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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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.
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Rabbis
What is a Rabbi? A Rabbi is a person who has studied Torah extensively and is qualified to make decisions about Torah-related questions.
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The Title “Rabbi”
What is the origin of the title “Rabbi”? The title “Rabbi” wasn’t used until Talmudic times (first century BCE), when it was applied to ordained Torah scholars. The use of the title to refer to the spiritual leader of a…
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How a Person becomes a Rabbi
How are Rabbis ordained? Traditionally, a Rabbi is ordained by his teacher(s). The first example of this was Moses ordaining Joshua (Num.27:16-23). Nowadays, Rabbis are usually ordained by Rabbinical schools (Yeshivos), whose faculty are of course Rabbis. Most Rabbis have…
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An Eye for an Eye – Part I
Did the Jews ever literally enforce the rule “an eye for an eye”? The Oral Torah contains many details that were not included in the Written Torah. For example, the Fourth Commandment (Ex. 20:10) forbids work on the Sabbath; the…
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The Death Penalty
Do the Jews believe in the death penalty for murder? The death penalty for murder is explicit in several places; two examples are Gen.9:6 and Lev.24:17,21. But Rabbinical courts rarely carried out the death penalty (Mishnah Makkos 1:10), and today…
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Sins Punishable by Death
What sins are punishable by death? The Mishnah in Sanhedrin enumerates the sins that carry death penalties. They include various sexual offenses and idolatrous practices, as well as blasphemy, murder, and desecration of the Sabbath. But even when the Sanhedrin…
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Rape and Seduction
What does Jewish law say about rape and seduction? The Torah specifies fines for a man who rapes or seduces a woman, and he must also marry her; see Ex.22:16-17 and Deut. 22:28-29. But Rabbinical courts are no longer qualified…
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Cosmetic Plastic Surgery
Is cosmetic plastic surgery permitted? The generally accepted view is that cosmetic plastic surgery is permissible to correct conditions that are a source of mental anguish. Otherwise, if there’s no health-related reason involved, it’s regarded as injuring oneself, which is…