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Curated Torah sources across every topic, from classical texts to contemporary responsa.
The Rambam's Mitzvah of Repentance and Confession
The Rambam defines the commandment of teshuvah (repentance) as a positive mitzvah rooted in biblical verses commanding confession of sin before God. Sources present the essential components—verbal acknowledgment, regret, and abandonment of wrongdoing—and explore teshuvah's transformative power and role in achieving atonement.
גְּדוֹלָה תְּשׁוּבָה שֶׁזְּדוֹנוֹת נַעֲשׂוֹת לוֹ כִּשְׁגָגוֹת
Torah and Talmud on Poverty Relief
Jewish sources address the obligation to support those in poverty, establishing both individual and communal responsibility for providing food, clothing, and basic needs. The sources span biblical commandments, rabbinic precedent, and codified communal institutions for poverty administration.
לְפִי מַה שֶּׁחָסֵר הֶעָנִי אַתָּה מְצֻוֶּה לִתֵּן לוֹ
The Patriarchs' Names for the Temple
Rabbinic sources explore how Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob each referred to the future Temple site by different names—the mountain, the field, and the house—reflecting their distinct spiritual relationships to that place. The sources also discuss the Western Wall as a sacred remnant after the Temple's destruction.
אַבְרָהָם קָרָא הַר, יִצְחָק קָרָא שָׂדֶה, יַעֲקֹב קָרָא בַּיִת
Business Dealings with Faithfulness and Integrity
These sources explore the spiritual and ethical meaning of conducting commerce honestly, grounding the prohibition of dishonest weights and measures in divine service. They present faithful business dealings not as a mere commercial virtue but as a cardinal test of character, sanctification of God's name, and proper relationship with the Divine.
אֱמוּנַת עִתֶּיךָ חוֹסֶן יְשׁוּעוֹת
Faithful Dealings in Business and Life
Sources explore the biblical and rabbinic imperative to conduct commerce and daily affairs with honesty, truthfulness, and integrity. The material ranges from scriptural imagery of trust in God to specific halakhic prohibitions against deception, false measures, and exploitation in financial dealings.
נָשָׂאתָ וְנָתַתָּ בָּאֱמוּנָה
Commissioning a Scribe to Write a Torah Scroll
Jewish law permits a person or community to appoint a qualified scribe as an agent to write a Torah scroll on their behalf, fulfilling the personal obligation to have a Torah scroll. The sources discuss how the mitzvah is credited to the owner even when a professional sofer performs the physical writing.
כתבו או שהגיה בו אפילו אות אחת כאילו קבלה מהר סיני
The Source of Rabbinic Authority
These sources establish the biblical and rabbinic foundations of halakhic authority, tracing the chain of transmission from Moses through successive generations and defining the binding force of the recognized courts and sages in interpreting and adjudicating Jewish law.
משֶׁה קִבֵּל תּוֹרָה מִסִּינַי, וּמְסָרָהּ לִיהוֹשֻׁעַ
Kiddushin Through a Loan
Explores the Talmudic and codified Jewish law governing whether kiddushin (betrothal) can be effected when a man uses an existing debt or loan as the kesef (monetary object) required for valid betrothal. The sources examine the distinction between a pre-existing obligation and a new benefit or present transfer of value.
הַמְקַדֵּשׁ בְּמִלְוֶה – אֵינָהּ מְקוּדֶּשֶׁת
Yom Kippur and the Suspension of Mourning
Sources explain how Yom Kippur, as a sacred communal occasion, interrupts and suspends the practices of aveilut (mourning). The principle rests on the precedence of communal rejoicing and sacred time over individual mourning obligations.
אָבֵל אֵינוֹ נוֹהֵג אֲבֵילוּתוֹ בָּרֶגֶל
The Two Goats of Yom Kippur
Sources explore the ritual of the two goats on Yom Kippur—one offered to God and one sent to Azazel in the wilderness—examining how each atones for Israel's sins, the confession of transgressions, and the spiritual significance of removing sin through the scapegoat's dispatch.
וְהִתְוַדָּה עָלָיו אֶת־כׇּל־עֲוֺנֹת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל
Blessings From Chazal and Rishonim No Longer Recited
Sources examine blessings recorded in early rabbinic literature and medieval codes that were formulated for specific circumstances—such as witnessing natural phenomena, ruins, or uncommon events—but are not part of contemporary daily or regular prayer practice. The sources illustrate how blessing traditions evolved and which formulations did not become standardized.
בְּחוּרְבָּנָן, אוֹמֵר: בָּרוּךְ דַּיַּין הָאֱמֶת
The Laws of Food Cooked by Non-Jews
Sources address the rabbinic prohibition against food prepared by non-Jews, including which foods are subject to the restriction, the criteria of fitness for a royal table, the forms of Jewish involvement that permit cooking, and practical applications across medieval and later Jewish communities.
דבר שאינו נאכל כמו שהוא חי וגם עולה על שלחן מלכים