A version of this post appeared in Rabbi Ovadia’s daily newsletter. It is important to understand the laws of putting out fire on Shabbat. There are lengthy discussions in the Mishnah, the Talmud, and Halachaic literature, which I have thoroughly analyzed below. Meanwhile, here are the essential guidelines: • Make sure fire alarms are installed…
Q: Can electric candles be used for Hanukkah? A: According to Rabbi Yosef Messas[i], one is allowed to light an electric Hanukkiah, reciting the blessings before flipping the switch or tightening the light bulb. The most common situation where this would be required is when staying at a hotel where it is forbidden to light…
Israeli lawmakers are considering a law that would help Orthodox women across the world. Jewish law does not permit a woman to divorce her husband without his consent, and in Israel and abroad, a number of women who wish to leave their husbands are unable to do so. These women are known as agunoth –…
Yom Kippur Eve And Teshuva (Repentance) • The guiding rule in observing Yom Kippur is maintaining a balance between respecting the sanctity of the day and one’s physical health. • According to Shulhan Arukh (Code of Jewish Law), the practice of doing Kapparot with chickens should be eliminated. • We must ask for forgiveness and reconcile with…
In February of this year, the Knesset passed a bill known as the chok ha’hasdarah or the Regulation Law. The purpose of the law is to retroactively legalize housing built in good faith, i.e. at the time it was built the builder did not know that the land they were building on was owned by…
JERUSALEM (JTA) — In honor of the “Jewish day of love,” Tu B’Av, the Tzohar Rabbinical Organization reports that there is increasing public interest in its halachic prenuptial agreement. The Heskem B’Ahava, or Agreement of Love, was introduced in 2015 in order to prevent legal and halachic, or Jewish legal obstacles in the event of…
I’m not a rabbi, nor am I an expert on Jewish law by any means — but I have been a practicing Modern Orthodox Jew for my entire adult life. As one of the few Orthodox Jews working at the beautifully pluralistic Forward, I often become the go-to gal for questions of religious custom and…
Last week by Rabbi Zvi Tau added his signature to a yellowing letter, originally published in the 1980s, opposing the use of pre-nuptial agreements. In doing so Rabbi Tau, a leader of the ultra-conservation faction within Zionist Orthodoxy, added his name to a list of 44 rabbis similarly opposed. The timing is no coincidence. The…
100% of profits support our journalism
