Table of Contents
Introduction
On Truth
- Hillel vs. Shammai: Arguments for the Sake of Heaven
- Absolute Truth vs. Compromise: Which is the true good?
- Trust vs. Questioning
On God, Torah, & the Cosmos
- Rambam vs. Ra’avad: Is God some thing or no thing?
- Abraham vs. God: Is God present and active?
- The Gra vs. the Besht: Mysticism of the Mind vs. Mysticism of the Heart
- Divine Torah vs. Biblical Criticism
- Heaven vs. Earth
- Rationalist-Monotheism vs. Mystic-Monotheism: On the Unity of God
- The Mussar Movement vs. the Hasidic Movement
Moral Philosophy
- Einstein, Freud, & Marx vs. The Sages: Are we Free to Shape the World?
- Ayn Rand vs. Karl Marx: On Wealth & Virtue
- The Angels vs. God: Should humans have been created?
- Past vs. Future?
- A Purpose to Life vs. No Meaning to Life?
- Prioritizing the Poor vs. Equity Toward all Parties
- Judging Others Favorably vs. Judging for Justice
Israel
- Yitz Greenberg vs. Meir Kahane: On Sovereignty and contemporary Jewish Political Power
- What is the Center? Israel vs. the Diaspora!
- No State, One State, or Two States: Herzl vs. Wise, Art Green vs. Peter Beinart
Contemporary Moral Issues
- Local vs. Global, Particular vs. Universal
- Pro-Choice vs. Pro-Life?
- Gun Rights vs. Gun Control
- Capital Punishment vs. Abolishing the Death Penalty
- Care for the Vulnerable vs. Education: What does every community need?
Jewish Daily Life & Community
- What’s the Purpose of the Mitzvot? Obedience vs. Meaning
- Reform Judaism vs. Orthodox Judaism
- A Life of Study vs. A Life of Action: Which is Greater?
- Tamar Ross vs. Judith Plaskow: Paradigm-Shifting Feminism vs. Traditional Feminism
- Auschwitz vs. Sinai: Which is the More Central Jewish Narrative Today?
On the Self
- Love: Emotion vs. Deed, Emotion-based Love vs. Deed-based Love
- Body vs. Soul
- Zealousness vs. Tolerance
- Calm vs. Tension: Is Life about Struggle or Peace?
- Humor vs. Seriousness
The State & Authority
- Hobbes vs. Anarchists: A King vs. No King
- Halacha vs. State: What is the vehicle for Progress
- The Individual vs. the Collective: Which Should We Value?
- Hierarchy vs. Populism: Moshe vs. Korach
- Spinoza vs. the Rabbis of Amsterdam: Allowing Heresy or Preserving Communal Boundaries
Conclusion