Hebrew Bible

Trump wants prayer in schools. The Bible tells us how dangerous that is

Robert Alter in Forward · 17 Nov

Robert Alter examines the implications of President-elect Donald Trump's proposal to reinstate prayer in public schools, highlighting the dangers it poses to the principle of separation of church and state.

0 Jewish Law Philosophy

‘Biblical Judgments: New Legal Readings in the Hebrew Bible’

David Epstein in Hadassah · 28 Aug

Israeli Supreme Court Justice Daphne Barak-Erez offers an innovative examination of the Hebrew Bible through a legal lens in her book "Biblical Judgments: New Legal Readings in the Hebrew Bible."

0 History Education

Balaam (Bilaam) in The Tell Deir 'Alla Inscription (c. 800 BCE)

Jewish History Lectures · 18 Jul

The video discusses the discovery of a rare extra-biblical reference to a figure in the Hebrew Bible, Balaam (Bilaam), found in the Tell Deir 'Alla Inscription in Jordan dating back to around 800 BCE.

0 Education Politics

The Christian right wants schools to teach the Bible — but doesn't understand what the Bible is about

Robert Alter in Forward · 3 Jul

The article discusses the Christian right's push for Bible education in schools under a "Make America Christian Again" agenda, focusing on recent developments in Louisiana and Oklahoma.

0 Politics Jewish Law

I’m a Louisiana Jew. The Ten Commandments get lost in translation in the new law

Lara Crigger in Forward · 21 Jun

In a recent law passed in Louisiana, the requirement for public schools to display the Ten Commandments has sparked discussion among Jewish Louisianans due to the varied depictions and translations of the commandments.

0 Israel Holocaust

A Catholic Ally

Jennifer Stefano in Hadassah · 6 Jun

The author, a Roman Catholic, shares her journey of supporting Jewish friends and combatting antisemitism, including replacing the Star of Bethlehem with a Star of David as a symbol of solidarity, traveling to Israel to witness the impact of terrorist attacks, and emphasizing the importance of standing with Jewish people against hatred.

0 Philosophy History

Andrew Doran on Why He Thinks the Roots of Civilization Are Jewish

Tikvah · 31 May

Andrew Doran argues that what we perceive as civilization owes its moral roots to the Jewish biblical tradition, specifically God's covenant with Abraham, which diverges from the natural cruelty witnessed in pagan cultures.

0 Israel Jewish Law

This Hebrew Root Is About Playing to Our Strength

Joseph Lowin in Hadassah · 2 May

The article explores the Hebrew root כֹּחַ (kof, feh, tav), meaning strength, and its various associations with military might, leadership, and power in Jewish texts and current events in Israel.

0 History Holidays

What Passover Is Really About

Sam Hilt in Future of Jewish · 21 Apr

The essay discusses the significance of Passover, a holiday celebrating the Jews' release from enslavement in Egypt as recounted in the book of Exodus.

0 Literature History

Rivers Crashing Inside

Jake Marmer in Tablet · 10 Apr

In the early 1970s, New York poets Lewis Warsh and David Rosenberg discussed the French surrealist Robert Desnos and his book "Night of Loveless Nights," highlighting a significant moment in literary and secular Jewish culture.

0 Literature Politics

I translated the complete Hebrew Bible. Trump's 'USA Bible' betrays its greatest asset

Robert Alter in Forward · 29 Mar

Robert Alter criticizes Donald Trump's "USA Bible," a version of the Bible being sold for $59.99, which includes patriotic elements like the pledge of allegiance and constitution.

0 Jewish Law History

The Solar Eclipse Then and Now—the Jewish Perspective

Lawrence Wolff and Rabbi Fred Reiner in Moment · 11 Mar

A total solar eclipse is set to occur on April 8, 2024, passing through North America.

0 Communities Ethics

Why every Jewish org should take up the cause of child welfare

Rachel Kohn in eJewishPhilanthropy · 6 Mar

Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz argues that Jewish organizations should prioritize child welfare based on the Hebrew Bible's numerous calls to protect vulnerable children.

0 Torah Sports

Has Aaron Rodgers been learning Torah at his offseason retreat?

Louis Keene in Forward · 11 Jan

During a remote appearance on an NFL talk show, New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers displayed a bookshelf with Jewish volumes, including an Artscroll Tanach and a Chumash Mesoras HaRav.

0 Literature History

John Steinbeck’s Promised Land

Shalom Goldman in Tablet · 20 Dec 2023

As a journalist for Newsday, John Steinbeck visited Israel in the 1960s and was inspired by the country's energy, patriotism, and military prowess, in contrast to what he saw as America's decline in vision and will.

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Lincoln’s Lost Lecture: Can Democracy Survive Technology?

Sapir · 1 Dec 2023

Abraham Lincoln's Lecture on Discoveries and Inventions sheds light on his philosophical perspective and concerns about democratic institutions and technological advancements.

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Ethan Tucker on the Jewish Duty to Recover Hostages

Tikvah · 19 Oct 2023

In a podcast discussion with Mosaic editor Jonathan Silver, Rabbi Ethan Tucker explores the Jewish obligation of pidyon shvuyim, or redeeming captives.

0 History Jewish Law

After centuries out of sight, the oldest surviving Hebrew Bible is making a permanent move to Israel

Camillo Barone in Forward · 6 Oct 2023

The Codex Sassoon, the oldest existing Hebrew Bible dating back to around 900 C.E., has been permanently relocated to Israel after being acquired by Alfred Moses for $38.1 million.

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Jon Levenson on Understanding the Binding of Isaac as the Bible Understands It

Tikvah · 14 Sep 2023

In this discussion, Jon Levenson explores the meaning of the binding of Isaac, a story found in chapter 22 of Genesis.

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Jon Levenson on Understanding the Binding of Isaac as the Bible Understands It

Tikvah · 14 Sep 2023

In this discussion, Jonathan Silver speaks with Jon Levenson, a professor of Jewish studies, about the story of the Binding of Isaac from Genesis 22.

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Jewish Word | Beware the Fires of Moloch

Noah Phillips in Moment · 24 Jul 2023

The article explores the term "Moloch" and its various meanings in Jewish history and Western culture.

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Joshua Berman on the Traumas of the Book of Lamentations

Tikvah · 20 Jul 2023

In the book of Lamentations, written after the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians in the 6th century BCE, there are descriptions of the horrific suffering and trauma endured by the Jewish people.

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Joshua Berman on the Traumas of the Book of Lamentations

Tikvah · 20 Jul 2023

The book of Lamentations in the Hebrew Bible recounts the traumatic events of the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem in the 6th century BCE.

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In Plain Sight: Jewish Masquerade from Clueless to the Rabbis

Malka Z. Simkovich in Lehrhaus · 11 Jul 2023

The article discusses the theme of masquerade and its significance in Jewish culture, drawing connections to the film "Clueless" and various ancient Jewish texts.

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Malka Simkovich on God's Maternal Love

Tikvah · 23 Feb 2023

Malka Simkovich's essay explores the theological debate in Judaism about reconciling the idea of God being beyond human comprehension with the use of human, bodily terms to describe God in the Hebrew Bible and Jewish liturgy.

JL;DR

Tag: Hebrew Bible