June 24, 2025
Published by Tradition Online at June 24, 2025
If you were to shadow an Israeli Religious Zionist community Rabbi, what would you learn about the unique opportunities and challenges of being a religious and spiritual leader in Israel? In “Siha al ha-Sheila” (“Discussing the Question,” Maggid Books), Rabbi Ori Lifshits provides readers with a refreshingly honest depiction of his interactions with community members, along with a detailed description of how he answered the various halakhic questions that arose. Johnny Solomon reviews...
June 22, 2025
Published by Tradition Online at June 22, 2025
Yitzchak Blau’s recent review of Shai Held’s “Judaism Is About Love” (Spring 2025) gives Nathaniel Helfgot an opportunity to consider God’s attributes of jealousy and vengeance, how that can be squared with His essence as a God of mercy and compassion, and the challenge this presents us, tasked with imitating and following in His ways.
June 19, 2025
Published by Tradition Online at June 19, 2025
Can one make a siyyum on a single page from the Talmud? In our final installment of this season’s “Unpacking the Iggerot,” Moshe Kurtz analyzes R. Moshe Feinstein’s remarkably flexible approach to what can qualify for such a celebration and the values that informed his noteworthy responsum.
June 18, 2025
Published by Tradition Online at June 18, 2025
For the sixth year running, TRADITION will continue its tradition of turning to our esteemed editorial board for endorsements for summer reading. Some may be amused to think of a seaside read with the 29 tomes our team chose – but that’s what you get from TRADITION’s thought leaders—sometimes surprising suggestions, but always reading worthy of your attention. Win a subscription by being the first to predict the most titles which will appear this year.
June 18, 2025
Published by Tradition Online at June 18, 2025
The Tradition Podcast brings together Marc Herman and Ahron Adler to discuss aspects of their common work on Maimonides. Among other topics, they consider differences in approach to Maimonidean research carried out by academicians as opposed to a rabbinic educator who benefits from certain academic methods, and how Adler synthesized traditional “yeshiva style” learning with academic tools in his new book, reviewed by Herman recently in TRADITION.
June 16, 2025
Published by Tradition Online at June 16, 2025
The life of moral philosopher Alasdair MacIntyre, who passed away last month at age 96, constituted a roaming intellectual and spiritual journey. His critique of secular moral theories that had emerged out of the Enlightenment as abject failures should cause people of faith to pay attention to his writing. Daniel Rynhold observes that most Orthodox Jews have been exposed to MacIntyre through his profound impact on the thought and teachings of R. Jonathan Sacks—and encourages us to dig deeper into the source.
June 14, 2025
Published by Jeffrey Saks at June 14, 2025
As Israel ends Shabbat many are exiting their safe rooms and first starting to absorb the news of the past 24 hours. In my home in Efrat we entered the "mamad" with the sirens right at the moment of candle lighting on Friday, and have been in and out since. The anxiety of the moment draws our mind back to one of the most arresting posts TRADITION has published since October 7, 2023: this reflective essay by Israeli poet Bacol Serlui. Please read it with prayer for Israel and those standing in its defense. —Jeffrey Saks, Editor
June 12, 2025
Published by Tradition Online at June 12, 2025
Chaim Strauchler questions the non-materialist social effects of contemporary Yom Tov travel programs and their growing popularity.
June 9, 2025
Published by Tradition Online at June 9, 2025
Rachel Auerbach was a writer and journalist who worked for the Polish and Yiddish press in pre-war Poland when Emanuel Ringelblum, the chronicler-martyr of the Warsaw Ghetto, drafted her to the Oyneg Shabbos archival group, which heroically documented the Nazi oppression. In his review of Aurbach’s “The Jewish Revolt” David Bernstein profiles Auerbach as an inspiring, mission-driven woman.