The Rising Lion: From Balaam to Leibowitz and Back Again

The Rising Lion: From Balaam to Leibowitz and Back Again

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The Rising Lion: From Balaam to Leibowitz and Back Again Warren Zev Harvey Warren Zev Harvey is Professor Emeritus in the Department of Jewish Thought at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He is the author of numerous studies on medieval and modern Jewish philosophy and the recipient of the EMET Prize in the Humanities (2009). The great prophet of the gentiles, Balaam son of Beor, blessed the people of Israel with a blessing for military success: “Behold, a people shall…

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Book review – Nafshi BiShe’elati: The Halakhot of Mental Health

Book review – Nafshi BiShe’elati: The Halakhot of Mental Health

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Book review – Nafshi BiShe’elati: The Halakhot of Mental Health Ben Rothke   T.J. Hooper was a precedent-setting tort case[1] in 1932. Two tugboats, one of which was The T.J. Hooper, were towing barges. During a storm, the barges sank, and their cargoes lost. The owners of the cargo sued the barge owners, who in turn sued the tugboat owners. The barge owners claimed that the tug operators were negligent because they failed to equip their tugs with radios that…

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ועשו להם ציצת – What to Make of Tzitzit

ועשו להם ציצת – What to Make of Tzitzit

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ועשו להם ציצת – What to Make of Tzitzit By Joseph Wertzberger [1] ויאמר ה׳ אל משה דבר אל־בני ישראל ואמרת אלהם ועשו להם ציצת על־כנפי בגדיהם לדרתם ונתנו על ציצת הכנף פתיל תכלת והיה לכם לציצת וראיתם אתו וזכרתם את כל מצות ה׳ ועשיתם אתם, ולא תתורו אחרי לבבכם ואחרי עיניכם אשר אתם זנים אחריהם למען תזכרו ועשיתם את כל מצותי והייתם קדשים לאלקיכם אני ה׳ אלקיכם אשר הוצאתי אתכם מארץ מצרים להיות לכם לאלקים, אני ה׳ אלקיכם במדבר…

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Book Week: 2025

Book Week: 2025

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Book Week: 2025 By Eliezer Brodt Book Week has recently begun here in Eretz Yisrael. With gratitude to Hashem, this marks the eighteenth consecutive year that I’ve continued my annual tradition of highlighting noteworthy new titles during this time. Each year, around Shavuos, begins Shavua HaSefer—Book Week—a ten-day celebration of books and publishing. Many publishers extend their sales for the entire month. Shavua HaSefer takes place across the country in malls, bookstores, and special venues set up exclusively for these…

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A Little-Known Rabbi Doctor and his Exceedingly Rare Medical Diploma Leon Cantarini- AKA Yehuda HaKohen Katz Me-HaHazzanim (University of Padua, 1623)

A Little-Known Rabbi Doctor and his Exceedingly Rare Medical Diploma Leon Cantarini- AKA Yehuda HaKohen Katz Me-HaHazzanim (University of Padua, 1623)

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A Little-Known Rabbi Doctor and his Exceedingly Rare Medical Diploma Leon Cantarini- AKA Yehuda HaKohen Katz Me-HaHazzanim (University of Padua, 1623) Rabbi Edward Reichman, MD Professor of Emergency Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine Isaac and Bella Tendler Chair of Jewish Medical Ethics, Yeshiva University   “He obtained a degree in medicine and philosophy on 31 October 1623, as can be seen from his original diploma which has been perfectly preserved despite the destructive effects of time.” (translated from the…

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R. Moshe Zuriel, the Aderet, Sonya Diskin, and ChatGPT

R. Moshe Zuriel, the Aderet, Sonya Diskin, and ChatGPT

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 R. Moshe Zuriel, the Aderet, Sonya Diskin, and ChatGPT Marc B. Shapiro 1. It is hard to believe that more than a year and a half has passed since R. Moshe Zuriel was taken from us. At the time of his passing, I intended to write a lengthy appreciation of him, but I was never able to get around to it. Still, I feel compelled to say something about R. Zuriel, if only to express my hakarat ha-tov for all that I…

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