Words at War: Joe & Yosef presents a structured poetic dialogue about truth, temptation, purpose, pleasure, morality, and the inner battle of a person seeking clarity. This Challenge exists for serious thinkers who wish to engage the work at the highest level.
Rules For Entry
For those prepared to engage the work with depth, honesty, originality, and discipline.
Words at War invites serious response from those willing to engage its arguments. There are two tracks — one for those who would refute the work, one for those who would strengthen it. The goal is not noise. The goal is truth.
Serious response requires serious preparation
1.
Knowledge of Words at War
Demonstrate that you have read and engaged with its arguments and structure, and have looked up and studied all the endnotes. Submissions must refer directly to specific passages, themes, or source notes. General criticism or general support without direct engagement will not qualify.
2.
Engagement with Tanach in Hebrew
Show meaningful familiarity with Tanach in Hebrew — especially where the argument relates to Torah, creation, morality, prophecy, covenant, human purpose, or the foundations of Jewish belief. You are not arguing from ignorance of the primary text.
3.
Introduction to Mishneh Torah
Demonstrate that you have read and understood the Rambam's Introduction to Mishneh Torah and show awareness of its framework on Torah transmission, authority, wisdom, and the foundations of belief and practice.
4.
Age of the Universe & Torah Narrative
Where relevant, show meaningful engagement with serious works on creation, science, and cosmology — including thinkers such as Dr. Nathan Aviezer, Dr. Hugh Ross, Dr. Gerald Schroeder, Dr. D. Russell Humphreys, Joshua Hool, and Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan. Agreement is not required; engagement is.
Selected works receive publication consideration through Truthbliss Publishing.
A submission must be original in both substance and form — reflecting the same standard of intentional craft that defines the book itself.
Two Tracks. One Standard.
Track One
Refutation Manuscript
For those who believe the central claims, reasoning, or conclusions of Words at War can be seriously challenged. A qualifying submission must do more than disagree — it must present a substantive, reasoned, source-aware response that demonstrates a real flaw in reasoning, evidence, interpretation, structure, or conclusion.
Potential Prize
[PRIZE TO BE ANNOUNCED]
Track Two
Supporting Manuscript
For those who wish to strengthen, expand, deepen, or creatively reinforce the ideas of Words at War. A successful supporting manuscript adds something meaningful — a new angle, additional sources, sharper clarity, or the same truth in a new and powerful form. Praise or summary will not qualify.
Potential Prize
[PRIZE TO BE ANNOUNCED]
Seriousness
Sharp, but never unserious.
Submissions may be critical, forceful, and may disagree completely. They must not be mocking, vulgar, hateful, childish, or written merely to provoke. The goal is truth, not performance.
AI Use Policy
Tools welcome. Authorship required.
AI tools may assist with research, editing, translation, and outlining. The final manuscript must be the participant's own work. Use must be disclosed, and evidence of authorship may be requested.
Reviewed by a panel of three.
Qualified scholars and reviewers evaluate logic, source engagement, Torah knowledge, philosophical reasoning, and literary originality.
01.
Direct Engagement
Does the submission show the participant actually read and understood the book, engaging specific ideas, arguments, passages, and sources?
02.
Logical Strength
Does it reason clearly, avoid contradictions, and let conclusions follow from premises?
03.
Source Engagement
Does it engage Tanach, Mishneh Torah, and the relevant scholarship seriously?
04.
Originality
Are the conclusions and the form genuinely original — not a repackaged essay?
05.
Seriousness
Is the work respectful and intellectually honest — pursuing truth rather than mockery or provocation?
06.
Presentation & Form
Is the manuscript presented in a unique, intentional, and disciplined form that strengthens the substance?
07.
Relevance to Track
For Refutation: does it genuinely challenge the core reasoning? For Supporting: does it meaningfully strengthen, expand, or deepen it?
What you'll provide.
Suggested manuscript length: 20–150 pages. The work should be long enough to present a serious argument, but never padded. Every page should serve the purpose of the submission.
Non-winning submissions. Participants whose manuscripts are not selected for prize consideration or publication retain ownership of their work.
Winning & selected submissions. The participant agrees that Truthbliss Publishing will own and control the publication rights to the manuscript under the terms of the final agreement. Works may be published under the author's name, while ownership, distribution, editing, licensing, and marketing rights belong to Truthbliss Publishing.
No prize, royalty, publication, or selection will be final until all required documents are signed.
The Challenge is being prepared. Official rules, judges, prize conditions, and submission windows will be posted when finalized.
The goal is not noise. The goal is truth.