The Morality of Sarah
$39.00
The Biblical account of Sarah’s treatment of Hagar is well-known. How do the classic commentators and other authorities understand her behavior? Is she to be criticized or vindicated? What moral defense can be offered for Sarah banishing Yishmael?
| Language | English |
|---|---|
| Paper Type | Research Paper |
| Pages | 16 |
Related Products
If Avraham was specifically
instructed to refrain from marrying a maidservant, how was he permitted to
marry Hagar? How could Avraham marry Hagar if Jews may not marry a first or second-generation
Egyptian convert? Was Hagar betrothed through a form of kiddushin or was
she considered a concubine? Was the marriage of Avraham and Hagar divinely
ordained?
Why
is Yosef referred to as HaTzadik? Didn’t he slander his brothers? A
new look at the saga of sibling rivalry and forgiveness.
The Torah’s account of the feud of Korach raises many questions. By saying, “I shall consume them in an instant” G-d seems to appear vengeful. Why was it necessary to demonstrate such staggering might? Why was it specifically the Ketores that was used to stem the spread of the plague after the demise of Korach?
The final battle of Moshe’s lifetime is known as the war with Midyan. Moshe conveyed the divine instruction to take the lives of all the male Midyanite minors. Can this paradigm be reconciled with modern-day norms of war?
(updated)
Dovid Hamelech remains one of the most famous yet most mysterious men in Jewish history. A king and a sage, a warrior and a poet, his accomplishments seem to be a cluster of contradictions. Study the life of one of Israel’s greatest kings, with an emphasis on the viewpoint of Chassidus.
The circumstances surrounding the birth of King David remain obscure. Legend has it that Nitzeves endured great personal sacrifice in mothering the Sweet Singer of Israel. How is this chapter in King David’s life understood through the lenses of Torah scholarship?
ההנחה הפשוטה היא כי שבירת הלוחות היתה תוצאה מרוגזו של משה על חטאם של ישראל. אלא שמבט נוסף במפרשי המקרא מגלה טעמים וממתקים נוספים על דבר כוונתו של רוען של ישראל. שבעים פנים לתורה.
The Biblical account of the destruction of Sedom raises many
questions. Amongst them: Why does the Torah imply that the angels defied G-d’s wishes by acting independently? Did Lot in fact direct his prayers to the angels? Was
his defense of the inhabitants of Tzoar that much better than Avraham’s
arguments to spare Sedom?
In 1903 professor Simon Newcomb argued that human flight was a “mathematical impossibility,” but that same year, the Wright Brothers successfully launched the first powered airplane.
Having your travel route shortened and arriving at your destination almost momentarily is known in Biblical terms as Kefitzas Ha-derech. It may be “naturally impossible,” but miracles do happen! From Avraham to the Baal Shem Tov, some of our greatest heroes experienced this firsthand.
Read this paper to explore this fantastic feat, its history and halachic ramifications. Have a safe trip!
(67 pages)
Submitted by a Shliach in Florida
Having survived the Great Flood, Noach was comforted by the sight of the dove clutching an olive leaf, the proverbial sign of peace.
What is unique about the olive leaf? What was the message it conveyed to Noach? What relevant lesson can be gleaned from this incident?
We know precious little about the wife of Yosef HaTzaddik, the woman who is said to be the daughter of Potiphar. Who was she and what happened to her? What role did she play in the story of Yosef and Potiphar’s wife? A profile on one of history’s mystery figures.
How could a father be so willing to kill his son? Did Avraham fail to ask for divine mercy for Yitschak? And why is Avraham, not Yitschak, the celebrated hero of Akeidat Yitschak?