30 Dec SINLESS IN ISRAEL
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...
23 Dec THE FINER THINGS IN LIFE
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...
16 Dec HOMELESS ON CHANUKAH
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...
09 Dec THE ABSENT-MINDED RABBIS
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...
02 Dec THE KNITTED KIPAH SHABBOS AND THE CHANUKAH OMISSION
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...
25 Nov HEARING PROFANITY
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...
18 Nov MISSING A MITZVAH
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...
11 Nov RABBI SACKS ON READING CHUMASH FAITHFULLY
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...
04 Nov JUDAISM AND AI DESIGN ETHICS PART 2
In the first part of this essay, we saw that Judaism has long wrestled with the ethics of publishing and the dangers of unreliable or misleading content. The halakhic tradition demands accuracy, rejects heresy and insists that those who release...
28 Oct JUDAISM AND AI DESIGN ETHICS PART 1
Artificial intelligence (AI) has quickly become a part of daily life, influencing the information we consume and the decisions we make. And the process is just starting. This places significant responsibility on the AI builder. Designing an AI system is...