Halacha & Hashkafa

Damsel In Distress ‘A Woman In Labor Is Considered Critically Ill’ (Shabbos 129a)

He approached Mr. Stein. "Did you hide money in the wall by any chance?" "No, why?" laughed Mr. Stein. “Because I just found this envelope with $50,000 cash in it," replied Mr. Hyman.

May one enjoy good food or is the ideal to not care what one eats as long as it gives one strength to serve Hashem?

Neighbors To The Rescue ‘He May Tell Others: Come, Save For Yourselves’ (Shabbos 121a)

Is it proper to watch or enjoy the sport of boxing?

"I tried calling him but couldn't reach him," said Yoni. "What's the difference, though? He didn't limit how long I could use the drill and he doesn’t even know I returned it to you."

The Carpenter’s Folly ‘All [Worn-Out] Holy Writings…’ (Shabbos 115a)

Should the average Jew learn Kabbalah?

An obligation b'dinei Shamayim doesn’t just mean an ethical responsibility.

By All Means Rescue! ‘If One Removes a Fish from the Sea’ (Shabbos 107b)

Is it proper to let one’s children watch movies?

A Murky Dispute ‘Water Does Not Void a Partition’ (Shabbos 100a)

When Mr. Moses confronted the writer, the latter replied, "To the best of my knowledge, what I wrote was true." Mr. Moses vigorously disagreed, but the writer wouldn’t budge, so Mr. Moses sued him in Rabbi Dayan's beis din.

For hundreds of years, Jews in Poland fasted on the 20th of Sivan to commemorate the tens of thousands of Jews killed in the Chmielnitzky uprising of 1648-49. Yet, we don’t fast today for the six million Jews killed in the Holocaust. Why not?

Asking a factory to stay open on Shabbos local time while one is in a different (earlier) time zone is like asking a non-Jew to work on one’s behalf on Shabbos, which is not allowed.

Satisfaction Guaranteed ‘The Divine Presence Rests Only On One Who Is Wise, Strong…’ (Shabbos 92a)

For bar mitzvah boys: Should you give them a sefer in Hebrew, which they may not be able to read for another five years (or perhaps ever), or should you give them something in English?

Let’s Talk Size / ‘He Took Out Wood to Cook an Egg…’ / (Shabbos 89b)

Is it appropriate to share mother-in-law jokes?

The practice to wait until tzeit ha'kochavim has no basis in Chazal or Rishonim.

Sow The Seeds Of Repentance ‘This Potted Plant' (Shabbos 81b)

"They also just had their first boy," Mr. Jacobs said. "B’ezras Hashem, they will be doing a pidyon in another two weeks!"

When bad things happen to someone else, is it appropriate to speculate why?

The Gemara states that the rules of onaah apply only to movable items that have intrinsic value. This excludes real estate, which is not movable.

A Matter Of Intention? ‘The Primary Labors Are Forty Less One…’ (Shabbos 73a)

How does a young woman determine what is or isn’t immodest when it comes to clothing that falls in the grey area of tznius?... Ask her mother? A teacher?

For Whom The Bell Tolls ‘Royal Children May Go Out With Bells’ (Shabbos 66b)

If a person believes based on expert medical advice that wearing a mask on a quiet sidewalk is unnecessary, should he wear it anyways because of the chillul Hashem it will cause in some circles if he doesn’t? Does the answer depend on his motivation (convenience vs. making a political statement)?

Bar Hama was accused of murder, but Rav Papi advocated on his behalf, and he was exonerated. Bar Hama felt indebted to Rav Papi and committed to pay Rav Papi's taxes.

Bal Tosif – Do Not Add! ‘Shabbos Is Not The Time For Tefillin’ (Shabbos 61a)