I. CREATING HOLINESS Every week, we utilize one of the greatest human powers even though it has no tangible effect. God created the world for six days and then rested on...
Death rites are widely observed in any religion, as people look to tradition for guidance in that confusing time following a loss. Judaism demands a simple burial in the ground....
I. Whose Revenge? Throughout the ages, many gentiles have hated Jews. We were expelled from many countries, including those which claim to be bastions of refined civilization. What can we do...
I. Sources For A Siyum Is it a mitzvah to attend a Siyum HaShas, a celebration of completing the study of the entire Babylonian Talmud, if you have not done the...
I. Ashkenazim and Birkas Kohanim Every day, kohanim, men of the priestly families, bless the congregation with the biblical blessings (Num. 6:24-26). At least in theory. In practice, Ashkenazic communities only...
We reach out to G-d with prayer. But when we say the same thing three times a day, it is hard to mean every word. For some of us, the...
I. Umbrellas and Precedents The status of new technologies are often determined by the first major authorities to rule. Practices harden quickly and institutional positions, once set, change only with...
I. Celebrity Selfies One Motza’ei Shabbos two years ago, Jewish social media buzzed when a famous non-Jewish comedian posted a selfie with Jewish students walking in Manhattan, with a note that...
Is a community or even an individual allowed to sound a siren alerting people that it is almost Shabbos? On the one hand, the noise certainly will bother someone who...
I. Philosophy From Tzfas Two weeks ago, we discussed the view of Rav Tzvi Hirsch Kalischer (19th cen., Poland) about faith and philosophical inquiry. Essentially, he permitted inquiry into fundamental areas...