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...
21 Dec THE CASE FOR QUICK DAVENING
I. Praying Quickly We are often told that the slower we pray, the better we pray. We have more intent, more time to think about the meaning of each word. But...
15 Dec THE BEST CHARITY
I.Which Charity? Many people in the Jewish community have achieved varieties of financial success, allowing them the privilege of supporting many charities. This raises questions of communal and philanthropic priorities. Others...
08 Dec THE FAKE EXCUSE APP
The Gotta Go app allows you to program excuses in advance. With the press of a button, you can active time-delayed texts and/or phone calls that will interrupt your uncomfortable...
01 Dec SHOULD YOU LIGHT MENORAH OUTDOORS?
I. Lighting in Danger The Gemara (Shabbos 21b) says that you must light your Chanukah menorah near the doorway (opening, pesach) of your house on the outside. If you live on...
24 Nov A WEALTH TAX IN JEWISH TRADITION
There is talk in the U.S. about taxing the wealth of the superrich. Without engaging in d i s c u s s i o n about proper policy today, I would like to explore the concept of a...
17 Nov YOU NEED A COMPETENT RABBI FOR A WEDDING
I. What A Rabbi Does Most of us have been to enough Jewish weddings that we know how they work. We can easily officiate. Even without a big crowd, all a man has to do is give a woman a...
10 Nov MARRIAGE AND FREE WILL
The concept of “Bashert,” a person’s soulmate, warms the heart and plays into our notions of romance. The Gemara (Sotah 2a) says that forty days before the creation of a...
02 Nov 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...