Study
The Blessings Around the Shema
The structure of these three blessings reflects the historical progress from creation to revelation to redemption.
Shema as a Love Story
The three paragraphs of the Shema can be interpreted allegorically by connecting each of the three paragraphs to a different stage of a growing, loving relationship.
Israel’s Political Parties
Israeli Political Parties. The Israeli Electoral System. Israeli Politics. Contemporary Israel. The Jewish State. Jewish History and Community.
Monotheism
Scholars debate whether the Israelites recognized only one God or worshipped only one God.
Near and Far
The very structure of the normal Jewish blessing formula (Barukh Atah…) reflects the tension of recognizing and responding to God's immanence and transcendance.
Keva and Kavanah
How the balance of keva (routine) and kavanah (intention) inform Judaism and the thought of Abraham Joshua Heschel.
The Service Of Song
The duty of the Levites to accompany the Tabernacle service with music and song reminds us to serve God with joy.
Berkovits & Cohen: The Free Will Defense
The deviant use of human freedom, not God, is the source of evil and suffering.
The Holocaust as Revelation: Fackenheim & Greenberg
According to some thinkers, the events of the Nazi era initiated changes in the nature of Judaism.
Hebrew’s Theological Significance
According to Jewish tradition, Hebrew is the original language of humanity and the language spoken by God.
The Beginnings of the Hebrew Language
It's difficult to pinpoint the moment Hebrew emerged as a unique language.