The Aleinu Prayer and the Pardes Story: Major Trends in Hekhalot Literature Research by Shlomo Brody

The prayer Aleinu, which plays a central role in the Rosh Hashana liturgy, first appears within the Hekhalot literature, a large corpus of mystical writings and experiences which emerged in late antiquity.  This literature, full of narratives of Sages ascending to the Heavens – including the famous Pardes story also found in the Talmud – [...]

Homosexuality and Halakha: In Tradition and Beyond

In light of the public discussion surrounding the recent Statement of Principles on homosexuality and Judaism, penned by one of our regular contributors, Text & Texture is making available some of the Tradition articles that have been written about homosexuality and halakha.  Additionally, we include below an essay by Rabbi Michael J. Broyde and Rabbi Shlomo [...]

Against the Shulchan Aruch: The Critique of the Maharshal by Shlomo Brody

Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo caused a small tempest of controversy in a recent essay calling for greater autonomous religiosity.  Without commenting on his larger and more radical thesis, his citation of the Maharshal and his critique of the codification of halakha was noteworthy, as R’ Cardozo became the latest of a long string of historical figures who asserted that codification [...]

The Nahem Controversy: A Brief Summary by Shlomo Brody

Particularly since the Six-Day War, there has been an ongoing discussion within Israel regarding the propriety of stating the Nahem prayer during Mincha of Tisha Be’av.  Below I provide a brief summary, adapted from my Jerusalem Post Ask The Rabbi column, which, because of editorial complications, will only appear in the paper this coming Friday.  [...]

From Our Archives: Music During Sefirah

In 2008, Rabbi Moshe Bleich published in Tradition (41:1) a survey of halakhic positions regarding listening to music during the period of Sefirat ha-Omer (and the three weeks), which led to further correspondence between him and Rabbi Nathaniel Helfgot regarding Rabbi Soloveitchik’s opinion. In addition to the positions cited in the article, one should add the recently [...]

The Legacy of Polemics: Microphones on Shabbat, Metzitzah, and the Rabbah Ordination by Shlomo Brody

  I personally have no gripes with polemics playing a role in socio-legal discourse within the Jewish community.  I think it is inevitable, given the sociological reality of Jewish history, and occasionally it is appropriate, given larger religious goals. 1 I do believe, however, that one has to be very careful with the terminology used, and [...]

Polemics and the Orthodox Prohibition Against Microphones on Shabbat by Shlomo Brody

What does Rabbi Yisrael Rozen, the engineer who runs the Tzomet Institute and who frequently speaks on behalf of religious Zionist causes, have in common with the Satmar Rebbe?   They both care tremendously about halakha They both believe that Orthodox opposition to microphones stemmed primarily from polemical considerations against the Reform movement. The Satmar Rebbe’s [...]