29 Nov May A Jew Register in a National Muslim Registry
With the emotional and political turmoil in the aftermath of the recent presidential election, there is talk of a national registry of Muslims. It is not clear to me whether...
Shabbos Times for Dec 21, 2024 | 20 Kislev, 5785 | Parshas Vayeshev | Candle Lighting Time: 4:14 PM | Havdalah (72 min): 5:44 PM
23 Nov Is Every Day Thanksgiving?
Thanking God should be a normal part of a religious life. We are beneficiaries of so many divine gifts—from the time we wake up each morning with our full physical...
16 Nov Rav Henkin on Carlebach Minyanim
Rav Yosef Eliyahu Henkin (d. 1973) was the leading halachic decisor in America of his day. He was the address for the most difficult halachic problems. Additionally, as the President...
08 Nov EpiPen Pricing and Jewish Law
Public attention has recently been drawn to the skyrocketing price of EpiPens, which has risen almost 400% since being acquired in 2007 by pharmaceutical company Mylan. EpiPens quickly and easily...
01 Nov Wikileaks and Jewish Law
I. Leaks Revealing confidential information is a breach of trust but sometimes maintaining that privacy is an even bigger breach. While you usually only gain access to confidential information after explicitly...
28 Sep Are House Minyanim Kosher?
People arrange a minyan in their home to accommodate someone sick, elderly or otherwise unable to attend synagogue. When I was a teenager, we had a Shabbos mincha/ma’ariv in someone’s basement because the mile-plus...
20 Sep Are House Minyanim Kosher?
People arrange a minyan in their home to accommodate someone sick, elderly or otherwise unable to attend synagogue. When I was a teenager, we had a Shabbos mincha/ma’ariv in someone’s basement because the mile-plus...
13 Sep Bypassing Kohanim
I. Honoring the Kohen The Torah (Lev. 21:8) commands us to honor kohanim, members of the priestly family, by allowing them to go first (Gittin 59b). We let them go first in...
06 Sep The 9/11 Memorial in Halachah
As a New York resident who worked in Manhattan on September 11, 2001, I will forever be haunted by the tragic day and its aftermath. However, visitors and future generations,...
30 Aug When Is Kiddush Levanah?
Rosh Chodesh Elul marks the end of the Jewish summer and the beginning of the autumn holiday season. Throughout the month, we engage in customs that grow as we approach...