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Five Years Since Passing, Rabbi Sacks Still Speaks to Our Fractured World
In today’s world, Rabbi Sacks’ message feels more urgent than ever: that God continues to believe in humanity.
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Reading Jewish History in the Parsha
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A Brief History of Rationality, from the Biblical Age to Now
In today’s world, we sometimes see the rational as the enemy of the religious, but history shows a far more complex picture.
A Brief History of Shabbos, From the Biblical Age to Now
The Sabbath was a concept even before it was given as an official commandment, and it has been a pillar of the Jewish People for all time.
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Why Judaism?
In one of 18Forty’s Must Reads, Antonio García Martínez writes about the question of optionality and the answer of religion
Judgment on Rosh Hashanah: Analysis of Content and Process in a Talmudic Aggadah
What does it mean for all of mankind to pass before God like sheep?
It’s OK That You’re Not OK: Emotional Illiteracy and the Culture of Blame
Blaming someone for their pain—whether that’s grief or some kind of interpersonal violence—is our go-to mechanism. How quick are we to demonize rather than empathize. How quick we are to move into debate, rather than hang out in the actual pain of the situation.
The Unwinding of the Miracle: Life
“I don’t know if my words could ever ease your pain,” Julie Yip-Williams writes in a letter to her two daughters. “But I would be remiss if I did not try.”
Where to Go from Here: Book Recommendations
As we continue to expand our dictionary for our language of loss, 18Forty presents three books we find vital to the conversation.
Changes in Exile: Three Talmudic Teachings for Our Time
Our exile impacted God, Jewish society, and the Jewish People. The Talmud explains how.How to Comfort: Three Talmudic Teachings for Our Time
“During the course of a lifetime, virtually no one can avoid an encounter with death. Yet it is an experience for which one is rarely prepared.” — Dr. Emanuel Rackman
Forgetting Someone
Renowned Israeli poet Yehuda Amichai offers profound thought in his poems, “Death of My Father” and “Forgetting Someone.”
Losing a Friend
If being lost means the inability to find one’s way or to miss something that cannot be recovered, then the death of a friend makes us disoriented and adrift.
Sundays with Halivni
For 15 years, my weekly calls with Professor Rabbi David Weiss Halivni were the highlight of my week. Now that he’s gone, Sundays will never be the same.
Do We Still Mourn the Churban?
Tears do not come easily to Tisha B’Av for us all. Rabbi Joshua Berman explores the reason why.
Suffering and Love
Rotem was diagnosed with cancer when she was three and a half years old. She died when she was seven.