LifeCycle Events
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Yibum and Chalitzah
What are Yibbum ("levirate marriage" to a brother’s widow) and Chalitzah ("pulling off the shoe")? According to Torah law, if a married man dies childless, one of his brothers must marry his widow. Any of the brothers can do this,…
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The Intermarriage Threat
Why are Jews so opposed to marrying non-Jews? The rate of intermarriage in Jewish communities outside Israel is very high, and intermarriage usually leads to loss of Jewish identity — if not immediately, then after a generation or two. These…
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The Child of an Unmarried Jewish Woman
If an unmarried Jewish woman has a child, is the child illegitimate (a MAMZER)? A child born out of wedlock to a single Jewish woman is not usually a MAMZER. A child is not a MAMZER unless it is born…
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An Embryo as a Person
Is an embryo legally a person? The Jewish view (Talmud, Sanhedrin 91b) is that the soul enters the body at conception.
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Halachic Sources on Abortion
What are the Biblical, Talmudic, and halachic sources about abortion? Answer: The Torah speaks in one place (Ex. 21:22-23) about accidental abortion. The Talmud discusses abortion in a few places: Mishnah Arachin 7:1 and Ohalos 7:6; Tosefta Gitin 3:13 and…
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Who Can Say Kaddish
Can anyone recite the Kaddish? The kaddish is supposed to be recited only in the presence of ten adult Jewish males. No one is forbidden to recite it, but the obligation of reciting Kaddish for a deceased Jew can only…
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A Kohen Marrying a Convert
Can a Kohein marry a convert? The Rambam discusses this prohibition in Hilchos Issurei Biah 18:3. All agree that it is a Torah prohibition, but there is disagreement as to its source. See the Raavad there, and the various commentaries…
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Donating Your Body To Science
What does Judaism say about donating your body to science? In discussing a question of this importance, we should not be influenced by carious “beliefs” and “interpretations” that have been thought up by various individuals throughout our history. We must…
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Burying a Person By Sundown
What is the reason behind the law that Jews must be buried by sundown the next day? There is no actual law that Jews must be buried by sundown the next day, although the custom is to bury the deceased…