The Song of Songs teaches that the infinite gulf between God and humanity is deepened—and bridged—through the ongoing struggle of love and relationship. In our world, the tendency for instant gratification prevails. In contrast, true love may be judged by its ability to weather crisis and grow into mature adulthood. In brief, our ability to relate to God is measured by our ability to love as people.
The Torah’s distinction between land and urban property reflects a deeper principle: land represents a divinely ordered reality that resists permanent human ownership, whereas cities represent human-created environments that lend themselves to the illusion of permanence.
Since its founding in 2020, The Habura and its affiliated Da’at Press have distinguished themselves by producing original scholarship and translations that reflect the classical Geonic and Andalusian worldview. Committed to the highest values of Jewish tradition and scholarship, they make many previously obscure and inaccessible works available to the wider English-reading public.
The narrative of Esther is not simply a tale of palace intrigue. It is a layered
meditation on exile, identity, moral courage, and divine providence.
This isn’t the first period of Jewish history when Jews faced viciousness and violence. It likely won’t be the last period either. But long experience has taught us to stay strong, stay confident, stay positive. The challenge to our generation is to stand tall as Jews, to stand strong on behalf of Israel.
This week’s portion includes the Call to Holiness, which includes “Love your fellow as yourself” (Lev. 19:18).
It is noteworthy that this is not all that the verse says. The first part of the verse instructs us not
to take revenge or bear a grudge.
Far from being only a necessary skill for entering the work force or getting into law school, literature that includes the broadest possible range of voices and experiences itself fulfills a Torah value. Without it, we would be hard pressed truly to internalize the basic fact of God’s spark in every human soul.
All groups need discerning judgment. Even Orthodox Jews who restrict their broader exposure and encounter mostly rabbinic influences must differentiate between more and less reasonable voices.
Something unique about the book of Ruth is that it does not say an unkind or critical word about any of the characters. This does not mean that the author approves of all that they say and do; he does not. There are ‘light’ and ‘shadows’ in the book of Ruth.
Kedoshim:
What Is Holiness?