August 1, 2023
Published by Tradition Online at August 1, 2023
Replying to their critics, Sharon Galper Grossman and Shamai Grossman defend an October 2020 TRADITION article which anticipated the overwhelming endorsement of the COVID vaccine by the medical community, government agencies, and subsequent positions staked out by the majority of poskim. In short, vaccines were the best way through the pandemic. They worked and helped fulfil “lo ta’amod al dam re’ekha.”
July 30, 2023
Published by Tradition Online at July 30, 2023
Reflecting on a TraditionOnline essay from 2020, Rafi Eis questions mistakes he believes were made during COVID about social ostracization of non-vaxxers, school closings, and aspects of the halakhic and medical analysis made in the moment.
July 26, 2023
Published by Tradition Online at July 26, 2023
The final verse of Lamentations is difficult to understand, and has been interpreted in various ways by Hazal which have distinct implications with regard to the theological meaning of Hurban. Aton M. Holzer explores the approaches and argues that the liturgy and customs of Tisha B’Av embrace one particular reading, one which sees excessive Divine rage as a manifestation of continued interest in and engagement with the Jewish people.
July 23, 2023
Published by Tradition Online at July 23, 2023
TRADITION’s Summer 2023 issue is on its way to subscribers. It features a special cluster of essays commemorating the Yom Kippur War in advance of the upcoming 50th anniversary; J. David Bleich on “Above-Ground Burial”; Michael Shmidman on Isadore Twersky’s contribution to study of The Guide of the Perplexed; David Berger reviews new and problematic scholarship on Christian-Jewish Relations after Vatican II; and more…
July 20, 2023
Published by Tradition Online at July 20, 2023
In R. Benny Kalmanzon’s “Al Ma Avda haAretz” the recently retired Rosh Yeshiva of Otniel analyzes the aggadot in Gittin about the Second Temple’s destruction and makes an important contribution to the growing world of aggadic study. Yitzchak Blau’s Alt+SHIFT installment suggests the book will enhance one’s understanding and appreciation of these texts in advance of Tisha B’Av.
July 18, 2023
Published by Tradition Online at July 18, 2023
David Shatz offers an assessment of the significance of Mark Smilowitz’s recent essay, “The Lonely Man of Faith as Halakhic Philosophy” (Spring 2023), now open-access. Shatz says it aids our understanding of the surprising relationship between “Lonely Man” and “Halakhic Mind”—two works, written two decades apart, that initially appear distant, even contradictory, in both method and content.
July 16, 2023
Published by Jeffrey Saks at July 16, 2023
With the imminent arrival of our next issue (full of special content in advance of the Yom Kippur War 50 Years After), TRADITION's Winter 2023 volume has been made fully open access. This issue of our journal of Orthodox Jewish thought features a number of items that have been dominating conversation this season: essays on the origin and impact of the Talmud page layout, Jewish responsibility to strengthen democratic society and norms, questions about above-ground burial, a bundle of important book reviews, and more.
July 13, 2023
Published by Tradition Online at July 13, 2023
Chaim Strauchler discovers messages and questions about modern Shabbat teen culture in a new music video – this week in TRADITION Questions.
July 10, 2023
Published by Tradition Online at July 10, 2023
Yakov Yellin’s new book is ambitious because composing a code of business conduct is a challenging task no matter what particular value system stands behind it. He aims for an even larger goal because the topic of codes of conduct for Torah organizations is one that is little studied. As the Chief Compliance Officer for The Walt Disney Corporation, Yellin combined his experience and Torah scholarship to offer an important first step in a needed genre of Jewish business ethics, says Asher Meir in his review.