Category: Issue 8.2: Judaism and Other Faiths

Orthodox Perspectives on Interfaith Dialogue

Orthodox Perspectives on Interfaith Dialogue

“I am Joseph, your brother” (Bereishit 45:4). These are the words spoken by Pope John XXIII to an American delegation of Rabbis in October 1960, just one month after he instructed that a draft...

Editor’s Thoughts: The Battlefield of Belief

Editor’s Thoughts: The Battlefield of Belief

Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, who has given us the Torah of truth, planting everlasting life in our midst. Blessed are You, Giver of the Torah. -Blessing after Torah...

Revel and the Cross

Revel and the Cross

YU’s Thinkers of the Past: A Monthly Column This new monthly column will explore the thoughts and opinions of rabbis of YU’s past, especially as they pertain to the issue of the month. Our...

On the Role of Reason in the Ethical Thought of Aristotle and R. Saadia Ga’on

On the Role of Reason in the Ethical Thought of Aristotle and R. Saadia Ga’on

Left[1] to their own devices, most animals do what they want, when they want. When they’re hungry, they eat. When they’re thirsty, they drink.  When they’re aroused, they copulate. When they’re tired, they sleep....

“For They Worship Vanity and Emptiness”: An Attack on Christian Belief?

“For They Worship Vanity and Emptiness”: An Attack on Christian Belief?

The tefilah of Aleinu, (“It is our duty”)[i] that is said at the conclusion of the daily tefilot consists of two parts, “Aleinu” until “Ein Od,” and “Al Kein” until “U-shemo Ehad.” The first...

Learning from Other Nations: An Exploration of “UveHukoteihem Lo Teileikhu”

Learning from Other Nations: An Exploration of “UveHukoteihem Lo Teileikhu”

Ben[i] Zoma said, “Who is wise? He who learns from all people.” (Pirkei Avot 4:1). However, Leviticus 18:3 instructs, “You shall not perform the practices of the land of Egypt where you dwelt and...

Bilga and Synthesis: An Ancient Response to the Clash of Universalism and Particularism

Bilga and Synthesis: An Ancient Response to the Clash of Universalism and Particularism

Please enjoy this special Hanukkah article, and look out for our upcoming issue on Judaism and other faiths-arriving on the site and in newsstands soon! In October 2014, Jewish sociologist Alan Wolfe published a book...