by Rabbi Eliezer Melamed
One of the main questions concerning the laws of safeguarding life – and in our generation, perhaps the most important question, is: What does ‘halacha’ (Jewish law) have to say about people who transgress traffic laws? Does somebody who drives excessively fast, passes on a white line, or drives too close to the car ahead … Read more
His Personality There have been scores of Torah giants in recent generations, but the stature of none compares to that of Rabbi Avraham Isaac HaCohen Kook, zt”l (1865 -1935). His genius was astounding – there was no field of Torah study that he had not mastered. His recall was astonishing – great scholars related that … Read more
The Month of Elul Elul is the month of repentance. With the end of the year fast approaching, the time to make a personal accounting has arrived. It is time to cast off all those bad habits we have become accustomed to over the course of the year and to make a new start. On … Read more
Cure-Seeking through Blessings and Miraculous Remedies How should we view the practice some people have of approaching rabbis with requests for healing, miraculous remedies, and amulets? At “Yeshiva Mercaz HaRav,” under Rabbi Tzvi Yehudah Kook, there was no such dealing in the supernatural, and one did not go to request magical remedies or blessings from … Read more
“A Spade With Which To Dig” The Mishnah (Avot 4:6) begins by teaching us the desired intention when studying Torah: “If one learns [Torah] in order to teach, he is given the means to learn and to teach; if one learns in order to do, he is given the means to learn, to teach, to … Read more
A few months ago, I wrote that in the opinion of the Torah scholars, the fixing of the 27th of Nisan as the day of remembrance for the Holocaust was inappropriate. A veteran member of the Religious Kibbutz movement – a Holocaust survivor – agonizingly asked: Which day does the Torah scholars feel is appropriate … Read more
At first, Moshe Rabbeinu did not intend to conquer the eastern side of the Jordan River, even though it is part of ‘Eretz Yisrael’, the Land of Israel. His intention was first to settle the land of Canaan located on the western side of the Jordan — it being on a higher level of holiness … Read more
“God spoke to Moses, saying, “Pinchas (a son of Eleazar and grandson of Aaron the priest) was the one who zealously took up My cause among the Israelites and turned My anger away from them, so that I did not destroy them in My demand for exclusive worship. Therefore, tell him that I have given … Read more
A Complicated Situation The story of what transpired in the city of Emmanuel is complicated. Both sides have claims, and neither of them intended to cause damage to one another. The Hasidic Jews wish to be precise and stringent with their customs in order to create a secure and protected framework for their daughters. The … Read more
1. The Prohibition against Smoking A question that many people ask is, “What does Jewish law have to say about smoking? Is it permissible or forbidden?” Hundreds of years ago, there were doctors who believed that smoking was actually a healthy practice, to the point where they would even advise smoking to those suffering from … Read more