Jewish law

Parashat Tazria-Metzora: Turning lemons into lemonade

These parashot deal at length with a unique phenomenon described in the Torah – tzara’at, which are marks or changes that appear on the walls of a house, on clothing, or on the body.

'Spirituality can grow without diminishing anyone,' says the writer.
Rabbi Shlomo Litvin, Director of Chabad of the Bluegrass and Chairman of the Kentucky Jewish Council.

New Kentucky law says authorities must contact Chabad before cremating unnamed body

REPRESENTATIVES OF the Chief Rabbinate of Israel cross Jaffa Street in Jerusalem as they deliver a kosher certificate to a local restaurant.

Time for Israel’s non-kosher public to push back - opinion

Prof. John Loike (R), Prof Alan Kadish (M), and Rabbi Tzvi Flaum (L)

New study examines debate over brain-dead pregnant women kept on ventilator


‘No one should be an aguna for even a day’

Organization for wives with recalcitrant husbands aims to bring awareness to plight

A GROUP of women partake in Yad La’isha’s annual ‘Women Moving Mountains’ hike in order to raise awareness to the plight of ‘agunot.’

Uggs, the beloved footwear, may be unkosher

Three separate shatnez labs found shoes from Ugg contained a mixture of wool and linen. Ugg has denied the claims.

Super Ugg Boots (Rettinghaus/Wikimedia Commons)

Third woman gets divorce after independent Orthodox court annuls marriage

Court convened at request of Center of Women’s Justice represents a challenge to the state rabbinical courts which decline to use tools for annulling or dissolving marriages even in long-term cases.

The Independent rabbinical court headed by Rabbi Daniel Sperber (center) issues its ruling on Sunday annulling her marriage to her former husband

Shabbat candle-lighting times for Israel and U.S.

See Shabbat times for your area.

Shabbat candles

Distinguished Fellows of Hebrew Law meet with President Reuven Rivlin

“It amazes me how Hebrew Law, which was formulated 2,000 years ago, is applicable to current legal problems. Sometimes there’s a great philosophy in only one or two sentences.”

President Reuven Rivlin congratulates the Distinguished Fellows in Hebrew Law at the President's Residence, September 16, 2018

First-ever ‘Ask the Rabbanit’ website to be launched by women scholars

The initiative, called Meshivat Nefesh, follows an eight-month pilot period in which leading female halachic experts have answered more than 200 questions on a popular websites.

 Some of the halachic experts who will be answering questions on the Meshivat Nefesh website for Beit Hillel (August 20, 2018).

Limits to Basic Law

When basic laws are easily amended, where the legislature is composed of a single chamber, with government dominance in the legislation, there is a greater fear for abuse of constituent power.

The Knesset's plenum

Editor's Notes: Time for a Halachic revolution

Halacha is being used as a tool in the hands of cynical politicians.

Ultra-Orthodox Jewish youths study religious texts at a synagogue in Jerusalem April 7, 2011.

Chupa Pratit - New Orthodox wedding service to be launched

In a challenge to the Chief Rabbinate’s monopoly on marriage and divorce, new wedding service will use legal loopholes to circumvent draconian laws banning Orthodox, non-rabbinate marriage.

Jewish wedding (Illustrative)

Helping people exercise their social rights

A beggar on Jerusalem’s Ben-Yehuda Street