Italians, Romans, Germans and Edomites
December 30, 2009 by Yitzhak Grossman
Filed under Halakha, New Posts, Philosophy
By Yitzchak Grossman* שִׁיר הַמַּעֲלוֹת, לְדָוִד: הִנֵּה מַה-טּוֹב, וּמַה-נָּעִים– שֶׁבֶת אַחִים גַּם-יָחַד.[1] How good and how pleasant it is that brothers dwell together.[2] מַשָּׂא דְבַר-יְהוָה, אֶל-יִשְׂרָאֵל, בְּיַד, מַלְאָכִי. אָהַבְתִּי אֶתְכֶם אָמַר יְהוָה, וַאֲמַרְתֶּם בַּמָּה אֲהַבְתָּנוּ; הֲלוֹא-אָח עֵשָׂו לְיַעֲקֹב נְאֻם-יְהוָה, וָאֹהַב אֶת-יַעֲקֹב. וְאֶת-עֵשָׂו, שָׂנֵאתִי; וָאָשִׂים אֶת-הָרָיו שְׁמָמָה, וְאֶת-נַחֲלָתוֹ לְתַנּוֹת מִדְבָּר. כִּי-תֹאמַר אֱדוֹם רֻשַּׁשְׁנוּ, וְנָשׁוּב וְנִבְנֶה [...]
What is the Halakhic Status of the Doctrine of the Trinity?
December 26, 2009 by Aryeh Klapper
Filed under Halakha, New Posts, Talmud
by Aryeh Klapper Texts followed by analysis: Sanhedrin 63b A beraita: “And the names of other divinities you must not mention” – this forbids a person to say to his friend ‘Wait for me next to that avodah zarah’; “it must not be heard on account of you” – this forbids one from taking an oath [...]
Praying for One to Die: Philosophical Considerations
December 1, 2009 by Ezra Schwartz
Filed under Halakha, Philosophy, Prayer
Praying for One to Die: Philosophical Considerations by Ezra Schwartz There is a great deal of literature about treating a terminally ill patient. However, the question most relevant for family members, namely how they should pray, remains mired in obscurity. Although Ran in Nedarim 40a, basing himself of Ketubot 104a, teaches that one should pray [...]
The Akeidah and Our Commitment to Halakha
November 6, 2009 by Aryeh Klapper
Filed under Halakha, Philosophy, Tanach
The Akeidah and Our Commitment to Halakha by Aryeh Klapper “Do not send your hand forth against the lad; Do not do him any harm”. Every year at this time we tremble in suspense as Avraham raises the knife, then sigh in relief when the angel calls out in time to save Yitzchak. We rejoice [...]
Is Halakha Insensitive to Non-Jews? The Case of Fraud
August 24, 2009 by Gidon Rothstein
Filed under Halakha, Talmud
Is Halakah Insensitive to Non-Jews? The Case of Fraud By Gidon Rothstein Certain prohibitions lead to the understandable conclusion that Jews do not care about non-Jews, although in at least some cases that conclusion is false.1 One example is the prohibition of אונאה, of overcharging (or the rarer undercharging) for merchandise. Bechorot 13a notes the [...]