Jewish Thought

Kidneys and Kindness Devora Steinmetz, Jewish Week. Why one woman chose to donate a kidney to a stranger—and what she makes of the fact that her decision is an unusual one.

A Heretic in the Truth Zachary Micah Gartenberg, Jewish Review of Books. Spinoza takes Maimonides' characterization of miracles as divinely implanted—but still natural—anomalies in the regular course of things. Then Spinoza adds a twist.

Judaism's Sexual Revolution Dennis Prager, Crisis. When Judaism demanded that all sexual activity be channeled into heterosexual marriage, it changed the world—and made Western civilization possible. (1993)

Homosexuality and Halakhah Michael Gold, MyJewishLearning. What do traditional Jewish sources actually say about homosexuality?

Judaism as Protest Movement Tomer Persico, 7 Minim. From Abraham to Korah's ill-fated faction to the beseeching prophets and doubting sages, Jewish tradition has always fostered protesters and protests—not least against God Himself.

1948: Palestine Betrayed Efraim Karsh, Elliot Jager, Jewish Ideas Daily. Zionist Jews were not interlopers in Palestine. The creation of the Jewish state was not an "original sin" foisted upon the Arab world. The tragic flight of the Palestinian refugees was overwhelmingly not the fault of the Zionists. To the contrary, at every momentous junction the Zionists opted for compromise and peace, the Arabs for intransigence and belligerency.  This, in summary, is how most people once understood the Arab-Israel conflict. Today, however, as Israel marks its Independence Day, an entire generation has come to maturity believing a diametrically opposite "narrative" . . . 

Breaking up Monopolies Reuters. Israel just passed legislation that, over time, may dramatically reduce the cost of living by increasing competition. And nobody noticed.

The Practice of Musar Geoffrey Claussen, Conservative Judaism. The Conservative movement likes to see itself as intellectual one. But it might have something to learn from a 19th-century movement of strenuous moral development.

On the Roots of Israel's Culture Wars Menachem Mautner, Haaretz. The ongoing conflict between religious and secular worldviews expresses itself in competing visions of Israel's system of law. (Interview by David Green)

The Eternal Return Lazar Berman, Uri Sadot, Commentary. The relationship between the United States and Israel is fracturing. The president is pressuring the Jewish state to make painful concessions in return for vague agreements.  Israeli leaders worry that the support of a formerly reliable constituency—American Jews—is slipping away.The year is 1975.