Ashkenazic Versus Sephardic Hagbah Ashkenazic Jews who ask why Sephardic Jews conduct hagbah before Kriat HaTorah are asking the wrong question. The question should be:

Self-Mutilation Prohibited The tools necessary to cope with bereavement are inherent in Devarim 14:1. This pasuk tells us: “You are children to Hashem, do not

An Unnecessary Divide I do not think Hashem is happy with the deep chasm dividing different groups of religious Jews in Israel. The gap has

A Dropped Slurpee During the pandemic, a favorite Jachter family activity was to order Slurpees delivered from a local store (see https://oukosher.org/kosher-slurpee-list/ for more information

Secular writers claim that the Torah is incompatible with democracy, since it calls for a king. This misguided conclusion stems from a superficial understanding of

An Upset Talmid A talmid walked into the room very upset. The talmid’s math teacher returned his test, and the results were less than stellar.

Differing Traditions Rav Ovadia Yosef (Teshuvot Yabia, Omer 6, Yoreh Deah 7 and Yalkut Yosef, Yoreh Deah 89:46) permits Sephardic Jews to eat meat after

The Rant A talmid shared a disturbing report of a history professor’s bizarre behavior. The professor devoted 45 minutes of the first day of her

What a remarkable insight from the Ramban, perfect for Parshat Lech Lecha, the beginning of our people! Shirat Ha’azinu (Devarim 32: 26-27) teaches that Hashem

All those who write about contemporary Halacha often cite “Teshuvot Tzitz Eliezer,” a collection of responsa authored by Rav Eliezer Waldenberg. Let us present a

The Problem I was shocked to hear of the following situation: A rabbinic colleague shared a dilemma faced by a young congregant. The congregant is