01 Mar SPILLING WINE
I. Spilling Wine Rav Moshe Isserles (Rema, 17th cen, Poland; Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 396:1) records a custom to spill Havdalah wine on the ground. He explains that the basis of...
22 Feb WHAT CAN YOU LEARN ON SHABBOS?
The question of what you can learn on Shabbos often revolves around the permissibility of reading secular material. However, it also applies to the proper Torah material for Shabbos. What...
15 Feb FIGHTING FIRE WITH FIRE
We believe in fighting honorably in the rare, unfortunate case in which fighting is necessary. But does that mean that we have to be at a disadvantage? If our enemy...
08 Feb DOES HASHEM NEED US?
I. Hashem Has No Needs On first thought, it seems outrageous to suggest that Hashem would need us. In order to need something you have to lack something. If Hashem needs...
01 Feb SAYING A WICKED NAME
I. The Hungarian Apostate Are you allowed to say the name of someone wicked or should you avoid saying it? Mishlei (10:7) says, “The memory of the righteous shall be for...
26 Jan JUDAISM’S BALANCE OF ITS FINANCIAL BURDEN
On the one hand, never before have Jews been as prosperous as they are now. Both the vast majority of individuals and the community in general are currently blessed with...
18 Jan STANDING FOR THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
I. It’s All Good What is the most important passage in the Torah? The debate over a common custom teaches that answering this question opens the door to claims that other...
11 Jan MONKEYS IN THE TALMUD
On odd occasions, a monkey makes an appearance in Talmudic legal discussions for a specific purpose. Monkeys are nimble enough to be able to do many actions that a human...
04 Jan KOHEN UNDER A TREE
I. The Cemetery in Lvov A kohen is obligated to protect his sanctity from the impurity of a dead body. Part of this obligation requires him to avoid being under the...
28 Dec BRINGING SACRIFICES TODAY
Rav Tzvi Hirsch Kalischer (19th cen., Poland) famously proposed bringing sacrifices today (i.e., the 1860’s) even though there is no Temple standing. He brilliantly argues in his 1862 book, Derishas...