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Rising from the Ashes: Pekudei and the Rebuilding of Jewish Sacred Space
What post-Holocaust synagogue reconstruction reveals about the Torah’s model of rebuilding after catastrophe.
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Reading Jewish History in the Parsha
Friends of 18Forty Teach the Parsha with Jewish History
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18 Questions, 40 Mystics
A new podcast and video series bringing you to the leading voices of Jewish mysticism.
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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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Rav Tzadok of Lublin on History and Halacha
Rav Tzadok held fascinating views on the history of rabbinic Judaism, but his writings are often cryptic and challenging to understand. Here’s where to start.
The Reform Movement Challenged the Oral Torah. How Did Orthodox Rabbis Respond?
Reform leaders argued that because of the rabbis’ strained and illogical interpretations in the Talmud, halachic Judaism had lost sight of God. Was that true?
Why the Confusion? On Disputes in the Oral Torah
If legal codes tell us the laws, then the Mishna is less like a legal code than a record of disagreements about the law. Why is that?
Divinity and Humanity: What the Jewish Sages Thought About the Oral Torah
Our Sages compiled tractates on the laws of blessings, Pesach, purity, and so much more. What did they have to say about the status of the Oral Torah?
What Are the Origins of the Oral Torah?
A bedrock principle of Orthodox Judaism is that we received not only the Written Torah at Sinai but also the oral one—does that mean it can’t change?
What Origins Mean to Me
I have always been fascinated by origins. And perhaps there is no origin story more mysterious, more vexing, than the origins of Judaism.
The Rehearsal of Teshuva: Three Reflections on the Process of Change
Nathan Fielder’s The Rehearsal is the teshuva tool you didn’t know you needed. Here are three reflections to aid you in the process.
How to Live Sin-Free
“Sin” is the blockage, the obstructions, in life—how do we avoid it? The Talmud offers timeless wisdom for evading bad and living in flow.How to Say Sorry
Apologies should be easy—but they seem to be anything but. The Talmud shares timeless wisdom to help us say a better sorry.
Wake Up, My Soul
“Wake up, my soul,” one poet calls. “Change is the new, improved word for god,” another proposes. Read words of the heart and soul.
On the Road: Baderech
To be an alive person means to be in a liminal state of change, growth, and development.
Rebuilding Faith as a Frum Person
Once I began questioning the answers, I shifted from being default religious to consciously religious.