Nathan Lopes Cardozo
ARTICLES BY: Nathan Lopes Cardozo
Purim and the Challenge of the Holocaust
In the midrash on Mishlei, we read the following: All of the festivals will be nullified in the future [the messianic age], but Purim will never be...
Toys — and the Torah — Require Questions and Imagination
One of the most unique talents that human beings are blessed with is the faculty of imagination. Unlike any other creature, humans have nearly unlimited potential...
The Disgrace of Israel’s Chief Rabbinate
The Israeli Chief Rabbinate and some of our halachic authorities seem to have taken a path that results in causing people great pain and suffering, thereby...
The Unknowable, Loving and Aggravating God
Jewish Tradition forbids the pronunciation of the four-letter name of God. This name, rooted in the Hebrew word for “being,” consists of the Hebrew letters...
Rabbinical Tyranny and Freedom of Thought
In the last few years, more and more books and essays written by well-respected Torah teachers have been condemned as heresy by some influential -- mainly...
Calling for Religious Unity Only Leads to Division
In our day, the word “tolerance” has become very popular, as have words such as “pluralism,” “democracy” and “unity.” These terms are used so often...
Syria and the Scandal of Our Orthodox Synagogues
“Lord of the Universe, I beg You to redeem Israel; but if You do not want to do that, then I beg You to redeem...
The Torture of Being a Righteous Man
When looking at the lives of the Avot -- the three forefathers of the people of Israel -- it is remarkable to note that not one of them was...
Hanukkah and Divine Emanations
History -- the study of cause and effect in the annals of humankind -- has been a serious challenge for honest historians. In many ways, interpreting history is conjecture....
The Abuse of Halacha, Part II
In my last essay, I questioned why so many highly unfortunate things have been done in the name of Jewish law – all in direct violation...
The Abuse of Halacha: Keeping Religious Law Under Control
Judaism is in trouble. More and more unacceptable things are being done and said in its name. Aside from causing infinite damage to Judaism’s great message, these...
Why All People Need a Shabbat
It is well known that the institution of Shabbat is one of the best inventions God ever came up with. It no doubt qualifies Him...
Boredom — in Judaism and Elsewhere — Can Spark the Flames of Renewal
“Man is the only animal that can be bored.” -- Erich Fromm, The Sane Society. Psychologists tell us that one of man’s greatest enemies today is boredom. Sometimes -- when...
Seeing the Torah Through New Eyes Each Year
For hundreds of years, Jews have followed the custom of completing the yearly Torah reading on Simchat Torah, only to immediately begin all over again. Why...
