Sin.a.gogue: Sin and Failure in Jewish Thought

"A manual for living with defeat" —Tablet

It is no more possible to think about religion without sin than it is to think about a garden without dirt.

By its very nature, the ideals of religion entail sin and failure. Judaism has its own language and framework for sin that expresses themselves both legally and philosophically. Both legal questions—circumstances where sin is permissible or mandated, the role of intention and action—as well as philosophical questions—why sin occurs and how does ...