In Aseih Lechah Rav, vol. 7, p. 174 Rabbi Hayyim David Halevy included a letter that he wrote to Rabbi Efraim Greenblatt, the author of Rivevot Efraim. In his letter, Rabbi Halevy defends himself against Rabbi Greenblatt’s complaint that he doesn’t seem to examine the literature of the Aharonim. Here are the comments [...]
There are two new books on conversion, the first which has already succeeded in causing quite a controversy.
1. Sifrut Ha-Shu”t: Ha-Giyyur Be-Rei Ha-Dorot
2. Zera Yisrael (See here, here, and here for some info about the controversy. Thanks to MB for the heads up via Facebook.)
Part I, Part II
Found throughout the literature which discusses whether a blessing is recited over the lighting of shabbat candles, there are a number of “phantom sources,” sources which aren’t found in the extant literature. The first example of a “phantom sources” is from Abraham ha-Yarhi’s Sefer Ha-Manhig. In Yitzhak Rafael’s edition this [...]
See here for part I.
In the literature of the Geonic period one finds sources which discuss the two central questions which the Talmud does not address, whether lighting shabbat candles is kabbalat shabbat and if one recites a blessing over their lighting. In Halakhot Gedolot there is a clear statement that lighting shabbat candles [...]
I have been teaching a course in which we are examining two different questions relating to the lighting of shabbat candles, whether a blessing is required and if the lighting of shabbat candles is considered kabbalat shabbat, i.e. if lighting shabbat candles initiates the accepting upon oneself of shabbat prohibitions. I won’t be going [...]
Last week I attended a conference, Religious Legal Theory: The State of the Field, at Seton Hall Law School. There were many interesting presentations. My talk was “Conservative Jewish Legal Decision Making and the Question of Gay and Lesbian Jews.” I tried to speak about some general characteristics of the responsa that [...]
Rav Tzair reviews a new volume in Yediot Sefarim’s Am ha-Sefer series. The book collects and analyzes writings from Sephardic rabbis.
Makor Rishon is reporting that tomorrow there will be a conference (the program in PDF) at Heichal Shlomo on responsa in the age of the internet. The conference will address issues of rabbinic authority and community. See previous discussions of this issue here, here, and here.
Matthias Lehmann reviews here Matt Goldish’s Jewish Questions: Responsa on Sephardic Life in the Early Modern Period. From the table of contents it looks like an excellent collection of responsa from the period.
Rabbi Haim Navon recently wrote an article in Akdamot in which he addressed the issue of female rabbis. I haven’t read the article, but from this article (Heb.) and his column here (Heb.) he seems to be of the opinion that this is a very slow process which in the end might lead to [...]
You are currently browsing the archives for the Responsa category.