Beyond the Walls of the Synagogue: Prayer as a Virtue

With lyrical prose, Natan Oliff teaches us how to view prayer as a virtue and let it enter every aspect of our lives, making us into prayerful people.

Sharpening the Definition of Holeh Lefanenu: The Diamond Princess and the Limits of Quarantine

Sharon Galper Grossman and Shamai A. Grossman, leading doctors writing from quarantine, explain why even the Noda be-Yehuda, who requires that the sick person be before us, would agree that a public health crisis is subject to the leniencies of pikuah nefesh.

Shots for Tots: Halakhah and COVID-19 Vaccination for Kids

Sharon Galper-Grossman and Shamai Grossman discuss the obligation for minors to get vaccinated.

Rabbi Yohanan Reads the Book of Job

In his latest for the Lehrhaus, Dan Ornstein creatively imagines the story of the Talmudic sage Rabbi Yohanan through his teachings on the Book of Job. The short story is followed by a reflection on the methodology and power of "contemporary midrash."

The Philosopher King and the Poet Messiah: Hellenic and Hebrew Republics Compared

In this essay, written in honor of Yom Yerushalayim, Bezalel Naor explores the differing visions for the ideal state held by Plato and the Rabbis, Maimonides and Rabbi Nahman of Breslov.

Return… Again? Theories of Twice-Baked Teshuvah

Lehrhaus founder Shlomo Zuckier examines the debate about whether we can repeat Teshuvah for the same sin.

Third Dose vs. Third World Countries: Halakhah Approaches COVID-19 Vaccine Allocation

The CDC and FDA have recently endorsed booster shots for the Covid vaccine. But there are those who argue that those doses should be allocated to third world countries instead. Sharon Galper Grossman and Shamai Grossman weigh in about what Halakhah has to say about the issue.

U-shemor Nafshekha: The Curious History of the (Supposed) Mitzvah to Maintain One’s Health

What does the Torah mean when it says to "guard your nefesh (soul)"? Lehrhaus editor David Fried reevaluates the common understanding of a Torah mandate for healthy living.

The Death of the Rabbi

Elli Fischer on Rasbhi's passing, his legacy, and some other rabbinic legacies, as well.

Thoughts on a Death

In this personal reflection, Phil Lieberman addresses the unique pain that accompanies the loss of an abusive parent and considers the uneasy coherence of this pain with Jewish traditions of mourning.