From single digit hits in the beginning, Halachipedia now receives more than 200 daily hits and boasts nearly two million hits in total. “I enjoy it and I think it’s definitely a great project,” Sultan said. “It’s something that can help a lot of people in terms of learning, in terms of finding what they’re looking for.”
Thanks to Halachipedia, answers to common questions are a Smartphone swipe away: Do I need to wash before eating a slice of pizza? What brachah do I make after hearing thunder? Can I return a pot to the blech after removing it on Shabbat?
“What I’m focused on is Orach Chayim, the daily life halachas – holidays, davening and Shabbos. The most common, practical halachas that are easier to relate to for someone else,” said Sultan.
Ezra Levy, a senior at Northwest Yeshiva High School in Mercer Island, Wash., is a frequent user and contributor to Halachipedia. When his class was studying dosh, one of the prohibitions on Shabbat, he used Halachipedia to research laws about squeezing fruit and shared the sources with his rabbis.
Halachipedia also taught him unfamiliar halachot. “There was one on respecting elders and I didn’t know there were actual practical laws on how to show respect to your elders,” Levy said.
What does the future hold for the budding Torah scholar and computer whiz? “Looking forward, I hope to enhance our ability to serve the Jewish community in finding the answers to its halachic questions quickly and easily,” said Ike. “As technology and the Internet improves, Halachipedia looks to utilize those tools in order to further upgrade our database of halacha.”
To become a part of the Halachipedia editorial team contact [email protected].
