Unscrolled: Presence and Absence
September 30, 2021
Let me tell you two stories about the beginning of the world.
Matthew Schultz
Matthew Schultz is the author of the essay collection “What Came Before” (2020). He is a rabbinical student at Hebrew College in Newton, Massachusetts.
Unscrolled V’Zot Ha’Berachah: Somewhere Over the Rainbow
September 24, 2021
After all we have gone through—the revelations and the rebellions, the miracles and the massacres, the divinity and danger—the text refuses to bring us over the finish line.
Unscrolled: From Prophet to Poet
September 17, 2021
In Parashat Haazinu, we see that Moses’ work is not yet finished.
Unscrolled Vayeilech: Open, Closed, Open
September 10, 2021
This is the message of Deuteronomy: You will stray, but the path back will always be there for you. Moreover, straying and returning are both parts of your destiny.
Why the Law?
September 8, 2021
Law in Judaism evolves with time. This is true for all forms of Judaism, even Orthodoxy.
Unscrolled Nitzavim: A Communal Praxis
September 3, 2021
What is the Law? What do we know of its true nature? In what ways does it act upon us, restricting or sanctioning our actions?
Unscrolled: Ki Tavo, A Pretty Thought
August 26, 2021
The idea that our thoughts shape reality is an extremely popular one. While this might seem harmless, it’s not.
Tevilat Keilim: A Mitzvah of Ethical Consumption
August 20, 2021
Toveling (immersing) dishes is one of the stranger things I find myself doing as a late-in-life observant Jew.
Unscrolled Parashat Ki Teitzei: The Paradox of a Bird’s Nest
August 18, 2021
Parashat Ki Teitzei thrums with the impulse of compassion toward all of creation. For this reason, it is one of my favorite portions.
Unscrolled Shoftim: Chasing After Justice
August 11, 2021
Much has been made of the enigmatic doubling of the word “justice” in the passage, “Justice, justice, you shall pursue” (Deuteronomy 16:20).
[authorpage]