Walter Benjamin, in his essay “Critique of Violence,” discuses the idea of divine biblical justice. Benjamin points out that in the Bible everyone gets what he or she deserves (though it does not seem so commensurate to us; even Job gets paid back for all his suffering). “An eye for an eye” works with a…

If there is one thing this war has taught Israelis, it’s that without America they are nothing. Could things change? Could America grow weary of Israel? Perhaps. But as of now America is Israel’s chief supporter. America has single-handedly protected (some say protected too much) Israel from the ire of the world, allowing Israel to…

Judaism has always been a religion that focuses on, teaches, ritualizes the ability to tell the differences between things: the difference between Shabbat and the rest of the week; the difference between kosher and non-kosher food; the difference between shatnes (linen and wool mixtures) and other fabrics. The ability to distinguish differences is the beginning…

The violence in Israel continues to worsen, and now wide-scale evacuations of the North are finally under way as it appears Israel is preparing to enter Southern Lebanon in force. I pray for the well-being of the brave Israeli soldiers who go into enemy territory to defend their country, and for the Lebanese civilians who…

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