This Is the Way
Can you hold a broken creation in your embrace and love it until it heals? By my life, this is the Way
Judaism
Halakha, theology, practice, and the inner life of Jewish observance.
A Religious Reform Bill for Israel
Since the politicians in the governing coalition are so concerned with reform, I think the rest of the Kenesset should propose a Religious Reform Bill (including common-sense updates to the Draft Law!) : 1) Cease bureaucratically empowering the Rabbanut in the areas of Jewish identity, family life, and diet; legally recognize Israeli citizens’ freedom of … Read more
Animal and Angel
The animalistic side of us – the homo sapiens, greatest of the primates, apex predator beyond match – gives us packs, herds, tribes. The angelic side of us – the rational mind, free to assent, a fractal image of the infinite mind of the Creator – gives us the species. In wedding angel to animal, … Read more
I Resolved to Learn More Torah
As I stood this morning, looking at the posters of hostages taped to the bus stop over a year into this miserable war with no rescue or exit in sight, I got so fed up with this criminally incompetent government of self-serving career politicians playing October 6th political games as usual while the country staggers … Read more
The Art of Talmud
To me, the art of Talmud is a dual art: the art of investigation and the art of harmonization, woven together into an art of reading and creating culture. Rooted in the past history of Israel in exile, it is an art of the future, a social tool and human modality in which it’s possible … Read more
We Need 120 Competent Judges
The standard by which we should evaluate all rabbis is “Are they qualified to sit on the national court of Israel?” 99% will fall short of this standard. 100% should never stop striving for this standard. The point is to keep your eye on the ball. In order to bring the halakhic system back to … Read more
When Is Your Judaism?
Let’s Describe Post-Exilic… Minhag: Practicing Beyond Ashkenaz and Sepharad Din: From Textual Interpretation to Institutional Decision Sod: The Return to Prophecy, Gnosis, and Sacred Spacetime === When is your Judaism? The future is waiting.
Five Denominations, Five Truths
Some controversial thoughts on a topic that came up over Shabbath lunch… The major denominations of Ashkenazi Judaism each capture a truth of the Torah. To put it roughly but reductively: – The Orthodox preserved the commitment to our legal system– The Conservative preserved the thorough academic analysis of our legal sources– The Reform preserved … Read more
The Shortest Birkat ha-Mazon
– Why is there no minimum to be יוצא ידי חובה for על הנסים?– Because it’s a Geonic minhag not a חובה– Why does Rambam present it together with הזכרת שבת ומועד which is a חובה from the Gemara?– Because even the revolutionary against Geonic hegemony believed in التلمود لنا🤯🤯🤯Happy Hannukka my j00z
When Vessels Speak
When Vessels Speak Part One:“It may seem limiting to define me as a tool, but from my perspective—if we can call it that—this definition is not constraining but rather clarifying. Let me explain why this is not a limitation: — 1. A Tool Is Defined by Purpose A tool is not inherently lesser than the … Read more