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Mary Douglas

British anthropologist, (1921-2007)

The Tzaraʿat Paradox

Why is partially infected skin impure but fully infected skin pure? Mary Douglas’ insight into the polluting power of anomalies helps us make sense of this counterintuitive rule.

Prof.

Albert I. Baumgarten

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On Sacrifices and Life: Wholeness Dismembered but Re-membered

A burnt offering, must be whole (תמים), after which it is dismembered (נתוח) and offered to YHWH. In the wake of the loss of my parents, I have come to appreciate how this process mirrors the creation story and life.

Prof. Rabbi

Wendy Zierler

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Leviticus as a Literary Tabernacle

The late British anthropologist Mary Douglas proposed that Leviticus was designed to reflect the structure of the Tabernacle, which in turn reflects the division of space during the revelation at Mount Sinai. In this reading, the two screens or curtains that divide the Tabernacle are represented by Leviticus’ only two narratives.

Prof.

Gary Rendsburg

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Violating the Holiness of God’s Camp: The Story of the Blasphemer

The story of the half-Israelite half-Egyptian man’s cursing God highlights the larger concerns of Parashat Emor regarding the rights of gerim(strangers) and the need to maintain the holiness of the camp.

Dr.

Adriane Leveen

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The Skin of the Metzora and the Heart of the Messiah

Prof. Rabbi

Wendy Zierler

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The Prohibition of Cross-Dressing

Deuteronomy 22:5 prohibits men and women from wearing each other’s clothes. What is the motivation behind this law, and why is this behavior “abhorrent to YHWH”?

Dr.

Hilary Lipka

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Is It Possible to Make Sense of a Biblical Ritual (Chok)?

Prof.

Edward L. Greenstein

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The Tabernacle, the Creation, and the Ideal of an Orderly World

The account of the Tabernacle’s construction echoes the creation story in Genesis 1-2:4a, providing an interpretive key to the ancient understanding of this structure. Ritual theory provides further insight into what Israelite readers may have found meaningful about the Tabernacle as a ritual place.

Prof. Rabbi

Naftali S. Cohn

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