Laws of Damages
-
Jewish View of Graffiti
I would like to speak to a youth group about graffiti in the Jewish religion. Is it a frowned upon form of art in the Jewish religion? Answer: Thank you for your excellent question. There are many volumes of the…
-
Confiscated Item Damaged in a Hurricane
If a teacher confiscated an item, placed it in the desk drawer and it was ruined in a flood – the room with the object was on the ground level (the school was warned by the government that they are…
-
An Eye for an Eye – Part II
Could you please give me the true meaning of an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, etc (see Exodus 21:23-25), as recorded in Jewish law and tradition? Answer: The Talmud (Bava Kama 83b – which offers a…
-
Waste of Utilities
Many times, I am perturbed when I need to tell people to be considerate and shut off the lights in the house when they walk out. I am usually ignored and it does not seem to sink in, no matter…
-
Revenge and Restraint
My car was vandalized, and I’m extremely frustrated by the whole matter. I believe the perpetrator is a disgruntled neighbor of mine. I contacted the police, filed a report, but there were not witnesses to there’s not much that can…
-
Basic Values and Morality, Criminal Law, Judaism and Non-Jews, Laws of Damages, Reward and Punishment, The Jewish Legal System
Death Penalty and Noahide Laws
I was studying something which quoted the Talmud as saying that all seven Noahide laws are capital crimes. What do I make of this? Does Judaism say that a non-Jew is supposed to be executed for any crime, including, for…
-
Smoking
What is the Jewish view about smoking? An article on "Cigarette smoking and Jewish law" appeared in vol.IV of the Journal of Halacha and Contemporary Society, and there's an article on ISHUN in the Entsiklopedia Halachis-Refuis.
-
Self-Mutilation
What is the Jewish view on self-mutilation? There is a difference of opinion in the Talmud (Bava Kama 91a) as to whether deliberate self-injury is permitted, but the accepted view is that it is forbidden. This can be derived from…
-
Self-Defense
Does Judaism permit self-defense? Self-defense not only permissible, but mandatory, because we are commanded to preserve life. As the Talmud puts it (Sanhedrin 72a), "If someone comes to kill you, kill him first".