Articles of Faith: Traditional Jewish Belief in the Internet Era by Rabbi Gil Student
RABBI GIL STUDENT IS A GROUNDBREAKING AND INNOVATIVE PIONEER OF TORAH AND THE INTERNET. CELEBRATE 20+ YEARS OF INTERNET-BASED SCHOLARSHIP, ANALYSIS, AND CONTROVERSY WITH ARTICLES OF FAITH.
Gil Student is the founder of Hirhurim-Torah Musings, an online forum bringing traditional texts and commentaries to bear on the most contentious religious issues of the day.
ARTICLES OF FAITH – TABLE OF CONTENTS
* The Story of Hirhurim-Torah Musings
* Introduction
SECTION ONE: BELIEF
* Chapter One: Fundamentals of Faith: Debating the Boundaries
* Chapter Two: Faith in the Postmodern World
* Chapter Three: Judaism and Other Religions
* Chapter Four: Judaism and the Stranger
SECTION TWO: TECHNOLOGY
* Chapter Five: Torah Authority in the Internet Age
* Chapter Six: In Defense of the Local Rabbi
* Chapter Seven: Artificial Intelligence and Halachah
SECTION THREE: COMMUNITY
* Chapter Eight: R. Hildesheimer’s Response to Ultra-Orthodoxy
* Chapter Nine: The Mechitzah Controversy
* Chapter Ten: The Controversy Over Women’s Rabbinic Ordination
SECTION FOUR: SACRED TEXTS
* Chapter Eleven: A Response to Biblical Criticism
* Chapter Twelve: The Talmud-Science Controversy
* Chapter Thirteen: Patriarchs and Commandments
* Chapter Fourteen: Citation of Non-Orthodox Scholars
SECTION FIVE: ISRAEL
* Chapter Fifteen: Forgiving a Terrorist
* Chapter Sixteen: The Religious-Zionism Debate
AFTERWORD
* Helping the Hashkafically Homeless
ABOUT ARTICLES OF FAITH
The Internet era is blessed with remarkable access to texts, as well as the free-flow of ideas at the speed of light. In this age of instant access, Rabbi Gil Student stands out as a pioneer in using the technology to create a community dedicated to meaningful and traditional study of Torah. His blog Hirhurim, now the online periodical Torah Musings, explores timely issues of faith and meaning in the contemporary world based on classical Jewish texts - including the sacred place of tradition in a world dominated by innovation.
Articles of Faithmarks the twentieth anniversary of Hirhurim-Torah Musings, with a history of the website and in-depth analyses of controversial topics of Jewish belief, bringing traditional texts and commentaries to bear on the most contentious religious issues of the day. Rabbi Student has been guided by the principle that even in an era where knowledge is democratized, we should still revere timeless truths and value traditional perspectives. He tackles issues like the binding nature of the thirteen principles of belief, faith in an age of doubt, the authority of the local rabbi in an age of instant answers, artificial intelligence in halachic decision-making, the response to the challenges of biblical criticism, and the role of Zionism in the Orthodox worldview. These extensive and in-depth articles show the strength and relevance of traditional Jewish belief in the Internet era.
RABBI GIL STUDENT is the Editor of TorahMusings.com, a leading website on Orthodox Jewish scholarly subjects, and Director of the Halacha Commission of the Rabbinical Alliance of America. He is also currently serving his third term on the Executive Committee of the Rabbinical Council of America. Rabbi Student writes popular columns on Jewish law and thought featured in newspapers and magazines.