Talmud and Halakhah

In a rare piece of Lehrhaus Purim Torah, Mark Glass explores—with surprising halakhic rigor—whether the Pokémon named Bulbasaur’s use of a Solar Beam attack would constitute cooking on Shabbat.

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

R. Shimshon Nadel explores the connection between the Hasmonean dynasty and the modern-day State of Israel.

Noah Marlowe offers a personal reflection on the experience of simultaneously studying Hilkhot Aveilut and coping with loss from a clinical social work perspective. He explores the similarities and differences between the two lenses and how they could each benefit from being in conversation with each other.

What do the wisdom of traditional Jewish texts and the recent findings of modern psychology have in common? Marc Eichenbaum finds commonalities in both to promote a character-driven approach to Jewish education.

Are today's rabbis allowed to initiate new prohibitions? Aryeh Klapper analyzes a responsum on the issue of halakhic innovation regarding new technologies.

What sort of powers did Hazal have in the first century? Ari Lamm wonders.

Avi Killip explores three Talmudic stories dealing with the feelings of discomfort that can be involved in helping the poor, even when we know it’s the right thing to do.

What does the makeup of the altar drainage pipes tell us about the nature of holiness? Shlomo Zuckier explores!

Yaakov Jaffe and Menachem Butler explore the Halakhot of when fasting is proper and when it’s not.