Category Archives: Marc B. Shapiro

How Important Was R. Avigdor Miller?

Rabbi Avigdor Miller is the favorite contemporary rabbi of several friends of mine. I ask historian Marc B. Shapiro: “How important a rabbi was Avigdor Miller? Would you ever do a class on him?” Marc replies: “He was not important … Continue reading

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Issues of Dogma in Recent Orthodox Literature, Marc Shapiro

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Were The Vilna Gaon And The Chatam Sofer Rationalists?

In his fourth lecture on the Chatam Sofer for Torah in Motion, historian Marc B. Shapiro said: “The Rambam did not believe in amulets and the like. The Chatam Sofer would give out amulets. He was not a Lithuanian Torah … Continue reading

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Historian Marc B. Shapiro: “Luke Ford reports all of the ‘juicy’ quotes, and has been doing it for years.”

History professor Marc B. Shapiro emails FailedMessiah: The conversation in my class was not designed to be broadcast all over the world so people can join in and heap abuse on a great Torah sage (and I have to say … Continue reading

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Newsweek’s List Of America’s Top 50 Rabbis

Historian Marc B. Shapiro responded to my inquiry: “I am not sure what they mean by “important”. Is important the same as influential? They have many of the big ones, but are also missing some. How about the Satmar Rebbes, … Continue reading

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