No religious position is loyally served by refusing to consider annoying theories which may well turn out to be facts.

Judaism is an intellectually based religion, and the single most important theme is that of study.

Conventional dogmas, even if endowed with the authority of an Aristotle - ancient or modern - must be tested vigorously. If they are found wanting, we need not bother with them. But if they are found to be substantially correct, we may not overlook them.

Maimonides taught that it is better that 10 criminals go free than let one innocent man be executed. The Innocence Project represents that point of view.

Group action - yes; group thinking - no

I was critical of the Israeli government, however, for not being prepared for the move. One does not uproot thousands of people without planning in advance what will be done with them. This was a political and human error in which the government functioned poorly.

However, the word madda in modern Hebrew specifically means science.