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Curated Torah sources across every topic, from classical texts to contemporary responsa.
Abortion in Jewish Law
Jewish legal sources examine the permissibility of abortion, focusing on the status of the fetus and the circumstances under which fetal destruction may be permitted to save the mother's life. The sources trace the rabbinic interpretation of biblical law through medieval and early-modern codifications.
אם הוציא ראשו אין נוגעין בו שאין דוחין נפש מפני נפש
Negligence Liability for a Borrowed Torah Scroll
Sources examine the financial and legal responsibility of a borrower (sho'el) who acts negligently toward an entrusted Sefer Torah. The sources establish both the general framework of shomrim liability and the specific requirements for respectful handling and safeguarding of a Torah scroll.
שואל חייב באונסים כמפורש בתורה
Shofar in Elul: Halacha and Meaning
Sources explore the customary practice of sounding the shofar throughout the month of Elul as preparation for the High Holidays, examining both its halakhic status and its spiritual significance as a call to repentance and self-examination.
עוּרוּ יְשֵׁנִים מִשְּׁנַתְכֶם
The Burden of Proof in Monetary Claims
Sources examine the principle that one who seeks to extract property from another must provide proof of their claim, establishing the evidentiary foundation for monetary disputes in Jewish law. The sources trace this rule from biblical procedure through rabbinic interpretation and its codification in medieval and early modern legal texts.
המוציא מחבירו עליו הראיה
Intention and Vain Blessings in Hearing
This collection examines whether one may listen to a blessing without intention, whether such listening constitutes fulfillment of an obligation, and the halakhic status of hearing a vain blessing. The sources address the relationship between the speaker's intention, the listener's intention, and the validity of fulfilling obligations through hearing.
שומע כעונה אלא אם מתכוין ורוצה
Meat and Dairy in Shared Dishwashers
These sources address the halakhic principles governing flavor absorption and transfer in vessels used sequentially for meat and dairy foods. They establish the foundational rules of taste-transfer (nat bar nat) and vessel contamination that underpin practical rulings on shared kitchen equipment.
נותן טעם בר נותן טעם
Shared Dishwashers for Meat and Dairy
Sources examine whether meat and dairy utensils can be washed together in hot water without causing forbidden mixing, focusing on the halachic principles of flavor absorption and transmission (ta'am and nat bar nat) in shared vessels.
נוֹתֵן טַעַם הוּא
Washing Meat and Dairy Dishes Together
Sources address the halachic permissibility of washing fleishig and milchig dishes in shared hot water, examining the mechanism of flavor transfer between vessels and the conditions under which such mixing is permitted or forbidden.
קערות של בשר שהודחו ביורה חולבת בחמין מותר
The Waiting Period Between Meat and Dairy
Sources discuss the Talmudic basis and halakhic development of the requirement to wait between consuming meat and dairy products. The sources address the rationale for waiting—primarily the retention of meat particles and flavor—and examine how different communities have established varying waiting periods based on this principle.
מִפְּנֵי הַבָּשָׂר מוֹצִיא שׁוּמָן וּמוֹשֵׁךְ טַעַם
The Prohibition of Basar Bechalav
Sources examine the biblical and rabbinic prohibition against cooking, eating, and deriving benefit from meat mixed with milk. The texts explore the scope of the prohibition, its practical applications, and the categories of meat and milk included under this restriction.
לֹא תְבַשֵּׁל גְּדִי בַּחֲלֵב אִמּוֹ
Interest on Loans Between Jews
Jewish law prohibits charging interest (neshekh and tarbit) on loans to fellow Jews, particularly to the poor. Sources define prohibited forms of interest and establish this as a fundamental obligation rooted in Torah and developed through rabbinic interpretation.
לֹא־תִקַּח מֵֽאִתּוֹ נֶשֶׁךְ וְתַרְבִּית
Liability for Fire Damage to a Neighbor's Field
These sources establish the halakhic principles governing financial responsibility when fire spreads from one person's property and damages a neighbor's field or crops. They address the owner's liability for unintentional damage, the basis for such liability in Torah, and the distinction between ordinary and extraordinary circumstances.
שלם ישלם המבער את הבערה