Book Review: Sukkot Companion by the Habura
Book Review
Sukkot: Insights from the Past, Present, and Future (The Habura, 2022)
Articles
Rabbi Hayyim Angel's Latest Book Review in Tradition
Our National Scholar, Rabbi Hayyim Angel, reviews two recent books on the interface between traditional and academic Bible study, with consideration of the religious ramifications of various approaches.
The article appears in the current issue of Tradition, the journal of the Rabbinical Council of America.
To Heal America, Take the Liberty Bell on Tour
Of course, the Liberty Bell’s heading back out on tour won’t solve our country’s political, legal, and social challenges. But it can serve to remind Americans of the faith in our country’s unifying symbols and biblically inspired values, which have survived eras more fractious and violent than our own.
Jews, Slavery, and the Meaning of Freedom
Freedom in world history and American history is tied to slavery. Slavery and the exodus from slavery are central to Judaism. Many cultures, do, or have, celebrated emancipation. But only Jews have a major religious holiday that is focused on enslavement and an escape from enslavement.
The Nature of Inquiry: A Common Sense Perspective
Rabbi Shalom Carmy discusses the nature of intellectual inquiry within a religious framework.
Biblical Criticism, Historical Truth
Berman’s book is an important contribution to scholarship and to our religious pursuit of truth in the context of Tanakh study. He challenges readers to examine critically the assumptions they bring to the text. Those who ignore ancient Near Eastern laws and narratives lose a vital tool to evaluate the eternal messages of the Torah.
Orthodoxy and Diversity
We must face this problem squarely and candidly: The narrowing of horizons is a reality within contemporary Orthodoxy. The fear to dissent from the "acceptable" positions is palpable. But if individuals are not allowed to think independently, if they may not ask questions and raise alternatives, then we as a community suffer a loss of vitality and dynamism.
Judaism Confronts Psychology
Judaism, let it be stated unequivocally, has a different view of guilt: Guilt is a healthy part of who we are. This sounds absurd, even crazy. But give the thought a chance to develop.
Rabbi Kook and the Modernization of Judaism
The view of history as a dialogue between humans and God means that God is continually speaking to us, and all innovations that bring forth progress in culture, society, and religion are not simply human invention, but also Divine Revelation. Therefore, they must be integrated into our religious ideas and not discarded.
The Generation of the Lie...Thoughts for 9/11
The terrorists were murderers, hateful and misguided individuals who believed that they would be rewarded in heaven if they murdered Americans. They were willing to sacrifice their own lives for the sake of inflicting damage on the United States. But, there were those who justified the wicked and who condemned the righteous. They described the murderers as “martyrs.”