Halacha & Hashkafa

Why is it that we only modify the conclusion of the blessing when drinking wine or eating fruits that originated in Eretz Yisrael? Why isn’t it also modified when eating mezonot products that originate from Eretz Yisrael?

While it is true that there are halachos governing the giving of tzedakah and some tzedakos take precedence over others, for the most part where one chooses to give is a personal choice.

I remember so clearly when thousands of Jews were chased out of Gush Katif in the Gaza Strip so many years ago. How much they warned and begged and pleaded that moving the Jews from the Gaza Strip would lead to bloodshed, but to no avail.

When someone damages other people’s property while trying to save lives, is he liable for the financial damage to the property?

A Ruling Too Novel? “One Who Ate Nevelah On Yom Kippur Is Exempt” (Kiddushin 77b)

Rav Moshe Feinstein concludes that civil marriage, and by extension, a couple who choose to live together, is not halachically binding. He argues that the fact that a couple chose to forgo a Jewish ceremony demonstrates that they have no desire to be married according to Jewish law.

More important than all the physical succos that we construct and dismantle each year, are the spiritual structures that we construct.

The situation for Jews world over is fraught with danger, and leaving Israel to England or the U.S. does not necessarily afford one greater safety.

We are Jews and history is constantly repeating itself to help us improve ourselves, and to help us grow and learn from our mistakes. Hashem is always merciful and is always takings care of us.

Some explain this mitzvah as rooted in the need to spare the animal suffering; others explain it as rooted in the need to help a fellow Jew in distress.

In Spite Of Unintended Consequences “There Is Birtha di’Satya In Babylon.” (Kiddushin 72a)

Some argue that the Torah reading is intended to parallel and recall the giving of the Torah. According to this approach, just as the entire nation stood when the Torah was given at Mount Sinai, one should likewise stand when the Torah is read in the synagogue.

Unfortunately, however, like other things, when such behavior is overdone and it becomes compulsive and obsessive, it is generally no longer good.

On the one hand we see how true this verse really is the strongest army in the world, the best technology, the best soldiers, and yet so many slaughtered and sent to their death so brutally.

The Recanted Testimony ‘A Solitary Witness Said To Him’ (Kiddushin 65b)

Mr. Blum arranged the wire transfer. When he checked the bank statement a few days later, though, he noticed that no fee had been charged. He notified Mr. Leiner.

The beautiful Yomim Tovim of Tishrei have awakened us from our spiritual slumber and reenergized us. Now our job is to make sure we don’t fall back to sleep.

Adon Olam is said to have been authored by Shlomo ibn Gabirol, and it made its way into the siddur sometime in the fifteenth century.

What was once considered reprehensible or considered out of bounds even one generation ago, today passes as normal civility, even though it is not normal, or civil.

One of the greatest impediments to change is believing that one cannot change.

You Are That Man! ‘A Poor Man Looking For A Griddlecake…’ (Kiddushin 59a)

I remember now that one of the beams broke last year, Mr. Baum replied. Our sukkos were placed next to each other; one of my boys must have mistakenly taken a beam of yours.

The Snatched Zuz ‘None Pay Regard To R. Shimon’s Dictum …’ (Kiddushin 52b)

If the wire is frayed the connection is faulty and that spiritual power will not ignite within our souls.

When the Mishna rules that visitors to a new place must continue to observe all the restrictions that are normally observed in their hometown, it only refers to customs that are or can be practiced in the new location by the residents of that place.

To avoid potential violation, when a person commits to give ma’aser kesafim or designates money for tzedaka, poskim recommend that he stipulate to distribute it slowly or that the money not be considered tzedaka until he is ready to give it.

Polite And Respectful “It Is Audacious to Appoint One’s Father a Shaliach” (Kiddushin 45b)

There is much good that we do with our cell phones, and they help us in so many ways. But how often do we take them out to look at them during davening in shul, during family meal times, or at any time when we are conversing with another person?

The long lines and rushed atmosphere typical of erev Yom Kippur Kapparot gatherings frequently lead to invalid slaughter and render the chickens, which are later distributed to the poor, as non-kosher.

To be honest, even wearing running shoes which many of us, myself included, do on Yom Kippur often feels a bit strange to me.