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Curated Torah sources across every topic, from classical texts to contemporary responsa.
Lo Tachmod: The Prohibition of Coveting
Sources explore the biblical prohibition against coveting one's neighbor's possessions, examining both its textual foundations in Torah and its interpretation across rabbinic, medieval, and Hasidic traditions. The sources address how this commandment extends beyond external action to encompass inner desire, making it a paradigmatic 'duty of the heart' that guards against the spiritual dangers of envy.
הַשָּׂמֵחַ בְּחֶלְקוֹ
Fertility in Jewish Law and Thought
Sources explore fertility as a divine blessing, a foundational commandment, and a sacred partnership between parents and God. The tradition frames procreation as both a legal obligation and a spiritual domain uniquely under God's control, while also teaching that delays in childbearing can deepen one's relationship with the Divine.
שְׁלֹשָׁה שׁוּתָּפִין יֵשׁ בָּאָדָם — הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, וְאָבִיו, וְאִמּוֹ
Zerizin Makdimin L'Mitzvos: Alacrity in Service
This principle—that the zealous hasten to perform mitzvos—is grounded in Talmudic and biblical sources, from Avraham's eagerness at the Akeidah to the Temple service. Medieval and early modern authorities develop zerizus as a foundational character trait and ethical imperative in divine service, emphasizing that promptness and alacrity prevent the loss of mitzvos and reflect true devotion.
זְרִיזִים מַקְדִּימִים לַמִּצְוֹת
Zerizin Makdimin L'Mitzvos: Alacrity in Service
This principle—that the zealous hasten to perform mitzvos—is grounded in Talmudic and biblical sources, from Avraham's eagerness at the Akeidah to the Temple service. Medieval and early modern authorities develop zerizus as a foundational character trait and ethical imperative in divine service, emphasizing that promptness and alacrity prevent the loss of mitzvos and reflect true devotion.
זְרִיזִים מַקְדִּימִים לַמִּצְוֹת
Visiting the Mentally Ill in Jewish Law
Chazal and later Jewish sources establish visiting the mentally ill (shoteh) as an expression of the community's duty of care and a form of the mitzvah of bikur cholim. The sources reflect a compassionate legal and ethical framework that protects the dignity and welfare of those with mental incapacity through both halakhic safeguards and the modeling of empathetic presence.
חֲבִיבִין עָלֶיךָ יִסּוּרִין
The Dual Command to Procreate: Adam and Noah
Jewish sources examine why the obligation to procreate (pru u'rvu) is commanded twice in Torah—first to Adam at creation and again to Noah after the Flood. Rabbinic authorities debate the implications of this repetition for understanding the scope and nature of the mitzvah across all humanity and Israel.
וַיְבָרֶךְ אֹתָם אֱלֹהִים וַיֹּאמֶר לָהֶם פְּרוּ וּרְבוּ
Cutting Tzitzis with Metal Scissors
Jewish sources discuss whether tzitzis strings should be cut with metal implements like scissors, based on the principle that iron shortens life while tzitzis—which contain a commandment—lengthen it. Sources range from Talmudic precedent about the altar to later rabbinic codes that debate whether this is a strict prohibition or a customary stringency.
הַבַּרְזֶל פּוֹסֵל בִּנְגִיעָה
Peah, Leket, and Shikchah: Gifts for the Poor
These sources explore three interconnected biblical mitzvot that require farmers to leave portions of their harvest for the poor and stranger: the corners of the field (peah), fallen gleanings (leket), and forgotten sheaves (shikchah). Through the narrative of Ruth gleaning in Boaz's field, the sources illustrate how this practice embodies both legal obligation and voluntary generosity, shaping a nation of open-hearted givers.
לֹא תְכַלֶּה פְּאַת שָׂדְךָ לִקְצֹר
Hidur Mitzvah: Beautifying the Performance of Commandments
Sources explore the principle of hidur mitzvah—beautifying the performance of religious commandments as an expression of love and reverence for God. The sources establish the biblical basis for this practice, discuss specific applications across various mitzvot, and define the financial obligations involved in pursuing hidur mitzvah.
הִתְנָאֵה לְפָנָיו בְּמִצְוֹת
The Mitzvah of Shechicha: The Forgotten Sheaf
Sources explore the Torah obligation to leave behind accidentally forgotten sheaves of grain during harvest as a gift to the poor, including the biblical commandment, Talmudic definitions of what constitutes forgetting, Maimonidean codification, and the spiritual significance of this unique mitzvah fulfilled through unintentional action.
לְמַעַן יְבָרֶכְךָ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ בְּכֹל מַעֲשֵׂה יָדֶךָ
The Origin of the Challah Mitzvah
These sources trace the biblical and rabbinic foundations of the mitzvah to separate challah from dough. The obligation originates in Numbers 15, where God commands the Israelites to set aside a portion as a gift to the kohen, with the Rambam clarifying that it is biblically mandated only in the Land of Israel and rabbinically observed in the diaspora.
ראשית עריסותיכם חלה תרימו תרומה
Morning Netilat Yadayim After Showering
Jewish law requires washing hands upon waking each morning through the ritual of netilat yadayim, regardless of physical cleanliness. Sources from the Talmud through contemporary halacha establish this as an independent obligation tied to spiritual preparation and the transition from sleep, separate from ordinary bathing or showering.
כָּל אָדָם הַקָּם מִמִּטָּתוֹ שַׁחֲרִית צָרִיךְ לִרְחֹץ יָדָיו