Monthly Archives: July 2012

Roof-Top (New York) (Rational)

Posted on July 31, 2012 by zjb

I really like these roof-top views of garden life from somewhere over the Upper West Side. The buildings on “fire” are across the Hudson in New Jersey at sunset. As per Rilke from somewhere in the Duino Elegies, Hiersein ist herrlich. … Continue reading →

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Posted on July 31, 2012 by zjb

Originally posted on The Talmud Blog:
One of the central interests of this blog is the relatively recent scholarly trend of ‘Reading the Talmud in Iran’ – that is, the practice of locating the Talmud in its Iranian context by…

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Romney in Israel (Conservative Money, Hollow Politics, and American Judaism)

Posted on July 30, 2012 by zjb

Poor Sarah Silverman. But she must have known it was always going to be Mitt Romney whom Sheldon Adelson was going to scissor. He and his millionaire friends bundled Mitt up and took him to Jerusalem where Romney proved once … Continue reading →

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I “Like” Tisha B’Av (Solidarity and Future Tense)

Posted on July 29, 2012 by zjb

Most liberal Jews either don’t know about or don’t like the Tisha B’Av fast, and they certainly don’t like the book of Lamentations, the reading of which marks the commemoration-fast. Spiritually and politically the whole thing would seem too claustrophobic, … Continue reading →

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I “Like” Lamentations (Tisha B’Av)

Posted on July 28, 2012 by zjb

(Ad Reinhardt with Black Paintings) I “like” the Book of Lamentations. It’s a grim little book. Maybe also because I read it as an “anti-theodicy.” I don’t think its point is to justify the ways of God. I think the book … Continue reading →

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Lines of Flight (Zohar)

Posted on July 27, 2012 by zjb

  (Sinisa Babic, Motion Graphics) I found this description of the revelation at Sinai and the “10 Commandments.” In Hebrew the commandments are referred to as assert ha divrot, or the 10 Utterances.  In the Zohar these ten words are … Continue reading →

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Fanatic (Israeli Settlements & Tisha B’Av)

Posted on July 26, 2012 by zjb

The NYT published today (Thursday) this opinion piece by Dani Dayan, chairman of the Yesha Council of Settlements in the West Bank –just in time for the upcoming Tisha B’Av fast Saturday night and Sunday. Tisha B’Av commemorates the destruction … Continue reading →

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Syria

Posted on July 26, 2012 by zjb

A best site for fine grained news about Syria is Syria Comment by Joshua Landis. He directs the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma. There’s nary a bit about Israel, at least no more than is … Continue reading →

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Musing (Genesis 1 Outer Space)

Posted on July 25, 2012 by zjb

I’m liking the mediations in the popular press between science, technology, and religion-spirituality. I found this at the Atlantic Magazine website a couple of weeks back. Its basic point is that “the scientific work of space exploration can’t escape religion.” … Continue reading →

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Synthetic (Silicon Reality Show)

Posted on July 25, 2012 by zjb

Chickens come home to roost. I read this article in the NYT about a reality show based in Silicon Valley. I can’t believe that this show is going to be any good, but I loved the self-righteous pique. “On behalf … Continue reading →

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