History

Rabbi Hirsch on Losing the Battles You've Won

The novelist Michael Crichton was supposed to have observed that activists are never useful for more than ten years or so.

Aug 18 •

[repost] What Are We Supposed To Be Doing on Tisha B'Av?

We all know the things we can’t do on Tisha B’Av.

Aug 3 •

When 7+7 Might Not = 14

By all accounts, the fourteenth year after Yehoshua led our ancestors across the Jordan into Israel was eventful.

Apr 28 •

Must One Believe That the Zohar Is Authoritative?

In the spring of 1914, around 125 Jerusalem Ashkenazi and Sefardi Jews (most of them presumably rabbis) signed a document containing violent curses…

Apr 15 •

Strange Stories and Reverse Allegories

Through the course of my 20-year yeshiva high school teaching career, my style evolved.

Mar 2 •

What Are We Supposed To Be Doing on Tisha B'Av?

We all know the things we can’t do on Tisha B’Av.

Aug 8, 2024 •

What Do You Consider a Square Meal?

A glimpse into our ancestors' daily lives

Jun 25, 2024 •

What Exactly is the Oral Torah?

Does believing that "all Torah is Oral Torah" conflict with the halachic process?

Jan 28, 2024 •

The Vilna Gaon, Aristotle, and The Solar System

How to understand the argument the Gra would have used to convince Aristotle

Dec 7, 2023 •

When Halacha Changes...

How an entire category of Torah law actually fell out of practice due to changing economies

Dec 3, 2023 •

Surviving (and Winning) the Coming Fertility Crisis

Could preventing a general population collapse lead to new opportunities for frum communities?

Oct 5, 2023 •

An Important Update to the Shidduch Story

My recent “The Largest Shidduch Crisis Ever?” article attracted a lot more discussion than I’d expected.

Sep 6, 2023 •

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