Halakha, theology, practice, and the inner life of Jewish observance.
Getting ready for Hannukka with AI — Setting: The dialogue takes place in a quiet olive grove overlooking Jerusalem. The participants—Eleazar (the Maccabee), Shimon (the Pharisee), and Epiktetos (the Stoic)—engage in conversation about theology, virtue, and the proper ordering of society, against the backdrop of the Temple, symbolizing freedom and divine covenant. — Epiktetos:You speak … Read more
The Samaritans, the once numerous descendants of Ephraim and Menashe, evolved from our ancient Israelite ancestral society and culture in parallel with the Judeans, the descendants of Yehuda now known worldwide as the Jewish people. They have siphré Torah (written in the old Hebrew script), they scrupulously observe the mitswoth of the Torah as they … Read more
Reflections on today’s chapter of Mishne Tora: If tumá was some kind of contaminant, it should follow normal rules of contamination; instead, in a scenario where someone is carrying multiple items stacked on their back and the top item becomes tamé, the tumá affects only the top item and then “passes through” the underlying items … Read more
Controversial opinion: None of the “tests” the Creator gave Abraham abinu were pass/fail. Including the last “test.” The directive given to him was phrased ambiguously, communicating only generally that he was to elevate his son as something wholly dedicated to the Creator. The purpose of the ambiguity was to allow an event to unfold that … Read more
Conserve. Remember the ancestors. Keep the customs. Follow the laws. Be grateful for what has worked so well for the past millenia. But Progress. Remember the dream of a better world. Keep the faith in unlimited human potential. Follow the pillar of fire through the barren wilderness. Evolve new ways of working for the millenia … Read more
Reminder to myself: Am I bound by the choices of any previous moment? The outcomes of my choices catch up with me and take their toll – but if I chose it yesterday, must I choose it again today? So I thought, said, and did it yesterday – who is demanding that I think, say, … Read more
Very few people know what evil looks like. They think evil comes with horns, tail, and pitchfork. Relatively few people choose evil because it is evil. Most people who choose evil, do so because they think evil is good. They also don’t know what good looks like. Lord have mercy.
My one problem Is that I am really two An enormously cunning animal bound tight by space and time A tiny reflection of the infinite mind unbound by any thing I’m sorry Did I say My problem What I meant was My gift
Assorted thoughts: 1) Abraham abinu and Sara immenu had to become immigrants before being brought into a covenant with the Creator. Moshe rabbenu had to become a foreigner in a foreign land before being sent as an emissary of the Creator. The children of Yisrael had to become (mistreated) immigrants and be given a Tora … Read more
Counting Women: A Brief Chat with a Robot …where the chat started: “Classical sources generally limit the minyan, the quorum required for certain communal religious obligations, to men. The foundational source is the Talmud in Megillah 23b and Sanhedrin 74b, where the requirement for a minyan of ten for davar she-biqdusha (matters of sanctity) is … Read more