Abstract This article examines the relationship between chapters 7–9 of Mishnah Sotah and the main section of the tractate (chapters 1–6). Through analysis of the structure, sources, and editing of these chapters, it demonstrates that their inclusion was not merely due to an incidental connection but reflects a deliberate editorial decision to highlight parallels between the sotah ritual and the egla arufa (broken-necked heifer) ceremony. The article contributes to our understanding of the principles guiding the editing of the Mishnah.
Abstract The ascension of prophet Elijah to heaven, as recounted in the book of Kings, is usually understood to mean that he did not die and is immortal. Malachi 3:23-24, which announces Elijah’s future return as forerunner of the messiah, considerably contributed to the mysterious mythology of Elijah. This notion appears frequently in Jewish tradition and appears in various references in Jewish literature, liturgy, ritual, and folklore.
Abstract Early rabbinic texts offer differing enumerations of the “Noahide Laws,” laws theoretically to govern Gentile behavior. Some texts list six laws, others seven; some derive these laws from God’s first command to Adam while others derive them from God’s commands to Noah in the wake of the Deluge. The question that animates the present discussion is one of the legal imagination: why did the rabbis want Gentiles to have Noahide law, ostensibly a series of divinely given commandments to adjudicate their behavior? This article analyzes passages from the Tosefta, Genesis Rabbah, and the Babylonian Talmud to demonstrate how each text presents its own understanding of the function of commandments for Gentiles. This creates new and varied understandings of how the early rabbis perceived the potential for a divine-human relationship between Gentiles and the God of Israel.
Abstract The issue of preparing writs of authorization ( harsha’ot ) to grant a bill of divorce ( ge t) first entered halakhic discourse in the State of Israel after the War of Independence (1948–1949), when Israel Defense Force ( IDF ) Chief Rabbi Shlomo Goren publicly opposed the practice. His position should be understood as a reaction to his traumatic experiences during the War of Independence and as part of his power struggle with the Ashkenazic Chief Rabbi of Israel, Yitzhak Herzog, over the halakhic authority of the IDF rabbinate. During the Swords of Iron War (2023–2024), military rabbis adopted the position of Rabbi Goren in full but allowed for deviations in cases in which the desire to write a harsha’ah was perceived as part of the soldier’s halakhic obligation to his wife. Some rabbis, notably, dealt with these requests on an emotional rather than halakhic level.
Abstract This article examines the role of The Guide of the Perplexed in the halakhic responsa of Rabbi Yosef Rosen. These responsa, written in the context of major historical events, formed part of some of the most intense public debates and personal controversies in which Rosen played a central role. An analysis of how Rosen incorporated the Guide into responsa dealing with both communal issues and personal disputes sheds light on his willingness to validate the unusual move of integrating Maimonides’ philosophical work into the halakhic sphere. By comparing different versions of the same responsa, the article identifies the degree to which Rosen legitimated such integration. In doing so, it contributes to broader discussions of the relationship between philosophy and halakhah in modern rabbinic thought.
