Halacha

Make this year’s seder meaningful when tables are smaller - opinion

We are a link in a chain that stretches back over three millennia, a chain that has endured exile, persecution, and upheaval, yet has never been broken.

|ByJONATHAN LIEBERMAN
An illustrative image of a Passover Seder plate.
Soldiers are ready for anything - including Passover.

IDF's ‘Operation Roaring Matzah’: Keeping Passover, ensuring security for army and country

“If we need to do Seder in the tank, we will be happy to do so,” E asserts. “We will drink grape juice and sing all the songs together – “Mah Nishtana?” and “V’hee She’amda.”

|ByJUDITH SEGALOFF
A general view of Jerusalem's Old City shows the Western Wall, Judaism's holiest prayer site, in the foreground and the Dome of the Rock, located on the compound known to Muslims as Noble Sanctuary and to Jews as Temple Mount, in the background June 24, 2019

Western Wall debate must not overshadow prayer, unity during times of war - opinion

Prayer at the Kotel should remain sacred, guiding Jews through crises rather than fueling division.

|ByYAAKOV MENKEN, JONATHAN GUTTENTAG
Smartphone shows a missile alert, in Mishmar David, Feb. 28.

Shabbat under fire: Navigating Jewish law, missile alerts in Israel during war - opinion

Jerusalem residents faced a Shabbat like no other amid incoming missiles from Iran.

|ByBRIAN BLUM

Halitza: The Jewish ritual for widows and how it is carried out in wartime - explainer

On an average year, it is estimated there are 15 to 20 such cases in Israel and a couple in the United States. During wartime, that number goes up.

DECEMBER 7, 2024BySHLOMO M. BRODY
An illustrative image of sandals.

Respecting our wives: Honoring ourselves

DECEMBER 3, 2024ByMARK FISH

Following up on our Yom Kippur prayers – opinion

We need to remember the commitments we made on Yom Kippur every day, not just during the confessional.

OCTOBER 16, 2024BySHERWIN POMERANTZ
Masses gather at the Western Wall last week, during the days leading up to Yom Kippur. The prayers we recited and the commitments we made on Yom Kippur are lacking in value without follow-up, the writer asserts.

Detailed Halachot of building a Sukkah

OCTOBER 15, 2024ByMARK FISH

Rabbi Ido Pachter: Making a new tradition of Jewish law for modern Israel

Jerusalemite of the Week: Rabbi Ido Pachter of Beit Midrash LeMa'ase is attempting to reframe how we approach Jewish law to create something new: Halachat Yisraeli (Israeli Jewish law).

OCTOBER 14, 2024ByAARON REICH
Rabbi Ido Pachter is seen alongside colleagues at Beit Midrash LeMa'ase in Jerusalem.

Navigating Halachic challenges in the Shofar blowing

OCTOBER 1, 2024ByMARK FISH

What does Jewish law say about medical experimentation? - explainer

Generally, Halacha permits only medical interventions whose efficacy has been proven. Yet even with tested treatments, one cannot be sure that the intervention will succeed.

SEPTEMBER 6, 2024BySHLOMO M. BRODY
A woman is seen preparing a dose of the COVID vaccine.

The Jewish state is bad for Jews: Jewish life in Israel is hijacked by cultists, politics - opinion

Religion has been hijacked by cultists with long white beards in long black coats, and they have sullied it. Politics and religion simply shouldn’t mix; the result is a toxic mess.

AUGUST 31, 2024ByPAMELA PELED
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir visits the Temple Mount on August 13, 2024, in this screengrab obtained from a handout video by the Temple Mount Administration.

Step by Step: Exploring the concept of Techumim

AUGUST 20, 2024ByMARK FISH

Embracing diversity, love and respect despite our disagreements - opinion

In today's algorithm-driven world, we lose important, diverse experiences. With our already limited perspectives in society, open-mindedness and respect for other opinions is crucial.

AUGUST 12, 2024ByYOCHI RAPPEPORT
WOMEN OF the Wall holds a Rosh Hodesh prayer service, as other women protest against them, at the Western Wall, in 2019.