Prof. Michael L. Satlow is Professor of Judaic Studies and Religious Studies at Brown University. He holds a Ph.D. from JTS, is the author of Creating Judaism: History, Tradition, Practice and How the Bible Became Holy and the editor of Judaism and the Economy: A Sourcebook. He maintains a blog at mlsatlow.com.
Last Updated
August 22, 2025
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Slaughtering domesticated animals was always a sacrificial act, and even on the battlefield, King Saul builds an altar so the soldiers can slaughter their animals properly. To work around the limits of centralized worship, Deuteronomy introduces “profane” slaughter—but this did little to change Israelites’ enduring sense of meat as sacred. The rabbinic requirement of ritual shechitah even for wild animals makes all slaughter “quasi-sacrificial.”
Slaughtering domesticated animals was always a sacrificial act, and even on the battlefield, King Saul builds an altar so the soldiers can slaughter their animals properly. To work around the limits of centralized worship, Deuteronomy introduces “profane” slaughter—but this did little to change Israelites’ enduring sense of meat as sacred. The rabbinic requirement of ritual shechitah even for wild animals makes all slaughter “quasi-sacrificial.”
Onan son of Judah “would let [his seed] go to waste on the ground, so as not to provide offspring for his brother. This was wicked in the eyes of YHWH, who killed him” (Genesis 38:9–10). What was Onan’s sin?
Onan son of Judah “would let [his seed] go to waste on the ground, so as not to provide offspring for his brother. This was wicked in the eyes of YHWH, who killed him” (Genesis 38:9–10). What was Onan’s sin?
The Torah prohibits lending to poor people with interest. Why did Jewish law include business loans and how did this effect the law’s original purpose?
The Torah prohibits lending to poor people with interest. Why did Jewish law include business loans and how did this effect the law’s original purpose?
Despite its pious content, especially when seen against Kohelet, the book of Ben Sira (Ecclesiasticus) was not canonized and today has been marginalized. This was not always the case. Ben Sira held a prominent place in earlier Jewish, and even rabbinic, communities.
Despite its pious content, especially when seen against Kohelet, the book of Ben Sira (Ecclesiasticus) was not canonized and today has been marginalized. This was not always the case. Ben Sira held a prominent place in earlier Jewish, and even rabbinic, communities.
