Tag: Rabbinic Judaism
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
Judaism Loves Controversy as the Royal Road to Truth
Authentic Judaism is pluralistic, open-minded, tolerant, and welcoming of controversy. In short, “liberal” in the classic sense. This short video illustrates this attribute with a famous Talmudic story. I explore this important topic in much greater depth in my book, Come Now, Let Us Reason Together: Uncovering the Torah’s Liberal Values. Read more
-
The Evolution of the Oral Law
The Oral Law wasn’t from Sinai, but rather a natural development within the Jewish diaspora. Read more