In our last post we discussed the renewed interest today in the study of Tanach. Concurrent with that, for the first time in…
Nedarim 37: Benefiting From Torah
Over the past generation - primarily in Israel but also to a lesser extent in the Diaspora - there has been a renewed focus on the study of Tanach.…
Nedarim 28: The Murderer and the Tax Collector
Dina demalchuta Dina, the law of the land is the law, is one of the most famous teachings of Jewish jurisprudence. While ostensibly a law relating to…
Nedarim 31: Look Who Loves Shabbat
The Mishna Berura - the most widely used halachic code of the 20th century - in his introduction to the laws of Shabbat explains the crucial…
Nedarim 22: A Much Smaller Book
Imagine if instead of twenty-four books the Tanach consisted of only six. Strange as it sounds that was the original plan. "Rav Adda…
Nedarim 21: It's Just Talk
The 1960's sitcom Get Smart[1] had as one of its heroes Hymie the robot. Lacking full human intelligence, he understood language only…
Nedarim 20: Shame on Me
In the siddurim commonly in use today, on the Shabbat before Rosh Chodesh, we pray that we should be blessed to have "chaim she'…
Nedarim 8: Let's Learn
The mitzvah of Talmud Torah has a dual objective. First and foremost, one learns so one will know how to act: "an ignoramus cannot be a…
Nedarim 7: Time to Say Hello
In our second to last post of Masechet Ketubot we discussed the decision of Rabbi Yehudah Hanassi to put the Oral Law into writing.…
Some Introductory Thoughts on Masechet Nedarim
“Better is it that one should not vow, than that one should vow and not pay” (Kohelet 5:4). This truism, enunciated by Shlomo HaMelech…
Some Thoughts on the Conclusion of Masechet Ketubot
One of the major benefits of studying Daf Yomi is that one is exposed to the entire breadth of the (Babylonian) Talmud, something one may not manage…
Ketubot 104: After the Rebbe
The life of Rebbe, Rabbi Yehuda Hanassi, marked a turning point in Jewish history. He was the one who, strange as it may sound, acted in defiance of…
Ketubot 103: A Grave Matter
It is a sad spectacle when people fight over a dead man's estate. What can make such disputes more intractable is that often, both…
Ketubot 102: It's What You Negotiate
No contract can cover all eventualities, and only through goodwill and compromise can disputes be avoided when the inevitable happens, and something…
Ketubot 97: Going to Court
Many people, upon receiving notice of jury duty, try hard to avoid actually doing such. They have little time, interest, and often cannot afford the…
Ketubot 96-2: Sharing is Caring
One of the differences between the taxation policies of the United States and that of Canada is that in the United States a couple can choose to be…
Ketubot 96: A Pleasure to Serve
The importance of informal education is today a given. A solid education requires both formal and informal learning and often it is the latter that…
Ketubot 67: From Riches to Rags
Psychologists estimate that the pain of losing money is twice as great as the joy of making money (see here). It is for this reason that Jewish…