Halacha (Torah law)

Several reasons have been suggested for this mitzvah. Some argue that it is cruel to cook a baby in the very milk that was intended to nourish it. Others suggest that the reason for this mitzvah is health related. Maimonides asserts that an ancient pagan ...

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

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?

Whenever they arrest a murderer or deviant, you can be sure that a fleet of trained mouthpieces will portray the perpetrator as a victim of a miserable childhood or genetic predisposition to violence. Is there truth to these assertions?

Question: A good friend of mine loaned me some money from his line of credit, and now needs to pay interest on that amount. Can I pay him for that interest which he himself is paying to the bank, or is it forbidden to pay him more than the amount that he ...

The law of the "Four Guardians" as a model for the duties and priviliges of life

On the mystical significance of the "Hebrew Slave"

Our Sages differentiate between the rational mitzvot (mishpatim) and the supra-rational mitzvot (chukim); a third, intermediate category are the "testimonial" or commemorative mitzvot (eidot). But in essence, says the Rebbe, the most rational mishpat is a...

What symbolism does this hold?

The Talmud discusses this week’s Torah portion more than any other—by a wide margin. Many of the largest tractates are based on it. Mishpatim is filled with laws—civil, tort, damage, and business laws, among others—and contains 53 of the 613 commandments,...