A Lost Prayerbook Reveals the Forgotten Liturgy of Crimean Jewry
The Kaffa mahzor.
October 1, 2025
The Mystery of Yom Kippur’s Most Important Verse
“Before the Lord you will be purified!”
Over the course of Yom Kippur, a single verse appears eighteen times in the traditional liturgy: “On this day, he shall atone or you, to purify you; of all your sins you shall be purified before the Lord” (Leviticus 16:30). Chaim Saiman notes the verse’s many ambiguities. Who (or what) is the subject of the verb “shall atone”? Is the first phrase “by this day” or “on this day”? Do the words “of all your sins” belong to the first or second clause? How close are talmudic exegeses to the p’shat, or literal meaning?
October 1, 2025
The Yom Kippur War and the Meaning of Jewish History
The obligation to reflect and the impossibility of comprehension.
The Mystery of Yom Kippur’s Most Important Verse
“Before the Lord you will be purified!”
Judaism Prizes Forgiveness—Within Limits
Erika Kirk and the moral cost of mercy without justice.
Making Sense of Donald Trump’s Peace Plan for Gaza
“The best deal Israel could have achieved.”