JL;DR

The Song at the Sea (Exodus 15) and the role of music within the lives of the Israelites during their enslavement in Egypt is explored. The Torah mentions Mi...

This essay explores the concept of prayer beyond its traditional understanding as a religious act bound to specific times and locations. The author draws on ...

This article explores the topic of sexual assault from a Torah perspective and its modern implications. It draws parallels between different cases of sexual ...

"The Revelation at Sinai: What does Torah from Heaven Mean?" is a book that explores the concept of revelation and its significance in Judaism. It presents a...

"The Soul of the Mishna" by Yakov Nagen is a collection of 72 essays that explore the meaning and depth of the Mishnah, emphasizing that it is not just a man...

Professor Menahem Hayyim Schmelzer, a highly respected scholar and librarian at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, passed away in December 2022. He ...

In this article, Nathaniel Helfgot discusses two important aspects of being a rabbi or Jewish educator that are not often emphasized in rabbinical training. ...

In 2022, the Lehrhaus team published over one hundred original pieces, becoming a center for conversations and ideas in the Modern Orthodox community. They a...

The article discusses the question of why Hanukkah is an eight-day holiday, even outside of Israel where most other holidays have an additional day added. Th...

"Hanukkah" is a poem by Avrom Liessen that reflects on the author's childhood memories of the holiday. Liessen, who had wandered away from his religious upbr...

This article explores the absence of a tractate dedicated to the festival of Hanukkah in classical rabbinic literature. While references to Hanukkah can be f...

The author discusses the practice of lighting Hanukkah candles in between the prayers of minhah and maariv, as a communal obligation. The author's students a...

The author discusses the skepticism around the miracle of the oil lasting for eight days during Hanukkah and the denial of miracles in general in the context...

This poem by Bruce Black reflects on the act of lighting candles in the context of Hanukkah. The speaker contemplates the concept of miracles and the flame's...

In response to Ben Greenfield's essay that argues the Zohar Hadash interpreted the attributes of hesed, gevurah, and emet as qualities the forefathers wrestl...

This article explores the concept of vulnerability in Jewish life. It argues that vulnerability, defined as admitting one's own incompleteness or weakness, p...

The article discusses the role of clothing in the Joseph narrative in the Book of Genesis. Clothing is used as a symbol throughout the story, starting with t...

In kabbalistic and Hasidic thought, each of the forefathers is associated with a defining characteristic - Avraham with kindness (hesed), Yitzhak with streng...

In the book review of "Staying Human: A Jewish Theology for the Age of Artificial Intelligence" by Harris Bors, the author explores the tension between unity...

Rabbi Eliezer Waldenberg's opinion on sex reassignment surgery (SRS) has been widely discussed but remains unclear. Some assume he held the minority view tha...

This memoir reflects on the experience of being a Rebbetzin, the wife of a rabbi, and the challenges that come with it. The author, a lawyer and feminist, sh...

This article explores the role of humor and laughter in the face of tragedy, focusing specifically on the example of Rabbi Akiva's laughter during the destru...

The essay explores the placement of the laws of mourning (aveilut) within Jewish Halakhah. While medieval Jewish scholars struggled to find a suitable catego...

Orthodox Jewish women are using Instagram to educate and validate practitioners of taharat ha-mishpahah, the Jewish laws of family purity. This trend of usin...

In this article, Yakov Nagen explores what God wants from humanity based on an analysis of the creation chapters in the Book of Genesis. The author argues th...

The story of Cain and Abel in the Torah teaches us about human violence and its causes. Cain's jealousy and rage towards his brother Abel, triggered by God's...

The text examines the story of Adam and Eve and the primordial sin, offering new interpretations that challenge traditional views. It explores the question o...

This article discusses the debate over how to translate Hebrew poetry, or piyyut, in prayer books. It focuses on a specific dispute that arose in the mid-20t...

The essay explores the theme of existentialism and nihilism in Jewish liturgy, particularly in the context of Yom Kippur. It examines the idea of being and e...

The shaking of the lulav during Sukkot is a familiar and important ritual, but few people understand the reasons behind the different directions in which the...

The author explores the question of whether children should be brought to synagogue. He shares his personal experience of bringing his young daughter to morn...

In Bruce Black's "A Life Worth Living," the author explores the questions and challenges we face in finding meaning and purpose in our lives. He specifically...

This collection of five poems by Ben Corvo explores the turning of the year from Elul to Tishrei in Jewish observance. The poems delve into the themes of tim...

The sounding of the shofar in Jewish tradition is a perplexing practice with no given meaning in the Torah. The Talmud explores the unknowability of the mind...

In "Ezrat Nashim: Notes on Halakhic Womanhood," the author explores various aspects of Jewish womanhood and their experiences within Jewish rituals. The poet...

In this article, the author discusses the concept of hendialys in pre-Shofar acrostic prayer. The focus is on a particular verse in the prayer, Eikhah 3:56, ...

In this Letters to the Editor piece, Leah Sarna responds to Rabbi Michael Broyde's article on time-bound positive commandments. Sarna points out that women T...

The article explores the meaning of the verse "tzedek tzedek tirdof" (justice, justice shall you pursue) from Parshat Shoftim in the Torah. The rabbis in the...

"The Children's Book About R. Aharon Lichtenstein" is a beautifully illustrated children's book that tells the inspiring story of R. Aharon Lichtenstein, a b...

In this article, Michael J. Broyde explores the question of why women are exempt from certain time-bound positive commandments (TBPCs) in Jewish law while be...

This article examines the question of why women are obligated to observe certain time-bound positive commandments (TBPCs) in Jewish law while being exempt fr...

The article discusses the inconsistencies between the commandment to remember the Sabbath in Exodus and the commandment to guard the Sabbath in Deuteronomy. ...

Rabbi Norman Lamm, known for his commitment to Torah u-Madda, also emphasized the importance of passionate moderation throughout his career. He believed that...

The letter responds to a previous article by Rabbi Leead Staller on Halakhah and euthanasia. The author critiques Staller for discussing the topic in abstrac...

The author discusses the structure and features of the book of Lamentations, which is focused on the destruction of the Jewish temple. The acrostic nature of...

The book of Lamentations is a complex text with theological and textual inconsistencies, making it difficult to understand. Scholars have approached it from ...

Rabbi Eliezer Melamed, author of the Peninei Halakha series, has faced criticism from some rabbinic circles in recent months. Several letters have been writt...

Professor David Weiss Halivni was known for his extensive theorization of the role of anonymous editors of the Babylonian Talmud, and his critical commentary...

In this piece, the author reflects on their experience as a teaching assistant for Professor David Weiss Halivni at Columbia University. They describe how Ha...

Rabbi Professor David Weiss Halivni, a prominent Talmudic scholar, is honored in this symposium. His disciples and proteges contribute to the discussion, wit...