Abraham

Observation · November 14, 2024
Where Did the Idea of Three “Abrahamic Faiths” Come From?
By Philologos
The incompatible narratives of Judaism and Islam, and what the Bible has to say about them.
Observation · November 27, 2019
Did the Saracens Get Their Name from the Biblical Sarah?
By Philologos
That's what the rumor is. The truth about the ancient Arabic-speaking tribe is a little different.
Observation · October 26, 2018
The Ambivalence of the Biblical Attitude toward Laughter
By Sarah Rindner
Jewish history has not always been characterized by laughter, but in Genesis it evokes the freedom and joy of a life in partnership with God.
Observation · September 7, 2018
Rembrandt and What it Means to be Both a Stranger and a Neighbor in the World
By Rabbi Meir Soloveichik
In his rendering of the banishment of Ishmael, the Torah reading for Rosh Hashanah, Rembrandt reminds us of the bond between Jews and humanity at large.
Observation · September 14, 2017
Rembrandt’s Jewish Vision
By Rabbi Meir Soloveichik
If Judaism’s idea of art is one that can truly represent our frail, fallible humanity, then Rembrandt, who captured faces "without any attempt to beautify them," is the artist for Jews.
Observation · November 17, 2016
The Murder-Ballad of Abraham and Isaac
By Atar Hadari
Can you imagine the person who bathed you and put you to bed at night tying you up one day and holding a knife to your throat?
Observation · November 5, 2015
The Final Reverberations of Sarah’s Life
By Atar Hadari
How her fear and her mistreatment of Hagar the Egyptian helped forge the descendants of Abraham into a people, in a forge of 400 years.
Observation · October 15, 2015
Why Doesn’t the Jewish Tradition Hold Noah in Higher Esteem?
By Atar Hadari
Abraham and Moses are considered wholly righteous men, but Noah isn't quite. That's because, unlike them, he does what he’s told without question.
Observation · November 6, 2014
“Take Now Your Son”
By Jonathan Neumann
How to understand the Binding of Isaac.
Observation · October 31, 2014
The Most Complicated Character in the Bible
By Atar Hadari
It isn't Moses, despite the four books devoted to his adventures—it's Abraham. Why?
Response · June 27, 2013
A Reply to My Respondents, and My Friends
By Leon R. Kass
Beyond the distinctive insights offered by each respondent, the overall result is fascinating, not least because the four responses wind up unintentionally but profoundly disagreeing with one another.
Response · June 23, 2013
Why Two Covenants?
By Mosaic
From the Patriarchs and the Family to Sinai and the Nation. A video conversation with Leon R. Kass.