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The Day Is Short, but Our Story Is Long

Mar 14, 2025 By Yael Landman | Commentary | Ki Tissa | Purim

Within the book of Exodus, certain details link the golden calf story with the account of revelation at Sinai. Mount Sinai is the site of the Israelites forming a covenant with God, but it is also the site of them violating that covenant. It鈥檚 where God tells Moses to go up and receive the stone tablets, and where Moses carries down those tablets before he witnesses the Israelites partying and hurls the tablets to the ground. The word kol (which we might translate 鈥渟ound,鈥� 鈥渘oise,鈥� or 鈥渢hunder鈥�) recurs in the context of God鈥檚 revelation, only to recur in the account of the golden calf with respect to the Israelites鈥� ill-advised festivities. In these ways, the golden calf story is inextricably connected to the initial moment of revelation and lawgiving at Sinai, even as it threatens to destroy that covenantal foundation.

Tamar, Our Mother

Dec 8, 2023 By Yael Landman | Commentary | Vayeshev

Parashat Vayeshev begins the story of Joseph, Jacob鈥檚 favorite son. But just after this narrative kicks off, the text veers for the length of a chapter into the story of another of Jacob鈥檚 sons, Judah, as well as Judah鈥檚 three sons and his daughter-in-law Tamar. Just as the Joseph story is foundational for the broader narrative of B鈥檔ei Yisrael鈥攖he children of Jacob who become the Israelites鈥攖he story of Judah and Tamar is foundational as well.

Be My Galentine? Female Friendship in the Hebrew Bible

Nov 6, 2023 By Yael Landman | Public Event video | Video Lecture

From Lucy and Ethel to Thelma and Louise, female friendships have captivated consumers of modern media. Yet if we look to the Hebrew Bible, examples of female friends seem few and far between. This session explores female friendship in the Hebrew Bible by examining relationships (or lack thereof) between biblical women such as Ruth and Naomi, the anonymous daughter of Jephthah and her friends, and Deborah and Yael.

鈥淧erhaps They Will Listen鈥�: Prophets and the Art of Persuasion

Jun 5, 2023 By Yael Landman | Public Event video | Video Lecture

While the biblical prophets wore many hats鈥攄efense attorney, miracle worker, leader, and commander-in-chief, among others鈥攐ne role of the prophets was to persuade their audiences. These audiences are often portrayed as uninterested in the prophets鈥� words, or even violently opposed to them. In the face of resistance, the prophets deploy numerous rhetorical strategies in order to convince their audiences to listen to them; many of these strategies, which we explore in this session, are the same devices that make biblical prophecies works of art that continue to strike a chord with readers today.

Why Does the Torah Care About Returning Lost Property?

Feb 17, 2023 By Yael Landman | Commentary | Mishpatim | Shabbat Shekalim

There is no obligation in the common law to retrieve someone鈥檚 lost property and return it. So why does the Torah make a point of establishing such a requirement? Why does the Torah specify that the owner of the lost animal is the finder鈥檚 enemy, and what is the scope of the finder鈥檚 responsibilities?

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