Issue of September 11,  2009 / 22 Elul 5769 Defending Kennedy To the Editor: I am writing to comment on the Kosher Bookworm’s article: “The Kennedy legacy: American tragedy or … more

In the context of thoughts on why “Tisha B’Av precedes Va’etchanan,” I raised the halakhic discussion point that Nitzavim is always read before Rosh Hashana (Shulchan Arukh 428). The Pri … more

By Rabbi Avi Billet The imaginative among us will conjure up a scene of the curse that appears in 27:14: “‘Cursed is he who strikes down his neighbor in secret.’ All the people shall say, … more

When you ask a question sometimes you get a very good answer. And sometimes you get two very good answers from two prominent rabbonim. My thanks to Rabbi Kenneth Auman and Rabbi Natan Slifkin. … more

By Rabbi Avi Billet Issue of August 28, 2009 / 8 Elul 5769 Here is a contradiction for you. The Torah commands that if a person happens to come across a bird nest with a mother bird sitting … more

By Rabbi Avi Billet Issue of August 21, 2009 / 1 Elul 5769 There are many behaviors which the Torah describes as to’evot, translated as abominations or perversions. Other than in Acharei … more

By Rabbi Avi Billet Issue of August 14, 2009 / 24 Av 5769 With all the discussion about healthcare in this country, we can make the argument that Jews have valued human life more than anyone … more

By Rabbi Avi Billet Issue of August 7, 2009 /17 Av 5769 Abe and David were long-time study partners (chavrusas). One day Abe asked David to sign a document as a witness and was shocked when … more

By Rabbi Avi Billet Issue of July 31, 2009 / 10 Av 5769 Halakhah can be defined as “Jewish law,” “a way of life” or, perhaps, “the way we do things.” In one example of the … more

By Rabbi Avi Billet Issue of July 24, 2009 / 3 Av 5769 One of the major ills of our times is our inability to accept people for who they are. We often tend to judge people based on exteriors … more