Study

Rashi

From his day until the present, Rashi has been the most beloved of all medieval teachers.

Inner Beauty, Outward Beauty, and Health

Judaism recognizes the primacy of an inner beauty, but we are nonetheless called upon to care for our bodies and not discouraged from tending to our appearance.

Rav Kook & Vegetarianism

This major 20th-century Jewish thinker saw vegetarianism as the biblical ideal to which humankind should work to return.

Single Motherhood and Artificial Insemination

Despite some legal and ethical concerns, single women should not be prohibited from becoming pregnant with donor sperm.

Euthanasia: Medieval Sources

The major codes of Jewish law forbid actions that hasten death, but some allow the removal of impediments to death.

The Karaites: A Medieval Jewish Sect

The Karaites, biblical fundamentalists, challenged the authority of rabbinic Judaism.

Kabbalah: Origins of a Spiritual Adventure

The history of Kabbalah in Medieval Spain.

Agriculture in Israel

Agriculture plays a huge role in Israel's society.

Sabbatical and Jubilee Years as a Social and Political Vision

Behind these biblical practices is a vision of how politics, economics, and relations to the environment should be structured that makes manifest spiritual concerns as well.

Providing What is Lacking

Jewish texts on social justice describe the tension between providing what is needed and providing what is affordable.

Tzedakah Collectives: Sharing the Mitzvah of Tzedakah and More

Making decisions about tzedakah in the context of a group can be a powerful force in both deepening our spiritual lives and building community.