Rabbinic writings are typically divided into two categories, halakhah and aggadah. In some ways, they are worlds apart from each other. Halakhah is the articulation and elucidation of the 613 mitzvot that constitute the Torah. It was developed foundationally in the Mishnah, Tosefta, and the Talmuds. The Babylonian Talmud continues to be the primary halakhic…

Rather than pursue the usual procedure for addressing a biblical-theological issue in a paper of this nature, this will be an effort of a somewhat different sort. It is commonly accepted and expected that the author conduct a rather thorough—but usually tedious and often tiresome—review of and response to the literature on the subject. Instead,…

  In May of 1893, while clearing collapsed debris from a room overlooking the ancient ruins of Nippur, a group of local workmen made a startling discovery. Buried beneath the rubble they found a large number of clay tablets. Their exciting discovery caused a great tumult among the expedition from the University of Pennsylvania.1 Located…

It is a privilege to contribute to this Festschrift in honor of Elliot Klayman. Elliot is a gifted visionary, teacher, mentor, and friend. His wisdom, generosity, kindness, and sense of justice continue to leave a deep imprint on the Messianic Jewish movement. Elliot has always been a man to honor the past, envision the future,…

During the Second Temple period, the synagogue was an established institution in the Jewish community in both the land of Israel and in the diaspora. It was where the people assembled to study the Torah and to pray. The synagogue also served as the center for all the community’s cultural and religious activities. During the…

The first time that I encountered the phrase “Jesus saves” was in 1969 when I was 11 years old. It appeared in the form of graffiti spray painted on a railroad trestle over the Arcadia Soda Shop on South Columbus Avenue where my friends and I would hang out after playing basketball. It didn’t take…

Orthodox Jewish feminist Blu Greenberg writes with regard to the tensions between her various theological and ideological commitments: “So I live with the conflict. I live with it every day, in a thousand ways that pull me in one direction or another. I have come to realize that the conflict is a sign of my…

Edith Stein wasn’t difficult to spot. Let’s just say that most of the people in the Starbucks in Needham, Massachusetts, dressed and comported themselves very differently from this small, slender woman with the dark eyes, covered in a brown wool habit and black veil. She was sitting alone at a table waiting for me. I…

Samuel Gompers – Pursuing Social Justice Samuel Gompers was born January 27, 1850, into a traditional working-class family in London. The family was previously from Amsterdam and involved in the cigar-making trade. His parents (Sarah and Solomon Gumpertz) seem to have come from a traditional Jewish perspective and saw to it early on that Samuel…