The Nature of Inquiry: A Common Sense Perspective
Rabbi Shalom Carmy discusses the nature of intellectual inquiry within a religious framework.
Articles
Orthodoxy and Diversity
We must face this problem squarely and candidly: The narrowing of horizons is a reality within contemporary Orthodoxy. The fear to dissent from the "acceptable" positions is palpable. But if individuals are not allowed to think independently, if they may not ask questions and raise alternatives, then we as a community suffer a loss of vitality and dynamism.
Judaism Confronts Psychology
Judaism, let it be stated unequivocally, has a different view of guilt: Guilt is a healthy part of who we are. This sounds absurd, even crazy. But give the thought a chance to develop.
The Generation of the Lie...Thoughts for 9/11
The terrorists were murderers, hateful and misguided individuals who believed that they would be rewarded in heaven if they murdered Americans. They were willing to sacrifice their own lives for the sake of inflicting damage on the United States. But, there were those who justified the wicked and who condemned the righteous. They described the murderers as “martyrs.”
Rabbi Kook and the Modernization of Judaism
The view of history as a dialogue between humans and God means that God is continually speaking to us, and all innovations that bring forth progress in culture, society, and religion are not simply human invention, but also Divine Revelation. Therefore, they must be integrated into our religious ideas and not discarded.
Metzitzah B'Peh--Oral Law?
Cantor Philip L. Sherman was trained as a mohel by Rabbi Yosef Hakohen Halperin in 1977 in Jerusalem, Israel. He served as a cantor and mohel for many years. He had written this article that appeared in issue 6 of Conversations, the journal of the Institute for Jewish Ideas and Ideals. We re-post it today (August 10, 2023) in his memory.
David and Mephibosheth: Being Overly “Even-Handed”
In the earlier parts of David’s reign, he was famed for executing “true justice among all his people” (II Samuel 8:15). Now, however, his listening to patently unequal narratives to act “even-handedly” dealt a profound injustice to Mephibosheth, rewarded the dishonest Ziba, and, according to Rav, sowed the seeds for the nation itself falling apart.
Modesty at the Beach, Respect for Elders, Adoptions, Rosh Hashana Customs--Rabbi M. Angel Responds to Questions from the Jewish Press
The Jewish Press newspaper has a bi-weekly feature in which questions are posed to a panel of rabbis, including Rabbi Marc Angel. Here are some of Rabbi Angel's recent replies.
Musings on Interfaith Dialogue
Dr. Irene Lancaster, who has long been involved in dialogue between Jews and Christians in England, shares her thoughts on a complicated topic.
Orthodox Approaches to Biblical Slavery
Orthodox thinkers are faced with the task of resolving the conflict between the modern moral outcry against slavery and the Bible’s obvious sanction of the institution. Among Orthodox Jewish thinkers of the modern period, several creative—and sometimes mutually exclusive—approaches to this contradiction have emerged.