Jewish religious law (Halakha, Halocho, Halacha)

Bracha Rutner broke new ground, becoming the first Yoetzet Halacha (woman advisor in Jewish law) employed by an American synagogue, Riverdale Jewish Center, where she served for a decade. She is also former Yoetzet Halacha at the Riverdale Minyan and is currently Kemp Mill Synagogue's ...

They came back with a unanimous response: Yes, Jewish law does allow torture of terrorists — with a few limitations. ... participating in the inaugural Collegiate Moot Beit Din (or Jewish legal court) competition, which asked the teams to judge the question “Is torture permissible according to Jewish law?

He quotes the Rambam, Chapter 15, Hilchot Sanhedrin, and Chapter 12 Hilchot Avel, Halacha 1. Achiezer 72:4. The bottom line on those who deliberately, and with full knowledge of the illegality of their actions, transgress Jewish Law in matters like this, is stated by the Shulchan Aruch: “Those who leave ...

“According to Jewish law, Judaism has no interest in influencing someone to convert. There's no such thing,” Rabbi Dov Lior told Haaretz. “If someone comes to convert, then it's a good deed to bring them closer. But to go out and be a missionary? To influence someone? That's not the way of Judaism,” Lior ...

The movement, a liberal denomination that adheres to Jewish law, bans intermarriage, but some of its rabbis bitterly oppose the ban. ... Those rules are debated and voted on by the RA's Committee on Jewish Laws and Standards, which reviews issues of halakha, or Jewish law, and determines what the ...

JERUSALEM (JTA) — A group of four Orthodox Jewish women has threatened to take the Chief Rabbinate to Israel's highest court after their request to take an official rabbinate exam in family purity laws was rejected with no explanation. The exam was held Thursday; the women were not allowed to sit for it ...

Recently a swirl of controversy has engulfed the Jewish Community surrounding the role of female clergy and Halacha. Some of our Chaverim have reached out to the Beth Din for a Psak and guidance on this issue. Accordingly, we the undersigned are offering our opinion on behalf of the Beth Din of the ...

Seven and a half years ago, Rav Gans was asked by Dirshu's hanhala to deliver a Daf HaYomi B'Halacha shiur via telephone. Initially, he refused, stating simply that he did not have an extra second in his day. Ultimately, he was convinced that the zechus of talmud Torah d'rabbim was a sufficient reason to ...

In December 2017, Portugal was officially recognized as the “World's Leading Destination” by the World Travel Awards. It's also one of the most Jewish-friendly countries, according to Lisbon Jewish Community President Gabriel Steinhardt, who said the presence of hate groups and anti-Semitic rhetoric in ...

“Ve'eileh hamishpotim asher tosim lifneihem.” Rashi explains that just as the laws that appeared in Parshas Yisro were delivered to the Jewish people at Har Sinai, so were the laws relating to financial matters, included in this week's parsha, also presented to the Jewish people at Har Sinai. Just as the laws ...

Note: This short essay is meant purely as an educational overview. Jewish law approaches each case according to its particular circumstances. In any actual case, it is vital that qualified rabbis and medical professionals be consulted. The question of abortion is perhaps one of the most sensitive and charged topics in the ...