Talmud

Once, Jews defended themselves to survive. Now this reflects defeat - opinion

Israelis and Jews still react to attacks as though they were medieval defendants standing before hostile judges. No need.

A medieval court of law.
 Rabbi Elimelech Biderman with his followers celebrate the jewish holiday of Lag Ba'Omer, in Meron. May 9, 2023

Lag Ba’omer reminds us to choose respect over division among Jews - opinion

GOODWILL: PROVIDING volunteer massage therapy to soldiers at an IDF outpost in Samaria, March 12.

Parashat Emor: The social revolution

Torah scroll 521

Jewish learning defines knowledge in a fragmented world - opinion


Talmudic sages were active participants in ancient Mediterranean wine culture

According to a new study, the sages "sought ways to allow Jewish farmers to remain part of the wine industry without compromising Halacha.”

A Ramat HaNadiv vineyard that uses traditional cultivation methods.

‘Pikuah nefesh’ and Gaza: Israel, stop putting IDF soldiers, Palestinians in danger - opinion

The loss of life in Gaza raises the question – what happens to the value of pikuah nefesh/saving a life during wartime?

PALESTINIANS WAIT for food from a charity kitchen in Gaza City last week. History will judge Hamas and it allies harshly for their brutality; this is not to say serious questions will not be raised when it comes to Israel’s conduct, says the writer.

Rabbi Neil Danzig, scholar who unlocked mysteries of the Talmud, dies at 74

A longtime resident of Teaneck, New Jersey, he was buried in Israel.

Rabbi Neil Danzig, shown in an undated photo, was an authority on the Babylonian Jewish scholars known as Geonim.

'Ancient Jewish Food': What’s cooking in the Talmuds? - review

A new book by food scholar Susan Weingarten offers a glimpse into what Jews ate almost 2,000 years ago and how the food was prepared.

 An illustrative image of wheat and dairy products next to a Torah scroll.

Should Jews pray for a miracle when death is inevitable?

Rather than abandon prayer in the face of tragedy, Judaism asks us to deepen it. We do not pray to overturn nature but to find strength within the divine natural order.

 IS IT appropriate to pray for miracles?

American strength lies in preservation of history, not in destruction - opinion

This continuity of purpose connects us directly to those post-war days of moral clarity. The Survivors' Talmud reminds us that we must recognize that some principles transcend our division.

 An American battalion arrives in Ostersund, Sweden after driving across the border from Norway, to attend the Defence exercise Aurora 23, April 17, 2023.

Thousands complete Talmud at Haredi Remembrance Day ceremony in Jerusalem

During the ceremony, each participant received a section of Mishnah to study, leading to the full completion of the Talmud over the course of the event.

 Haredi Remembrance Day ceremony at the Teddy Hall in Binyanei Ha’uma in Jerusalem.

'Rabbinic Scholarship': How the Talmud Yerushalmi was made - review

This book is a deeply scholarly and ambitious work that sheds new light on the Talmud Yerushalmi and its place within the intellectual world of late antiquity.

 An illustrative image of someone reading the Talmud.

Eight fascinating Jewish news stories from 2024 that you might have missed

From antisemitism in Spain to J.D.'s Jewish chief of staff, explore the fascinating stories about Jews that you may have missed over 2024.

 Frank London, standing, works with a team of musicians at Beth El Synagogue Center in New Rochelle, New York, May 22, 2024.

Maccabean war vs long-lasting oil: What is the true essence of Hanukkah? - opinion

The Talmud says that on Hanukkah, we celebrate the miracle of the oil. Secularists claim the essence of Hanukkah is to celebrate the Maccabean victory.

 An illustrative image of a Hanukkah menorah (hanukkiah) being lit in Israel.