Parashat Emor: Shabbat as Part of Judaism’s Overall Dialectic by Yaakov Bieler

Various references to Shabbat within the Tora. “Shabbat” appears in every book of the Tora,[1] and prior to Parashat Emor in VaYikra, where we read the following, VaYikra 23:3 Six days you shall do creative activity, and on the seventh day “Shabbat Shabbaton”, a holy convocation, all creative activity you shall not do. It is [...]

Books of Interest: New Publications on Tefilla by Shlomo Brody

The Orthodox book market has been blessed with a few new important books on the history of Jewish prayer, each of which are worthy of study and further reflect larger questions for study.  Rabbi Prof. Daniel Sperber’s book, On Changes in Jewish Liturgy: Options and Limitations (Urim Publications, 2010) is a thought-provoking work on the [...]

From Our Archives: Circumcision and Modern Technology

Laser Circumcision by J. David Bleich The Use of Anesthesia in Circumcision:  A Re-Evaluation of the Halakhic Sources by Edward Reichman and Fred Rosner Hypospadias and Circumcision by Rabbi J. David Bleich The Making of Metzitzah – 1972 by Yehuda Pesach Shields – Shlomo Brody

Parashat VaYakhel: A “Renaissance Man” for the Mishkan by Yaakov Bieler

The qualities of a “Renaissance Man” Over the years, individuals who have been called “Renaissance Men” have served as personal cultural heroes for me. I have been fascinated by their creativity, their excellence in so many disciplines, and as a direct result of their multiple interests and skills, their ability to “break out of the [...]

Haftarat Yitro: Yeshayahu Sees God by Gidon Rothstein

Yeshayahu 6:1-7:6, 9:5-6 The connection of the first half of this haftarah to our Torah reading seems clear, since it is Yeshayahu’s vision of God; just as the Jews’ saw God at Sinai, Yeshayahu sees God here.  It is less clear why we read the second half, since its fits less well with the Torah [...]

From Our Archives: In Defense of Brain Death and Halakhic Organ Donation – Rabbi Dr. Edward Reichman

In the recent report  written by the head of the RCA halakhic committee on the halakhic issues of brain death, the article emphasizes that contemporary medicine now recognizes that even after “brain death” has occurred, there continues to be much neurological activity.  The report then utilizes this information to claim that the medical criterion established by [...]

From Our Archives: Parshat Vayishlach – War Ethics and Esav

Yitzchak Blau; Biblical Narratives and the Status of Enemy Civilians in Wartime A reoccurring theme in this week’s parsha is military expeditions.  In this essay, Yitzchak Blau talks about the Jewish attitude to war,  with reference to this incident and with regard to its modern day interpretation. We further include the correspondence which it generated [...]

Books of Interest: Jacob’s Family Dynamics by Gad Dishi

Gad Dishi, Jacob’s Family Dynamics:  Climbing the Rungs of the Ladder, Devorah Publishing/Urim Publications, 2010. This is an impressive first work on the story of Yaakov, focusing on the life and development of Yaakov and the central characters in his life.  Drawing upon a range of commentators – old and modern alike – as well [...]

From Our Archives: Parashat Vayetze and Tefillat Ha-Derech

William Etkin,     Jacob’s Cattle and Modern Genetics: A Scientific Midrash In the best tradition of Torah UMada, Etkin takes the scientific theories at the cutting edge of his field to solve a difficult part of our parsha. Aryeh Newman, The Centrality of Eretz Yisrael in Nachmanides As we begin those parshiot which describe the [...]

What Makes a Belief ‘Traditional’? The Case of Bittahon by Gidon Rothstein

In a recent article in Tradition (Summer 2010, 42:1) – now available for free download – R. Daniel Stein challenges Hazon Ish’s rejection of a particular definition of bittahon, trust in God.  A closer reading of the sources R. Stein references to prove his point shows that the topic raises thorny questions of when and [...]

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