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Welcome to Daf Aleph, an educational resource on the fundamental topics in Judaism and Jewish philosophy. Covering both timeless subjects, conversations, and debates, as well as more modern and contemporary issues, Daf Aleph was created for anyone interested in learning more about a particular topic in Jewish thought. Founded after the recognition that no such easily-accessible online resource on matters of Jewish thought and machshavah exists, Daf Aleph aims to be just that — a website of Jewish thought for thoughtful Jews.

You can read more about the various Daf Aleph writers on the writers page, and subscribe via RSS or email, Twitter, or Facebook to the right.

If you have a question you’d like answered, or a topic you’d like to see covered, feel free to contact us for any reason, either via email or on Twitter. If you’re interested in writing for, or in some other way contributing to, Daf Aleph please do reach out as well.

Over the coming months we plan on building out our library, adding new topics, series, and essays as we go. We hope you'll join us.


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Daf Aleph Jewish thought for thoughtful Jews

Sep 6
Sep 6 Moshiach & The Messianic Era (Part 1): Introduction To The Fundamental Belief

R. Moshe Shure
Moshiach

Any discussion of the topic of Moshiach cannot take place without also discussing Olam HaBah, the World to Come. Indeed, amongst the various commentaries there is much discussion on these two future time periods and what they might look like...

Sep 2
Sep 2 Parshas Re’eh: When To Destroy A City

Avi Borgen
Parsha

The Gemara in Sanhedrin (71a) records the possibility that an ir ha’nidachas, an idolatrous city required to be destroyed, never existed in the past, and never will exist in the future...

Aug 26
Aug 26 Parshas Eikev: What It Truly Means To Settle The Land Of Israel

Devir Kahan
Parsha, Israel

As the Jewish people slowly begin their preparation to enter and conquer the land of Israel, Moshe informs them that, of course, God will be there to help along the way...

Aug 19
Aug 19 Parshas Va'eschanan: We Are Not God’s Editors

Devir Kahan
Parsha

In this week’s parsha we are given the following commandment...

Aug 12
Aug 12 Parshas Devarim: A Different Leader

Devir Kahan
Parsha

With Parshas Devarim we begin the fifth and final book of the chumash. In this final book we read Moshe’s farewell speech, as it were, to the Jewish people...

Aug 5
Aug 5 Parshas Masay: A Distancing From The Dark Past & A Journey Towards The Bright Future

Devir Kahan
Parsha

In Parshas Masay the Torah lists the various points at which the Jewish people stopped during their wanderings in the desert. The Torah introduces this list of locations as follows...

Aug 5
Aug 5 Parshas Matos: Keeping The Main Thing The Main Thing

Devir Kahan
Parsha

As the Jewish people prepare to enter the land of Israel the tribes of Gad and Reuvein inform Moshe of their future building plans...

Jul 29
Jul 29 Parshas Pinchas: That Which Is Exciting & Rare

Devir Kahan
Parsha

After the opening events of this week’s parsha, Moshe requests of God to appoint the next leader over the Jewish people...

Jul 25
Jul 25 Gematria: It’s Not Numerology

Eliezer Berger
Machshavah

The only thing I can claim to know about numerology is how strange it is...

Jul 22
Jul 22 Parshas Balak: The Fair Tents Of Yaakov

Devir Kahan
Parsha

After two failed attempts at cursing the Jewish people, Bilaam tries a third time...

Jul 20
Jul 20 Ta’amei Ha’Mitzvos (Conclusion): A Reason; Not The Reason

Devir Kahan
Ta'amei Ha'Mitzvos

As we have seen, the major authorities of Jewish tradition lay out the proper approach towards ta’amei ha’mitzvos...

Jul 18
Jul 18 Halacha And Kabbalah (Part 4): When Kabbalah Supersedes The Traditional Halacha

R. Moshe Shure
HalachaKabbalah

It would seem appropriate that the actual kabbalistic texts be subdivided into categories based on who wrote them. For it is quite certain, for instance, that a quote from the Zohar, which we consider a part of Chazal, can’t be equated to a quote from the writings of the Arizal...

Jul 15
Jul 15 Parshas Chukas: The Snake Above

Avi Borgen
Parsha

In this week’s parsha the Jews complain yet again. Incredulously, the nation protests that they have no bread or water. So, as punishment for this complaint, God sends a plague of snakes that bite and kill many of them...

Jul 14
Jul 14 Ta’amei Ha’Mitzvos (Part 5): “Whoever Says” In The Formal State Of Prayer

Devir Kahan
Ta'amei Ha'Mitzvos

After having explained the opinions of Rambam and Ramban on the general topic of ta’amei ha’mitzvos, we now return to the original (seemingly troubling) Gemara with which we began this series...

Jul 12
Jul 12 Halacha And Kabbalah (Part 3): Acceptance Of Kabbalah Within Halacha

R. Moshe Shure
HalachaKabbalah

Given our earlier introductions we can now further elaborate on how the poskim view the kabbalistic literature against the classic halachic literature...

Jul 11
Jul 11 6 Things You Might Not Know About Torah

Eliezer Berger
Machshavah

I’m not very good at being “yeshivish” or “modern”. Let me now attempt to argue a point to bridge these associations that I don’t particularly relate to...

Jul 8
Jul 8 Parshas Korach: Aharon’s Silence In The Face Of Dispute

Avi Borgen
Parsha

In this week’s parsha comes the latest in a series of complaints from the Jewish people against Moshe and his leadership. Korach rallies the nation behind him, attacking the priestly status of Aharon...

 

Jul 6
Jul 6 Ta’amei Ha’Mitzvos (Part 4): Ramban’s Position On The Matter

Devir Kahan
Ta'amei Ha'Mitzvos

Having clarified Rambam’s position on the subject, we now turn our attention to Ramban, the other major source on the topic of ta’amei ha’mitzvos...

Jul 5
Jul 5 Halacha And Kabbalah (Part 2): Dating, Authorship, & Acceptance Of The Zohar

R. Moshe Shure
HalachaKabbalah

In the previous piece we discussed the basic halachic process. Based on that we can now try to understand how this relates to kabbalah, and how it can or should influence halacha...

Jul 1
Jul 1 Parshas Shelach: You’re Not Going To The Land Of Israel

Devir Kahan
Parsha

The meraglim return from their exploration of the land of Israel with rather slanderous things to say about it...

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