New Periodical: Tradition 42:3

New issue of Tradition 42:3 (Fall 2009) (link):

• The Teacher of Morality at Harwich Beach by R. Shalom Carmy - The lessons of Samuel Johnson's remarkable life and wisdom.


• Abarbanel: Commentator and Teacher Celebrating 500 Years of his Influence on Tanakh Study by R. Hayyim Angel - An overview of Abarbanel's contributions, styles and the mixed reception he receives today.


• When Torah and Science Collide by Prof. Nathan Aviezer - Response to various objections to reconciliations of Torah and science. Remarkably does not respond to the criticism in Dr. David Shatz's recent article in Tradition (link, this specific criticism is based on R. Natan Slifkin's writings) that Prof. Aviezer's doesn't work because he has issues with the sequence of events in the Torah.

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• A Note on the Flood Story in the Language of Man by Dr. Joel Wolowelsky - Explaining and defending the approach that the biblical flood story was intended as a response to pagan myths. No new ground is broken but the article is Important because it fleshes out the arguments.


• The Hetter Iska and American Courts by R. J. David Bleich - The background, mechanics and application of the Hetter Iska, a review of its treatment in US court cases, and a recommended change to its language.


• Book Review of Eliezer Goldman, Yahadut le-Lo Ashlaya [Judaism Without Illusion] by R. Jeffrey Saks - Surveyr of the life and thought of a Religious Zionist philosopher.


• The "New School" of Bible Study: An Exchange by R. Yaakov Beasley and R. Yaakov Blau - A fascinating replay of the Nechama Leibowitz-R. Yoel Bin Nun debate, with R. Blau taking Nechama's positions and R. Beasley taking R. Bin Nun's positions. I spoke about this in my Torah in Motion class two weeks ago (link).


• Special Supplement: Hair Covering and Jewish Law: Biblical and Objective or Rabbinic and Subjective? by R. Michael J. Broyde - You know the main points from his guest post a few weeks ago (link).