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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The Death Penalty
Why don’t Orthodox Jews of today take a literalist view of the Levitical prescriptions mandating stoning or the death penalty for certain sins? The death penalty cannot be administered without a trial before the Sanhedrin, a capital Jewish court, which,…
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Extramarital Affair
Is a married man allowed to have an extra-marital affair with an unmarried woman? Thanks for asking this question. A married man may not have relations with another woman according to all opinions. There is a concept in the Torah…
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The Law of Custom
I read in several places that customs acquire the status of Law and are binding on later generations, and that this is true even in cases when the original reason for the custom is no longer valid. For example, we…
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Punishment for Rape
What does Torah say about rape, both for the victim and the ones around the victims? What judgements should you put against the rapist? This depends in what regard you are referring to rape. Biblically the Torah states that it…
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Taking Steroids
Let’s say that everybody participating in a sport takes steroids (which are illegal), would this be considered cheating? Or would this be allowed since it would still be an even playing field? Let’s say somebody would take steroids, but a…
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Jewish Court
How many rabbis are required to constitute a Beth Din (Jewish Court) for orthodox Judaism? Who determines, and how, whether a person is qualified to sit as a dayan on a Beth Din? Generally speaking, three rabbis constitute a beth…
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Who a Kohain Can Marry
What are the laws pertaining to a Kohain today regarding who he may and may not marry? Can a Kohain marry a woman who has had premarital sex with a Jew? A Kohain may not marry a divorced woman which…
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A Convert and a Levite
I am an orthodox convert, I know that a convert can not marry a Kohain. I am confused because I was reading that all descendants of Ahron are levites and therefore all Levites are Kohains. Is this true and does…
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Legal Debate
If all of the Torah was given at Sinai, why is there so much legal debate? For example, opinions differ on when the Sabbath begins. If the Sabbath laws were given at Sinai, how would debate on this matter ever…