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The Purpose of Ritual
Aug 21, 2015 By Richard Kalmin | Commentary | Shofetim
Deuteronomy 21:1-9 describes the ritual performed when a murder victim is discovered in the open field and the perpetrator is unknown. The elders of the city closest to the body ask God to absolve Israel from bloodguilt by accepting, in place of the murderer, a heifer killed as expiation for the crime. This ritual serves as the backdrop of the Tosefta’s chilling story about the Temple in Jerusalem.
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Migrating Tales: The Talmud’s Narratives and Their Historical Context
Jan 22, 2015 By Richard Kalmin | Public Event audio
How do Talmudic narratives reflect the commonalities among Jewish, Roman, Christian, and Pagan Traditions?
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Who’s the Hero and Who’s the Villain?
Oct 10, 2012 By Richard Kalmin | Commentary | Bereishit
To state things up front, my claim is that Adam and Eve did not just undergo a fall, but also a significant rise; to make that claim, I’m going to argue that two of the main characters, the snake and God, have often been misunderstood. The snake has gotten a bum rap, and God has usually gotten off much too easily.
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