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Curated Torah sources across every topic, from classical texts to contemporary responsa.
Lighting Chanukah Candles After the Proper Time
Sources address whether one can fulfill the Chanukah lighting obligation and recite a blessing if the candles are lit after the designated time window—from sunset until the cessation of marketplace traffic. The sources establish the parameters of the obligation and the conditions under which a blessing may be recited.
עִם שְׁקִיעַת הַחַמָּה עַד שֶׁתִּכְלֶה רֶגֶל מִן הַשּׁוּק
Rabbi Tzadok: Life and Legacy
Sources depicting Rabbi Tzadok of the Second Temple period, his ascetic devotion and halakhic teachings, alongside later Jewish philosophical and Hasidic interpretations of his spiritual approach to Torah, repentance, and divine service.
גְּרוֹגֶרֶת דְּרַבִּי צָדוֹק אֲכַלָה
Joshua's Mourning for Moses
Sources examine Joshua's period of mourning following Moses' death and God's call for him to transition from grief to leadership. The passages explore both the duration of Joshua's mourning and the spiritual challenges he faced during this transitional time.
עַד כַּמָּה אַתָּה מִתְאַבֵּל וְהוֹלֵךְ
Water Changes and Mikveh Validity
These sources discuss the halakhic standards for determining when a mikveh remains valid despite changes in the water's appearance, taste, or smell. The sources establish that visual alterations—but not changes in taste or smell alone—can affect a mikveh's fitness for immersion.
אֵין הַמִּקְוֶה נִפְסָל לֹא בְּשִׁנּוּי הַטַּעַם וְלֹא בְּשִׁנּוּי הָרֵיחַ אֶלָּא בְּשִׁנּוּי מַרְאֶה בִּלְבַד
Seclusion Between Men and Women
Jewish sources address the halakhic prohibition against a man and woman being alone together (yichud), exploring its scope, applications, and the implications of violating this restriction. The sources discuss whether witnesses must be present, how location and context affect the prohibition, and the consequences for personal status and lineage.
צריך אדם להתרחק מהנשים מאד מאד
Rashi's Two Interpretations of Devarim Achadim
Rashi offers two distinct readings of the phrase 'devarim achadim' in the account of the Tower of Babel: one emphasizing a unified conspiratorial strategy against God, and another focusing on coordinated speech or singular purpose. The sources explore how these interpretations illuminate the moral character of the generation's rebellion.
באו בעצה אחת וְאָמְרוּ לֹא כָּל הֵימֶנּוּ
The Blessing on Breaded Chicken
Sources discuss how to determine the appropriate blessing on schnitzel and other breaded meats, applying the halakhic principles of primary and secondary components (ikkar and tafel) to modern foods. Later poskim extend classical berakhah rules to clarify whether the blessing follows the meat or the coating.
כל שהוא עיקר ועמו טפיל מברך על העיקר
The Blessing on Breaded Chicken
These sources address the halakhic principles for determining the correct blessing on composite foods, particularly when one ingredient serves as a coating or secondary element. They establish the rule that the primary food determines the blessing, with secondary components following its status.
העיקר פוטר הטפל
Wine Mixed in Whiskey and Bitul
Sources address the halachic principles governing whether wine absorbed into another liquid medium becomes nullified, focusing on the rules of ta'am (imparted flavor) and bitul b'shishim as applied to mixtures of different substance types.
יַיִן בְּמַיִם וּמַיִם בְּיַיִן בְּנוֹתֵן טַעַם
Havdalah and Telephone Transmission
Sources examine whether hearing Havdalah recited over the telephone fulfills one's obligation, drawing on the principle of shome'a k'oneh (hearing as equivalent to reciting) and the halakhic requirements for genuine 'hearing' in ritual contexts.
שומע כעונה
An Infirm Visitor and the Shabbat Elevator
Sources address whether a sick or disabled person may ride an elevator operated by a gentile on Shabbat, examining the permissibility of benefiting from a non-Jew's labor when illness or infirmity prevents normal use of stairs. The discussion centers on the rules of amirah le-akum (instructing a non-Jew) and when leniencies apply for those in pain or significant need.
חולה שנפל מחמת חלי למשכב ואין בו סכנה אומרים לעכו״ם לעשות לו
Using a Gentile-Operated Elevator on Shabbat
Jewish legal sources address the permissibility of benefiting from labor performed by a non-Jewish attendant on Shabbat, examining the principles of instructing a gentile (amira l'akum), indirect benefit (maaseh Shabbat), and practical distinctions based on the attendant's primary clientele and level of instruction.
אָמַר רַב פָּפָּא: חָבֵר גּוֹי