My name is Michael Pitkowsky and I recently received my Ph.D. from the Department of Talmud and Rabbinics at the Jewish Theological Seminary. The title of my dissertation was “Mipenei Darkhei Shalom” (Because of the Paths of Peace) and Related Terms: A Case Study of How Early Concepts and Terminology Developed From Tannaitic to Talmudic Literature. I am currently the Rabbinics Curriculum Coordinator at the Academy for Jewish Religion and an adjunct instructor at JTS. I see this blog as a forum for me to put into the public domain thoughts and ideas that I have regarding Judaism, rabbinic literature, Jewish law, and occasionally some other topic of interest to me. I can be reached on email at: mail at menachemmendel dot net