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Curated Torah sources across every topic, from classical texts to contemporary responsa.
Hair Covering Requirements for Married Women
Sources establish the parameters of head covering (kisuiy rosh) as a requirement for married women under Jewish law, distinguishing between biblical obligation, customary practice (Dat Yehudit), and local standards of modesty. The sources address what constitutes adequate coverage, the public contexts where covering is required, and the legal status of a woman's hair when left uncovered.
שֵׂעָר שֶׁל אִשָּׁה שֶׁדַּרְכָּהּ לְכַסּוֹתָּהּ — עֶרְוָה הִיא
Kaddish for Parents: Eleven Months or Twelve
Sources address the duration of Kaddish recitation for a deceased parent, exploring why the customary practice is eleven months despite the broader twelve-month mourning framework, and examining the halakhic reasoning and various rabbinic positions on this distinction.
נוֹהֲגִין שֶׁאֵין אוֹמְרִים קַדִּישׁ רַק י״א חֳדָשִׁים
Wearing Tefillin on Chol HaMoed
Sources explore the halachic status of wearing tefillin during the intermediate days of Pesach and Sukkot. The sources present a foundational principle that tefillin are not worn on days that are themselves signs (Shabbat and Festivals), along with divergent customs between Sephardic and Ashkenazi communities regarding Chol HaMoed.
בחוה״מ ג״כ אסור להניח תפילין מהטעם הזה בעצמו
The Mitzvah to Believe in the Messiah
Sources explore the obligation to believe in and await the coming of the Messiah, grounded in prophetic visions of a Davidic redeemer who will restore Israel, establish universal recognition of God, and transform the world. Classical Jewish thinkers formulate this belief as a central element of Jewish faith, while cautioning against unfounded speculation about messianic calculations.
וְכָל מִי שֶׁאֵינוֹ מַאֲמִין בּוֹ לֹא בִּשְׁאָר נְבִיאִים בִּלְבַד הוּא כּוֹפֵר
Shofar on Shabbat: The Rabbinic Safeguard
Sources explore why the Sages suspended the blowing of shofar when Rosh Hashanah falls on Shabbat outside the Temple, examining the rabbinic concern that individuals might carry the shofar to an expert for instruction, and how this precaution overrides the biblical obligation.
גזירה שמא יוליכנו בידו
The Mitzvah to Believe in Mashiach
Jewish sources examine the obligation to await and have faith in the coming of the messianic king. The sources present biblical visions of the Davidic redeemer and messianic age, rabbinic distinctions between the messianic era and the World to Come, and the halakhic formulation of belief in Mashiach as a binding commandment.
כׇּל מִי שֶׁאֵינוֹ מַאֲמִין בּוֹ אוֹ מִי שֶׁאֵינוֹ מְחַכֶּה לְבִיאָתוֹ כּוֹפֵר בַּתּוֹרָה
The Mitzvah of Belief in Mashiach
Sources explore belief in the coming of the Messiah as a fundamental principle of Jewish faith. Biblical prophecies describe the messianic age and the restoration of Israel under a Davidic ruler, while Rabbinic and Medieval sources establish this belief as an obligation rooted in Torah and discuss the messianic era's defining characteristics.
וְכָל מִי שֶׁאֵינוֹ מַאֲמִין בּוֹ לֹא בִּשְׁאָר נְבִיאִים בִּלְבַד הוּא כּוֹפֵר
The Kashrut Status of the Peacock
Sources examine whether a peacock (tavus) may be eaten according to Jewish dietary law, discussing the identifying signs of kosher birds, the role of reliable tradition (mesorah) in determining permissibility, and the specific status of this bird across different rabbinic authorities and communities.
סִימָנֵי עוֹף טָהוֹר לֹא נִתְפָּרֵשׁ מִן הַתּוֹרָה
The Obligation to Believe in Mashiach
Sources examine whether belief in the coming of the Messiah constitutes a binding religious obligation. The passage addresses rabbinic and medieval philosophical perspectives on messianic faith as a core principle of Jewish doctrine.
וְכָל מִי שֶׁאֵינוֹ מַאֲמִין בּוֹ כּוֹפֵר בַּתּוֹרָה
The Obligation to Believe in Mashiach
Sources explore whether belief in the coming of Mashiach constitutes a religious obligation, examining rabbinic formulations of messianic doctrine, biblical prophecies of redemption, and the relationship between this belief and core Jewish faith.
וְכָל מִי שֶׁאֵינוֹ מַאֲמִין בּוֹ לֹא בִּשְׁאָר נְבִיאִים בִּלְבַד הוּא כּוֹפֵר
Shaving During Sefirat HaOmer
Sources explore the halakhic status of shaving during the Omer period, examining whether it falls under the mourning restrictions on grooming, the customs governing different communities, and exceptions for ritual occasions such as circumcisions.
נוהגים שלא להסתפר עד ל״ג לעומר
Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur: Awakening and Return
These sources explore how Rosh Hashana calls the soul to renewed awareness of God and divine kingship, while Yom Kippur represents the process of returning to that relationship by removing sin and its barriers. Together they form a spiritual arc from awakening to restoration.
עוּרוּ יְשֵׁנִים מִשְּׁנַתְכֶם וְנִרְדָּמִים הָקִיצוּ מִתַּרְדֵּמַתְכֶם