46 posts categorized "Halakha"
June 27, 2008: When Rabbis Turn Halakha Into Superstition, Part 2Comments: 60 | Categories: Bio-Ethics , Halakha , Haredim
Last month, I wrote about the outbreak of shigella, an intestinal infection, in haredi communities in Brooklyn. The disease spread through poor hand washing and, as I pointed out last month, haredim – especially hasidim – are…
June 18, 2008: Science Proves Homosexuality Biologically Based – Can Being Gay Or Lesbian Still Be A Sin?
Comments: 130 | Categories: Bio-Ethics , Ethics , Gay Pride March , Halakha , Science
What if homosexuality really is biologically based and therefore something inborn, not something learned or adopted? Would this change the negative halakhic (Jewish legal) view of homosexuality? I ask this question because a new study just published in the prestigious...
June 2, 2008: Haredi Spokesman Rabbi Jonathan Rosenblum Compares Rabbi Haim Druckman To Non-Orthodox Clergy
Comments: 47 | Categories: Halakha , Haredim , History , Israel
Rabbi Jonathan Rosenblum used to stand out among haredi spokesmen (there are no spokeswomen) for his honesty. But, as haredi positions have grown harder and more extreme, Rosenblum has been forced to…
May 5, 2008: When Rabbis Turn Halakha Into Superstition
Comments: 63 | Categories: Halakha , Haredim
A report from the NYC Department of Health points out a problem with Orthodox Judaism – hand washing.
April 23, 2008: The Hasid Shoteh of Radun and Other Sad Tales Of Haredi Sainthood
Comments: 48 | Categories: Halakha , Haredim , History
Israel Prize-winner Rabbi Dr. Daniel Sperber has more to say about haredism's regressive halakhic behavior, including dishing – in print this time – on the unusual halakhic behavior of the so-called "posek acharon," the Chafetz Chaim…
April 21, 2008: Passover Skeptical Post
Comments: 14 | Categories: Halakha , History
What would Passover be without a skeptical post from yours truly? So put your emunah in a bear hug and hold it close, because…
April 17, 2008: Cigarettes Hametz, Leading Haredi Rabbis Say
Comments: 29 | Categories: Halakha , Haredim , Israel
A group of Israeli haredi rabbis led by Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv has declared that all cigarettes are hametz, leven, and are not to be smoked during Passover. Why do these rabbis claim cigarettes are hametz? Because…
April 11, 2008: Researchers: Brisk, Chazon Ish, Rabbis Wrong -- Ancient Olives Much Smaller Than Modern Varieties
Comments: 22 | Categories: Halakha , History
In other words, the halakhic measurement used to determine how much food must be eaten in order to recite an after-blessing, or the amount of matzo required to eaten at the seder, are much smaller than today's rabbis think --...
April 9, 2008: Were Kosher Laws Added To The Torah Hundreds Of Years After Sinai?
Comments: 31 | Categories: Halakha , History
Is the ban on lobster, catfish and other non-kosher seafood an invention of scribes who lived hundreds of years after the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai? What if I told you the evidence seems to support that conclusion?...
March 26, 2008: Haredim and Organ Donation, part 2
Comments: 30 | Categories: Bio-Ethics , Halakha , Haredim , Israel
Just when you thought the debate between the rabbis who support organ donation (including Rabbis Ovadia Yosef and Shlomo Amar) and those who oppose it (Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv) couldn't get stranger, this happens:
February 21, 2008: RCA Caves In? Rabbinute Deal on Conversions Appears to Heavily Favor Israeli Haredi View
Comments: 18 | Categories: Halakha , Haredim , Israel , MO & Chardal
The Rabbinical Council of America (RCA) and the Israeli chief rabbinate have reached a agreement on conversion that appears to heavily favor the haredi understanding of conversion law.
February 19, 2008: Can An OCD Rabbi Be The Posek Achron, part 2
Comments: 26 | Categories: Halakha , Haredim , History
Here is an mp3 excerpt of Rabbi Dr. Daniel Sperber talking about the Choftetz Chaim's refusal to allow electricity in his synagogue. You should be able to play this in your browser or download it an play it in your...
February 19, 2008: Can A OCD Rabbi Be The Posek Achron?
Comments: 51 | Categories: Halakha , Haredim , History
The Chofetz Chaim refused to allow his synagogue to have electricity, even on regular weekdays. The synagogue was lit by oil lamps and candles 27/7. Why?
February 11, 2008: Did Observance Of Jewish Law Kill Jews In The Holocaust?
Comments: 40 | Categories: Halakha , Haredim , History
Did halakha kill rabbis and yeshiva students during the Holocaust? The answer may surprise you. It certainly surprised me…
February 11, 2008: Halakhic Question
Comments: 12 | Categories: Halakha
A friend in Israel wants to know which specific poskim allow Jews to consume vitamins without a hechsher. If you know rabbis who allow this, please leave their names in the comments section below. Thank you.
February 3, 2008: You Be The Rabbi
Comments: 55 | Categories: Halakha , Haredim
A person has, God forbid, passed away. Doctors want to perform an autopsy. They have good grounds to do the procedure and believe the knowledge they will gain from the autopsy will help other patients – and, perhaps, avoid more...
February 1, 2008: To Convert or Not Convert – Part 2
Comments: 23 | Categories: Halakha , Sefardim
Can you ever imagine a case where you, sitting as a judge on a beit din, would convert a potential convert whom you believe will not be completely mitzva observant? In other words, either s/he will not be Orthodox or...
January 17, 2008: Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar: "I Wish Millions [of Ethiopians] Would Come To Israel"
Comments: 15 | Categories: Ethiopian Jews , Halakha , Israel
Speaking at a conference of kessim (Ethiopian Jewish religious leaders) organized by the Absorption Ministry, Israel's Sefardic Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar called for the aliya of all Falash Mura, no matter how many people that might be. Ynet reports:
January 14, 2008: Orthodox Judaism and Non-Jews – Seperate and Unequal
Comments: 37 | Categories: Ethics , Halakha , MO & Chardal
Rabbi Chaim Brovender has an "Ask the Rabbi" column in the Jerusalem Post. I'd always heard good things about Rabbi Bovender. Here is a brief synopsis of his career from the Jerusalem Post that explains some of them: …He moved...
January 10, 2008: Will Chabad Be Ruled Outside Judaism?
Comments: 99 | Categories: Chabad , Chabad & Christianity , Halakha , Israel , MO & Chardal
The Jewish Week has a good piece on the Chabad conversion crisis. Basically an Israeli beit din charged with conversions rejected a potential Chabad convert because he believes the late Rebbe is the messiah. The Jewish Week tells the story....
October 28, 2007: Waiting Between Meat and Milk
Comments: 57 | Categories: Halakha , History
Why do kashrut-observing Jews wait an amount of time between eating meat and then eating milk? Why does that time vary between communities? Why is the time we wait between milk and then eating meat (usually) much less than the...
October 22, 2007: A Question On The Abbreviation Of God's Name
Comments: 37 | Categories: Halakha , History
A friend wants to know the origin and significance of the abbreviation yud yud, used for God's name in some siddurim (prayer books), as opposed to yud kay vav kay, that is also used. I told him yud yud is...
October 18, 2007: ArtScroll – Don't You Just Want To Gag?™
Comments: 24 | Categories: Halakha , Haredim , Insanity
From the historical revisionists at ArtScroll: An indespensible [sic] aid for every Kosher kitchen! • finds bugs easily with LED light no more eyestrain! rechargeable safe to use with wet produce compact size for easy storage One of the biggest...
October 12, 2007: Slavery and Halakha – An Answer To Why Ashkenazic Jews Often Have Blond Hair
Comments: 55 | Categories: Halakha , History
Ashkenazim are more lenient with regard to bishul akum (food cooked by non-Jews) and pat akum (bread baked by non-Jews) than Sefardim are. Ashkenazim mandate that a Jew light the fire (or tun on the stove or oven) that is...
August 7, 2007: A Question For My Learned Readers
Comments: 15 | Categories: Halakha , History
What is the earliest reference to either the term shochet or to laws of ritual slaughter? In other words, what is the farthest back in time we can trace the laws of ritual slaughter? I'm looking for specific, stated references...
August 3, 2007: Rabbi Norman Lamm Answers Noah Feldman – With Lies
Comments: 52 | Categories: Creative PR , Halakha , Haredim , MO & Chardal
Rabbi Norman Lamm writes a response to Noah Feldman in today's Forward: …You refer in anger to the Talmudic view on whether a Jewish doctor may violate the Sabbath laws in order to save the life of a non-Jew. You...
July 25, 2007: Understanding The So-Called "Second Cut"
Comments: 1 | Categories: Chabad , Crime, etc. , Halakha , Haredim , History , Kosher Scandal , MO & Chardal , Rubashkin Gordon
At the heart of both of the Rubashkin slaughter scandals is the so-called "second cut," a cut made after the ritual slaughter cut to speed bleeding. This was – until Rubashkin – a rarely used procedure. When it was done,...
July 23, 2007: The Law Of Unintended Rabbinic-Created Consequences
Comments: 146 | Categories: Halakha , Haredim
The New Jersey Jewish News has a feature about Spina Bifida, a genetic disorder (birth defect) that disproportionately strikes Orthodox Jews and, among Orthodox Jews disproportionately strikes haredim: Just why Orthodox communities show higher than usual incidences of spina bifida...
July 6, 2007: Judaism's Own Untouchables – The Sexual Gift That Never Stops Giving
Comments: 149 | Categories: BTs , Chabad , Ethics , Halakha , Haredim , MO & Chardal , Outreach , Rabbis & Sex
Writing on Jewschool, David Kelsey points out what would be the biggest stumbling block to recruiting new ba'alei teshuva – if the BTs knew about it. For the most part, potential BTs do not know. I think it's time to...
July 2, 2007: UPDATE: Haredi Spokesman Attacks Former Chief Rabbi, Defends Haredi Rabbi Who Voided Woman's Conversion 15 Years After The Fact – Endorses Haredi Organization Linked To Bait-And-Switch Conversion Tactics
Comments: 15 | Categories: Halakha , Haredim , Israel , MO & Chardal
Rabbi Jonathan Rosenblum continues to dig himself in deeper. A month ago, Rosenblum wrote an embarrassing column defending the haredi Rabbinic court judge who voided a woman's conversion 15 years after the fact and, at the same time, voided thousands...
June 5, 2007: Satmar Bans Strawberries – Fruit No Longer Kosher
Comments: 22 | Categories: Halakha , Haredim , Kosher Business?
Satmar has apparently banned the consumption of strawberries due to insect infestation. The problem? Rabbis had to do tests to determine whether the insects, to small to be seen easily with the naked eye (actually, too small to be seen...
June 3, 2007: Haredi Spokesman Attacks Former Chief Rabbi, Defends Haredi Rabbi Who Voided Woman's Conversion 15 Years After The Fact – Endorses Haredi Organization Linked To Bait-And-Switch Conversion Tactics
Comments: 101 | Categories: Halakha , Haredim , Israel , MO & Chardal
Rabbi Jonathan Rosenblum has done a despicable thing. Rabbi Rosenblum is the only haredi spokesperson I respect. While I often disagree with him, he is usually honest and forthright, and he tires to make his case in a clear logical...
May 31, 2007: Women Cantors – How Halakha Evolves
Comments: 35 | Categories: Halakha , History , Women & Judaism
…The Shira Hadasha Synagogue in the German Colony of Jerusalem is defined as an equal opportunities Orthodox institution. Women chant from the bima and serve as cantors where Halachah rules that even small children can serve as a shaliah tzibur...
May 20, 2007: On False Messianism
Comments: 54 | Categories: Chabad , Halakha
Stephen M. Tolany, once a frequent commenter on the old Protocols blog, wrote a piece for the YU Commentator about two years ago debunking Chabad messianism. It's a solid, well-argued piece that is also brief enough to easily read. I...
May 18, 2007: Mars Candy Kosher or Treife? Part 4
Comments: 18 | Categories: Halakha , Haredim
What is the rationale for ruling Mars candy – including Snickers, Mars Bars and Milky Way – kosher or treife? Remember, the candy's composition changed recently when Masterfoods, the parent company, began using whey derived using animal rennet. A reader...
May 17, 2007: Mars Bars Treife, Manchester Beit Din Rules
Comments: 0 | Categories: Halakha , Haredim , Kosher Business?
That's right – the apparently haredi Manchester, England Beit Din has ruled Mars candy treife because of an animal-derived ingredient that according to halakha is clearly battel. The London Jewish Chronicle will have the story in tomorrow's paper. You can...
May 15, 2007: Open Your Eyes And Learn How To See
Comments: 37 | Categories: Divre Torah , Halakha
I'm regularly surprised at how little Orthodox Jews – even haredim – know about the halakhic process. Increasingly, even "rabbis" learn only surface applications of parts of Yorah Dayah and Shabbos. They don't learn poskim or look deeply into commentaries....
May 15, 2007: A Halakha Not To Follow
Comments: 11 | Categories: Halakha
Rabbi Eli Monsour writes: Is It Permissible For A Son To Treat His Father In The Case Where Blood Might Be Drawn The Torah forbids causing a bloody wound in one's parent, or doing anything that results in the drawing...
May 14, 2007: Mars Candy In England Now May Have Animal-Derived Ingredient – Is The Candy Still Kosher?
Comments: 25 | Categories: Halakha , Kosher Business?
The Telegraph reports Mars candies and ice cream, including Mars Bars, Snickers, Bounty, Minstrels, Celebrations chocolates, Mars ice cream, Tracker nut bars and Magic Stars made in England may contain animal-derived whey: Vegetarians who have learned to live without roast...
April 25, 2007: Rabbi Harry Maryles On Homosexuality
Comments: 56 | Categories: Blogs , Ethics , Halakha
DovBear interviews Rabbi Harry Maryles. An excerpt of Harry's: …My objection to the forbidden homosexual act is not so much to the fact that the Torah calls it a Toevah. It is more to the seriousness of the offense as...
April 11, 2007: Talmud: Hide Rabbinic Sins From The Public
Comments: 25 | Categories: Crime, etc. , Halakha , Haredim , Pedophilia
Rabbi Gil Student writes: The Gemara in Mo'ed Katan (17a) states that when a Torah scholar sins, the court should not punish him in public because that would serve as a denigration of Torah. Rather, they should "hide it like...
April 5, 2007: Passover As Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Comments: 70 | Categories: Halakha , Haredim , History
Matthew Wagner writes in the Jerusalem Post: Orthodox Jewish dietary stringencies on Pessah are considered obsessive-compulsive by some, but a way of cleaving to God's will by others. Some stringencies even exceed the edible. There is aluminum foil that is...
March 28, 2007: Marijuana Not Kosher For Passover, Rabbis Warn
Comments: 58 | Categories: Bizarre , Halakha
Well, now I've seen just about everything. There is an actual debate taking place in Israel about the Passover status of marijuana. The Jerusalem Post called a number of rabbis trying to get a definative ruling. The following sums up...
March 22, 2007: A Perpetual Nida? Continued …
Comments: 0 | Categories: Halakha , Haredim
Commenting on the case of the haredi woman whose rabbi has in effect ruled her to be in nida for the next 12 to 15 months, Anonymous writes: There was a famous case in the 1950's in Israel of a...
March 21, 2007: A Perpetual Nida? Can This Be True?
Comments: 39 | Categories: Halakha , Haredim , Women & Judaism
A haredi mother with six children is pregnant again. Her doctor says she's at high risk of losing the baby. He offered her an abortion, which she rejected. And then, there's this – she's in a perpetual state of nida:...
February 18, 2007: Ethiopian Jews – A Halakhic Perspective
Comments: 1 | Categories: Documents , Ethiopian Jews , Halakha
What follows is Rabbi J. David Bleich's overview of the halakhot regarding Ethiopian Jews, excerpted from Contemporary Halakhic Problems (Volume 1), published by KTAV and Yeshiva University in 1977. I used OCR software to scan this, so if you note...
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