|
Jewish Thought was a joint project of the Orthodox Union (OU) and Yeshivat Ohr Yerushalayim. This journal was released in 5756.
OF TEARING WOLVES AND LOVING FRIENDS: Reflections on Megilat Esther
Rabbi Moshe M. Eisemann
Surely the most enigmatic of the twelve tribes, Binyamin is both “tearing wolf” (Bereishit 49:27) and loving friend, host to the Shechina but depraved instigator of the pilegesh bigavah debacle. His very name embodies both affliction and strength. In this essay, the author reflects on two of Binyamin’s most famous descendants- Mordechai and Esther- and on how their paradoxical ancestry shaped the Purim story.
LONELY MAN OF FAITH II: The Noach Typologies
Dr. Joel B. Wolowelsky
Two parallel Biblical narratives describe the creation of man. In “The Lonely Man of Faith,” Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik eloquently analyzes these two typologies of humanity. Adam the First, bold and adventurous, is to master his environment; Adam the Second is to develop a covenantal relationship with G-d. In the present essay, the author discerns the same dichotomy- and the same parallelism- in Noach, progenitor of antediluvian society.
R. OVADYAH SEFORNO ON KORBANOT
Rabbi Yehudah Copperman
Sacrifices play a significant role in the thought of R. Ovadyah Seforno, dominating his essay “Kavanot HaTorah.” Based on excerpts from that work, the author examines R. Ovadyah’s fascinating developmental approach to korbanot and the unique functions of individual and community in this mode of worship.
REUVEN AND HOSHEA: Architects of Repentance
Hillel Goldberg
“Impetuous as water” (Bereishit 49:4), Reuven was drawn to impropriety, but his innovative repentance earned his descendant Hoshea the privilege of being the first prophet of teshuva. This essay explores Reuven’s tormented life and how his inner conflicts are intensified and ultimately resolved in Sefer Hoshea.
THE GENTILE PRIEST, THE GENTILE PROPHET: Two Biblical Narratives
Rabbi Nachman Levine
Exhibiting his unique sensitivity to Biblical parallelism, the author offers a novel perspective on perhaps the major gentile characters in the Torah: Yitro and Bilam. In analyzing Yitro’s attempt to join the fledgling Jewish people, this essay clarifies the struggles of the convert and the organic relationship between the exodus and the giving of the Torah. And in dissecting Bilam’s bizarre yet revelatory dialogue with his donkey, the author demonstrates that even a prophet can be no better (and, in fact, even worse) than an animal.
|
