Sarah C. Rudolph, at The Blogs

Jan 27, 2022, 9:26 PM

Toward the beginning of Parshat Mishpatim, the Torah states quite clearly: “One who strikes a man and he dies, shall surely die” (Shemot 21:12). The verse is straightforward and makes the process seem simple, an easy formula: x happens,...

Sep 13, 2021, 7:27 AM

What can you learn in nine years?

I wonder how many teachers, outside of adult education, can say they taught the same students for nine years. Having been given that privilege, and having recently said goodbye to the two young ladies I got to learn with...

Jul 9, 2021, 10:51 AM

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Sometimes, it’s all in how you ask

'The army of the twelve tribes, with Moses, the Levites and the Tabernacle,' by Jan Luyken, 1700. Amsterdam Museum (public domain)

Miscommunication almost brought down the Jewish people before they even were the Jewish people (Matot/Masai)

Oct 16, 2020, 1:05 PM

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The speech of the serpent

Detail from Original Sin, Adam and Eve in The Garden Of Eden, late c. 19th. (Twitter)

Did snakes really used to speak? The challenge of understanding the seduction of Eve in the Garden of Eden

Sep 4, 2020, 2:19 PM

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A nation of treasure

If there's one day God's power over people is palpable, it's Yom Kippur, when we ask for mercy - and yet, the Torah suggests we're really equal partners (Ki Tavo)

Aug 6, 2020, 9:44 AM

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Was Canaan an improvement over Egypt?

Abraham and Lot separate, etching by Wenceslaus Hollar, 17th century, Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library, Toronto. (public domain, Wikipedia)

The People of Israel are invited to settle in a place known for uncertainty and difficulty, where rain is desperately needed but never assured

Jun 25, 2020, 8:27 PM

With online Jewish learning, the world is our oyster

As schools have wound down and people are reflecting on their varied experiences of distance learning, I’ve been thinking about my own early experiences teaching online. Almost eight years ago, full of passion for teaching Torah but without a local...

May 28, 2020, 7:25 PM

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Humanity needs balance to keep from being foolish

Setting oneself apart from the community to be literally 'holier than thou' carries a number of risks, not just to the individual, but to the community itself

Mar 6, 2020, 12:32 AM

Daf Yomi is trendy; what’s next?

Feb 21, 2020, 2:34 PM

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Everyone knows an ‘eye for an eye’ isn’t literal

Illustrative. Lady Justice and the books of law. (iStock)

The sages did away with the biblical tit-for-tat corporal punishment without argument; they only debated which of the many re-interpretations abolished it (Mishpatim)

About Me

Sarah Rudolph is a Jewish educator, a freelance writer and editor, and the director of TorahTutors.org. She has been sharing her passion for Jewish texts of all kinds for over 15 years, with students of all ages. Sarah's essays have been published in a variety of internet and print media, including Times of Israel, Kveller, Jewish Action, OU Life, Lehrhaus, Tradition, and more, and she serves as Editor-At-Large, Deracheha: womenandmitzvot.org. Sarah lives in Ohio with her husband and four children, but is privileged to learn online with students all over the world through WebYeshiva.org and TorahTutors.org.