Then and Now
This was the purpose of the forced labor (devar ha-mas) which Solomon imposed: It was to bild the House of the Lord, his own palace, the Millo, and the wall of Jerusalem… (1 Kings 9:15) According to the Bible, Solomon depended on this forced labor … [Continue reading] about Our Taxing Forefathers
There comes a time most afternoons when I run out of steam. Tired and bored or frustrated, I have to get away from what I've been working on all day, my "real work". This often happens, as it is now, around 3:30-4 PM. My bus, however, doesn’t come … [Continue reading] about The Joy of Being Wrong
I am now on sabbatical and have been working recently in the Judaic Studies Reading Room at the Jewish and National University Library at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. The room could use some renovating and it gets a little crowded and stuffy, but … [Continue reading] about Humanists and Books
When I was a teenager I discovered the existence of Rashi, the famous medieval Jewish commentator on the Bible (among other books). Lacking the Hebrew skills necessary to read him, I acquired the only English translation I could find, an edition of … [Continue reading] about Word by Word…
The other day I travelled from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv. I sp’end most of the day at Tel Aviv University meeting with colleagues, researching, and getting organized for the fall semester that I will spend as part of this intellectual community … [Continue reading] about Between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv