Discover what others are learning
Curated Torah sources across every topic, from classical texts to contemporary responsa.
Morning Handwashing: Remaining in Bed
Jewish law addresses whether one who has awakened in the morning may remain lying in bed before performing the ritual washing of hands (netilat yadayim). Sources discuss the obligation to wash promptly upon waking, the spiritual concerns associated with delay, and the practical parameters of this requirement.
אַף־עַל־פִּי שֶׁמִּדִּין הַתַּלְמוּד אֵין צָרִיךְ לִטֹּל יָדָיו תֵּכֶף וּמִיָּד
Mezuzah Obligations in Shared Office Spaces
Sources examine the halakhic requirements for mezuzah on entrances to various types of buildings and shared spaces, establishing criteria for when communal or non-residential areas require a mezuzah based on their function and design.
בית מה בית מיוחד לדירה יצאו אלו שאין מיוחדים לדירה
Interrupting Torah Study to Greet Others
Sources address whether one may interrupt Torah study to greet a person, weighing the sanctity of Torah learning against obligations of honor and interpersonal respect. The halakhic sources establish principles for when interruption is permitted based on whether the greeting can be deferred or whether the person greeted commands special honor.
לֹא הַמִּדְרָשׁ עִיקָּר אֶלָּא הַמַּעֲשֶׂה
Teaching Daughters Gemara and Torah
Sources explore the halakhic status of a father teaching his daughter Talmud and other Torah texts. The classical sources present a dispute between those who obligate such teaching and those who discourage it, along with distinctions between different categories of Torah study and their applicability to women.
חַיָּב אָדָם לְלַמֵּד אֶת בִּתּוֹ תוֹרָה
Shehecheyanu on First-Time Mitzvot
Jewish law addresses whether one recites the Shehecheyanu blessing when performing a mitzvah for the first time. The sources distinguish between mitzvot tied to recurring occasions or new objects—which may warrant Shehecheyanu—and regular mitzvot performed continuously, which do not.
אין מברך שהחיינו על המצוה כיון דאינו בא מזמן לזמן
Adding to a Mitzvah: Violation or Enhancement
Sources examine the halakhic principle that adding to a commandment may constitute a violation of the prohibition against additions to Torah, even when performed with pious intent. The discussion explores when augmentation of a mitzvah crosses the line from enhancement into transgression.
לא תוסיף אם כשעושה המצוה מפני הספק
Mezuzah Obligations for Mobile Dwellings
These sources address the halakhic requirements for affixing a mezuzah, focusing on what constitutes a residential dwelling obligated in the mitzvah. The sources establish that a structure must be a fixed, permanent residence designated for dwelling to require mezuzot, providing the legal framework for determining whether temporary or mobile structures qualify.
מה בית מיוחד לדירה יצאו אלו שאין מיוחדים לדירה
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
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