I. The Illusion of a Free Gift There is a fairly common practice for charity organizations to send people free gifts—calendars, books, Chanukah candles—and expect a donation in return. If you receive such a gift, are you required to...
The recent worldwide growth of open antisemitism has prompted many Jews to hide their identity. Out of fear of harassment or violence, many Jews have started hiding their identity in public outside their own neighborhoods. Men in particular tuck in...
I. The Spiritual Power of the Land of Israel Living in Israel is a religious ideal, even a mitzvah. But the Gemara goes even further, saying it has additional spiritual benefits. Living in Israel is good not only for...
Is it proper to enjoy good food or should we avoid worldly pleasures and focus on spiritual success? The Talmud contains a plethora of seemingly contradictory indications on whether it is morally proper for a Torah scholar, someone striving for...
I. Home For Chanukah Chanukah occupies an unusual place in halachah. Most mitzvos fall on the individual. Chanukah’s primary mitzvah devolves on the location, not the person. The Gemara (Shabbos 21b) does not describe the obligation as lighting a candle...
We tend to imagine the great sages as flawless in both halachic mastery and personal awareness. Generally, this attitude has great merit because these sages rose to their timeless prominence due not only to their brilliance but also their...
I. Remembering Rav Neriah This Shabbos, Vayishlach 5786, is designated as the Knitted Kipah Shabbos in c o m m e m o r a t i o n of the 30th yartzeit of Rav Moshe Tzvi Neriah. Rav...
I. Close Your Ears The Gemara in Kesubos (5a-b) says, “What does it mean: ‘And you shall have a shovel among your weapons (azenekha)’ (Deut. 23:14)? Do not read it as: ’your weapons’ but as ‘your ear’ (oznekha). If...
People are complicated and may fail to perform a mitzvah for many reasons, including those entirely beyond their control. Consider someone who bought a mezuzah from a reputable and pious seller, only to learn years later that a word...
I. Rabbi Sacks’ Focus on Chumash Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, whose fifth yahrtzeit was this past week, focused much of his teachings on the Chumash, the Five Books of Moses. His analyses vary widely in style, ranging from close readings...