Rabbi Drew Kaplan’s Textual Insights
The appreciation a guest has for one’s host at a meal is to reciprocate in some way. While in contemporary…
Introduction: Appearances Wine appears in four statements in Avot – three dealing with wine as a vehicle for metaphors and one dealing…
Rabbi Yosef Karo, in his Set Table, writes straightforwardly (שלחן ערוך יורה דעה קלז:ד): כלים האסורים מחמת יין של עובד כוכבים…
There is a curious story in the Passover Haggadah that I wanted to explore: מַעֲשֶׂה בְּרַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר וְרַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ וְרַבִּי…
How did the early rabbis conceptualize sleep? Taking a look at the Mishnah, as one of the most significant pieces…
Over this recent Purim, I was curious to keep track of the drinking parties, since I knew there were multiple…
Introduction Rabbi Yehoshua, son of Levi, the mid-third century rabbinic leader,1 made two significant changes to the reading of the…
With Purim upon us this week and the attendant drinking that occurs, it’s fitting to wonder about the appropriateness of…
Recently, someone pointed out to me a curious drinking text related to Purim (Megillah 12a): והשתיה כדת – מאי כדת…
A rather curious text occurs featuring Abba Shaul discussing his experiences as someone who buried corpses (Niddah 24b): תניא אבא…