Tag: Talmud
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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
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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
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Abraham Challenges God!
My previous post discussed the Book of Job, and how it encourages us to challenge injustice, even when it appears to come from the Almighty himself. Genesis, chapter 18, sounds a similar theme, except that God actually invites Abraham to object to His decision to obliterate Sodom and Gomorrah so that the Almighty can reassure Read more
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There’s No One Right Way To Practice Judaism
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Does the Great Rabbi Akiva Have Feet of Clay? The Oven of Akhnai, Part II
The first half of the Talmud’s Oven of Akhnai narrative ends with the death of R. Gamliel, implicitly as punishment for his humiliation of his colleague, R. Eliezer. The deliberate humiliation of another Jew is a grave crime under Jewish law, and when Gamliel ignored God’s warning he was appropriately punished. The conclusion of this Read more
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A Shocking Talmudic Story: the Sages Overrule God!
One of the most famous and frequently discussed stories in the Talmud is known as the “Oven of Akhnai.” This narrative is set in the first or second century of the common era at the great yeshiva in Yavneh (now northern Israel), established to preserve Judaism following the fall of the Second Temple. While the Read more
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New Podcast Discussion: Innovation and Authority
How can religion innovate without surrendering its authority and continuity Read more
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Interview on “Dangerous Speech” Podcast
Pleased to say that I very recently had a stimulating discussion of my book’s primary themes on Obaid Omer’s popular podcast “Dangerous Speech.” Omar, residing in Montreal, is interested in exploring illiberal trends in Canada and the US and their repercussions for our lives and liberties. Roughly the first half of this 53 minute conversation Read more
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Interview on “Third Opinion” Podcast
I recently had the pleasure of being interviewed by Mike Deeson, an Emmy-award winning investigative journalist, on the above podcast. It was an open-ended discussion that gave me ample opportunity to describe the main themes of of my book. I appear around the 34th minute of this 56 minute episode. I invite you to listen Read more