by R. Gil Student I’m told that some yeshiva graduates are learning 929 without fully understanding its background. I will make a few points here why this is not the daily Tanakh study program for the traditional Orthodox Jew, even if some traditional Orthodox teachers are involved for a variety of reasons. If you want to learn Tanakh daily, please ...

• R S Zucker – Success in Jewish Education, Step by Step http://www.jewishlinknj.com/features/33256-success-in-jewish-education-step-by-step • California enacts ‘Mezuzah Bill’ following widespread support among lawmakers https://www.jns.org/california-enacts-mezuzah-bill-following-widespread-support-among-lawmakers/ • R J Abramowitz – Even the Devil Can Cite Scripture https://www.ou.org/life/inspiration/even-the-devil-can-cite-scripture/ • Small story from American Jewish history – The Day The Rabbi Cursed His Congregation https://forward.com/yiddish/431297/the-day-the-rabbi-cursed-his-congregation/ • Reform launches a political war in time ...

Judaism Reclaimed: Philosophy and Theology in the Torah by R. Shmuel Phillips (Mosaica) Be, Become, Bless by R. Yaakov Nagen (Maggid)

• How should Jews treat each other? Jewish thinkers have come up with a plan. https://www.jta.org/2019/09/11/global/how-should-jews-treat-each-other-jewish-thinkers-have-come-up-with-a-plan • R S Brody – Were the Defenders of Masada Justified in Killing Themselves? https://mosaicmagazine.com/picks/religion-holidays/2019/09/were-the-defenders-of-masada-justified-in-killing-themselves/ • R A Gordimer – On Halacha and LGBT – Responding to Dr. Aaron Koller https://cross-currents.com/2019/09/12/on-halacha-and-lgbt-responding-to-dr-aaron-koller/

by R. Gil Student Anyone reading this probably knows someone gay. The explicit biblical prohibition against homosexual activity and the associated rabbinic prohibitions, including the rabbinic condemnation of gay marriage, are not abstract concepts. The heartbreak, alienation, depression and everything else that follows are the real repercussions felt by our friends and family. The theological challenge is not theoretical but ...

• It might be time to start preparing eulogies for Modern Orthodoxy – On Halakha and LGBT https://yuobserver.org/2019/09/on-halakha-and-lgbt/ • Study: Teens Who Hold Off On Dating Have Better Social Skills, Less Depressed – Study Finds https://www.studyfinds.org/study-teens-who-hold-off-on-dating-have-better-social-skills-less-depressed/ • Damage already done – Reporter suspended for portraying rabbi as anti-secular extremist https://www.jns.org/fake-news-rocks-israeli-media-reverberates-in-pre-election-politics/ • A dark cloud hovers over religious freedom in Europe ...

• New York State’s Dangerous War on Private Education https://mosaicmagazine.com/picks/politics-current-affairs/2019/09/new-york-states-dangerous-war-on-private-education/ • Russia exhibit to showcase medieval Jewish life in Afghanistan https://www.timesofisrael.com/russia-exhibit-to-showcase-medieval-jewish-life-in-afghanistan/ • Evidence of a Royal Steward to a Davidic King Found in Jerusalem https://mosaicmagazine.com/picks/history-ideas/2019/09/evidence-of-a-royal-steward-to-a-davidic-king-found-in-jerusalem/

by R. Gidon Rothstein The World Into Which We Are Born and the Freewill We Have I recently realized I have not been directly noting the parsha on which R. Arama is commenting in these she’arim, a disservice to him, who was assiduous about tying his philosophical/ hashkafic comments to the series of events in the parsha. I’ll try to ...

I am grateful to announce the publication of my new book on daf yomi: Chizuk Shmuel Volume I: Berachos, and Chizuk Shmuel Volume II: Shabbos. The aim of the book is to make daf yomi study transformational by identifying a topic on each daf, and using it as a springboard to develop mussar and hashkafic insights. The thesis is that, ...

• From the Commie Archives: Rav Soloveitchik and the Student Zionist Organization – The Commentator https://yucommentator.org/2019/09/from-the-commie-archives-rav-soloveitchik-and-the-student-zionist-organization/ • Bad for those concerned with intermarriage, but how do you kick out non-Jewish students? – Non-Jewish College Students Find an Unexpected Home on Campus—at Hillel https://www.tabletmag.com/jewish-life-and-religion/182505/nonjews-in-hillel • However the Israel Government Chooses to Act, the Chief Rabbinate Is Losing Its Control over Marriage ...