by Rabbi Haggai ResnikoffPosted on August 3, 2017
Judaism today sees itself as a civilization that honors history above most things. And the history that we venerate is almost always our own. The Torah, however, in various places emphasizes the importance of knowing other people’s histories. This actually appears odd to us (as well as to early sages) precisely because knowing the Continue Reading »
by Rabbi Dr. David BergerPosted on December 9, 2016
by Rabbi Haggai ResnikoffPosted on September 6, 2016
Although the written Torah suggests in various places a violent relationship with other religions- particularly those that involve avodah zarah (best but incompletely translated as “idolatry”)- we find in the Sages a mixed bag of how we should treat other religions. Some sources seem to suggest that violence was reserved for the biblical epoch while Continue Reading »
by Rabbi Dov LinzerPosted on July 20, 2016
Introduction In Part I of this series we explored areas where the halakha – as articulated in the Talmud – has made distinctions between our obligation to Jews and our obligation to Gentiles. The following chart is based on a similar chart which appeared at the end of Part I. It summarizes the distinctions in Continue Reading »
by Rabbi Dov LinzerPosted on November 18, 2011
On the very first page (2b) of Mesechet Berachot, the Gemara discusses, on a bit of a tangent, the statement of the father of Shmuel that it is forbidden to go into partnership with a non-Jew, lest non-Jew will be required to take an oath to verify his claim in a dispute, and this oath Continue Reading »
by Rabbi Dov LinzerPosted on October 29, 2010
The last dapim of mesekhet Avoda Zara which address central issues in Kashrut and end with a discussion of kashering and toveling vessels. This is a somewhat unusual way to end a mesekhet that is devoted to discussing the world of idolatry and its dangers. The mesekhet ends with a story, one consistent with this Continue Reading »
