I. AI Interfaces One of the most persistent motifs in science fiction is the Frankenstein plot: a human creates a machine, which then becomes independent and ultimately turns against its creator. The underlying question is one of responsibility — who...
I. Golem and Minyan We are witnessing a major transformation of information and technology with the growth of artificial intelligence (AI). To my frustration, much of the Jewish discourse on AI begins—and often ends—with the halachic status of a...
When you eat matzah at the Pesach Seder, you have to eat matzah that you own. How much do you have to own it? The Gemara (Pesachim 38a) equates the mitzvos of eating matzah and of taking challah...
The night before Pesach, we search for chametz on our property (bedikas chametz). By rabbinic decree, it is not enough to nullify our chametz but we must also search for, and destroy, our chametz, as well. The Roomba, a robotic...
I. Thirty Days Before A Holiday Holidays are much like other things in life in the sense that the more you put into it, the more you get out of it. We are instructed to study the laws...
Is a mourner, within a year for a parent or thirty days for another close relative, allowed to lead synagogue prayers on Purim? A man who is in mourning is expected to lead weekday prayers in the synagogue. Of...
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...
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....
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....
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...