Observation ·
Do Kippot and Keffiyehs Share an Etymology?
By PhilologosOnly one was a mark of prestige for ancient rabbis.
Talmud
Latest Mosaic Content for Talmud
Observation ·
How “Kratsmakh” Became the Yiddish Word for Christmas
By PhilologosBy way of an ancient Roman holiday and two very similar Hebrew letters.
Observation ·
The Intellectual Fireworks of Talmud Study Move Outside the Yeshiva
By Moshe KrakowskiSome of the most interesting and creative work in all of Jewish studies today is happening neither in universities nor as part of a yeshiva curriculum.
Observation ·
Adin Steinsaltz’s Glimpse into the Way That All Jewish Languages Work
By PhilologosWhether it’s Judeo-Arabic, or Judeo-Italian, or Judeo-Spanish, or the Judeo-German better known as Yiddish, they all mix in varying amounts of Hebrew.
Observation ·
The Significance of Supplication
By Atar HadariAn ancient rabbinic dispute pitted eminent scholars against one another. The Taḥanun prayer is rooted in that story of public shame and private distress.
Observation ·
A Blueprint for Jewish Law
By Atar HadariA passage in the Talmud's first tractate shows why it's such a uniquely influential work, and so unlike anything in the history of Western literature, theology, or legal scholarship.
Observation ·
The Woman Who Earned a Place Alongside the Rabbis of the Talmud
By David WolpeBruriah is the only female cited repeatedly as a religious authority, and rarely shown in the roles the Talmud generally associates with women. Who was she?
Observation ·
The Heretic Whose Teachings the Talmud Preserved and Transmitted
By James A. DiamondElisha ben Avuyah became a vehicle for exploring the agonizing conundrums the rabbis were too honest to ignore but too pious to articulate.
Observation ·
Where Do Hebrew Acronyms Come From?
By PhilologosMedieval and modern Hebrew are unusually rich in abbreviations, but in a manner that is the reverse of English.
Observation ·
Praising the Lord on Israel’s Independence Day: Yes or No?
By Atar HadariThe answer comes down to the nature of deliverance, and to what you think the Jewish state represents.
Observation ·
The “Keseh” Conundrum
By PhilologosThere are three Hebrew expressions for the days from Rosh Hashanah through Yom Kippur. Two are well-known. The third? No one's quite sure what it means.
Observation ·
Did It Really Happen, or Was It a Dream?
By Atar HadariGod ordered the prophet Hosea to marry a whore and father her children. The rabbis can't decide if the story actually happened or was purely symbolic.
Observation ·
How Jewish Is Jewish Environmentalism?
By Julian SinclairThe wildly popular movement relies on simplified and selective readings of traditional sources. We deserve better.
Observation ·
Why We Call the Sabbath’s Third Meal “Three Meals”
By PhilologosIt's not just bad grammar.
Response ·
Leaving Lithuania
By Aryeh TepperCommitted to developing and supporting the intellectual, religious, and political leaders of the Jewish people and the Jewish state.
Response ·
Can Jewish Law Get Its Creativity Back?
By Joshua BermanCommitted to developing and supporting the intellectual, religious, and political leaders of the Jewish people and the Jewish state.
Response ·
The Crisis in Jewish Law Today
Committed to developing and supporting the intellectual, religious, and political leaders of the Jewish people and the Jewish state.
Response ·
The Paths Not Taken
By Chaim SaimanCommitted to developing and supporting the intellectual, religious, and political leaders of the Jewish people and the Jewish state.
Response ·
The Art of “Halakhah”
By Gil StudentCommitted to developing and supporting the intellectual, religious, and political leaders of the Jewish people and the Jewish state.
Observation ·
Surrendering Liberty in Sodom
By Jeremy England, Daniel KaganovichThe Torah’s problem with trying to lead a quiet, comfortable life.
