For a hundred generations Jews lived in anticipation of redemption, a historical tension that continues to define Judaism
Why read the Talmud as a secular Jew? In part, for its expression of an independent Jewish creativity and spirituality.
The Talmud describes rabbis who were not just judges and legal analysts, but magicians as well
Pi, irrational numbers, and squaring the circle are all brought to bear to find justifications for tradition
A holy desecration is unethical in part because of the social pressure to reflect well on the tribe
Manna, and fasting, are not just miracles of sustenance and faith, but also elements of jurisprudence
Illogical Jewish laws are ‘matters that Satan challenges’: raising doubts for enemies of Judaism and skeptical Jews
Judaism’s manual of sacred technology prizes holiness over beauty, action over thought, and ritual over belief
Biblical examples of righteousness and wickedness show that in Judaism, goodness remains possible and divine
A Talmudic problem: Abraham lived before the law was given, so how can his actions be used to interpret the law?
An ancient principle of Judaism, debated at length in the Oral Law, is that it is a sin to count Jews—or is it?
To the Talmudic rabbis, a miracle is more plausible than the notion that their sources were incorrect
A ‘mezuzah,’ like Judaism, is designed for life in this world, not for a messianic future, or for martyrdom