Jeffrey Spitzer Articles By Jeffrey Spitzer
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Pe'ah: The Corners of Our Fields
Rabbinic commentators interpreted the law of leaving the corners of one's field for those in need in light of their own concerns about the poor.
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The Rabbinic Conversion Ceremony
The different layers of the rabbinic discussion of conversion reveal the beginnings of a transformation from a citizenship ritual to a theological initiation rite.
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Every Person is a Tree
The Biblical law protecting fruit trees during war provides an opportunity for Jewish exegetes to reflect on ecology and the wanton destruction of life.
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Different Perspectives on the Authorship of the Torah
Literary, historical, and theological perspectives on whether the Torah is divine, human, or something in between
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The Way of the Gentiles
The prohibition against non-Jewish practices, might relate to the practices of ancient Egypt, Canaan or the social and philosophical ways of non-Jews today.
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"Whose Leaves Do Not Wither"
In Jewish sources, the leaf is a metaphor for the fragility and durability of life.
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Kitniyot: Not Quite Hametz
Although rice, millet, corn, and legumes are not among the five prohibited grains on Passover, Jews of European origin have traditionally avoided them during the holiday.
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Jewish Peace Offerings
Deuteronomy's laws of warfare include the requirement that a nation seek a peaceful settlement before engaging in war.
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Making It Better and Better
Successive generations of Jews have created different ways of enhancing the observance of the Hanukkah lights.
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Who is the Messiah?
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