Deuteronomy

Why the Torah Commands “Blotting Out the Memory of Amalek” but Forbids “Despising the Egyptian”

Rational and irrational hatred.

Jonathan Sacks
Sept. 1 2017 12:01AM

Og King of Bashan: Giant Warlord or Ruler of the Underworld?

Ancient rabbis got it right; modern scholars got it wrong.

Laura Quick
Aug. 4 2017 12:01AM

The One Time When Moses Speaks in His Own Words

Deuteronomy erases the separation between leader and led; for better or for worse, they’re yoked together.

David Wolpe
July 27 2017 12:01AM

What, Exactly, Does “Hear O Israel the Lord Is Our God the Lord Is One” Mean?

More a contract than a prayer.

Benjamin Sommer
Feb. 1 2017 12:01AM

Inauguration: The Most Jewish of American Public Rituals

Renewing the covenant.

Jonathan Sacks
Jan. 20 2017 12:01AM

How American Presidents Re-enact the Torah’s Final Commandments

Renewing the covenant.

Jonathan Sacks
Oct. 7 2016 12:01AM

Joy Is the Supreme Religious Emotion: Just Ask Deuteronomy

Samuel Pepys goes to shul.

Jonathan Sacks
Sept. 2 2016 12:01AM

What Loving God Really Means

Covenantal love, erotic love, or both?

Jon D. Levenson
Aug. 19 2016 12:01AM

God’s Love for His People, His People’s Love of God

One of the Bible’s most important and most overlooked ideas.

Jon D. Levenson
July 15 2016 12:01AM

The Mystery of a Purportedly Ancient Manuscript of the Bible May Finally Be Solved

Over a century after its discovery.

Beth Kissileff
April 12 2016 12:01AM

What Does It Mean to Love God?

How can adoration be commanded?

Jon D. Levenson
Nov. 23 2015 12:01AM

Was Moses’ Death Punishment or Reward?

Making sense of the Torah’s final chapter.

James A. Diamond
Oct. 7 2015 12:01AM

What the Law of the “Wayward and Rebellious Son” Teaches about Parenting

Too much harmony can be a problem.

Jeffrey Saks
Aug. 26 2015 12:01AM

Does the Torah Prescribe Genocide Against the Canaanites?

Only if read selectively and inaccurately.

Reuven Kimelman
Aug. 3 2015 12:01AM
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