All Episodes
Displaying 121 - 131 of 131 in total
The Blood Libel and Talmudic Censorship
Since ancient times, Jews have been falsely accused of killing non-Jews for ritual purposes. In medieval Europe, beginning in the twelfth century, this was often accom...
The Old, the New, the Forgotten: Halachah and Minhag In Haggadah Art
Medieval illuminated Haggadahs shed light on how the observance of the past was both similar to and different from the present. Taking this journey is an excellent way...
Finders Keepers? Halachic Implications From Tzaraas In the Home
Every so often we hear of someone who is blessed with a true windfall. In such instances, we often find multiple parties claiming a stake in the bonanza. How do we det...
Evolution of the Haggadah: A Pictorial History, from the Cairo Genizah, to the Medieval Art Workshop, to the Modern Printing Press
The Story of the Haggadah is synonymous with the story of the Jewish people. Observe how this most famous Jewish liturgical work has evolved in its appearance from one...
Kosher Pig? Analyzing a Mysterious Midrash (Part 2)
Continuing to explore whether there can ever be a time when mitzvos are suspended, and how this relates to the mysterious teaching that the pig will one day become kos...
The Letter and Spirit of the Law vis-a-vis Imitation Products
Is it appropriate for a Jew to eat kosher imitation bacon, crab, or shrimp? Is this undermining the spirit of Kashrus? Central to the contemporary discussion is a fasc...
Kosher Pig? Analyzing a Mysterious Midrash (Part 1)
There’s a well-known tradition that it will be permissible for Jews to consume the meat of a pig when Moshiach comes. What is the source for this teaching and what is ...
Purim Through the Lens of Historic Jewish Art
The Jews throughout the ages who employed art to depict the Purim story left us a legacy rife with messaging. Synagogue walls, biblical manuscripts, and medieval machz...
Purim Class - The Manos Halevi by Rabbi Shlomo Alkabetz: Overview and Highlights
One of the most important commentaries on Megilas Esther was authored by Rabbi Shlomo Halevi Alkabetz (d. 1576), the famed author of Lecha Dodi. We explore eight memor...
Rabbinic Police Powers, Love and Hate, and Stern Censorship: Insights from Newly Discovered Passages of the Alter Rebbe’s Shulchan Aruch
The Czarist regime forbade rabbinical courts from employing coercive measures and adopted policies to promote assimilation. This led to the censoring of Jewish texts, ...
The Halachic Status of Christianity: Insights from Newly Discovered Passages of the Alter Rebbe’s Shulchan Aruch
For centuries, Halachic authorities have debated how to designate Christian theological beliefs. In recent weeks, a new manuscript of the Alter Rebbe’s Shulchan Aruch ...
