Torah

What South Park and Dante get wrong about the Hebrew Bible’s Hell - study

A new academic essay argues that the fiery underworld familiar from Dante, TV, and pop culture replaced the Hebrew Bible’s older, quieter idea of Sheol.

Dante and Virgil in the Second Circle of Hell, 1823. Found in the Collection of Thorvaldsens Museum, Copenhagen. Artist Koch, Joseph Anton (1768-1839).
Hillel was not asking for perfect emotion.

Love isn’t enough: Faith in humanity through the lens of the Torah

Israeli soldiers guard near stickers of victims killed in the October 7 massacre and ongoing Iron Swords War at the Bental water reservoir near Kibbutz Merom Golan, in the Golan Heights, October 7, 2025.

Israel must break free from the dangerous status quo - opinion

That mission is rooted in the fusion of the sacred and the everyday.

Parashat Acharei Mot-Kedoshim: The promise of permanence


Parashat Acharei Mot-Kedoshim: Love your neighbor as yourself

The days between Pesach and Shavuot invite reflection, as Rabbi Akiva teaches that loving others is central to receiving the Torah.

These are also days of great light.

Hodaya Cohen wins Israel's 78th Independence Day Bible World Quiz for Youth

The event was held at the Jerusalem Theater and recorded in advance due to the security situation, and gathered 16 outstanding young men and women from seven countries.

Hodaya Cohen and Akiva Schreier during the World Tanach Quiz 2026.

The Torah our children wrote - opinion

On the stickers lining our lampposts, our fallen soldiers left something ancient. A new Mishnah, written not in ink but in lives.

Small stickers on lampposts and bus stops, petrol stations and kitchen fridges, plastered on the walls of army bases and in bus depots.

Beyond the Headlines: Odelia’s thank you list - opinion

A weekly glimpse into the Israel you won’t read about in the news.

 Dov Landau at the wedding of his great-grandson.

This month in Jewish history: History, memory, destiny

A highly abridged monthly version of Dust & Stars.

AS AN astronomer, Ralbag influenced Copernicus.  Pictured: Nicolaus Copernicus Monument in his hometown of Torun, Poland.

Shabbat Rosh Hodesh: At the threshold of renewal

Shabbat Rosh Hodesh is an invitation to renew not only the month but also ourselves.

‘Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad with her, all who love her.’

Parashat Tazria-Metzora: Turning lemons into lemonade

These parashot deal at length with a unique phenomenon described in the Torah – tzara’at, which are marks or changes that appear on the walls of a house, on clothing, or on the body.

'Spirituality can grow without diminishing anyone,' says the writer.

Your Investments: Financial modesty

"When someone saves your life and gives you life, there’s gratitude, humility; there’s a time you’ve been so blessed you realize you’ve been given another chance at life..." - Pat Summerall

ANNOUNCER AND Dallas Cowboys great Pat Summerall on the sidelines during a Monday Night Football game in Irving, Texas, in 2005.

Parashat Shmini: Guarding a pure heart

The Hebrew word timtum means “blockage” or “dullness.” Forbidden foods can lead to this blockage – to emotional numbness and a diminished ability to perceive spiritual depth.

DAILY DIET: The Creator gave us clear guidelines.

Miriam’s beat: From Exodus to modern Israel, women reclaim rhythm and resilience

Pe’imat Miriam, a female percussive endeavor, revives an ancient rhythm to find a collective voice of hope – core to the biblical Passover narrative and to our spiritual well-being.

ZOHAR FRESCO: The work of acclaimed percussionist Zohar Fresco traces the roots of frame drumming back to ‘Miriam’s drum’ and its place in Jewish cultural memory