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

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

As far as YU faculty and students are concerned, the love for Israel is very strong. Probably about three thousand of our graduates have settled in Israel. On average, every year 650 male and female students study in Israel for a minimum of one year.

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.

As a result of this article, I was invited to testify in the Senate Judiciary Committee on privacy law.

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.

In Judaism, there are 613 biblical commandments, and the Talmud says that the chief commandment of all is study.