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Eliezer Finkelman

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Jan 7, 2018, 8:40 PM

A Thought Experiment for Jewish Parents

Suppose you could give your children a magic pill that would guarantee that they would never depart from the Jewish commitments that you teach them. Why stop with children? Suppose the pill would guarantee the same for your grandchildren. Should...

Dec 8, 2017, 7:35 PM

Fairy Tales about recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel

Fairy tales about why the United States had not already recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, and why the Embassy is not already there. The Knesset meets in Jerusalem. The Prime Minister’s offices and residence are located in Jerusalem. ...

Nov 21, 2017, 12:07 AM

The Enlightenment in Islam Then and in Judaism Now

The journalist Christopher de Bellaigue just came out with a fascinating, if heavy, tome entitled The Islamic Enlightenment. The book’s subtitle describes its wide scope: The Struggle between Faith and Reason 1798 to Modern Times. As I have been...

Oct 15, 2017, 10:05 PM

Boundaries of Loyalty

Testimony against Fellow Jews: A Book Review Boundaries of Loyalty: Testimony against Fellow Jews in Non-Jewish Courts By Rabbi Saul J. Berman. Cambridge University Press: 2016. In second century Babylonia, a rabbinic leader, probably Rava, ruled that “If a Jew knows evidence...

Oct 3, 2017, 9:26 PM

Don’t Politicize the Massacre

Don’t Politicize the Massacre “Don’t politicize the massacre,” they said. “Not now. It is too soon.” Actually, they meant not ever. Because this massacre has no policy implications. If the perpetrator had been different, then the massacre could have policy implications. It the...

Jun 20, 2017, 12:18 AM

An Incident at the Train Station in Bet Shemesh

The train station at Bet Shemesh is built into a hillside. You take the stairs, or a ramp, a long way down from the street to the front door of the station. After you have gone through security and...

Apr 7, 2017, 6:11 PM

Atheists at prayer

Atheists and others. Somewhere on the internet I came across a fascinating insight into prayer written by a self-identified atheist. He explained that for years he had felt ashamed by those moments that he spent in prayer. Confronted by a...

Apr 4, 2017, 9:45 PM

Rabbi Moshe Feinstein (of blessed memory) opened the introduction to his collected responsa, Iggrot Moshe, by apologizing for publishing his decisions in Jewish Law. After all, the Talmud records the claim that an unqualified student who issues decisions in...

Apr 3, 2017, 6:39 AM

Something about Leadership

We do not speak the vernacular of sacrifices. In ancient times, when nearly every society had a rich tradition of sacrifices, I think people had a comfortable understanding of the meaning of each kind of sacrifice. Now, even great...

Mar 10, 2017, 6:48 AM

More about Analyzing a Rabbinic Quip

On the other hand . . . I know I am up to the third hand, but bear with me. On another paw: when I read what I have just written about analyzing a rabbinic quip, I felt like the...

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About Me

Louis Finkelman teaches Literature and Writing at Lawrence Technological University in Southfield, Michigan. He serves as half of the rabbinic team at Congregation Or Chadash in Oak Park, Michigan.