King Hamlet Revisited
In last week’s Parshah we read about the laws of the Goel Hadam. I recently cited this excerpt from Hamlet, in which the Ghost demands that Hamlet accept the role of Goel Hadam with respect to his...
View ArticlePrimum Non Nocere
I recently gave a presentation titled ביאור שיטות הראשונים והאחרונים בענין הכלל בגיטין שכל דבר שאין צריך לכותבו, אם שינה בו אינו פוסל; the audio, and accompanying notes, are available in various file...
View ArticleThe Fine Art Of Compromise
Another Journal article; cognate lecture, in various formats, is available from the Internet Archive. Although it is a cliche that everyone is entitled to his day in court, this is actually apparently...
View Article“Squeezing the Rich”, Or Stopping Them From “Flaying the Poor”?
Halachic and Hashkafic Perspectives On Rent Control Legislation I recently gave a lecture on the intersection of native Halachah, Minhag and Dina De’Malchusa, using the (primarily) twentieth-century...
View ArticleThe Faithful Shepherd
There is a popular Jewish idea that shepherding is a sort of training camp or proving ground for future leaders: אמר רבי אחא: לעולם אין השכינה זזה מכותל מערבי, שנאמר (שיר ב, ט): הנה זה עומד אחר כתלנו....
View ArticleWives’ Work and Wages
For C.S. It is commonly thought that Hazal’s grant to a husband of the income earned by his wife is a tendentious institution, tilting the balance of economic power toward the former and away from the...
View ArticleFirst, Do No Harm
I recently recorded a lecture, and published an article, on the Halachah of malpractice; as usual, both are available, along with my lecture notes, at the Internet Archive. The former covers both...
View ArticleRendering Unto Caesar The Things Which Are Caesar’s
Here are several lectures I have recorded (with accompanying notes) and several articles I have published on the principle of Dina De’Malchusa Dina and related topics, available, as always, from the...
View ArticleCollective Action and Cooperation, Child Custody, and Counterblows
Here are three pairs of lectures I recorded and articles I published, available, as always, from the Internet Archive: Collective action and freeridership Child custody [see our previous discussions...
View ArticleAvoiding צרעת Like the Plague
Artscroll declares: For hundreds of years, the popular translation of צרעת [tzaraas] has been “leprosy,” and it was commonly accepted that prevention of the disease’s spread was the reason for the...
View ArticleRisking One’s Life For Fun and Profit
There is a well known medrash that Esav murdered Nimrod out of lust for the latter’s wonderful Hunter’s Garment: ר’ מאיר אומר עשו ראה את הכתנת על נמרוד שהיו מצויירין עליה כל החיות והעופות שבעולם...
View Articleוכל מעשיך בספר נכתבים
We recently deployed the Piwik web analytics framework to track our readership. For more information, see our privacy page. Apropos to the topic of communications privacy, here are (in rough...
View ArticleThe Serious Consequences Of Playing Favorites
From last week’s parshah: וְיִשְׂרָאֵל, אָהַב אֶת-יוֹסֵף מִכָּל-בָּנָיו–כִּי-בֶן-זְקֻנִים הוּא, לוֹ; וְעָשָׂה לוֹ, כְּתֹנֶת פַּסִּים.1 Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he...
View ArticleDon’t Forget Me Knots
From last week’s parshah כִּי אִם-זְכַרְתַּנִי אִתְּךָ, כַּאֲשֶׁר יִיטַב לָךְ, וְעָשִׂיתָ-נָּא עִמָּדִי, חָסֶד; וְהִזְכַּרְתַּנִי, אֶל-פַּרְעֹה, וְהוֹצֵאתַנִי, מִן-הַבַּיִת הַזֶּה. … וְלֹא-זָכַר...
View ArticleReliance Damages and Promissory Estoppel
From this morning’s parshah: כִּי עַבְדְּךָ עָרַב אֶת-הַנַּעַר, מֵעִם אָבִי לֵאמֹר: אִם-לֹא אֲבִיאֶנּוּ אֵלֶיךָ, וְחָטָאתִי לְאָבִי כָּל-הַיָּמִים.1 For thy servant became surety for the lad unto my...
View ArticleTuvia Sinned and Zigud Is Punished?! Secondary Liability via Respondeat Superior
Five years ago, we asserted that halachah has no native concept of respondeat superior: [A]s far as I know, Halachah does not generally hold an employer liable for the malfeasance of his employee, so...
View ArticleDiscriminatory דינא דמלכותא, Invidious and Otherwise
From yesterday’s parshah: וַיָּשִׂימוּ עָלָיו שָׂרֵי מִסִּים, לְמַעַן עַנֹּתוֹ בְּסִבְלֹתָם; וַיִּבֶן עָרֵי מִסְכְּנוֹת, לְפַרְעֹה–אֶת-פִּתֹם, וְאֶת-רַעַמְסֵס. … וַיַּעֲבִדוּ מִצְרַיִם אֶת-בְּנֵי...
View ArticleOf Anno Domini and Ad Hominem
From yesterday’s parshah: הַחֹדֶשׁ הַזֶּה לָכֶם, רֹאשׁ חֳדָשִׁים: רִאשׁוֹן הוּא לָכֶם, לְחָדְשֵׁי הַשָּׁנָה.1 This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the...
View ArticleFrom Forensics To Philosophy
In preparation for a lecture I recently gave on halachic perspectives toward the determination of identity and paternity via forensic tissue examination, I reviewed Rav Zalman Nechemia Goldberg’s...
View ArticleExorcising Demons From the Halachah and the Universe
It is well know that Rambam, in his יד החזקה, somehow manages to avoid codifying any halachah that is rooted in what he (and rationalists generally) consider superstitious nonsense, without directly...
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