The ‘Fair Market Value’ Of The Parah Adumah
Rare items, such as a Parah Adumah, do not have a definable ‘fair market value,’ replied Rabbi Dayan. Therefore, according to many authorities, there is no ona’ah (unfair pricing) claim (Hilchos Mishpat 227:29[28]).
Daf Yomi
The Heiress?
“Determining The Daughter’s Status ”
(Kesubos 68b-69a)
Shovel Share
The first winter snow had arrived. Snowflakes drifted down in swirls, covering the ground with a beautiful blanket of white. As the hours passed the snow slowly accumulated, reaching a depth of six inches.
Havdalah: Looking at the Fingernails
The primary reason that we gaze at our fingernails as part of the blessing over the fire is to ensure that we benefit somehow from the light of the fire.
Cutting Through Grief: A Torah Perspective On Self-Harm
We see that cutting oneself out of overwhelming pain is a basic human response, not a new phenomenon. However, in different eras and cultures, mental illness manifests differently based on perceptions, beliefs, and ego defenses.
The Hope Of Our Nation
As we find ourselves immersed in the agony of a war that has left so many chairs empty at the seder, still shocked from the greatest massacre of our people since the Holocaust, we must also plug into the koach of Rabbi Akiva. The power of resilience. The spirit of our nation.
Choosing Shabbat Clothes: Black Or White Or Other?
Ultimately, there is no color requirement for Shabbat clothes, and they may be of any color. The only requirement is that one have specially designated clothing exclusively for Shabbat that are as nice and dignified as one can afford.
The Halachic History of the Expanding Kezayis
He points out that medieval Ashkenazic authorities never saw an olive. Olives do not grow that far north; they only grow in the Mediterranean region.
Daf Yomi
Giving Tzedakah At Night
‘Rabbi Chinena’s Mitzvah Performance’
(Shekalim 22a)
Praying for the Sick: Must the Name Be Mentioned?
The halachic authorities are somewhat divided on the need to mention the name of a sick individual when praying for them. Several authorities rule that mentioning the name of someone when praying for them is optional.
When Is Wearing Gloves Against Halacha?
While it may not be halachically forbidden for a bride to wear gloves at the chuppa, there are several reasons why it is frowned upon. One reason is that the custom of using a ring at the wedding ceremony is intended to represent the relationship, the bond, between the bride and groom.
Hang On
There is always going to be times of maror in our lives. But we have to continue to wait and daven for the incredible seudah that is to follow.
Equal In The Eyes Of The Law (Shevuot 30a)
There is nothing more stultifying to the presentation of one’s case than a judge who allows one party to talk as long as he or she likes and cuts the other party off after a few words.
By The Skin Of His Teeth
Achashveirosh was concerned that in an effort to mitigate his shame, Haman would mumble the words he was instructed to repeat. In this way, Haman’s proclamation would just sound like ranting gibberish.
Daf Yomi
A Public Figure’s Commitment
‘A Matter That Does Not Yet Exist'
(Gittin 42b)
What If It’s Shabbos There But Not Here?
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.
Fresh And Timeless
The visiting woman was so shaken by the tragic story that she began to sob. She couldn’t get over what happened to Yosef.
Daf Yomi
A Shidduch Solution
‘Known In A Town For Thirty Days…’
(Bava Basra 167b)
Daf Yomi
Sextuplets: No Other Solution
'A Levite Exempted An Israelite…'
(Bechoros 4a)
What If Your Claim Has A Mistake In Arithmetic?
The dates are agreed and well documented, said Rabbi Dayan. It's clear to me that Mr. Plaut made a common mathematical error, subtracting three from 12.
A Verse For Your Name (Part II)
One who has more than one name should recite a verse that corresponds to both names. Others, however, are not particular to do so and suffice with a verse corresponding to one name.
Is It Proper…? Should a Jew avoid living in Germany? What about doing business...
Should a Jew avoid living in Germany? What about doing business there?
An Almost Successful Baal Teshuvah
Question: Someone tried to observe Shabbat but could not hold out from violating its laws in the latter part of the day. Does he receive a reward for the amount of Shabbat he observed? Or is reward based on the principle of “all or nothing”? In other words, does Shabbat observance require a total commitment such that partial observance is comparable to not observing Shabbat altogether?
World – Where Is Your Shame?
The real question is where was man? Where was man when six million were being shoved into cattle cars and burned in the crematoria? We were waiting for someone to say something, do something, bomb the railway stations as we were taken to the concentration camps. No one did a thing. The world remained silent.
Support Of Sechach
Question: May one support kosher sechach in a sukkah by placing it on a davar she’mekabel tumah, an item that can receive impurity (i.e., metal)?
Selichot
However remote the prospect of acquittal, a Jew must never give up. God commands us to challenge indictment with prayer. And the rabbis urge us to confront sentencing with hunger strikes. And so, the Midrash tells us, when Moses stood before God, at a loss for words with which to defend the sin of the golden calf, God Himself donned a tallit, took to the prayer stand, and showed Moses how to pray and what to say:
An Aliyah For Someone Who Isn’t Fasting
Question: May a person who ate on Tisha B’Av receive an aliyah?
Confused Cell Phone
Yossi and Ezra shared an apartment. They had many things in common, which made them good roommates. One thing they shared that sometimes caused problems, though, was identical cell phones.
Naming Children (Part II)
It is important to note that not all names may be designated. There is, for example, a tradition that Ashkenazic Jews do not name their children after a living person. Yet, neither the Bible nor the Talmud make any reference to this prohibition. Indeed, just the opposite. The Lubavitcher Rebbe (Sha’arei Halacha U’Minhag, Yoreh De’ah, Volume III, p.298) notes that from verses in Genesis (See Genesis 11:24-26) it is evident that Terach (father of Abraham) named his son Nachor during the lifetime of his father, Nachor.
Checking Clothes Before Shabbat
Question: The Talmud (Shabbat 12a) notes, “Rabbi Hanina said: One should examine one’s clothes on the eve of Shabbat before nightfall [to ensure that one is not carrying anything] for one may forget and go out [carrying]. Rav Yosef said this is an important law for Shabbat.”