by Rabbi Dov Linzer Posted on August 3, 2016
Introduction We have seen how the mohar transformed from money up front and a type of bride-price to money paid at the end of the marriage, becoming our Rabbinic ketuvah. We have also seen how parallel to that the money given at the beginning of the marriage changed from being a significant sum to a small symbolic amount –a perutah – thus transforming the act from one of kinyan to one of kiddushin. …
by Rabbi Dov Linzer Posted on August 3, 2016
Introduction In Section A, we looked at the history of the ketuvah, and saw how it evolved from the Biblical mohar, and how this came with a raising of the wife’s status in the marriage. Here, in Section B, we will see how the shift from mohar to ketuvah was paralleled by a shift from kinyan to kiddushin in the act of the marriage itself. …
by Rabbi Dov Linzer Posted on July 31, 2016
In the previous lecture we saw how the institution of marriage in the Torah seems to be based on a concept of ownership, and that this is paralleled by the way in which the marriage is effectuate – the giving of a mohar or bride-price from the groom to the father of the bride. …
by Rabbi Dov Linzer Posted on July 31, 2016
Part I – In the Torah Section B – The Act of Marriage – Mohar and other Marriage-Monies We now turn to look at not the state of marriage, but the act of effectuating marriage. What act made an unmarried woman into an arusa, a betrothed woman? …
by Rabbi Dov Linzer Posted on July 31, 2016
Our concept of marriage is one of a mutually entered partnership between husband and wife. But is this the Torah’s and halakha’s understanding of the institution? In this lecture, we will look at how the legal/halakhic institution of marriage is conceptualized in the Torah and how that has evolved through Rabbinic times until today. …
by Rabbi Dov Linzer Posted 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. …
by Rabbi Dov Linzer Posted on July 20, 2016
Key points In our discussion of distinctions in the area of acts against property, pay attention to the following key points as we work through our sources: Biblical terms – amitcha and rei’echa are the key terms that are used in this area of law. …
by Rabbi Dov Linzer Posted on July 5, 2016
Rabbi Yohanan Ben Zakai (RYBZ), leader of the Jewish people during the period immediately following the destruction of the temple, established a number of edicts (takanot) during his tenure. The Talmud places the total number at nine, six of which are explicitly stated in the Mishnah, and three more are attributed to him by the Talmud.…
by Rabbi Dov Linzer Posted on July 5, 2016
Non-Jews are commanded to observe the seven Noahide laws. A logical corollary of this is that they are to be rewarded for their performance of these mitzvot, and held liable for transgressing them. This assumption, however, is brought into question by the sugyah around the statement of Rav Yosef in Avodah Zara 2B-3A (paralleled in Bava Kama 35a)… This article was originally published in the Milin Havivin, Vol 1.…
by Rabbi Dov Linzer Posted on July 30, 2015
Why do we fast? The general understanding is that it acts as a spur for teshuvah, repentance. This explanation works for the fast days examined in the Talmudic tractate of Ta’anit – fasting during times of drought, locust, and the like – but what about the fast days that commemorate tragic historical events?…
by Rabbi Dov Linzer Posted on December 16, 2011
As both Chanukkah and Christmas draw near, it is appropriate to discuss of the evolution of halakha’s approach to Christianity. Tosafot in Bekhorot, 2b, had said that one does not transgress by having a Christian take an oath in the name of God and a saint.…
by Rabbi Dov Linzer Posted 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 will be taken in the name of a foreign god. …
