Observation ·
Did the Ancient Sage Hillel Really Invent the Sandwich?
By PhilologosThe truth of the tale of Hillel and the "Hillel sandwich."
Passover
Latest Mosaic Content for Passover
Observation ·
Why English-Speaking Jews Call It “Passover” Rather Than “Pesah”
By PhilologosOne never hears Jews speak among themselves of Sukkot as the holiday of Booths, or of Rosh Hashanah as New Year's Day. Why the difference?
Observation ·
Which Wines to Drink at the Seder This Year, and Why
By Rabbi Meir Soloveichik, David M. Weinberg, Joshua E. LondonMeir Soloveichik explains how the seder's four cups of wine elevate the holiday, while two enthusiasts recommend their favorite wines from the great regions of Jewish viticulture.
Response ·
Does Virtual Seeing Count as Seeing under Jewish Law?
By Shlomo ZuckierCommitted to developing and supporting the intellectual, religious, and political leaders of the Jewish people and the Jewish state.
Response ·
Why Sephardi and Mizrahi Approaches to Jewish Law Were Friendlier to the Zoom Seder
By Daniel BouskilaCommitted to developing and supporting the intellectual, religious, and political leaders of the Jewish people and the Jewish state.
Response ·
There’s No Need to Feel Sorry for God (or for Leon Kass)
By Leon R. KassCommitted to developing and supporting the intellectual, religious, and political leaders of the Jewish people and the Jewish state.
Observation ·
The Real Reason 14th-Century Italian Jews Put a Pig in Their Haggadah
By Marc Michael EpsteinIt's not that they were exceptionally sophisticated or tolerant, as one popular recent article would have it—it's that they lived surrounded by people who raised pigs.
Response ·
The Puzzle of Primogeniture
By Ronna BurgerCommitted to developing and supporting the intellectual, religious, and political leaders of the Jewish people and the Jewish state.
Response ·
On Confusing One’s Own Views with the Bible’s
By Jon D. LevensonCommitted to developing and supporting the intellectual, religious, and political leaders of the Jewish people and the Jewish state.
Observation ·
The Plague-Words of the Bible
By PhilologosIs there a difference between pestilence and plague?
Monthly Essay ·
The People-Forming Passover
By Leon R. KassThere's a great deal more at stake in Exodus than getting the slaves out of Egypt. What might it be?
Observation ·
No One Knows for Sure What the Original Matzah Was
By PhilologosNot packaged, not square, not oven-baked: that's what it wasn't. But what it was and where the name for it comes from is still something of a mystery.
Observation ·
On View for the First Time in 100 Years: An Exquisite Medieval Haggadah
By Marc Michael EpsteinA few months ago, I was approached with a request to become involved in a then-secret mission: to examine one of the very few high-medieval Haggadahs still in private hands.
Observation ·
A Look at Some of the Most Striking Haggadahs Ever Produced
By Marc Michael EpsteinA sumptuous new book collects 100 examples of decorated and illuminated haggadahs from across Europe, Israel, America, and beyond.
Observation ·
Why the Beginning of the Haggadah Is in Aramaic
By PhilologosIt's because of demons.
Observation ·
The Soviet Jews Who Risked Persecution for the Sake of Matzah
By Dovid MargolinLugging suitcases or large woven bags—anything big enough to hold a carton of matzah without raising suspicion—tens of thousands made their way to underground bakeries.
Observation ·
Why Are These Cheerios Different from All Other Cheerios?
By Elli FischerWhat the story of General Mills' newly gluten-free cereal tells us about the food we eat—and don't—at Passover.
Observation ·
How Many Plagues Were There Really in Egypt?
By PhilologosThe answer depends on how one punctuates the Bible's Passover story.
Observation ·
Whatever Happened to Gut Yontif? Why Jews Started Saying Ḥag Same’aḥ
By PhilologosThe history of holiday greetings.
Observation ·
Which Creatures Made Up the Fourth Plague?
By PhilologosRabbi Yehudah says lions and bears. Rabbi Nehemiah says hornets and gnats. What does arov really mean?
Observation ·
The Love of Their Youth
By Atar HadariThe Song of Songs and the old men, filled with longing, who sing it.
