From the Jewish Week (link): Riverdale Orthodox Shul To Have Woman Lead Kabbalat Shabbat Tonight Friday, July 30, 2010 Staff Report In a move that apparently would make history for an Orthodox synagogue in the United States, the Hebrew Institute of Riverdale is scheduled Friday night to have a woman lead a Kabbalat Shabbat service where both men and women are expected to be in the pews. A one-page e-mail letter was sent Friday...
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Rabbi Morey Schwartz, in his new book Where’s My Miracle?, does to contemporary notions of divine providence what Voltaire did with his satirical play Candide to eighteenth century notions of theodicy, only in a serious and constructive way. Voltaire famously mocked the various...
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In a number of places in his commentary on Tanach and shas, Rashi says “kach shamati” (this is what I heard), sometimes he provides a citation and sometimes an alternative explanation, other times neither.
Question: Does this imply that all other times Rashi is providing...
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About six months ago, I received an email from Rabbi Nati Helfgot about a “Statement of Principles” that he was working to draft about how Orthodoxy should relate to...
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R Ezra Bick explores the overall themes of the Parsha: link Bread and Manna R Berel Wein explains why man does not live by bread alone: link R Yissocher...
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Revealing confidential information is a breach of trust but sometimes maintaining that privacy is an even bigger breach. While you usually only gain access to confidential information after explicitly...
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There is a somewhat widespread belief that praying at the Kotel for forty consecutive days is an effective segula for ensuring that one’s prayers and requests will be answered....
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The preferred weapon of a Jedi knight is the lightsaber, a blade of energy that cuts through almost all substances without resistance. Significantly, a lightsaber automatically cauterizes wounds (except...
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Judges need to resist any pressure, direct or indirect, that is applied to them. But is there a difference between the requirements of a Jewish and a Gentile judge?...
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Question - As a general rule, does the end justify the means in Judaism? Either way, please cite at least two exceptions (the more the merrier) to your general...
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R. Yitzchak Etshalom investigates the structure of the Parsha; R Avraham Gordimer discusses Moshe Rabbeinu’s entreaty to enter the Land of Israel: link The Luchos Shniyos R Berel Wein...
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Abortion and Politics In an essay in the latest issue of First Things, Joseph Bottum (the magazine’s editor) criticizes Governor Mitch Daniels of Indiana, a Republican presidential contender in...
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The results are in from the reader survey. The response rate is fairly disappointing — 232 completed surveys. According to Google Analytics, on 6 of the last 13 days...
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Hear Rabbi Shalom Rosner in his only NY area appearance this summer…
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Mazal tov to Rabbi Ari Enkin on the publication of his new book, Halacha Bilvad: Halachic Insights & Responsa. Halacha Bilvad contains over 100 exciting and practical contemporary halachic...
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“Why Should We be Excluded?” A Classic Devar Torah of Rav Yehudah Amital z”l A recollection by Dr. Moshe Simon-Shoshan [I would like to thank R. Reuven Zeigler for...
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Kinah 17: “After being tied to racing horses” R. Joseph B. Soloveitchik (Koren Kinot Mesorat HaRav, p. 378): This phrase is an allusion to the story told by the...
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The following is commentary excerpted from the Koren Kinot Mesorat HaRav (link), as it appears in YU’s Tisha B’av To Go. You can access it from the YUTorah website...
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