Jewish “The Torah is warning against twisting our basic moral code on behalf of the oppressed” Author Drew Kaplan Date 9 May 2021 The oft-quoted maxim tzedek tzedek tirdof (Deuteronomy 16:20) — usually translated as “justice, justice shall you...
Jewish Books, Jewish Education “Where are the Torah graphic novels?” Author Drew Kaplan Date 30 May 2017 For many people, the texts of Torah learning are themselves the biggest obstacles. They...
Bible “…the concept of the ben sorer umoreh raises essential questions for parents who strive to build loving relationships with their children” Author Drew Kaplan Date 25 September 2016 The law, as defined by the Talmud, ensures that it is virtually impossible for...
Homosexuality, Modern Orthodoxy, Orthodoxy “…the reconciliation of the Torah’s discussion of homosexuality represents the single most formidable religious challenge for our young people today” Author Drew Kaplan Date 21 September 2016 This may surprise many adults, but the reconciliation of the Torah’s discussion of homosexuality...
Bible, Jews, Judaism “The moment that a person’s interpretation of Torah would evoke the deep disgust of the average civilized person is the moment when the Torah’s intended story about itself has been lost” Author Drew Kaplan Date 11 September 2016 The story the Torah tells us about itself is that the way of life...
Orthodoxy “In the era of Big Torah, all of the arguments are on the table, and there are legitimate leaders who are charting the course to anywhere we want to go” Author Drew Kaplan Date 7 September 2015 If scientists and engineers now live in the world of Big Data, then we...
Bible “…the architecture of the Holy of Holies…suggest a type of theological equality” Author Drew Kaplan Date 20 August 2015 …the architecture of the Holy of Holies expressed something else, as well, because, if...
Bible, Talmud “The Rabbis who inherited the biblical story [of Numbers 31] as sacred writ…adopted the strategy of finding meaning in its details…” Author Drew Kaplan Date 16 July 2015 The Rabbis who inherited the biblical story as sacred writ (and...
Jewish, Jews, Modern Orthodoxy “…it’s vital to the definition of a Torah community that we think that knowing more Torah, in some way, privileges you in a values conversation…” Author Drew Kaplan Date 8 July 2015 I think, in a Torah community, it’s vital to the definition of a Torah...
Bible, Genesis “Sarah’s story becomes a cautionary tale for us — a tale about the vital need every human being has to feel a sense of weight and gravitas…” Author Drew Kaplan Date 31 December 2014 It is not coincidental that while Sarah is the direct object of several verbs...