Curious Tales of the Talmud
“The stories in the Talmud reveal an imaginative richness and a striking sense of an ongoing task of narration as a crucial part of the interpretation and preservation of a treasured culture.”
Tag: "Torah"
A Random Walk With Rashi – Beware the Ides of Ishmael
Parallel lives, chiastic stories, and wondering Jews.
A Random Walk With Rashi: Biblical Horseplay
How many variations on yud, tzadi, chet, kuf can you find?
Neither Robots nor Enemies
The idea of “arguing” with G-d is a central part of Judaism. We are not meant to be robots, not meant to passively watch as Hashem’s plan plays itself out. We are meant to take initiative – fight the trend, push the limits. Become a partner in fixing the world.
What the Torah Makes
Does Torah make you happy? Not a cynical question. But on Simchat Torah, shouldn’t we ask?
Do You Feel Bound By God’s Commandments?
None of us can know for sure what God’s commandments really are and I do not necessarily feel bound by other people’s interpretations of those commandments.
Week Out of Time: Shavuot
“Look at your hands,” John says to me one night, when I am sobbing that “I think we may really be alone down here.”
“Look how cool they are,” he says. “Who else could do that but God?”
Stories, Text, Life
Jewish life and text are intricately intertwined – Chris Bargeron meditates on what that means.
The Spirit of Shabbat
The Torah says ‘Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy.’ But what’s more important, the letter or the spirit of the law?
Are We There Yet? Standing At Sinai
“Do you believe Jews are chosen above all other people?” “Chosen for what?” I reply. “Suffering?” He looks as though he wants to kick me, but does not.
On Simchat Torah: unraveling joy
So God shows up and asks if you want 613 Laws. The Jews took all of them. According to the story, they did not ask why. But if ancient Jewry was anything like my relatives, I’ll never believe it. The Jews I know would never settle for anything without asking why.
My Rosh Hashanah challenge: making the holiday personal
I am not going to use this space to lecture you on the things you must do this year on Rosh Hashanah – the commitments you must make to God, the prayers you must sing, the blessings you must recite. The traditions of this holiday are numerous, and for many of us, perhaps even a [...]
