This volume presents the concepts of sin and failure in Jewish thought, weaving together biblical and rabbinic studies to reveal a holistic portrait of the notion of sin and failure within Jewish thought.

David Bashevkin is the director of education for NCSY, the youth movement of the Orthodox Union, and an instructor at Yeshiva University, where he teaches courses on public policy, religious crisis, and rabbinic thought. He completed rabbinic ordination at Yeshiva University¿s Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary, as well as a Master's degree at the Bernard Revel Graduate School of Jewish Studies focusing on the thought of Rabbi Zadok of Lublin under the guidance of Dr. Yaakov Elman. He is currently pursuing a doctorate in Public Policy and Management at The New School¿s Milano School of International Affairs, focusing on crisis management. David has been rejected from several prestigious fellowships and awards.

Table of Contents

Foreword
Introduction: The Stories We Tell

Section I: The Nature of Sin
What We Talk About When We Talk About Sin
Sin¿s Origins and Original Sin
Sick, Sick Thoughts: Intention and Action in Sin
What to Wear to a Sin: Negotiating With Sin
Can Sinning Be Holy?
Does God Repent?

Section II: Case Studies in Sin and Failure
Once a Jew Always a Jew? What Leaving Judaism Tells Us About Judaism
When Leaders Fail
An Alcoholic Walks into a Bar: Putting Yourself in Sin¿s Path
Rabbi¿s Son Syndrome: Why Religious Commitment Can Lead to Religious Failure
Jonah and the Varieties of Religious Motivation: Religious Frustration as a Factor in Religious Motivation

Section III: Responses to Sin and Failure
I Kind of Forgive You: Half Apologies and Half Repentance
To Whom It May Concern: Rabbinic Correspondence on Sin and Failure

Index
Bibliography
Permissions
Acknowledgements