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Curated Torah sources across every topic, from classical texts to contemporary responsa.
Hair Covering Requirements for Married Women
Sources establish the parameters of head covering (kisuiy rosh) as a requirement for married women under Jewish law, distinguishing between biblical obligation, customary practice (Dat Yehudit), and local standards of modesty. The sources address what constitutes adequate coverage, the public contexts where covering is required, and the legal status of a woman's hair when left uncovered.
שֵׂעָר שֶׁל אִשָּׁה שֶׁדַּרְכָּהּ לְכַסּוֹתָּהּ — עֶרְוָה הִיא
Kaddish for Parents: Eleven Months or Twelve
Sources address the duration of Kaddish recitation for a deceased parent, exploring why the customary practice is eleven months despite the broader twelve-month mourning framework, and examining the halakhic reasoning and various rabbinic positions on this distinction.
נוֹהֲגִין שֶׁאֵין אוֹמְרִים קַדִּישׁ רַק י״א חֳדָשִׁים
Wearing Tefillin on Chol HaMoed
Sources explore the halachic status of wearing tefillin during the intermediate days of Pesach and Sukkot. The sources present a foundational principle that tefillin are not worn on days that are themselves signs (Shabbat and Festivals), along with divergent customs between Sephardic and Ashkenazi communities regarding Chol HaMoed.
בחוה״מ ג״כ אסור להניח תפילין מהטעם הזה בעצמו
Shofar on Shabbat: The Rabbinic Safeguard
Sources explore why the Sages suspended the blowing of shofar when Rosh Hashanah falls on Shabbat outside the Temple, examining the rabbinic concern that individuals might carry the shofar to an expert for instruction, and how this precaution overrides the biblical obligation.
גזירה שמא יוליכנו בידו
The Kashrut Status of the Peacock
Sources examine whether a peacock (tavus) may be eaten according to Jewish dietary law, discussing the identifying signs of kosher birds, the role of reliable tradition (mesorah) in determining permissibility, and the specific status of this bird across different rabbinic authorities and communities.
סִימָנֵי עוֹף טָהוֹר לֹא נִתְפָּרֵשׁ מִן הַתּוֹרָה
Shaving During Sefirat HaOmer
Sources explore the halakhic status of shaving during the Omer period, examining whether it falls under the mourning restrictions on grooming, the customs governing different communities, and exceptions for ritual occasions such as circumcisions.
נוהגים שלא להסתפר עד ל״ג לעומר
Kaddish: Laws, Obligations, and Customs
These sources address the halachic requirements for reciting Kaddish in a communal setting, including the obligation of a minyan of ten adult males, the proper wording and congregational responses, and customs governing when and how mourners and others recite Kaddish in prayer services.
כל דבר שבקדושה אי אפשר בפחות מעשרה מישראל
Shofar and Shabbat: Why the Mitzvah Is Suspended
These sources explain the rabbinic enactment that prohibits sounding the shofar when Rosh Hashanah falls on Shabbat, despite the Torah's association of the holiday with the shofar blast. The sources address the reasoning behind the decree—a concern that people might carry the shofar to an expert—and discuss exceptions that applied in the Temple and among established courts.
גזירה שמא יטלנו בידו לילך אצל בקי
Electric Shavers and Jewish Law
Jewish sources examine whether electric shavers are permitted for shaving the beard and sidelocks, tracing the classical distinction between razor shaving and other cutting methods through medieval and modern decisors.
אינו חייב על השחתת פאת הזקן אלא בתער אבל במספרים מותר
Conversion and Reproductive Disability in Jewish Law
Jewish law distinguishes between restrictions on marriage within the Jewish community and eligibility for conversion. Sources address whether a person with reproductive injury—whether from illness, accident, or birth—may convert to Judaism, and clarify that such individuals are permitted to marry converts or freed slaves despite restrictions on marrying born Jews.
מוּתָּרִין בְּגִיּוֹרֶת וּמְשׁוּחְרֶרֶת
Bloodstains on Colored Garments and Minimum Size
These sources address the halakhic treatment of bloodstains found on colored clothing, including why colored garments receive leniency in stain assessment and what minimum measure (shiur gris) a stain must reach to create ritual prohibitions. The sources examine both the Torah-based and rabbinically-ordained aspects of these laws.
לא גזרו על הכתם אלא אם כן יש בו כגריס ועוד
Bikkurim Baskets and Honoring the Poor
Sources examine the halakhic distinction in how the kohanim treated the ritual vessels used to bring first fruits: metal baskets of the wealthy were returned to their owners, while wicker baskets of the poor became priestly property. The tradition illuminates how Jewish law protects the dignity of those with limited means while benefiting the priesthood.
בתר עניא אזלא עניותא