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Curated Torah sources across every topic, from classical texts to contemporary responsa.
Halakhic Perspectives on Health Hazards
These sources establish the halakhic obligation to guard against danger to life and remove hazards, drawing on biblical commandments, Talmudic principles, and medieval and later codifications. They form the foundation for evaluating whether activities that pose health risks—such as smoking—are permitted under Jewish law.
וְנִשְׁמַרְתֶּם מְאֹד לְנַפְשֹׁתֵיכֶם
Acquisition Without Physical Possession
Jewish law establishes that merely seeing or desiring an object does not constitute legal acquisition. The sources discuss the formal mechanisms—such as lifting, pulling, or monetary exchange—required to effect valid acquisition of movable and immovable property.
לֹא קָנָה בִּרְאִיָּה
Adding Days to Pesach: Torah Law and Rabbinic Authority
These sources address the apparent tension between the Torah's prohibition against adding to commandments and the rabbinic institution of an eighth day of Pesach outside the Land of Israel. They explain how rabbinic enactments, enacted for legitimate purposes such as preventing confusion about festival dates, operate within the framework of Torah law and rabbinic authority.
תקנה ראשונה לא זזה ממקומה
The Six Cities of Refuge
Sources exploring the biblical and rabbinic laws governing the cities of refuge (arei miklat), their distribution across Israelite territory, and the procedures by which an inadvertent killer finds sanctuary there. The sources address both the foundational commandment and its detailed halakhic implementation.
וְשֵׁשׁ עָרִים הָיוּ
The Six Cities of Refuge
Sources exploring the biblical and rabbinic laws governing the cities of refuge (arei miklat), their distribution across Israelite territory, and the procedures by which an inadvertent killer finds sanctuary there. The sources address both the foundational commandment and its detailed halakhic implementation.
וְשֵׁשׁ עָרִים הָיוּ
Halachic Obligations of Honoring Parents
Sources explore the biblical and rabbinic foundations of kibbud av va'em (honoring father and mother), distinguishing between the obligations of honor and reverence, defining their practical requirements, and clarifying how this mitzvah relates to other commandments and divine service.
כבד את אביך ואת אמך
Interrupting Shema for Fear and Honor
These sources examine the halakhic rules governing when one may interrupt the recitation of Shema to greet another person. The sources distinguish between interruptions motivated by honor (greeting a dignified person) and those motivated by fear (greeting someone one is afraid of), and clarify which parts of Shema permit such interruptions and which do not.
בַּפְּרָקִים שׁוֹאֵל מִפְּנֵי הַכָּבוֹד וּמֵשִׁיב, וּבָאֶמְצַע שׁוֹאֵל מִפְּנֵי הַיִּרְאָה וּמֵשִׁיב
The Prohibition Against Self-Injury
Jewish law forbids inflicting bodily harm upon oneself, even with personal consent, grounded in the Torah's command to guard one's life and body. Sources range from biblical commandments to Talmudic debate and medieval codification, establishing self-preservation as a binding halachic obligation that applies to contemporary activities like contact sports.
אָסוּר לְאָדָם לַחֲבל בֵּין בְּעַצְמוֹ בֵּין בַּחֲבֵרוֹ
Beyond the Letter of the Law
Sources exploring the Jewish ethical principle of going beyond strict legal requirements (לפנים משורת הדין) through acts of compassion and kindness. The sources range from biblical foundations through Talmudic teachings to medieval and early modern ethical works, establishing this ideal as central to Jewish character and practice.
וַחֲסִידִים הָרִאשׁוֹנִים הָיוּ מַטִּין דֵּעוֹת שֶׁלָּהֶן מִדֶּרֶךְ הָאֶמְצָעִית
Bal Tosif and Lo Sasur: Adding and Subtracting from Torah
These twin prohibitions forbid adding new commandments to the Torah or subtracting from existing ones. The sources explore the Biblical foundation of these laws, their application through rabbinic authority, and the crucial distinction between legitimate rabbinic enactments and unauthorized innovations that violate these prohibitions.
לֹא תֹסִפוּ עַל־הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוֶּה אֶתְכֶם
Automated Processes Running on Shabbat
Jewish law permits setting certain mechanical or automated processes in motion before Shabbat so long as they operate without direct human intervention on Shabbat itself. The sources explore the boundaries of this permission, examining distinctions between permitted autonomous systems and forbidden forms of labor, with applications to modern technology.
והיא נגמרת מאליה בשבת
Automated Processes Running on Shabbat
Jewish law permits setting certain mechanical or automated processes in motion before Shabbat so long as they operate without direct human intervention on Shabbat itself. The sources explore the boundaries of this permission, examining distinctions between permitted autonomous systems and forbidden forms of labor, with applications to modern technology.
והיא נגמרת מאליה בשבת