Gil I wrote a big long post about how aspects of this deal just don’t sit right with me, as I watch it unfold. Deleted it. Trying this approach instead: Given that This Is The Deal – what do we do after the exchange? What is the plan? Elections? Investigations? Strategy for finally dealing with Hamas? … Read more
The war in Gaza failed. Hamas is still active, funded, armed, in power, and well-liked abroad. Now can we have a strategy plz? + Elections k thnx
At the beginning, I supported the war, with many doubts and reservations, because despite the perceived downside, repercussions, and moral quandary, it seemed like the least wrong move to make in a situation that demanded action. Now, I support the deal, with many doubts and reservations, because despite the perceived downside, repercussions, and moral quandary, … Read more
The Horizontal Society: Lessons for an Ashkenazi Audience R. José Faur’s The Horizontal Society offers a profound exploration of Jewish philosophy and law, emphasizing the unique structure of Judaism as an egalitarian and covenantal society. For an Ashkenazi audience, this perspective is both thought-provoking and instructive. By drawing from the Sepharadi tradition and contrasting it … Read more
Based on R. José Faur’s analysis in The Horizontal Society, his work has significant theoretical and practical implications for the study and practice of the Mishne Tora, positioning it as the definitive guide to Talmudic law. These implications can be grouped into the following categories: Theoretical Implications 1. Restoring the Centrality of Law in Jewish … Read more
The Horizontal Society by R. José Faur: An Analysis of Context, Thesis, Structure, Themes, and Implications R. José Faur’s The Horizontal Society is a profound and nuanced exploration of Jewish philosophy, law, and identity. Published in 2010 as part of the “Emunot: Jewish Philosophy and Kabbalah” series, this work draws on Faur’s Sephardic/Maimonidean intellectual heritage … Read more
Would the establishment of this state have been possible without the industrial revolution? The more I think about it, the more the watershed events of recent history that seem most impactful on the application of Talmudic law – including the rise of mass production, electricity usage, and women’s liberation (note the connection there by the … Read more
The intersection of Rambam’s Guide for the Perplexed with modern science and postmodernism, especially through the lens of R. José Faur’s Homo Mysticus, opens up a range of surprising and impactful insights. Below, we outline how each of the Guide’s three sections might contribute to a mindset that critiques and engages with these paradigms: Part … Read more
Despite my doctrinal differences with most people, I can’t in good conscience condemn them all as heretics. I can keep the truth my ancestors and their teachers kept, and learn from the truth of the person before me. Every truth is different and yet in their common root I can taste their unity. And from … Read more
I bet Rambam would’ve named his cat Hakim. === Given Rambam’s Judeo-Arabic background and the language in which he wrote many of his works, it is highly likely he would give his cat a Judeo-Arabic name. He might name the cat ‘Aql (عقل, meaning “intellect” or “reason”), aligning with his philosophical emphasis on the primacy … Read more