Many people are familiar with the long-standing debate about the propriety of a Torah Jew studying philosophy. Multiple times in the Middle Ages, rabbis debated the permissibility of studying philosophy...
Does the prohibition against washing dirty clothes on Chol Ha-Mo’ed, the intermediate days of the holiday, still apply today when doing laundry is relatively quick and easy?1 In theory, washing...
I. Teshuvah and Nineveh Conventional wisdom has it that the book of Yonah is about power of teshuvah, repentance. But if that is the case, why is teshuvah barely mentioned? Of...
Few experiences hurt more than a child’s death. Parents naturally blame themselves at some point in the mourning process but they are not to blame. G-d’s decision to take away...
I. EXTENT OF THE PROHIBITION The Gemara (Gittin 7a) asks from where we learn that music is forbidden. The Gemara answers with a few possible verses, including “Do not rejoice, Israel,...
In a responsum about bas mitzvah celebrations, Rav Ovadiah Yosef quotes an authority who raises questions about bar mitzvah invitations. In Yechaveh Da’as (2:29), Rav Yosef quotes Rav Avraham Musafya...
Laws about gun control serve as perpetual fuel for political debates. However, everyone agrees that some people should carry guns in some circumstances. Whether police officers or soldiers, on duty...
I. Accepting Danger Are you permitted or forbidden to enter a dangerous situation? The Gemara (Shabbos 32a) states that you are forbidden to enter a dangerous situation and rely on a...
How much should Judaism change to accommodate those who cannot abide its rules? When someone claims that the Torah’s laws may drive them to suicide, does this threat to life...
During a brief period lead- ing up to Tisha B’Av, Jews ob- serve additional mourning practices. For Ashkenazim, the quotes three opinions on the time period of these additional restrictions,...
