One of the most basic questions is how should we strive to live? The differing approaches to this issue is seen to this day, whether just to learn Torah (as claimed by the Haredim) or to also merge work as an ideal, as proclaimed by the modern-orthodox or religious-Zionists. If one is a millionaire, and doesn't need to work for a living, perhaps nevertheless, he should work, if it's an ideal. This machloket is found already among chazal, but even in the time of R. Shimon Bar Yochai, who had claimed that just Torah is the ideal, he surprisingly & apparently changed his mind, and joined Torah vaAvodah! The Chatam Sofer also differentiates between those living in Israel, where work is a mitzva and holy, as opposed to work in the diaspora.
Rav Kook stresses the multiple importance of studying Jewish history, not as trivia or to correct errors but as G-d's appearance which we should emulate and actively participate.
Question 1: Is there a need for kosher cheese to cost such a premium over non-
kosher cheese?
Question 2: Do the Conservatives have any basis for their "heter" of permitting all
cheeses?
It does recognize that there are different personality needs and differing societal mores. But the Torah was always the same Torah for all Jews. What was expressly forbidden in the Torah was forbidden to all and what was permitted was also permitted to all.
All his life, even before he was at all observant, Charles had known that he was a kohen.
He knew that as a kohen he was entitled to the first aliyah when the Torah is read. When
Charles became observant, he began duchening. He then learned about receiving pidyon
haben money and began to envision himself wearing kohen’s garb and serving in the Beis
HaMikdash. And so, Charles made it his hobby to study the laws that affect kohanim and
particularly to know the gifts that they receive.
Charles knew about many of the honoraria a kohen receives today, and also began
studying about what kohanim will receive when the Beis HaMikdash will be rebuilt. Here
are some of the laws he learned
Before we begin, it is important to note that the word challah was used above to mean
two completely different things – the bread we serve on Shabbos and Yom Tov, and the
consecrated portion that we separate from dough. To avoid confusion, whenever I use the
term "challah" for the rest of the article, I will use it only to mean the consecrated portion.
When the Beis Hamikdash is rebuilt,
bimheirah beyameinu, the laws of tumah will affect us all, since we will be required
to be tahor in order to enter the Beis Hamikdash, to eat korbanos and maaser sheini,
and in order to separate challah and terumah.
My friend Yaakov* often travels in places where there are no kosher products available,
and he has amassed a list of items that he can eat and drink wherever he finds himself.
He told me that someone once told him that when traveling he may eat cottage cheese
without any hechsher. What is the rationale for this psak?
"Friends of ours keep chalav Yisrael, but they will use
foods made with non-chalav Yisrael powdered milk. But I know from my professional
research that one can purchase powdered mare's (female horses) and camel's milk – they
are specialty products that command a very high premium. So why is there any difference
between using non-chalav Yisrael powdered milk, and non-chalav Yisrael fluid milk?"
"My husband and I would like
to buy life insurance, but we’re concerned that it might show a lack
of bitachon that Hashem always does what is best for us. Is that
correct?"
What is the moral justification to slaughter animals and eat their flesh?
Should we educate for vegetarianism?
Why is there a Mitzvah to eat meat on Shabbat?
Rabbi Eliezer Melamed teaches us the Jewish perspective on correct animal treatment.
In modern residences, many rooms are not entered via doors, but through entranceways.
Do these entrances require a mezuzah? In order to answer, we need to explain when a
doorway requires a mezuzah.
