11 Mar WHO IS YOUR FRIEND FOR MISHLO’ACH MANOS?
One of the mitzvos of Purim is giving food to a friend. The verse says that Purim is a day of “u-mishlo’ach manos ish le- re’ehu, sending food a man to his friend” (Esther 9:22). The Sages see...
04 Mar RABBI TEITZ: AN ONLINE PERSPECTIVE Remarks by R. Gil Student at Rabbi Elazar M. Teitz’s Sheloshim
You have heard from others how Rav Elazar Mayer Teitz was a respected community rabbi and accomplished educator who impacted the lives of thousands in his community. I am here to talk about a completely different aspect of his life....
25 Feb CAN AI DO YOUR HOMEWORK?
I. Artificial Intelligence and School Work Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) has made great progress over recent years. The trickle that began in late 2022 has now become a torrent of AI tools that offer assistance in common creative tasks including writing....
18 Feb OFFICIATING AT AN INTERMARRIAGE
Is a rabbi allowed to officiate at an intermarriage, a wedding between a Jew and a gentile? Nearly all halachically observant Jews will instinctively answer no. Despite that, I would like to explore some of the issues involved...
11 Feb IS ANGER GOOD?
I. Anger Is Bad Anger is a destructive force. It does not just cloud judgment, which would imply reliance on instinct. Anger overwhelms judgment, taking you in directions to which your rational mind and your other, less powerful,...
04 Feb WAKING A PARENT
In illustrating both the importance of honoring our parents and the extent to which we must go to honor them, the Gemara tells a story that seems difficult to comprehend. It is so extreme that the choice it...
28 Jan RAMBAM’S FAILED VOW
Great thinkers convince people and do not try to intimidate them. In the introduction to his Guide for the Perplexed, Rambam issues a command to the reader, invoking G-d’s name. This demand is puzzling on two levels. First,...
21 Jan DEATH PENALTY
Even those with only a passing knowledge of the Five Books of Moses recognize the death penalty applied to various sins. The Oral Torah, committed to writing centuries later, explains the procedural limitations to these penalties. However there...
14 Jan IS A LAPTOP A SEFER?
Today we access Torah texts in many more ways than in the past. Of course, we primarily use printed texts (sefer, sefarim) in our learning. But very often we also access texts and write our own notes...
07 Jan COVERING A BRIDE’S HAIR
Over the past half century, the Orth- odox community has grown tremendously in its practice of married women covering their hair. At what point must a bride start covering her hair? Historically, Jewish marriage has consisted of two stages —...