Category Archives: Marc B. Shapiro

The Clash Between Orthodox Judaism’s Theory & Practice

Posted on July 27, 2015 by Luke Ford

Comments on Changing the Immutable: How Orthodox Judaism Rewrites its History by Marc B. Shapiro (Oxford – Portland, OR: The Littman Library of Jewish Civilization, 2015). Bar Ilan professor Aryeh A. Frimer writes: But what I found particularly troubling with … Continue reading →

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Changing the Immutable: How Orthodox Judaism Rewrites Its History by Marc B. Shapiro II

Posted on May 15, 2015 by Luke Ford

I love this new book. Here are the spicy bits: * Aaron Wertheimer censored a passage in midrash “that discussed the sexual activity of the righteous in the world to come.” (Changing the Immutable, pg. 80) * The Conservative prayer … Continue reading →

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Changing the Immutable: How Orthodox Judaism Rewrites Its History by Marc B. Shapiro

Posted on May 11, 2015 by Luke Ford

I’ve been eagerly awaiting this book for years. Surely it is the most anticipated Jewish book of 2015. When I checked last week, it was the top-selling Judaism book on Amazon.com. Changing the Immutable does not disappoint. It is chock-filled … Continue reading →

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God, Torah & The Commandments

Posted on February 15, 2015 by Luke Ford

Historian Marc B. Shapiro writes: R. Kook argued that there is good reason to observe mitzvot even if one does not have a traditional view of the Torah’s authorship. On the one hand, there is nothing surprising in this. After … Continue reading →

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The Torah’s Position On Voyeurism

Posted on December 24, 2014 by Luke Ford

Marc B. Shapiro writes: “I am aware of only two times that a woman (other than one’s wife) can be seen without her clothes. One is the sotah, when her top is removed.[18] R. Judah states that if her breasts … Continue reading →

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