Lehrhaus
Parshat Vayishlach: Rabin, Rachel, Rains and Retzach: How an untranslatable word shaped Judaism and holds hope for the world
3 Dec
Aton Holzer reflects on his memories of the Rabin assassination and the untranslatable Hebrew term "retzach," which means murder. Holzer explores how this co...
3 Dec
Lehrhaus
Beyond the Window
26 Nov
Avraham Weiner's narrative explores the life of a young Jewish man navigating the tensions between his ultra-Orthodox upbringing and his secular, scientific ...
26 Nov
Lehrhaus
The Laws of Asmakhta Are Already Written in Our Hearts
24 Nov
Yonah Lavery-Yisraeli explores the Talmudic concept of asmakhta, a nuanced area of Jewish law dealing with commitments that appear binding but aren't genuine...
24 Nov
Lehrhaus
Ben Gurion and Hazon Ish: The Sequel
19 Nov
The article revisits the historic 1952 meeting and subsequent correspondence between David Ben Gurion, Israel's Prime Minister, and Rabbi Avraham Yeshaya Kar...
19 Nov
Lehrhaus
Rabbi Joseph Hirsch Dünner (Ritzad): A (Mostly) Forgotten Pioneer of Academic Talmud
18 Nov
Rabbi Joseph Hirsch Dnner (Ritzad) was a pioneering but largely overlooked academic scholar of the Babylonian Talmud, influential in combining traditional le...
18 Nov
Lehrhaus
Modern Men of Faith: Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks’s Critique of Rabbi Dr. Joseph B. Soloveitchik
13 Nov
Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks was deeply influenced by Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik, yet throughout his career, he critiqued Soloveitchik's religious philosophy,...
13 Nov
Lehrhaus
The Chief Rabbi and the Rebbe: Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks’s Engagement with Habad Hasidism
12 Nov
This in-depth essay explores the impactful relationship between Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks and the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson. It tr...
12 Nov
Lehrhaus
Explaining Sarah’s Absence: Why Sarah is not Mentioned at the Akeidah
5 Nov
Exploring the absence of Sarah in the Akeidah narrative of Genesis 22, Michael Wolff examines various Jewish interpretations which question why Sarah was not...
5 Nov
Lehrhaus
Legal Fictions II: A Narrative Reflection on Shekalim 6:2
26 Oct
Dovid Campbell's piece is a narrative exploration of a Mishnaic extract from Shekalim 6:2, contemplating the interplay between law and narrative within Jewis...
26 Oct
Lehrhaus
The Starvation of Gaza: A Halakhic Argument
20 Oct
David Polsky explores the contentious issue of whether Israel should block humanitarian aid to Gaza in response to hostage situations, assessing it through t...
20 Oct
Lehrhaus
A Tale of Two Rages: God Confronts Cain and Jonah
19 Oct
Dan Ornstein's analysis explores the Tanakh's portrayal of divine rage through a comparative lens of the narratives of Cain and Jonah. While both figures exp...
19 Oct
Lehrhaus
Ameilut in the Age of AI
12 Oct
Max Hollander explores the interplay between artificial intelligence (AI) advancements and the traditional Jewish value of 'ameilut ba-Torah' (toiling in Tor...
12 Oct
Lehrhaus
Julian Alper — Painting the Etrog: A Topsy-Turvy Tale of Etrog Painting
5 Oct
Julian Alper explores the symbolism of etrog and lulav through the lens of Jewish art, specifically focusing on paintings by Marc Chagall and Paula Gans. He ...
5 Oct
Lehrhaus
Divine Companionship in the Tokhahah: A Textual Analysis
30 Sep
Milton Torres-Ceron's analysis of Leviticus 26, the Tokhahah, explores the juxtaposition of divine punishment and companionship through linguistic and themat...
30 Sep
Lehrhaus
A Day of Remembrance: From Torah Reading to Shofar Blast
30 Sep
The article explores the intriguing choice of the Akeidah, the binding of Isaac, as the Torah reading for the second day of Rosh Hashanah. Traditionally, Tor...
30 Sep
Lehrhaus
Lifnei Hashem Tit’haru — The Hinge of Leviticus and the Heart of Yom Kippur
29 Sep
Chaim Saiman explores the central verse of Yom Kippur, Leviticus 16:30, examining its pivotal role in atonement rituals and its repetition throughout the Yom...
29 Sep
Lehrhaus
Before Erev Yom Kippur
29 Sep
Mel Waldman's reflective piece navigates the spiritual and existential introspection he experiences in the time leading up to Yom Kippur. Amidst personal str...
29 Sep
Lehrhaus
Running and Returning: A Personal Reflection on Prayer, Contemporary Poetry, and Yom Kippur’s Neilah Service
28 Sep
Yehoshua November reflects on the spiritual dynamics of prayer and poetry through the lens of Hasidic thought, particularly focusing on the dual processes of...
28 Sep
Lehrhaus
When My Synagogue Closed
25 Sep
Danny Groner reflects on the closure of his synagogue in Riverdale, New York, attributing it to post-pandemic shifts in congregational needs and priorities. ...
25 Sep
Lehrhaus
Trial by Water: Exodus and the Akeidah
22 Sep
Yisroel Benporat explores a novel interpretation of the Splitting of the Sea in Exodus, arguing it parallels the biblical episode of the Akeidah—the Binding ...
22 Sep
Lehrhaus
A Parable of Barriers
17 Sep
The tale by Akiva Weisinger retells a Hasidic parable by the Baal Shem Tov, exploring themes of illusion and divine presence, particularly during Rosh Hashan...
17 Sep
Lehrhaus
Echoes
17 Sep
David Zvi Kalman's short story, "Echoes," cleverly imagines two modern-day students, Josh and Sara, utilizing a holographic version of Maimonides to study is...
17 Sep
Lehrhaus
The Miracles of the Rabbis
15 Sep
Mel Waldman presents a poignant narrative about his wife Michelle's battle with severe health challenges and the profound impact of local rabbis on their liv...
15 Sep
Lehrhaus
Shopping for Shabbat in the Diaspora
11 Sep
Bruce Black reflects on the experience of shopping for Shabbat in the diaspora, contrasting it with the vibrant and sensory-rich environment of Israeli marke...
11 Sep
Lehrhaus
The Nature Of Theodicy
8 Sep
In this exploration of theodicy through the lens of the Book of Iyyov, Chaim Trachtman delves into why this particular biblical text uniquely captures the st...
8 Sep
Lehrhaus
Maccabees Redux
4 Sep
In this reflective letter to The Lehrhaus editors, Roy Pinchot draws parallels between the historical Maccabean struggle and the modern challenges facing Isr...
4 Sep
Lehrhaus
Misunderstandings in Tzniut
2 Sep
Jack Cohen explores the often-misunderstood concept of tzniut (modesty) in Jewish thought, particularly within Modern Orthodox circles. He critiques the idea...
2 Sep
Lehrhaus
Tradition for Non-Traditional Jews
1 Sep
Steven Gotlib reviews Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove's book, "For Such a Time as This: On Being Jewish Today," which addresses contemporary challenges facing the Jewi...
1 Sep
Lehrhaus
The Trees of Eden and the Trees of the Siege: Conquest and Protection
28 Aug
David Curwin's article explores the connection between the Torah's instructions on preserving fruit trees during a siege and the stories of the Garden of Ede...
28 Aug
Lehrhaus
Daniel Deronda: George Eliot’s Book of Exodus
25 Aug
Eileen H. Watts explores George Eliot's novel "Daniel Deronda" as a reimagined Book of Exodus, emphasizing the novel's Zionist and philo-Semitic themes. The ...
25 Aug
Lehrhaus
Interception
24 Aug
Ben Corvo reflects on the dual experiences of personal loss and external conflict that both evoke a reawakening to tenderness. He draws parallels between the...
24 Aug
Lehrhaus
Legal Fictions: A Narrative Reflection on Yevamot 16:6
21 Aug
Exploring a story from Yevamot 16:6, Dovid Campbell's creative project, "Legal Fictions," reflects on Mishnaic law through narrative, capturing the nuanced w...
21 Aug
Lehrhaus
Sustainability in the Headship: Lessons from Calev and Yitro
18 Aug
Rabbi Jordan D. Soffer reflects on leadership dynamics in times of crisis, using the examples of Calev, Yitro, and Korach from the Torah to illustrate how su...
18 Aug
Lehrhaus
“Asthenes” as a Jewish Textual Reference to Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
14 Aug
The article explores the concept of "asthenes," an Aramaic term indicating a condition of physical, sensory, or psychological sensitivity, within Jewish text...
14 Aug
Lehrhaus
The Myth of Having It All: Torah, Therapy, and the Truth About Modern Womanhood
11 Aug
Ariel Goldstein's article examines the pressures and myths surrounding modern womanhood, particularly the notion that women can 'have it all' – successful ca...
11 Aug
Lehrhaus
Wine Not? The missing holiday whose time has come
7 Aug
Aton Holzer explores the minor Jewish festival of the fifteenth of Av, or Tu Be-Av, traditionally overshadowed but with rich historical and theological signi...
7 Aug
Lehrhaus
Still We Rejoice: How Halakhah Guides Emotional Complexity
5 Aug
In "Still We Rejoice: How Halakhah Guides Emotional Complexity," Batsheva Leah Weinstein explores the Jewish halakhic approach to navigating complex emotions...
5 Aug
Lehrhaus
A Different Kind of Ga’on, A Different Kind of Sod
4 Aug
The article is a tribute to Rabbi Dr. Neil Danzig, a revered Talmudic scholar at the Jewish Theological Seminary, following his passing. Rabbi Danzig was esp...
4 Aug
Lehrhaus
The Daring Theology of the Kinnah of the Maharam
31 Jul
Rabbi Meir of Rottenberg, the Maharam, is renowned for his legal writings but also composed a significant Kinnah, "Shaali Serufah Ba-Eish," reflecting on the...
31 Jul
Lehrhaus
God’s Estranged Wife: Rashi on Song of Songs, Lamentations and Hosea
30 Jul
Devorah Schoenfeld delves into Rashi's intricate interpretations of Song of Songs, Lamentations, and Hosea, presenting a provocative narrative of God's estra...
30 Jul
Lehrhaus
The Day After Pardes
28 Jul
Max Hollander's exploration of the Pardes story delves into a mystical Talmudic narrative about four sages—Ben Azzai, Ben Zoma, Elisha ben Avuya (Aher), and ...
28 Jul
Lehrhaus
The Endless Cruelty of War
24 Jul
Zach Truboff’s article reflects on the enduring impact of war on the morality and spirit of the Jewish people, particularly amid the ongoing conflict in Isra...
24 Jul
Lehrhaus
HASHEM’S PLAN
20 Jul
Mel Waldman reflects on his mother's enduring faith and influence on his life despite her suffering and premature death. Her saying, "We make plans, and G-d ...
20 Jul
Lehrhaus
TIMELY INTERVENTION
17 Jul
The article "Timely Intervention" by Rachel Newton explores a compelling therapeutic interaction between Professor Black, a therapist, and Lisa, a troubled u...
17 Jul
Lehrhaus
To Learn and To Teach
14 Jul
Shimi Kaufman delves into the multifaceted nature of Talmud Torah, the study of Torah, which is often seen as the pinnacle of religious achievement for Jews....
14 Jul
Lehrhaus
Two Men Enter the Vacated Space By: Akiva Weisinger
9 Jul
In this profound exploration of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov's teachings, Akiva Weisinger delves into the mystical concept of the "Vacated Space" and its theolog...
9 Jul
Lehrhaus
Prophecy Lost
9 Jul
Yaakov Weinstein's narrative, "Prophecy Lost," delves into the biblical character of Bilaam, exploring his journey from a renowned prophet to a critic of div...
9 Jul
Lehrhaus
Little Boy
3 Jul
Leo Taubes shares a poignant story, introduced by Judy Taubes Sterman, about his father's harrowing experiences during and after World War II as a child caug...
3 Jul
Lehrhaus
My Zeidy Gluck
1 Jul
Nechama Sternberg shares a heartfelt tribute to her grandfather Menachem Mendel Gluck, exploring his life journey from Hungary to America, overcoming persona...
1 Jul
Lehrhaus
In the Footsteps of His Voice: an ode to the Rebbe’s soldiers, thirty-one years since Gimmel Tammuz
29 Jun
In the article, the author reflects on the legacy of the Lubavitcher Rebbe 31 years after his passing on Gimmel Tammuz, highlighting the ongoing mission of t...
29 Jun