Study
Brit Milah (Bris): Some Laws and Customs
10 things to know about--and think about--when planning a brit milah ceremony.
Circumcision is a Difficult Rite
Circumcision, with all its pain, reminds us of our partnership with God and the pain of fixing a broken world.
Mystical Explanations for the Existence of Evil
According to the kabbalists, evil is a bi-product of the relationship between humans and the sefirot, God's manifested attributes.
Biblical and Rabbinic Responses to Suffering
Early Jewish writers were more concerned with the randomness of suffering than with its actual existence.
The Sanctity Of Elemental Relationships
The juxtaposition of laws about the high priest on Yom Kippur, forbidden sexual relationships and laws about blood teach the sanctity of basic parts of life.
Jewish Texts About Hanukkah
A survey of key Jewish sources and discussions on the Festival of Lights.
Serpents And Snakes
The different miracles performed before the Israelites and before the Egyptians symbolize the different messages communicated to each group.
Seeing The Ram
The miracle of the ram caught in the bushes was that, in the final moment, Abraham was able to perceive it as an alternative to sacrificing his son.
Approaches to Bible Commentary
An introduction to the different methods Jews have used to read the Bible throughout history.
The Mishnah as a Response to Catastrophe
The Oral Torah reflects an attempt to create an eternal Judaism, unaffected by the setbacks that had afflicted the Jewish people in the preceding two centuries.
The Jews of Greece
The oldest Jewish community in Europe traces its history back more than 2,300 years.