Rachel and Leah give Jacob their maidservants, Bilhah and Zilpah, as wives to bear children on their behalf. The four sons born to the maidservants are named by Rachel and Leah to express their own feelings and experiences of having more of “their” own children. Yet the Bible consistently calls them the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah and counts them as Jacob’s sons, part of the twelve tribes of Israel. Should Bilhah and Zilpah then not be considered matriarchs?
Prof.
Tammi J. Schneider
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Staff Editors
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What is the ideal relationship between Jews and the rest of humanity? A study of Ultra-Orthodox, Modern Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform High Holiday prayer books shows how each read the three uvechen “and so” additions to the amidah depending on their ideological worldviews. Perhaps there is wisdom in the prayer’s ambiguity.
Prof. Rabbi
Ruth Langer
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Thomas Jefferson and Thomas Paine equate kingship with tyranny and corruption. How can we who embrace modern democracy relate to Rosh Hashanah’s focus on God’s enthronement as King?
Prof. Rabbi
Richard Hidary
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The need for rational-critical approaches to Scripture, in the popular Israeli discussions of the weekly parasha.
Prof.
Yair Hoffman
