Study
Conservative Halakhic Texts
The Conservative Movement's legal texts represent a contemporary attempt to make halakhah relevant and meaningful in a changing world.
Caro’s Codificatory Approach
The disparate opinions in Caro's Bet Yosef and the bottom line decisions in his Shulhan Arukh combined to create the halakhic code par excellence.
Commentaries on the Mishneh Torah
The Mishneh Torah sparked the creation of extensive and voluminous commentary.
Critical Reactions to Mishneh Torah
Maimonides' two main critics, Rabad and Asheri, argued that multiplicity of opinions is a positive and vital force in Jewish law.
Goals of the Mishneh Torah
In order to make his code categorical and prescriptive, Maimonides deliberately omitted sources and did not reference his predecessors.
The Impact of the Geonim on the Middle Ages
Jewish communities in the West gain independence of the geonim, and inherit a rich tapestry of legal texts.
Yitz Greenberg on Polytheism
A few weeks ago, I wrote about super-atheist Richard Dawkins’ assertion that the move from polytheism to monotheism shouldn’t necessarily ...
Hashem and Homosexuality
The Jewish Press just published a poignant (and sad) letter from an Orthodox Jewish man about his struggles with homosexuality. ...
The Dual Loyalty Question
Looks like American Jews aren’t the only ones who spend the aftermath of an election counting how many Jews were ...