Julian Ungar-Sargon

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Theological Essays

Theological Essays by Dr. Julian Ungar-Sargon.​

NUM 10: 35-37

Inverted Nun's: The Space Between Calamities

jyungar June 23, 2024

Inverted Nun’s

If the Aron was the repository of both the new luchos and the broken luchos, the shards then what is being offered is the shattered souls and lives as well as the hope for a wholesome future.

It was precisely these verses that speak of the travelling Aron that were placed between the calamities to split them, as if to intentionally share with us the deepest Torah, that our avodah MUST include the calamities the shattered broken souls we were as well as what we must endure in the future as part of our service.

The presence of these verses is a comfort that the Aron, the Schechinah is with us in troubled times as much as good times, and we offer both the good the bd and the ugly on the altar of service.

The interjection of these verses out of place is just the opposite and fits with our sense of being out of place in this world and in these times.

Eldad and Medad whose geneology was suspect and who were too shamed to show up in the Sandedrin lottery continue to prophesy and according to the midrash chaseros ve yeseidos their prophesy was precisely the healing presence of the Aron for future generations to realize all is never lost, that the calamities besetting our people and ourselves individually are narratives surrounding the center location of the Ark of the covenant the Aron Bris that centers the hope and longing, the healing within the pain.

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Tzniut: A Re-Appraisal

jyungar June 6, 2024

Tzniut: A Re-Appraisal

A comprehensive look at a contentious topic relying on traditional sources alongside modern scholarship.

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Shabbat Hagadol 2024

jyungar April 21, 2024

Shabbat Hagadol 2024

Insights from Edgar Alan Poe, Rashi, Sforno, and the Hasidic masters, this essay is preparation for Passover 2024.

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Tzimtzum: A Review

jyungar February 25, 2024

Tzimtzum: A Review

Dedicated to the memory of my dear father Shlomo (Willy) ben Yehudah Ungar’s first yahrzeit.

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Dad's Tombstone Setting and Siyum

jyungar December 31, 2023

Dad’s Tombstone Setting and Siyum

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Mariupol and Warsaw Ghetto: Theodicy Then and Now

jyungar June 20, 2022

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?

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Gulgolta: Between Thought and Silence

jyungar June 2, 2022

Gulgota: 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.

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David's Punishment As a Window into the Torah

jyungar June 2, 2021

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.

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The 402 Bus Driver, Nora Alila

jyungar May 23, 2021

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.

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Obituary for Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks

jyungar November 8, 2020

Obituary for Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks

In this essay, Dr. Julian Ungar-Sargon eulogizes his old friend from childhood, Lord Rabbi Jonathan Sacks.

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Double-Edged Sword of Incense

jyungar April 17, 2020

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.

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Aliza and Sasha's Bris: Pesach 2020

jyungar April 17, 2020

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.

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Between Humility and Nihilism

jyungar March 22, 2020

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.

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Yartzheit Vort for MUM

jyungar March 3, 2020

Yartzheit Vort for MUM 01

Yartzheit Vort for MUM 02

In these two essays, Dr. Julian Ungar-Sargon teaches Torah in honor of his recently departed mother.

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Strung Between Orthodoxy and Heresy

jyungar February 12, 2020

Strung Between Orthodoxy and Heresy

In this essay, Dr. Julian Ungar-Sargon explores the complex role of apostates in the Jewish tradition.

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The Parable of the Snake Charmer

jyungar September 23, 2019

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.

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Letter Mysticism in the Me'Or Eynayim

jyungar August 4, 2019

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.

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Torah as Weapon in Fighting Evil: Antidote or Spice?

jyungar July 10, 2019

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.

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Revelation and Coercion: The Maharal's Radical Metaphor of Rape

jyungar June 14, 2019

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.

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The Lazy Artisan II: Mirroring the Divine

jyungar June 2, 2019

The Lazy Artisan: 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.

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Julian Ungar-Sargon

This is Julian Ungar-Sargon's personal website. It contains poems, essays, and podcasts for the spiritual seeker and interdisciplinary aficionado.​