes the making of seven circuits around a Torah scroll and ends with the beating of willow sprigs against the ground. What is the significance of this ritual?

The joy of unraveling the Torah’s mysteries

The two creation stories of Genesis, chapters 1 and 2-3 (P and J) introduce two long narratives which continue throughout much of the Torah. Each is working with a different conception of the creator—a rather human-like God versus a majestic and distant deity.

The Sukkot Enigma 

“May the All-Merciful One reestablish the fallen sukkah of [King] David” הרחמן הוא יקים לנו את סוכת דוד הנופלת — from the Grace after Meals of Sukkot.