Miriam Gedwiser, at The Blogs

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Jul 2, 2021, 1:13 PM

How vigilante Pinchas brought peace

Zimri and Cozbi are slain by Phinehas (Mortier's Bible), 1700. (Wikipedia)

If the real goal is living in accord with God's will, then Pinchas needed to stop the Israelites’ slide away from the Divine

Oct 30, 2015, 3:15 PM

Could I Have Known That Thieves Would Come?

The people of Sodom were “exceedingly” wicked. What did that wickedness entail? The Talmud has many suggestions. I’ll focus here on one: Raba expounded: What is meant by the verse, “In the dark they dig through houses, which they had...

Jun 11, 2015, 12:33 PM

Kinda Blue: Tekhelet Edition

It was taught in a baraita, Rabbi Meir used to say, why is tekhelet singled out from all the colors? Because tekhelet is similar to the sea, and the sea is similar to the firmament, and the firmament is similar to the...

Nov 7, 2014, 11:22 PM

Slouching Toward Sodom

This week’s Torah portion includes the story of Sodom - the wicked city that God destroys with literal fire and brimstone. Although Abraham had argued against the city’s destruction if even ten righteous people could be found, we learn...

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About Me

Miriam Gedwiser teaches at the Drisha Institute for Jewish Education in New York City, where she lives with her spouse and three children.