The Lord G-D hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned. –Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 50:4 As I read yesterday in Yeshayahu 50, this verse caught my … More The definition of wisdom
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
The Torah is full of legal and religious laws and precedents that offer us significant insight into righteous jurisprudence. In this section I will explore concepts of jurisprudence in the Torah in the areas of criminal law, civil law, civil liberties, and religious law. There are many inaccuracies in modern thought about biblical jurisprudence. Some … More Introduction to Righteous Jurisprudence
The Torah speaks frequently of the concept of holiness. The Israelites are commanded to be a holy people. In several places the Torah gives this commandment with just a single negator, that is “you will be a holy people… do not do this or that [that would make you not a holy people].” For example, … More Holiness
I have been asked on several occasions why the location of the Temple of Jerusalem should be in dispute. Everyone seems fairly certain of its original location why should anyone question this? First of all, I prefer to question everything. Taking anything for granted leaves one at the disadvantage of having to rely upon the … More Location of the Temple of Jerusalem
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
Noahides are a group of people who are not Jewish, who wish to live a Jewish lifestyle, and wish to have that lifestyle sanctioned by Jews. In order to accomplish this end they abide by a set of laws called the Noahide Laws. These laws are set for them by Jews. The Noahide laws are … More The Noahide Laws
Silver Trumpets 