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Curated Torah sources across every topic, from classical texts to contemporary responsa.
Salt at the Table: Covenant and Sanctity
Jewish tradition places salt at every meal to commemorate the sacrificial requirement that every meal-offering be seasoned with salt, establishing salt as a sign of God's eternal covenant. The sources teach that salt represents permanence and binding fidelity, and that the home table functions as a spiritual altar, mirroring the Temple's role in atonement and sacred service.
בְּרִית מֶלַח עוֹלָם הִוא
Automatic Doors and Shabbat Observance
Poskim examine whether a hospital patient may use an automatic sliding door on Shabbat by analyzing the halakhic status of sounds produced incidentally through mechanical operation, the distinction between intentional and unintended activation, and the application of leniencies for the sick. The sources draw on classical prohibitions against producing sound through designated instruments and the principle that indirect or unforeseeable consequences may be permitted.
קוֹל שֶׁמִּתְכַּוֵּן לְהַשְׁמִיעוֹ בִּנְעִימוּת
Rav Chaim on Writing Over Writing: Shabbat and Get
Rav Chaim Soloveitchik's conceptual analysis of whether upper writing over existing letters counts as valid writing for the purposes of Shabbat and gittin law. The sources examine the Talmudic dispute in Gittin 19a on ink over ink and erasure, and how the definition of writing bears on both melakhot-based liability and the validity of a get.
הַמַּעֲבִיר דְּיוֹ עַל גַּבֵּי סִיקְרָא חַיָּיב שְׁתַּיִם
Shnayim Mikra v'Echad Targum: Practice and Interpretations
These sources explore the mitzvah of reading the weekly Torah portion twice in the original text and once in translation, including classical obligations stated by the Rambam, Talmudic principles governing the public reading, and modern interpretations addressing whether Rashi's commentary may substitute for Targum Onkelos and how to enhance the study with additional commentaries.
שְׁנַיִם מִקְרָא וְאֶחָד תַּרְגּוּם
The Source for the Third Shabbat Meal
Rabbinic sources establish the obligation to eat three meals on Shabbat, deriving the requirement from the repetition of the word "today" in the Torah's account of the manna. The sources detail the timing, nature, and spiritual significance of the third meal.
כל המקיים שלוש סעודות בשבת נצול מג׳ פורעניות
Shabbat Candle Placement and Safety
Halakhic sources address the proper placement of Shabbat candles, including concerns about accessibility, degradation of the mitzvah, and practical safety considerations. The sources discuss whether candles may be positioned on household furniture and at what heights they should be placed.
שמא יטה ואפי׳ הוא גבוה עשר קומות
Proper Placement of Shabbat Candles
Jewish law requires Shabbat candles to be placed in a location that is safe, dignified, and conducive to their remaining lit throughout the evening. Sources discuss the practical and halakhic considerations for determining an appropriate placement, including concerns about stability, accessibility, and the honor of Shabbat.
יפה - ואיתא בש״ס דזוכה עבור זה לבנים תלמידי חכמים
Reading Secular Stories on Shabbat
Jewish law restricts reading secular novels and war stories on Shabbat, viewing them as potentially conducive to weekday thought and frivolous speech. Sources examine when such reading is prohibited, tolerated, or constitutes a neglect of Torah study obligations.
מליצות ומשלים של שיחת חולין ודברי חשק כגון ספר עמנואל וכן ספרי מלחמות אסור לקרות בהם בשבת
Grooming and Haircuts During Chol HaMoed
Sources address the prohibition against cutting hair and shaving during the intermediate days of a festival, the biblical foundation of this restriction, and the narrow circumstances under which exceptions are permitted. The sources examine whether different methods of trimming—such as scissors versus razors, or electric trimmers—affect the permissibility of grooming during Chol HaMoed.
לֹא תַקִּיפוּ פְּאַת רֹאשְׁכֶם וְלֹא תַשְׁחִית אֵת פְּאַת זְקָנֶךָ
The Halakha of a Stolen Sukkah
Sources examine whether a sukkah built from stolen materials or occupying another person's property is valid for fulfilling the mitzvah, and distinguish between theft of the sukkah's structure and theft of the land on which it stands. The sources present a foundational dispute over whether a mitzvah can be performed through wrongdoing and address practical remedies available to the owner.
סוכה גזולה כשרה
Hakafot on Hoshana Rabbah When It Falls on Shabbat
When Hoshana Rabbah occurs on Shabbat, the customary hakafot (circumambulations) around the synagogue with the lulav are not performed. Sources explain this practice through rabbinic concern that handling the lulav on Shabbat might lead to its being carried in the public domain, and note that the aravah was similarly not taken on Shabbat in Temple times.
בשבת אין מקיפים, לפי שגם במקדש לא היו נוטלין ערבה בשבת
Repairing a Fallen Sukkah on Yom Tov
Jewish law addresses the practical rules for rebuilding or repairing a sukkah that has collapsed during the festival of Sukkot. Sources discuss what work is permitted during Chol HaMoed, Shabbat, and Yom Tov itself, and clarify whether one may move to a different sukkah if repair is not feasible.
עושה סוכה בחולו של מועד אפילו בסוף יום שביעי