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Halachah for Life
A new series on Jewish law that speaks to our modern lifestyle
Jewish law is known in Hebrew as halachah, which means “going,” and it accompanies you as you make your way through life.
But the corpus of Jewish tradition is so huge that it is often hard to know how and when to understand and apply each law.
Enter this special bi-weekly column, Halachah for Life, written in a way that speaks to our modern lifestyle and challenges, organized in a way that is easy to understand and follow.
To put this all together, we’ve tapped a team led by Rabbi Yehuda Shurpin, a veteran of our Ask the Rabbi Team and author of the acclaimed Ask “Rabbi Y” series.
We’d love to have you join us for this special project!
Sign Up for Halachah for Life
Halachah For Life Archives
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The Jewish Calendar
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What You Need to Know About Hearing the Shofar While there’s a lot the shofar-blower needs to know, this guide is all about you, the listener.
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What You Need to Know About the “Three Weeks” Learn about the restrictions that are applicable from the 17th of Tammuz to the 9th of Av.
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What You Need to Know About Tashlich Discover why you should not feed the fish at Tashlich.
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What You Need to Know About Eating in the Sukkah Confused about the specifics of the mitzvah to eat in the Sukkah? We've got you covered.
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What You Need to Know About Cleaning and Checking for Chametz From moving furniture to dealing with inedible chametz, discover how to thoroughly prepare your home for Passover.
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What You Need to Know About Chametz a Jew Owned on Passover How to shop for chametz after Passover.
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What You Need to Know About Counting the Omer Who Counts? When? What if I missed a day? Find out here.
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What You Need to Know About Waving the Lulav And Etrog What, when, and how to wave the lulav and etrog.
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How (and If) to Have a Purim Meal Late on Friday Afternoon The tricky halachic conundrum of “Pores Mapah Umikadesh”
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What You Need to Know About Eruv Tavshilin The Sages were concerned that unrestricted festival cooking might lead people to cook for an ordinary weekday as well.
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Travel & Leisure
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What You Need to Know About Plane Travel Boarding a plane soon? Learn how and when to pray, eat, and do everything else as a Jew.
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What to Know About Spending Shabbat in a Hotel Successfully navigate electronic doors and sensors, carrying, and other challenges.
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What You Need to Know About Picnics and Barbecuing Washing for bread, using a non-kosher grill and eating outside on Shabbat…
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What You Need to Know About Saying the Traveler’s Prayer Guidelines for reciting Tefilat Haderech: who, when, and how.
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What You Need to Know About Swimming Like a Jew Guidance on mixed swimming and making a blessing poolside.
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What You Need to Know About Keeping Kosher on the Go Find out if you can drink coffee from a non-kosher café or cook in your hotel room.
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Halachic Guidance for Gardening (in the Diaspora) Through following these halachic guidelines, we make our gardens not only physically beautiful but spiritually delightful as well.
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Lifecycles
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What You Need to Know About Sheva Brachot Jewish weddings extend celebrations with Sheva Brachot: 6 days of feasts and 7 blessings.
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What You Need to Know About a Yahrtzeit From lighting candles to Torah study, unravel the intricate customs and practices of a yahrtzeit.
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What You Need to Know About Giving a Jewish Name The Hebrew name is a conduit through which G‑d provides the individual's vitality, energy and sustenance.
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What You Need to Know About Mourner’s Kaddish The recital of the Mourner's Kaddish is a key part of the mourning process in Judaism, discover who says it, what to say, and when to say it.
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What You Need to Know About Unveilings Jewish tombstones date back to the Patriarchs, but unveiling ceremonies are somewhat of a recent innovation.
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What You Need to Know About Getting Engaged Does Judaism have a designated engagement period?
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What You Need to Know About An Upsherenish Let’s address some of the questions commonly raised about an upshernish
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A Day in the Life of a Jew
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What You Need to Know About Buying Clothing Shatnez, modesty, crossdressing, and the time of year you may purchase clothing.
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What If You Are Alcohol-Free for Kiddush, Havdalah, and the Four Cups of Wine? While wine is ideal, grape juice is a valid substitute.
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What You Need to Know About Tevilat Keilim (Immersing Utensils) Learn which utensils need immersion, how to do it, and alternatives when it's not possible.
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What You Need to Know About Enjoying Wine, the Jewish Way Wine has its own unique set of blessings and customs, as well as rules about who may handle it and with whom we drink.
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What You Need to Know if You Said the Wrong Blessing How to avoid the prohibition of taking G-d's name in vain.
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What You Need to Know About Haircuts in Halacha At first glance, a haircut seems like an ordinary task, but the Torah turns even a barber visit into a chance for mitzvahs!
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What You Need to Know About Kosher at Work With a bit of planning and some cooperation, you should be able to make things work.
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What You Need to Know About the Laws of “Yichud” A comprehensive guide to the intricate laws governing the seclusion of unmarried men and women.
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What You Need to Know About Hiring Babysitters Learn how to avoid potential yichud situations, keep your kosher kitchen intact, and make payments in the biblically mandated way.
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What You Need to Know About Baking Learn when you must separate challah and how to bake parve bread in a meat or dairy oven.
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What You Need to Know About Wearing a Kippah Who must wear one, when and where must it be worn, and what can it be made from?
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What You Need to Know About Visiting the Sick More than just showing care. The Talmud says that a visitor can actually take away 1/60th of the illness.
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What You Need to Know About Washing for Bread Did you know that your hands must be completely clean before netilat yadayim?
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What You Need to Know About Animal Cruelty Every creature has inherent value and purpose, and we are forbidden to destroy or waste resources without reason.
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What You Need to Know About Going to Bed Like a Jew If we go to sleep with purpose, we’re more likely to wake with clarity, energy, and readiness to serve our Creator.
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What You Need to Know About Non-Jewish Household Help Kosher, yichud, Shabbat, and timely payment of workers are some of the potential issues to be aware of.
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What You Need to Know About Birkat Hamazon How much one must eat, where Birkat Hamazon must be recited, and what to do if one is unsure whether it was recited.
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What You Need to Know About Washing Hands (Not for Bread) Throughout the day, there are many situations that require different methods of ritual handwashing.
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What a Kohen Needs to Know About Ritual Impurity Practically, a Kohen must be careful not to become ritually impure through exposure to a dead body.
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What You Need to Know About Blessings Before Eating Making a blessing before eating is how we acknowledge the creator who provides us with the food; now that you know the why, read of the what and how
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Prayer & Synagogue
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What You Need to Know About Synagogue Etiquette Since a synagogue contains inherent holiness, there are some important halachot to keep in mind when entering.
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What You Need to Know About Bowing During Prayers The intricacies of when and how to bow can trip up even the most seasoned synagogue attendees.
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What You Need to Know About Women's Prayer How (often) and what must women pray?
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What You Need to Know About Leading Prayers Discover who is fit to lead, what to wear, what to recite aloud, and when to pause.
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What You Need to Know About Shaimos Disposing of sacred items in a genizah
The prohibition against the destruction of any Jewish holy book or sacred item.
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What You Need to Know About the Times for Each Prayer Prayer in Jewish law is closely tied to the movements of the sun and the changing halachic hours of the day.
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What You Need to Know About Getting an Aliyah Getting an aliyah consists of being called to the Torah, saying a blessing, standing near the reader while the Torah is read, and then saying a concluding blessing.
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What You Need to Know About Putting On and Taking Off Tefillin When, where, and how to fulfill the Mitzvah.
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Shabbat
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What You Need to Know About Taking a Walk on Shabbat Discover how far you may walk on Shabbat and what actions to take if you inadvertently carry.
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What You Need to Know About Snow on Shabbat Learn whether and how one may shovel, make snow forts, salt or otherwise interact with snow on Shabbat.
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What You Need to Know About Prepping the Kitchen for Shabbat Opening cans, precutting aluminum foil, dressing salads, and setting the cholent correctly, here's how to get it done.
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What You Need to Know About Saturday Night (Motzoei Shabbat) The evening following Shabbat has particular significance. It is associated with Prophet Elijah & the final Redemption.
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What You Need to Know About Shabbat in the Hospital Learn how to successfully navigate common issues that may arise.
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What You Need to Know about Making Havdalah Without Supplies Find out if and how you can carry out this ritual in a pinch.
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What You Need to Know About Children on Shabbat May children ride bikes or scooters (indoors, or in a place where there is an eruv)?
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What You Need to Know About Making (and Serving) Cholent How do you cover the flame, when can you return a pot to the fire, and what should you do if it is burning?
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What You Need to Know About Warming Food on Shabbat Forgot to put up the cholent before Shabbat—are you stuck with cold food?
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What You Need to Know About Unlocking Doors on Shabbat With advancements of technology, locks and keys have become more sophisticated, posing a host of potential problems.
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What You Need to Know About Making Kiddush A practical guide to the basic laws of Kiddush, with answers to many common questions.
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