The Jewish Legal System
- Business Law
- Criminal Law
- Laws of Damages
- Marriage Laws
- The Jewish King
- The Sanhedrin and the Rabbis
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Levirate Marriage Today
If Levirate marriage conflicts with the law of the land, eg laws of prohibited affinities for marriage, do (Orthodox) rabbis still solemnise Levirate marriages? If not, when did they stop doing so, and under whose decision? To my knowledge, Levirate…
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Authority of the Talmud
My question is, that the Talmud is considered divine. Yet the Talmud is a progression of Rabbinic interpretation. Even the name “Living Torah” the idea of a document that brings the Torah to every situation. How can the Talmud be…
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Capital Punishment
As a Christian involved in Judaic studies, am I to understand that Jews do not believe in death sentences? Is the interpretation of death sentence in the Torah “figurative”? You will find the death penalty in every one of the…
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Chicken with Milk?
Does the milk/meat restriction apply to chicken? If so why, since chickens don’t suckle their young with milk. The reason that Jewish law forbids chicken and milk is due to a rabbinic law, dating back 2000+ years. Because the properties…
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Becoming a Rabbi
Please describe the process by which one becomes a rabbi? Becoming a Rabbi is not like getting a driver’s license. It requires years and years of study, a thorough knowledge of some fundamental areas of Jewish law and a familiarity…
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Death Sentences
I know that there are numerous Jewish Laws which in theory are punishable by death but when was the last recorded instance of a death sentence carried out? The State of Israel has only ever executed one person – Adolf…
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Going to Jewish Courts
How do we know that Jews should be judged in Jewish courts on matters related to Jewish law? The requirement to go to Jewish courts can be derived from Deut.17:8-11.
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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…
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Rabbis' Qualifications
Why do your halacha emails say "a qualified Rabbi must be consulted? If the word "qualified" weren't included in the statement, it could be interpreted as including consultation with non-Orthodox clergy.