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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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…
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Divorced Parents Escorting Child Down the Aisle
I am getting married soon, and I just heard that your parents should not walk you down the aisle if they are divorced. My parents are divorced, and I really want them both to walk me down! What’s wrong with…
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Borrowing Money with Witnesses
Someone I’m friendly with asked to borrow money, and I feel comfortable just lending it to her. But I once heard that Jewish law requires witnesses. Is this true? Answer: If it is an amount that, if the person would…
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Remarriage to Original Spouse
Why is it forbidden for a woman to remarry an ex-husband after having married someone else for period of time? Answer: Rabbi S.R. Hirsch (Deuteronomy 24:4) observes that there can be nothing legally wrong or immoral with either the first…
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Selling Non-Kosher Food
Can a religious Jew sell non kosher meat to other businesses if this is his means of income? Answer: This is a very complex issue, and one that cannot be dealt with effectively divorced from specific details of situation and…
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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…
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Business Values
What does the Torah tell us about honesty in business dealings? Are there any guiding principles for Jews in honest business dealings? The Jerusalem Talmud (Bava Metzia 2:5) states it powerfully (what follows is a free translation): Rabbi Shimon ben…
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Getting Quotes With No Intention to Buy
The person I work for constantly demands that I contact vendors (like for computer systems, copiers, scanners, etc) and talk to them about prices, special deals, etc. The people think I’m seriously going to buy from them, yet I know…
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Number of Judges
In the weekly portion of Yitro, Moses appoints judges over 10’s, 50’s, 100’s, and 1000’s (see Exodus 18:25). With the exception of the judge over 50, each judge was in charge of a group of 10. Why was there a…