Category: Belief & Observance

Lighting Hanukkah Candles with Electric Lights: A Teshuvah from Rav Yaakov Moshe Toledano

Rabbi Avram Schwartz (Posted on December 4, 2018)
From the Lindenbaum Center for Halakhic Studies

Rabbi Yaakov Moshe Toledano (1880-1960), author of Responsa Yam HaGadol, was a Sepharadi rabbi and posek. He served Jewish communities in his hometown of Tiberias, in Tangier, Cairo, and finally Tel Aviv, where he served as the Sepharadi chief rabbi. In 1958, he was appointed the Minister of Religions.…

How Soon Must I Build My Sukkah: A Teshuva by The Avnei Nezer

Rabbi Avram Schwartz (Posted on September 21, 2018)
From the Lindenbaum Center for Halakhic Studies

Translation by Rabbi Avi Schwartz, introduction by Rabbi Dov Linzer   Rabbi Avraham Bornsztain (1838-1910) was the first Sochatchover Rebbe. He was a leading posek of the 19th century. His responsa, Sheilot U’teshuvot Avnei Nezer cover all 4 sections of Shulhan Arukh.…

May One Who Eats on Yom Kippur Due to Medical Needs Serve as a Shaliach Tzibbur? A Teshuvah from Rav Asher Weiss

Rabbi Avram Schwartz (Posted on September 17, 2018)
From the Lindenbaum Center for Halakhic Studies

Translation by Rabbi Avi Schwartz, introduction by Rabbi Dov Linzer   Rabbi Asher Weiss(1953- ) is the current Rosh Kollel of Machon Minchas Asher L’Torah V’Horaah in Israel. Rav Asher was born to a Sens-Klausenburg Hassidic family and grew up in Borough Park, Brooklyn.…

Hearing Shofar Over A Loudspeaker or on a Radio: A Teshuvah from Rav Ben-Zion Uziel

Rabbi Avram Schwartz (Posted on September 7, 2018)
From the Lindenbaum Center for Halakhic Studies

HaRav Ben-Zion Meir Hai Uziel (1880-1953) served as Sepharadi chief rabbi of Tel Aviv-Jaffa (earlier Jaffa) during the period of the British Mandate, for a time alongside Rav Kook. In 1939, he was appointed Rishon LeTzion, Sephardi chief rabbi of the Land of Israel, and served in that position until his death in 1953.…

To Believe or to Have Faith

by Rabbi Dov Linzer Posted on July 26, 2018

The Ten Commandments open with the declaration “I am the Lord your God who brought you out of land of Egypt.” This is often understood to be a mitzvah of belief. Is there such a mitzvah? And what do we mean by belief anyway?…

The Top Ten Challenges for Modern Orthodoxy as Seen in Tanakh

by Rabbi Asher Lopatin Posted on July 6, 2017

To view the sources for this shiur click here.  …

Should Facts Affect Faith?

by Rabbi Aryeh Klapper Posted on December 2, 2016

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Rav Shimon Shkop and Rav Yisrael Gusteman on Human Norms in Halakha

by Rabbi Dr. Yaakov Elman Posted on November 1, 2016

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Should Torah be a Choice?

by Rabbi Haggai Resnikoff Posted on October 7, 2016

Although voluntary buy-in is a more motivational incentive than extrinsic reward and certainly more than threat of punishment, there may still be good reason to insist that Jewish education and general keeping of mitzvot be mandatory and not a choice. Declaring something as mandatory emphasizes its importance, and, despite emotional objections, it can help ingrain habits (especially in children) so that any alternative would be unthinkable.…

Does the Torah Make You Wise?

by Rabbi Haggai Resnikoff Posted on October 6, 2016

It may seem odd to us that people would ask a rabbi who to marry or vote for, but the Torah, in fact, does have reference to all aspects of our lives and the experts in Torah may well have wisdom and advice to impart in all areas of our lives.…

Can We Build Bridges Both to the Left and to the Right – Simultaneously?

by Rabbi Asher Lopatin Posted on September 23, 2016

Lessons from my first year at Yeshivat Chovevei Torah “Excuse me for a moment; I need to take this call,” I said to the rabbis I was meeting with at an important convention for Chareidi professionals dealing with practical halachic issues and public policy. …

Dogma and Jewish Status

by Rabbi Dov Linzer Posted on August 30, 2016

A.    Becoming A Jew Notice that the process focuses entirely on acceptance of mitzvot and not of ikrei emunah.  While certain beliefs are assumed – i.e., the existence of an olam habah – the purpose of the process is to ensure that the ger accepts not only the obligation of the mitzvot but the yoke of the mitzvot – the full gravity of the obligation. …