Latest Essays

Samson: What Kind of Nazirite Was He?

Samson: What Kind of Nazirite Was He?

The Critical and Traditional Approaches

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What Really Happened at Mount Sinai?

What Really Happened at Mount Sinai?

Four Answers to One Question

Baruch J. Schwartz

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Current Approaches to Revelation and Torah

Current Approaches to Revelation and Torah

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An Archaeological Perspective on Shavuot

An Archaeological Perspective on Shavuot

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Is Modern Critical Study a Jewish Way of Studying Torah?

Is Modern Critical Study a Jewish Way of Studying Torah?

The works of medieval exegetes such as Maimonides, Rashbam and Ibn Ezra demonstrate that Judaism has a long-standing tradition of studying the Torah critically.

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Shavuot: Why Doesn’t the Torah Celebrate the Revelation on Mt. Sinai?

Shavuot: Why Doesn’t the Torah Celebrate the Revelation on Mt. Sinai?

Inaugurating TheTorah.com

David D. Steinberg

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The Source Critic and the Religious Interpreter

The Source Critic and the Religious Interpreter

Benjamin D. Sommer

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Torah Min HaShamayim: Conflicts Between Religious Belief and Scientific Thinking

Torah Min HaShamayim: Conflicts Between Religious Belief and Scientific Thinking

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On Becoming a Critical Torah Scholar

On Becoming a Critical Torah Scholar

Marc Zvi Brettler

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The Multifaceted Revelation at Sinai

The Multifaceted Revelation at Sinai

Marc Zvi Brettler

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A Journey Through Previous Paradigm Shifts

A Journey Through Previous Paradigm Shifts

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Channeling the Divine

Channeling the Divine

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The Nature of Human Faith

The Nature of Human Faith

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Conclusion: Fathers and Fables

Conclusion: Fathers and Fables

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Cracks in the Edifice: A Personal Reflection

Cracks in the Edifice: A Personal Reflection

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Reframing the Discourse

Reframing the Discourse

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Why Don’t Torah Scrolls Have Vowels?

Why Don’t Torah Scrolls Have Vowels?

And why do the letters have crowns?

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The Nephilim Were Flesh—Beshagam בְּשַׁגַּם, a Biblical Hapax Legomenon

The Nephilim Were Flesh—Beshagam בְּשַׁגַּם, a Biblical Hapax Legomenon

YHWH declares that His spirit will not endure forever among the Nephilim—demigods born from the union of divine beings and human women—בְּשַׁגַּם הוּא בָשָׂר beshagam hu basar (Genesis 6:3). What does this phrase mean?

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The Heavens and Earth, Not the Gods, Bear Witness to YHWH’s Covenant

The Heavens and Earth, Not the Gods, Bear Witness to YHWH’s Covenant

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Rabbi Akiva’s Laugh: The Hidden Call for the Bar Kokhba Revolt

Rabbi Akiva’s Laugh: The Hidden Call for the Bar Kokhba Revolt

Meir Ben-Shahar

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Body or Soul: Which Is Responsible for Committing Sins?

Body or Soul: Which Is Responsible for Committing Sins?

Ophir Münz-Manor

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The Baal Shem Tov and the Boy who Played Flute on Yom Kippur

The Baal Shem Tov and the Boy who Played Flute on Yom Kippur

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Kimchit's Head Covering: Between Rabbis and Priests

Kimchit's Head Covering: Between Rabbis and Priests

Marjorie Lehman

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The Development of the Chanukah Oil Miracle in Context of Zoroastrian Fire Veneration

The Development of the Chanukah Oil Miracle in Context of Zoroastrian Fire Veneration

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In Praise of the Hasmoneans: Chanukah Beyond Rabbinic Literature

In Praise of the Hasmoneans: Chanukah Beyond Rabbinic Literature

Ophir Münz-Manor

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