Read Rabbi Cardozo’s eulogy for his wife Rabbanit Freyda Rachel Lopes Cardozo z”l
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.
In Jewish Thought and Philosophy and Parashat Chukat by Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo
The Red Heifer purifies others while defiling those who prepare it. This may reflect a deeper moral truth — that those who sustain society often absorb its impurity.
A Daring Midrash
In Jewish Thought and Philosophy, Moses, Theodicy and Parashat Vayeshev by Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo
“Hakol biyadey shamaim chutz meyirat shamaim — everything is from Heaven [determinism] except the fear of Heaven [freedom of will]” This is a profound tenet of Jewish belief. It is not that there are certain times when determinism operates, and other times when humans have free will. Rather, both principles function simultaneously: on one level, human beings seem to have the ability to choose; however, on a different level, all is predetermined.
In Jewish Thought and Philosophy and Parashat Balak by Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo
While the Israelites wandered in silence, convinced that God had abandoned them, their enemies were unknowingly blessing them under Divine compulsion. What does this hidden drama reveal about faith, paradox, and God’s presence in the darkest chapters of history?
The Red Heifer and the Ritual of Paradox
In Halacha, Heschel, Jewish Thought and Philosophy and Parashat Chukat by Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo
Ritual is of utmost importance because it is capable of touching the deepest corners of our hearts—parts of us that are beyond the reach of other influences. It bypasses cognitive resistance and imprints meaning on the soul.
In Education, Halacha and Jewish Thought and Philosophy by Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo
In this thought-provoking interview on the Philosophical Jew podcast, Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo, delves into the dynamic nature of Halakha and the importance of spiritual authenticity in modern Judaism. Drawing from his work Jewish Law as Rebellion, Rabbi Cardozo challenges us to view Torah not as a static legal code but as a living, breathing call to moral and spiritual revolution.
In Israel and Jewish Thought and Philosophy by Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo
Zionism will not hold if it is not deeply rooted in Judaism. But this Judaism must radiate grandeur. In exile, Judaism was strangled and reduced chiefly to the private domain. It could not prove its enormous potential as an all-compassing ethos that included all dimensions of human existence. It is the task of great teachers, Jewish thinkers and Halachic authorities to show the way back to this ethos.
In Jewish Thought and Philosophy by Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo
The biggest questions about life are unanswerable. Not one philosopher has ever given a satisfactory answer to these questions; neither has science or any other form of human knowledge. Logic and science tell us about the “what” and the “how” but not about the “why”. They fall flat when it comes to the “ultimate” questions. But if this is the case, why ask questions which are unanswerable?
About nine years ago, the 929 project was launched. Similar to (but much easier than) Daf Yomi, individuals study one chapter of Tanach a day five days a week, completing the entire cycle in 929 days (3.5 years). Those engaged in it are currently learning the Book of Job, which offers us wisdom in these trying times.
In Franz Rosenzweig, Heschel and Jewish Thought and Philosophy by Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo
With the terrible pogrom which took place in my hometown, Amsterdam, and the ongoing Anti-Semitism in Europe, the United States, and indeed worldwide, it is time to give proper attention to one of the great mistakes of modern Jewish history. This is the myth that if Jews would only “normalize” themselves, anti-Semitism would come to an end. This constantly repeated mantra has proven to be entirely wrong and in fact, dangerous.
In Jewish Thought and Philosophy by Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo
When I decided to study at the ultra-orthodox Gateshead Yeshiva, I learned that Judaism consists of a world view of tremendous depth, which is expressed in deeds and rituals that penetrate the deepest dimensions of the human being. I discovered Judaism in a different way than my fellow Yeshiva students did. They had grown up within Judaism, and thus were not able to see it from the outside as I did. They were so used to the splendor of Judaism that they were blinded by it and so no longer could they perceive it. At a later stage of my life, I myself fell victim to this same problem. I realized that I had lost my earlier fascination and had to start all over again. In this essay, Rabbi Pachter explains how I tried to do this.
In Jewish Thought and Philosophy by Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo
Rabbi Dr. Ido Pachter has provided an intriguing introduction to his Hebrew translation of my book: Jewish Law as Rebellion, A Plea for Religious Authenticity and Halachic Courage (Urim Publication, 2018). The book was published by Yediot Acharonot in May of this year under the title: ההלכה כמרד: קריה לדתיות מקורית והלכה נועזת I have translated Rav Pachter’s introduction into English, Part 1 of which is included here.
Imagine that civilization was going to be destroyed within five years, and that you were tasked with deciding what literary treasures to preserve? That is the background of the Tanakh that we have today. The Talmud records the bare bones of discussions where scholars fought for the inclusion of those writings that were dear to them, often against ferocious opposition from their colleagues. Amazingly, of all the possible things to include, the famous Rabbi Akiva chose a collection of bawdy wedding songs! What lay behind such an odd choice?