Sophists and Philosophers
In a world where we have Gedolé haTorah and Talmidé Hakhamim, we don’t need to make saints of master debaters (sophists), we need to collectively relearn how to think from the masters of wisdom (philosophers).
Judaism
Halakha, theology, practice, and the inner life of Jewish observance.
Reading Life Talmudically
“A person can read their own life talmudically as such. Hawa amina: “I thought I would be this kind of person.” Qushya: Life challenged that assumption. Teruṣ: I adapted, reinterpreted. Masqana: My present self is temporary, provisional, awaiting new challenges.” What I learn from my teacher. Barukh Hashem. Shabbath Shalom from the once and future … Read more
Jewish Is Modern
“To be Jewish is to be modern, and vice versa.”– R. José Faur z”l Understood correctly, Jewish ideas are at the forefront of human development and are produced by a forward-thinking, pro-social outlook that sees law as an instrument of social perfection, both directly and by creating the conditions in which individual spiritual perfection can … Read more
Devastation of Gaza
The devastation of Gaza can still shock and pain me, as a thinking and feeling human being and as a religious Zionist, and pose a collective challenge to Israeli society that demands a coherent answer, without any need to redefine genocide in order to make it fit the horrific impact of this war on the … Read more
Sketch of the Amida
A rough sketch of the ‘amida: Through systematically developing a concept of the Creator and making that concept real through the act of dialogic address to the Creator, we bring about the redemption. First, we establish the grounds for the encounter – praise: the ancestral relationship, the omnipotence, the transcendance. Then, with those principles in … Read more
No Precept Is Small
The merit to fulfill even a small precept (מצווה) is truly great, because no divine precept is truly small. 😀
Forbidden War
I would like to suggest a new halakhic category of war. We are familiar with:– Mandatory war (מלחמת מצווה) – with the aim of clear self-defense (still applicable) or of defeating the violently oppressive nations identified in the law (no longer applicable).– Discretionary war (מלחמת רשות) – with the aim of expanding the political jurisdiction … Read more
Fetishizing Exile
Everyone’s entitled to their personal opinion but people who fetishize exile do not and can not represent the Jewish nation, in any serious context. Whether in the faculty of Harvard, the administration of the Rabbanut, the opinion pages of major media outlets, or wherever else Jewish representation matters and has meaningful consequences for Jewish autonomy.
Preaching to Progressives
It occurred to me why I may prefer preaching to progressives more than conservatives. Progressives generally don’t view tradition as obliging or a source of authority. Convincing them of the value of our traditional institutions and ways is comparatively harder; and when they are convinced, their appreciation for the beauty and benefit of our traditional … Read more
Reviving the National Court
When people think “Halakhic State” they usually think Haredistan or settler apartheid state. How Ever: If we had a revived National Court (“sanhedrin”), it probably would have authorized the initial strikes against Hamas after Oct 7 as a necessary and legitimate war of self-defense, and required everyone, including Haredim, to serve in the military – … Read more