Tag Archives: ritual

The Priestly Blessing is Weird and Most Impressive (Hertz Pentateuch)

Posted on August 2, 2019 by

As I continue to scroll through the Hertz Pentateuch in search of wayward things and other points of interest that tell us something about the HP and its time and place, I found this odd and unexpected thing. It’s his … Continue reading →

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Jewish Ethics & the Hertz Pentateuch

Posted on May 20, 2019 by

You know he was going to make a big deal of the so-called Holiness Code (Leviticus 17-22) and there he was. The Hertz Pentateuch tags chapter 19 as “A Manual of Moral Instruction.” These chapters are for Hertz more than … Continue reading →

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(Leviticus) Right Action Right Thought (Hertz Pentateuch)

Posted on March 23, 2019 by

So far, not so much to say about the commentary to Leviticus in the classical Hertz Pentateuch & Haftorahs (1936), but there was a little and illuminating note in the introduction. On the one hand, Hertz argues that the intent … Continue reading →

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(Tabernacle) Jewish Art is Jewish Feminist Philosophy (Exodus 35-36)

Posted on March 3, 2019 by

When art is the subject, and art and Judaism, it’s time to retire the Second Commandment and the Golden Calf. Look instead to the concluding chapters of the book of Exodus for a theory of Jewish Art. The first thing … Continue reading →

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(What Are These Things) Material Judaism & Priestly Religion (Sarah Kayla Jacobs)

Posted on February 17, 2019 by

Yesterday at Ansche Chesed, Sarah Kaya Jacobs gave these words about some of the most arcane material in the Hebrew Bible: matters relating to the Tabernacle cult and the vestments of the High Priest, in particular. The material appears in … Continue reading →

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A Yom Kippur Primer (Liturgical Highlights)

Posted on September 23, 2018 by

A dear friend and close colleague of some twenty years in the Department of Religion, not Jewish, asked about Yom Kippur. Just what is Yom Kippur and what exactly does one do all day, assuming of course that one is … Continue reading →

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Caffeine Suppositories (Yom Kippur)

Posted on September 20, 2018 by

After excruciating headaches this Yom Kippur, I appreciate that this definitely seems to be a thing. From the Forward, you  can read the article here about the use of caffeine suppositories to ease the horrible effects of withdrawal on the … Continue reading →

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