Author: Mark
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The Talmud Sharply Rebukes the Great Rabbi Akiva: Yes, Really!
Rabbi Akiva ben Josef (c.50-135 CE) is one of Judaism’s most revered figures. He is widely regarded as the greatest sage of his generation, and historians credit him with being largely responsible for creating the legal framework that, following the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE, transitioned Judaism from a Temple-based cult to… Read more
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R. Yohanan: The Sage Who Nullified Torah Law
Those who believe that authentic Judaism is close-minded and reactionary would be astonished by many of the narratives recounted in the Talmud, the authoritative elucidation of the Torah’s laws and narratives. In fact, the Talmudic rabbis were innovative and keenly responsive to changes in their community’s social conditions and attitudes. To fully understand this dynamic,… Read more
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The Akedah: God Did NOT Command Avraham to Slaughter Isaac!
We have just recently read the Akedah (the binding of Isaac) during our Rosh Hashana services. I think all Jews should find this narrative deeply troubling because it seems both totally illogical and barbaric. There is no apparent reason why God would want Isaac killed (who would carry Judaism forward?) nor any seeming reason why… Read more
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Do the Torah’s Immoral Laws Discredit God?
Out of respect for the supreme value of moral autonomy, God elected to accept his chosen people where they stood, moral warts and all. Rather than instantly accelerate their progress to some arbitrary point along an infinite continuum, he gave them—and through them, all of humanity—a road map that would guide them to their final… Read more
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The Hebrew Bible Embraces Pluralism and Rejects Dogmatism
I present here an excerpt (lightly edited) from chapter 6 of my Come Now, Let Us Reason Together. This text argues that the many apparent contradictions and inconsistencies found in the Tanakh (the 24 books constituting the Hebrew Bible) show that authentic Judaism is open-minded, pluralistic, and esteems controversy as a uniquely valuable tool in… Read more
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Why We Need Not Take the Torah Literally
In a prior post I have argued that Jews should take the Torah seriously but not literally. I append below a brief essay on this subject excerpted from my Come Now, Let Us Reason Together. It is evident that the insistence by some on a literal reading of the Torah distracts us from God’s message,… Read more
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Feminism and the Sin of the Golden Calf
The grave sin of the Golden Calf is one of the best-known stories in the entire Jewish Bible [1]. However, one of the most important and lesser-known aspects of this narrative is the respective roles of the Israelite men and women. When the Jewish people miscalculate the forty days Moses is to spend learning the… Read more
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Take the Torah Seriously, But Not Literally!
Many Jews give up on their faith because they have been taught that authentic Judaism takes the Bible literally and that any other approach gravely diminishes its majesty and authority. I wrote “Come Now, Let Us Reason Together: Uncovering the Torah’s Liberal Values,” in large part to rebut this view. I contend that regarding the… Read more
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The Torah Describes Many Capital Crimes But Permits Almost No Executions!
The Torah is grievously misunderstood in many ways. One prominent example is with regard to capital punishment. Because it prescribes the death penalty for a wide variety of what we now see as victimless crimes, it is perceived as harsh, unduly retributive, and unjust. However, from a careful review of the text it seems clear… Read more
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The Almighty Defers to Rabba bar Nahmani on a Question of Jewish Law!
In my book I point to many instances where biblical figures challenge or argue with God, including Avraham, Moses, Job, and Jonah. None of these men are punished for their effrontery, although Jonah is taught a somewhat painful moral lesson. Similarly, the Talmud includes a number of stories in which the rabbis argue with or… Read more