Halachah (Torah law)

Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai and the essence of Jewish mysticism

The Mishneh Torah is the Maimonides' (the "Rambam" -- Rabbi Moses ben Maimon) magnum opus, a work spanning hundreds of chapters and describing all of the laws mentioned in the Torah.

The entire town would be paying attention to the new rabbi's first ruling. Everyone was sure to wonder: Why is the law of the Torah so opposite to common sense?

There are four approaches to understanding what the Torah is all about: a) it means what it says; b) it's all a metaphor; c) it should be read from the top down; or d) from the bottom up

A recent medical study shows that, contrary to common wisdom, relaxation does not reduce stress. Our ancestors learned this at the Exodus, when they discovered that transcendence is not the key to freedom

Ettel burst into tears as soon as she entered the famous scholar's room. She had nine sons, eight of whom were both dedicated and successful in their Torah studies. But she was upset about Moshe-Noach, her fifteen-year-old

Whenever a human being is called upon to decide a matter of Torah law, we are faced with a paradox: how can the finite and error-prone human mind possibly determine what is G-d's will?

Why the obsession with such insignificant details as how many ounces of matza do I eat, which spoon did I use for milk and which for meat, what is the right way to tie my shoelaces? It seems to me that this misses the bigger picture by focusing on ...

Passover is supposedly the festival of freedom from slavery. But it seems ridiculous to celebrate freedom by not eating bread!

Is Torah really absolute, all-encompassing Truth? Do the rabbis never disagree? Could we have invented Teflon™ and Superglue™ just by reading Torah?