Rabbi Dovid Campbell
A Rabbi Aboard the Ship of Theseus
Some halachic concepts seem to be inherently philosophical. While the various procedures of the korbanot or the detailed laws of tumah ...
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Nature of Torah
Rabbi Dovid Campbell
- Jul 14
- 4 min
Resurrecting the Mammoth
I still remember the first time I saw a wooly mammoth, towering over me in the American Museum of Natural History. It was amazing to...
8 views
Rabbi Dovid Campbell
- Apr 19
- 3 min
From Purim to Passover
Experiencing the Divine play... This period between the holidays of Purim and Passover has always struck me as a difficult transition....
40 views
Rabbi Dovid Campbell
- Mar 19
- 4 min
Leviathan, the Divine Game, and Redemption
“There the ships go, and Leviathan that You formed to play with.” (Psalms 104:26) The Talmud describes the Leviathan as an apocalyptic...
28 views
Rabbi Dovid Campbell
- Jan 4
- 2 min
Moshe's Greatest Qualification
“And Moshe said, ‘I will turn aside now and see this great sight. Why is the bush not consumed?’” (Shemot 3:3) The Torah seems to...
28 views
Rabbi Dovid Campbell
- Oct 29, 2023
- 6 min
Letting Go
It is hard to contend against one's heart's desire; for whatever it wishes to have, it buys at the cost of soul. -Heraclitus We all want...
43 views
Rabbi Dovid Campbell
- Sep 4, 2023
- 5 min
The Carrot Revolution
What three painters taught me about the art of living playfully. The day is coming when a single carrot, freshly observed, will set off a...
38 views
Rabbi Dovid Campbell
- Aug 18, 2023
- 14 min
Introduction to the Perek Shira Project - Part IV
A Mysterious Ensemble We can begin by exploring the history of commentary on the Perek Shira and then analyzing the nature of the text...
42 views
Rabbi Dovid Campbell
- Jul 18, 2023
- 15 min
Introduction to the Perek Shira Project - Part III
Although this part of the introduction can stand on its own, part I and part II will provide helpful context. The Great Sage In his...
45 views
Rabbi Dovid Campbell
- Jun 6, 2023
- 4 min
Philo’s Torah of Daily Experience
Philo of Alexandria’s writings feel surprisingly modern for a philosopher who lived over two thousand years ago. Although he had a major...
95 views
Rabbi Dovid Campbell
- May 9, 2023
- 4 min
Commanded to be Curious
Maimonides’ “Thirteen Principles of Faith” have become a popular summary of Jewish belief, but they wouldn’t be a truly Jewish credo...
75 views
Rabbi Dovid Campbell
- Mar 27, 2023
- 9 min
Introduction to the Perek Shira Project - Part II
In part I, we introduced the controversy surrounding Rebbe Yochanan's teaching in Eruvin 100b and noted that our earliest commentators...
53 views
Rabbi Dovid Campbell
- Mar 20, 2023
- 10 min
Introduction to the Perek Shira Project - Part I
What is a lion? The answer may depend on whom you ask. An ecologist will be inclined to view it as a unique component of an ecosystem,...
91 views
Rabbi Dovid Campbell
- Mar 15, 2023
- 3 min
Perek Shira: The Snake
The Snake says: “The Lord supports all the fallen, and He straightens all the bent.” (Psalms 145:14) What qualities and behaviors strike...
31 views
Rabbi Dovid Campbell
- Mar 13, 2023
- 5 min
A Divine Playfulness - Embracing the Torah’s Infinite Game
As a child, I was always in my head, inventing characters and quests in enchanted worlds. I would run around the backyard, swinging a...
88 views
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