Jewish Thought and Philosophy

To think Jewishly is to stand at the edge of certainty and still choose to believe, question, and seek. Jewish thought lives in the tension between faith and doubt, law and freedom, eternity and change.

  • Judaism Beyond the Commandments

    Interview with the Jewish Press - 25 May 2016

    In Jewish Thought and Philosophy by Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo

    The Beauty of the Jewish tradition is that it is not always precise and consistent," says Rabbi Dr. Nathan Lopes Cardozo. "And that is a very wise thing. You have to have flexibility, because life is not clear-cut or coherent. Moving here, moving there, you work out the different opinions somehow, and you let it be. As such Jewish Law and beliefs stay fresh and thriving. A musical symphony. But the moment we codify or dogmatize it all, we are basically destroying it”.

  • The Omer: Giving Birth

    In Jewish Thought and Philosophy and Sefirat HaOmer by Nechama Atlas Lopes Cardozo

    As a woman anticipates giving birth, so the people of Israel await the redemption. The labour pains start with ten plagues. Toward the end, the people are confined to their homes: "You shall not leave your houses until morning." They await the birth.

  • Blessed Are Those Who Eat Chametz!

    Just not on Pessah

    In Halacha, Jewish Thought and Philosophy and Passover by Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo

    Why is it prohibited to eat or to possess chametz (leaven) on Pessah? What is there in the nature of leaven that makes it forbidden, and why only on Pessah? The Talmud offers an insightful answer.

  • Open Think Tank meeting - March 2017

    Session 9: What is Yirat Shamayim?

    In Jewish Thought and Philosophy by Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo

    Last night, the DCA Think Tank members discussed the concept of “Yirat Shamayim”: what it means to them, what role it plays in their religious lives, and whether critical thinking and academic analysis affects it negatively. Tell us in the comments how you would answer these questions.

  • Spinoza and the Question of Orthodoxy

    Reply to a Jerusalem Rabbi

    In Education, Jewish Thought and Philosophy and Spinoza by Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo

    Should Judaism fear its heretics? The centuries-old ban on Spinoza raises a deeper question: is banning an admission of strength—or of insecurity? This essay challenges us to reconsider whether a confident tradition needs protection from ideas, or whether it should confront them head-on.

  • How Old Would You Be If You Didn’t Know Your Age?

    In Jewish Thought and Philosophy and Parashat Chayei Sarah by Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo

    Since its earliest days, Jewish Tradition has instilled in people a healthy anticipation for retirement. It has created in its followers an “early retirement plan” by giving them a taste of its joy while they are still young.

  • The Inescapable Obligation to Care For the Wicked

    In Jewish Thought and Philosophy by Yael Unterman

    If you were Abraham, would you have interceded for Sodom? Do you think that he was delighted at the existence of an entire city filled with evil as Sodom was? This man who the midrash describes as cursing the builders of the Tower of Babel for caring more for the loss of bricks than of human laborers? The answer is no, undoubtedly their behaviour nauseated him; yet still he tried to salvage it through the presence of ten righteous inhabitants.

  • In spite of Religion, God is still around

    In Jewish Thought and Philosophy and Parashat Terumah by Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo

    It is in those who are still uncomfortable with God that new insights about Him are formed. And it will be in those uneasy environments that Judaism will be rediscovered and developed. The need for religious transcendence, and for the spiritual thread that keeps many young people on their toes, is enormous. Numerous secular people are joining a new category of spiritual theologians. Matters of weltanschauung are pivotal to many secular Jews now. The problem is that for them, and for the religious, the Torah is transmitted on a wavelength that is out of range of their spiritual transistors’ frequency. Yes, we turn on the radio, but we hear strange noises and unusual static. There is serious transmission failure. We are no longer sure where the pipelines are. God has relocated.

  • Make Anti-Semitism a Source of Jewish Pride

    To the 5th Global Forum on Combating Anti-Semitism

    In Jewish Thought and Philosophy and Parashat Ki Tavo by Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo

    While we must help to combat anti-Semitism in every way possible, we should be aware that it is not a Jewish problem. Its solution will be possible only when the world makes peace with ethical Judaism. Only when Jews will be able to convince the world of the power of Jewish ethics, and will ensure that it is taught in every classroom, church and mosque is there a chance that anti-Semitism will slowly come to an end.

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