Posted on: December 5th, 2012

Yosef, Gad and Benjy headed down to the dining hall in their high school. As they walked along the corridor they noticed a new vending machine had been installed. The three admired the machine, and eyed its beckoning display of treats.

Posted on: November 30th, 2012

Do Not Add To Them! ‘Shabbos is not a Time for Tefillin’ (Shabbos 61a)

Posted on: November 30th, 2012

"Hi, Levi," said his friend Moshe. "I've got a project to work on for the next two months. By any chance, do you have a spare laptop you're willing to lend for the duration?"

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Posted on: November 30th, 2012

You arrive home after shul on Friday night. All the dishes washed before Shabbat are locked in the dishwasher. You have no other eating utensils and you want to retrieve them for the Friday night meal. In order to take them out you have to unlock the door by turning the lever lock to the left. The action of the lever to unlock the door automatically turns off the panel indicator lights that advise you the dishwashing cycle is complete. So you cannot open the door without turning off the lights. What do you do?

Posted on: November 22nd, 2012

A week after Hurricane Sandy, the Blums still had no electricity. They had run extension cords to a neighbor's house to power some basic items, like the fridge and telephone, but the protracted living without power was taking its toll on the family.

Posted on: November 22nd, 2012

Ball And Bat Substitutes 'Cut Palm Branches' (Shabbos 50a)

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Posted on: November 22nd, 2012

The link between the laws of Shabbat and the Mishkan not only defines the 39 Melachot but also determines the conditions for liability. One of these conditions is intent. The other is purpose.

Posted on: November 14th, 2012

The juxtaposition in the Torah of the laws of Shabbat and the Mishkan, the Sanctuary, not only serves to identify the 39 melachot prohibited on Shabbat but also determines the conditions that must exist before one can be held liable for performing a melachah. One of these conditions is intent.

Posted on: November 14th, 2012

Children And Corpses ‘A Body Lying In The Sun…’ (Shabbos 43b)

Posted on: November 14th, 2012

Hurricane Sandy had knocked down the power lines to Noach's house. After three days with no electricity, he heard that a neighbor had a spare generator.

Posted on: November 8th, 2012

Hurricane Sandy ploughed through the eastern seaboard, leaving devastation in its wake: mandated evacuation, flooded houses, power outages, uprooted trees, and smashed cars. The storm also raised serious questions regarded rented properties: Does a tenant have to pay rent for the time his house was affected by the storm?

Posted on: November 8th, 2012

Enjoying A Hot Dish ‘What Was Really Meant Was Replacing It…’ (Shabbos 37a)

Posted on: November 2nd, 2012

“G-d formed man from the earth and breathed into him a living soul.” The greatest achievement of the biological sciences since that moment in creation has been the Human Genome Project, a massive effort by thousand of biologists, chemists and physicists who isolated and identified the 24,000 genes that Hashem placed in Adam and Eve, […]

Posted on: November 2nd, 2012

Rabbi Feld headed out to the airport early in the morning. He was flying to the wedding of one of his congregants, Mr. Krauss, who had purchased him a complimentary ticket. Although the wedding was scheduled for late afternoon, they had booked an early flight to allow ample time.

Posted on: November 2nd, 2012

When Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi, the redactor of the Mishnah known as “Rebbi,” lay dying, he made his sons promise him that after his death they would set the Shabbat table and light the candles for him every Friday night.

Posted on: November 2nd, 2012

For Appearance’s Sake ‘Moving Forward At The Word Of G-d’ (Shabbos 31a)

Posted on: October 24th, 2012

Triple Pray? ‘If He Did Not Say He Must Repeat’ (Shabbos 24a)

Posted on: October 24th, 2012

Question: What is unique about Modern Orthodoxy?

Posted on: October 17th, 2012

"I arranged with Simon Cooper, the plumber, to clear the blockage in the kitchen sink this morning," Mr. Laks told his wife. "Oh, great!" she replied. "I'll clean the kitchen before he comes."

Posted on: October 17th, 2012

Shabbat candles must be lit by (and preferably 18 minutes before) sunset. Once it is twilight, the time between sunset and nightfall known as bein hashmashot, it is too late to light. Bein hashmashot begins when the sun sets below the horizon and is no longer visible.