John Zorn’s East Village apartment is like his music: an exceptionally-concentrated, perfectl- composed space celebrating the artistic experience. Thousands of records and tapes and CDs and books, well-ordered, each tug at the visitor’s elbow for attention. For many years, John Zorn — composer, performer, arranger, independent music distributor — has been a major voice in…
Under Jewish law one must protect oneself by injuring, instead of killing, a potential assailant, unless killing is the only option. One is also required to avoid any situation in which one’s life may be placed in danger. If George Zimmerman had abided by these simple principles, he should have chosen to avoid conflict and…
In last week’s column, I argued, in discussing the Hebrew word sefirah, that the kabbalistic doctrine of the 10 sefirot or emanations of the divinity was not a result of Christian influence. This week, going from the cosmic to the strictly linguistic, I’ve been led to the conclusion that a well-known rabbinical expression definitely was…
What is being described as the oldest Torah scroll known to exist has been discovered in the library of the University of Bologna. The parchment scroll, 36 meters long and 64 cm high, previously had been wrongly catalogued as dating from the 17th century, a university statement said. “Instead, ‘Roll 2′ was copied in a…
A rare handwritten copy of the Mishneh Torah by Maimonides has been jointly acquired by the Israel Museum, Jerusalem and the Metropolitan Museum in New York. The manuscript was purchased from the collection of Judy and Michael Steinhardt, according to a statement put out by both parties. “The Mishneh Torah is a rare treasure that…
An 800-year-old nutrition plan could become Israel’s next fad diet. Gil Yosef Shachar, a Jerusalem-based physician, is traveling around Israel spreading the wisdom of Maimonides, or the Rambam, the medieval Jewish philosopher and doctor whose approach to healthful eating has garnered him followers from well beyond the grave. In his writings, the Rambam gave clear…
As the anonymous protagonist of Frank Stockton?s story ?The Lady or the Tiger?? grew increasingly aware, what lies beyond a portal can make a huge difference. A long tradition of adorning doors with a variety of iconographies reflects artists? understanding of what is at stake in an opaque entrance that obscures and protects what lies…
The anonymous 16th-century painter who recorded a scene of everyday life at the king’s fountain (Chafariz d’El Rei) in Lisbon depicted an impressive range of people and animals. In addition to a swan, a seal, fish, horses, dogs and birds, the artist also included more than 150 human figures. There’s so much going on in…
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