209 posts categorized "Halakha"

January 16, 2009: What The Jerusalem Post Did Not Tell You – The Real Reason The Rabbinate Chose Life Over Death
Comments: 10 | Categories: Halakha , Haredim , Israel , Media & Media Criticism
Yesterday, the Jerusalem Post reported what it claimed was a no-brainer: Israel's Chief Rabbinate approving construction of underground operating rooms and an underground children's ward for a hospital in missile range of Gaza. The rabbis needed to approve because ancient...

January 15, 2009: Haredim Choose Death Over Life
Comments: 8 | Categories: Halakha , Haredim , Israel
Details: Haredim from Edah Hareidit (Badatz Yerushalayim) blocked construction of hardened underground operating rooms in a hospital directly threatened by Hamas rocket fire. Why? Respect for the dead. That's right. Haredim chose to respect the dead over saving lives. Edah...

January 4, 2009: Maimonides The Muslim? Could What We Call Jewish Law Have A Muslim Source?
Comments: 44 | Categories: Halakha , History
Details: Shaul Magid, reviewing Joel L. Kraemer's book, MAIMONIDES: The Life and World of One of Civilization's Greatest Minds, writes: …The fact that Maimonides cites some Islamic sources, especially the philosopher Abu Nasar al-Farabi (c. 870-950), is well known. More...

December 5, 2008: Wall Street Journal: Hillel The Elder And The Wall Street Banking Bailout
Comments: 3 | Categories: Current Affairs , Halakha , History
Put simply, what would Hillel the Elder have done if he faced our current financial crisis? Would it be… …this? Ask the Rabbi: What the Sages of Old Would Have Said About the Bailout By ROBERT B. SCHONBERGER It's well...

November 17, 2008: Agriprocessors' Workers and Jewish Law
Comments: 11 | Categories: Chabad , Crime, Litigation, etc. , Halakha , Haredim , Kosher Business? , Kosher Scandal , Religion, Religion & State , Rubashkin Gordon , Rubashkin Safety , Rubashkin Workers
Details: The Palauan workers have a litany of complaints including: 1. On recruitment, promised free round trip airfare, but forced to agree to pay $1400 after arrival in Postville. 2. On recruitment, promised free housing and utilities for the first...

November 16, 2008: Strict Haredi Conversion Policy Stunts Jewish Growth, European Haredi Rabbis Say
Comments: 9 | Categories: Halakha , Haredim
The problem? Potential converts who are completely observant are denied conversion because the Jewish communities they live in are too small to support necessary services like a mikva or a daily minyan. This policy holds true even in cases where...

November 10, 2008: GUEST POST: Rabbi Asher Lopatin On Rahm Emmanuel, The Conference Call, And Pekuakh Nefesh
Comments: 98 | Categories: Current Affairs , Halakha , MO & Chardal
In response to comments left on this previous post, Rabbi Asher Lopatin writes: Dear Fellow Readers of the Failed Messiah Blog: Please read and reread Wikipedia carefully: It does not mention who converted Amy Rule, nor does it say that...

October 29, 2008: May This Chicken Atone For Your Sins
Comments: 0 | Categories: Chabad , Halakha , Haredim , Kosher Scandal
Recovered from the … …Jewcy article vault, here it is, better very late than never: May This Chicken Atone For Your Sins.

October 22, 2008: Simchat Torah and Shabbatai Tzvi
Comments: 43 | Categories: Halakha , History
A slightly edited repost from 2005, judiciously held over until after… …your hangover has begun: Miriam Shaviv has an excellent post on the customs of Simkhat Torah based on Avraham Ya'ari's classic history of the festival, 'Toldot Chag Simchat Torah'...

September 25, 2008: What Really Killed Rabbi Yossie Raichik? Haredim And Organ Donation, Part 5
Comments: 86 | Categories: Chabad , Halakha , Haredim , Israel , Med-Ethics, Public Health
My Jewcy column, just up, argues Jewish law killed Yossie Raichik. Before you get your knickers in a bunch over my heresy, read the latest report from Israeli on Raichick's death, published after my column was finished and turned in....

September 22, 2008: Haredim and Organ Donation, part 4: Policy On Organ Donation Kills Leading Chabad Rabbi
Comments: 66 | Categories: Chabad , Halakha , Haredim
Sunday I saw a news release announcing the death of… …Rabbi Yossi Raichik, the 55 year old founder of Chabad's Children of Chernobyl project. Children of Chernobly airlifted over 2500 children from the area around the Chernobyl nuclear reactor after...

September 16, 2008: OpenSourceHalacha.com – Jewish Law For All Of Us
Comments: 37 | Categories: Halakha
There is a new and hopefully groundbreaking project being launched today. Consider it the Wikipedia of… …Jewish law: OpenSourceHalacha.com. The idea is to take Jewish case law – teshuvot – and make them accessible to Jews who otherwise would not...

August 31, 2008: Beit Shammai In Our Days
Comments: 17 | Categories: Halakha , Haredim , Israel , Med-Ethics, Public Health
I've referred often over the years to Beit Shammai's undemocratic and truly unholy behavior during the long run up to the destruction of the Second Temple. The Jerusalem Talmud Shabbat 1:4 attacks Beit Shammai's behavior and calls… … the day...

June 27, 2008: When Rabbis Turn Halakha Into Superstition, Part 2
Comments: 60 | Categories: Halakha , Haredim , Med-Ethics, Public Health
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… …at a much...

June 18, 2008: Science Proves Homosexuality Biologically Based – Can Being Gay Or Lesbian Still Be A Sin?
Comments: 172 | Categories: Ethics , Halakha , Homophobia and its Discontents , Med-Ethics, Public Health , 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: 48 | 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… … forgo his honesty and opt for heavy,...

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. What do Orthodox Jews do after using a bathroom or changing a baby's diaper? They was their hands using a ritual 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… …And what Ha'aretz reports...

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… …here are some oldies but goodies, recycled for this year but still fresh as ever. (Anyone...

April 17, 2008: Cigarettes Hametz, Leading Haredi Rabbis Say
Comments: 30 | 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… …they believe manufacturers...

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: Halakha , Haredim , Israel , Med-Ethics, Public Health
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: A hand picked representative of haredi...

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. First, the Jerusalem Post report: RCA, Rabbinate reach conversion deal Matthew Wagner...

February 19, 2008: Can An OCD Rabbi Be The Posek Achron, part 2
Comments: 27 | 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? Hadash assur min haTorah. Everything new is biblically forbidden, the maxium of the Hatam...

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… First, shmuel writes: As far as the Lithuanian yeshivas, according to Dr. Efraim Zuroff, in a public speech delivered at Edah...

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: 56 | 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: 25 | 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: 19 | 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: …"[Certain...

January 14, 2008: Orthodox Judaism and Non-Jews – Seperate and Unequal
Comments: 39 | 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: 59 | 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: 39 | 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: 57 | 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: 53 | Categories: 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, Litigation, 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: 19 | 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: 38 | 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....

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