One of the fiercest debates in medieval Jewish history was engendered by the attempt to reinstate full-blown semicha, rabbinic ordination, by…
Sanhedrin 11: Humble Pie
It is in times of crisis that strong leadership is most needed. And up to that point in Jewish history, there was no greater crisis than that faced…
Sanhedrin 11: Please Don't Embarrass Me
When things go well all are ready to take credit, even if they had little or no role to play in the success of the project at hand. At the same time…
Sanhedrin 11: An Extra Long Summer
Up until this point in Masechet Sanhedrin, we have been discussing the role of the court in resolving monetary disputes. But there is much more for…
Sanhedrin 8: We Want Justice
Moshe Rabbeinu was about to die. Like many before him, he wanted to bless his “children” – the nation of Israel[1]. Yet before we…
Sanhedrin 7: The Wisdom of the Simple Man
“Rabbi Chaninah says: I learned much from my teachers, and from my colleagues more than my teachers, and from my students more than all…
Sanhedrin 6: Truth or Peace?
“Thus said the Lord of hosts: The fast of the fourth [month] (17 Tammuz ), and the fast of the fifth (9 Av), and the fast of the seventh (…
Sanhedrin 5: Professional Courtesy
How much would you be willing to sacrifice for the honour of another? Some money, a little bit of time perhaps. But few are those who would be…
Sanhedrin 4: Please Read it Out Loud
“Rav Yochanan said: The Holy One, blessed be He, established the covenant with the Jewish people only because of the Oral Law, as it says…
Sanhedrin 3: Please Lend Me Some Money
“Dinei mammonot, monetary law [is adjudicated] with three [judges]; gezeilot vechavalot, theft and assault, with three [judges]” (…
An Introduction to Sanhedrin
The opening Mishna of Masechet Sanhedrin explains the workings of a three-tiered court system. One handled monetary law, and consisted of three…
Bava Batra 165: "I Don't Hold by the Eiruv"
In his 17th century collection of responsa (#93), the Chacham Tzvi, Rav Tzvi Ashkenazi, discusses whether a golem, perhaps best translated as an…
Bava Batra 145: I'm Coming to Your Wedding
“The brothers who were groomsmen, shoshbanim, during the lifetime of their father—when the wedding gifts are reciprocated they…
Bava Batra 144: Not in Heaven
Two of most central pillars of Jewish faith, G-d’s foreknowledge of all that will occur and free choice granted to man, seemingly—and…
Bava Batra 141: I Love My Sister
There is something very special about being pregnant with one’s first child. One has grandiose dreams (hopefully) of carrying a great Torah…
Bava Batra 139: From Father to Daughter
One of the great disparities between the modern Western mode of thought and traditional Jewish thought is the concept of egalitarianism. Modern…
Bava Batra 133: For You My Dear Child....Nothing
“One who writes his property for others [in his will] and leaves his children [with nothing]—what is done is done, but the spirit of our…
Bava Batra 133: Oops! My Mistake
One of the differences one notices in teaching adults, as opposed to children, is that the former are generally less inclined to respond to questions…