Monthly Archives: November 2010

Well, I’m back from my sojourn from the golden medina. Unfortunately, the strain of sitting in a plane for so many hours has inflamed my lower back to the point that I can’t even stand. Ergo, I’ll only have the … Continue reading →

A comparison of the Ten Commandments and The Prince of Egypt. Some interesting points are made. A tale of two Shafrans: The father, the gaon of Baku, and the son, a major thinker and mystic to whom much of the … Continue reading →

Back when I was studying in the Bar-Ilan kollel and suffering, like most of my age group, from “single-itis” (I still do), I came upon what I thought was a ground-breaking idea: why not integrate the Batei Midrash gender-wise? I … Continue reading →

What’s your experience with gemara study (like it? hate it? religiously fruitful or harmful?)? What type of study do you like (academic, brisk, telz or otherwise)? Place your answers below.  

While looking over the fascinating discussion on the lookjed list on gemara education, I came across the following fascinating post. The author wondered aloud why there is no discussion of gemara education for the non-Orthodox. I thought I might address … Continue reading →

As some of you are aware, I’m only starting to get over jetlag from a 16 hour long trek from Israel to LA. As such, I will not have the energy and focus to respond to my history post until … Continue reading →

Whenever I tell people that my primary interest is history, I typically get one of two responses: 1) What are you going to do with it? And 2) History is boring (or some variation thereof). Often the sum total of … Continue reading →

Perhaps the most interesting phenomenon taking place among the general religious body politic, aside from the institutional ‘slide to the right’, is the social ‘slide to the left’. In both the states and here, the attitude of greater openness to … Continue reading →

The news lines are all abuzz with the coming end to Rabbi Adin Steinzaltz’s monumental translation of the Babylonian Talmud, a project which spans 45 years. The usual discussions are being had regarding the usefulness of this innovation, as well … Continue reading →