The Torah talks very little – actually, not at all (at least explicitly)– about the…
Sanhedrin 97: It's Almost Over
One of the philosophical debates between the Greeks and Jews concerned the eternity of the world.…
Sanhedrin 97: Nothing But the Truth
“Stay far away from a lie” (Shemot 23:7). Unlike the other mitzvot in the Torah where…
Sanhedrin 91: The Greek Court
The Jewish people have long been accused of being robbers and thieves. The importance of countering…
Sanhedrin 90: What's In Your Mind?
The last chapter of masechet Sanhedrin is like no other in the Talmud. Almost devoid of legal…
Sanhedrin 88: Let's Have a Debate
“Every argument that is for [the sake of] heaven's name is destined to endure. And …
Noach: Stuck in the Present
"G-d said: I will obliterate humanity that I have created from the face of the earth; man,…
Sanhedrin 76: No Time to Waste
“Do not profane your daughter and make her a harlot” (Vayikra 19:28). One has to wonder…
Sanhedrin 74: Lechaim!
“The entire house of Israel is commanded to sanctify the Name” (Laws of the…
Sanhedrin 72: I Love My Money
“And you shall love the Lord your G-d with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all…
Sukkot: All in One
Sukkot marks the beginning of the end of the holiday season. As the fall season commences, and as…
Sanhedrin 71: It Works in Theory
Fundamental to Jewish theology is the belief that both the Written Law and the Oral Law were given…
Yom Kippur: Bedtime Stories
The Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim 619:6) quotes a custom to remain in shul through the…
Sanhedrin 45: Take off Your Clothes!
In an amazing teshuva, Rav Yaakov Ettlinger (Binyan Tzion #172-173), basing himself on the story of…
Rosh Hashanah: Time for Prayer
Rosh Hashanah is first and foremost a day of prayer. Prayer, as Rav Soloveitchik often noted, is…
Sanhedrin 44: I Didn't Do It!
In recent years, as more forensic tools have become available, we have been able to free many…
Sanhedrin 43: Confess and Die
The fact that the Bible allows – perhaps at times even encourages – the death penalty…