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Introduction to the Laws of Eiruvin Series
In my Current Jewish Questions series we recently completed a three part sub-unit covering a basic introduction to the laws of eiruvin. For those interested in a general overview of the laws of...
View ArticleElectricity in Jewish Law Class Series
In 2013 I regave a class series on Electricity I had done before I started recording classes. This time around I was elated to have Dr. Alan Mincer deliver an special introductory class on the science...
View ArticleWomen, Tefillin, and the Rise of the Rav
לֹא בַשָּׁמַיִם הִוא לֵאמֹר מִי יַעֲלֶה לָּנוּ הַשָּׁמַיְמָה וְיִקָּחֶהָ לָּנוּ וְיַשְׁמִעֵנוּ אֹתָהּ וְנַעֲשֶׂנָּה: וְלֹא מֵעֵבֶר לַיָּם הִוא לֵאמֹר מִי יַעֲבָר לָנוּ אֶל עֵבֶר הַיָּם וְיִקָּחֶהָ...
View ArticleOn Tone and Traditions – A Followup to Fallout
My recent post Women, Tefillin, and the Rise of the Rav seems to have struck a nerve in the Orthodox community. By far, it has elicited the greatest response, and divisiveness, than anything else I...
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The Conceits of “Consensus” in Halakhic Rhetoric
Introduction Regular readers of halakhic literature will inevitably encounter appeals to “consensus,” either of a select sample of halakhic decisiors, frequently using the Hebrew idiom “rov poskim,” or...
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Halakha vs. Halakhic Gerrymandering – With Visual Aids
Religious Jews often talk about halakhah, and by their self-identification will attempt to frame their practices within a halakhic framework, but few if any can offer a logically coherent or consistent...
View ArticleReviewing Rabbinic Oversight: A Response to Rabbi Jeffrey Fox
Rabbi Jeffrey Fox recently published a teshuvah regarding the presence of the male Beit Din at the mikvah immersion of a female convert. My response came out to over 20 pages with footnotes and...
View ArticleThe Eighteen Minute Matzah Myth
Compared to Judaism’s regular dietary laws, the rules for being Kosher for Passover are decidedly stricter. Not only is the punishment for consuming chametz the more severe karet (Ex. 12:15, 12:19),...
View ArticleAn Actual Conversation Re: Women Dancing With a Torah on Simhat Torah
Arguments over women dancing with a Sefer Torah on Simhat Torah are by no means new. I had one memorable exchange way back in 2002 when I was doing my rabbinic internship at The Bridge Shul in...
View ArticleEvaluating Emergencies: Thoughts on Halakhic Decisions in Response to Corona
As the world copes with the coronavirus pandemic, soceities continue to grapple with the disruptions of social distancing in order to “flatten the curve” and curtail the spread of the fatal virus....
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