A comprehensive look at a contentious topic relying on traditional sources alongside modern scholarship.
Shabbat Hagadol 2024
Insights from Edgar Alan Poe, Rashi, Sforno, and the Hasidic masters, this essay is preparation for Passover 2024.
Tzimtzum: A Review
Dedicated to the memory of my dear father Shlomo (Willy) ben Yehudah Ungar’s first yahrzeit.
Dad's Tombstone Setting and Siyum
Mariupol and Warsaw Ghetto: Theodicy Then and Now
Mariupol and Warsaw Ghetto: Theodicy Then and Now
Underlying assumptions:
1.Despite history Am Yisrael remains in a covenant with the divine
2.Are there times when the suffering of exile is so profound that this covenant is called into question (hester Panim)?
3.Is man’s inhumanity to man of God’s concern(hashgachah protis)?
4.What is our role when seeing such disaster as the Chosen People?
Gulgolta: Between Thought and Silence
In this essay, Dr. Julian Ungar-Sargon explores the space between thoughts as a matrix of sorts, comparing it to the interstellar medium that contains all the material needed to make stars and planets. He also delves into the spiritual significance of the skull and the oral tradition in Judaism, and concludes that the space between repeated words in the Torah is where exegesis occurs, and where we breathe between the stars.
David's Punishment As a Window into the Torah
In this essay, Dr. Julian Ungar-Sargon discusses how in the Jewish tradition, the Torah is referred to as a "song," as it stirs the heart and awakens an inner sensitivity to the divine nature of Torah.
The 402 Bus Driver, Nora Alila
In this essay, Dr. Julian Ungar-Sargon misses a bus and discusses midrashic commentaries on the Judah and Tamar story in Genesis, the Leshem's interpretation of faith and suffering, and the idea of Nora Alilut. He touches on the tension between the midrashic impulse and Kabbalah's interpretation of divine judgment.
Obituary for Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks
In this essay, Dr. Julian Ungar-Sargon eulogizes his old friend from childhood, Lord Rabbi Jonathan Sacks.
Double-Edged Sword of Incense
In this essay, Dr. Julian Ungar-Sargon discusses the ketoret (incense) offering in the Temple and looks at how it was brought not for atonement but for joy.
Aliza and Sasha's Bris: Pesach 2020
This is the Torah that Dr. Julian Ungar-Sargon shared on the occasion of the bris of his grandson, Shimon Emanuel.
Between Humility and Nihilism
In this essay, Dr. Julian Ungar-Sargon discusses the use of the term "kivyachol" in Jewish literature, which means "as if" and is used to describe anthropomorphic language. He highlights the importance of love, desire, and longing in the service of the divine, rather than logic and reason.
Yartzheit Vort for MUM
In these two essays, Dr. Julian Ungar-Sargon teaches Torah in honor of his recently departed mother.
Strung Between Orthodoxy and Heresy
In this essay, Dr. Julian Ungar-Sargon explores the complex role of apostates in the Jewish tradition.
The Parable of the Snake Charmer
In this essay, Dr. Julian Ungar-Sargon discusses how the parable of the snake charmer is used to illustrate the power of the yetzer and the importance of faith. He raises questions about the divine-human relationship and the subversion of the biblical text by the Midrashic imagination.
Letter Mysticism in the Me'Or Eynayim
In this essay, Dr. Julian Ungar-Sargon discusses the work of Rabbi Chayim Mi’Volozhyn and his views on Chassidim, as well as analyzing two verses from Parshas Bereishis and Parshas Chayei Sarah.
Torah as Weapon in Fighting Evil: Antidote or Spice?
In this essay, Dr. Julian Ungar-Sargon discusses the concept of the primordial mashal and its relationship to the Torah.
Revelation and Coercion: The Maharal's Radical Metaphor of Rape
In this essay, Dr. Julian Ungar-Sargon discusses a radical metaphor put forth by the Maharal of Prague.
The Lazy Artisan II: Mirroring the Divine
In this essay, Dr. Julian Ungar-Sargon examines the power of simplicity and mirrors to reflect reality, and the importance of purity of vision to see with the clarity of the divine.
Creation and Disappointment
In this essay, Dr. Julian Ungar-Sargon discusses two parables that differ in their views on whether Israel or Torah is the purpose of creation.