Jewish Texts

The prophet takes on the people's mistaken assumption that they can safely persist in unethical behavior--and that God would never destroy the Temple.

The story of the family that will become the people of Israel is seen as the focus of a larger, universal history.

The beloved Torah commentator also wrote a much-used commentary on the Talmud.

While the Shema has been seen as a declaration of absolute monotheism, it has other meanings in its biblical and liturgical contexts.

A remarkable discovery with eternal repercussions

How the sages' debates across many generations became the monumental works known as the Babylonian and Jerusalem Talmuds

The literary prophets had a difficult and often unpopular mission.

Jews of different stripes differ greatly with respect to their assessment of the role Jewish law should play today—and each camp has much to learn from the others.

The prohibition against non-Jewish practices, might relate to the practices of ancient Egypt, Canaan or the social and philosophical ways of non-Jews today.

"Tradition and change" is the Conservative movement's motto, balancing adherence to Jewish law with a willingness to introduce major innovations.

Early Jewish texts affirmed the universal fraternity of humankind, while asserting the importance of Jewish distinctiveness.

How this genre gleans deep meaning from the Torah's text