Several religions include the rationalist, panentheistic approach to existence. Others are incompatible with this view of existence. Judaism has long had a rationalist movement. Among the greatest of the Rabbinical scholars was undoubtedly Maimonides (the Rambam). His rationalist approach to faith is famous and well-studied by adherents of many faiths and by the academy. Likewise … More Jewish Enlightenment
I was born into a secular family. I did not have an experience of religion as a child except that my father is something of a deist. He did not approve of organized religion but did speak of G-d in specious terms and was otherwise scientifically inclined. Nevertheless, he spoke often of morality and the … More My Journey to Karaite Judaism
Over the course of the last year, I have written and beta tested a schedule for reading the entirety of the TaNaKh in the course of a year. My efforts have partially been based on an expressed desire for such a schedule from other Jews and partly based on my own desire for a schedule … More Reading Scripture
1. And YHWH said to Moshe saying: Speak to the Children of Yisrael, and say to them, and they shall make for themselves sisith [fringe/tassel] on the extremities of their garments throughout their generations, and they shall place upon the sisith [fringe/tassel] of the extremity a twisted thread of blue. And it shall be to … More Tzitzit
Every morning we read a chapter of the TaNaKh aloud around the breakfast table. Since the Parsha schedule takes us through the Torah every year, we use our breakfast reading as an opportunity to hear the rest of the scripture. Right now, we are in Yesheyahu (Isaiah). Today’s chapter was 47. In it, G-d addresses … More When Virtue Becomes Vice
I recently read Rabbi Shmuley Boteach’s article, The End of the Rabbi as Mr. Nice Guy. I follow Mr. Boteach’s website on a regular basis as I think he has a lot to offer American society. In general, I respect his opinions and find his writing to be thought-provoking and philosophically sound despite our theological … More Controversial Rabbis
Many of my non-Jewish family members and friends have asked about how the dietary laws work. When they try to research Kashrut online they are just more confused. This is typical of resources based upon Talmudic Judaism: they are incomprehensible (not to mention utterly irrational). So I have decided to provide a general overview. First, … More Kashrut (Dietary Laws) Revealed
The Bible Unearthed is a book and documentary on the theories of Israel Finkelstein, a professor of archaeology at Tel Aviv University, and Neil Asher Silberman, a contributing editor for Archaeology Magazine. The documentary discusses the archaeological evidence of the stories contained in the Tanakh (Hebrew Scriptures). The Bible Unearthed presents the narrow academic view … More The Bible Unearthed: A Review
Many Rabbinic rules and aspects of the Orthodox Jewish lifestyle are built on the premise of minimizing temptation to misbehavior. The sexes are segregated so as to prevent inappropriate sexual temptation, for example. Much of rabbinic practice centers on “building fences around fences.” But there’s one main problem with this train of thought: Judaism isn’t … More Personal Responsibility
The role and rights of women according to the Torah (and the examples set in the rest of the TaNaKh) are important to me, and not only because I am a woman. The biblical portrayal of women has set the tone for the treatment of women throughout both Western civilization and the Muslim world. It … More The Rights of Women in Judaism
Silver Trumpets 