Righteous Gentiles
Righteous Gentiles The following is an except from a letter I received from a gentleman in Canada. �What is a Noachide allowed to study? I have heard about three answers to this question. I...
Non-Orthodox Dialogue
Ah, for when life was simpler! One of our readers, Shalom Simon, stuck it to me regarding my post on the grand debate at Harvard Law School. He asked whether the event (which had...
Wearing Red Herrings
There are some groups whose search engines are going 24/7 seeking out foibles among the Orthodox and seemingly absurd or inciting comments of Rabbis. I describe such a “red herring” case in the Jerusalem...
Postscript to Parshas Yisro
�Limdu hora techilah,� advises Rabbenu Bachya ibn Paquda in Chovos Halevavos. �Study evil first.� There is much to learn by first considering the alternatives to truth. Around tens of thousands of our Shabbos tables...
Wendy Shalit in the NYTimes Book Review
Here is the link to Wendy Shalit’s insightful essay in the New York Times Book Review about the depiction of charedim in contemporary fiction. I had posted it here, but concerns have been expressed...
Richuk Karovim II
My posting on the Slifkin matter has generated thoughtful comments that raise significant questions. I would like to elaborate on what I wrote previously and also indicate that a somewhat extended discussion of my...
From the NYTimes Book Review
January 30, 2005 ESSAY The Observant Reader By WENDY SHALIT SEE ABOVE…
Richuk Karovim
I have not read any of Rabbi Nosson Slifkin�s books but if I had, I doubt that I would be competent to judge the validity of his science or, for that matter, his hashkafah....
My 300-page book: the NY Times and the Yated
The other day I promised to write a 300-page book about the Slifkin business. Chapter 1 explained why I have not yet written it and probably never will. However, I will try to write...
Ready To Be Orthodox, But No Place to Go
…. Would the Lord the giftie give us to see ourselves as others see us…. -Robert Burns The resurgence of Orthodox Judaism – from down for the count to the most dynamic sector of...