"G-d wanted to give merit to the Jewish people; therefore, He increased for them Torah and mitzvoth". A Jewish way of life offers so many…
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Eiruvin 19a: Going to Gehenom
"Rav Yirmiya ben Elazar said, there are three entrances to Gehenom: one in the desert, one in the sea, and one in Jerusalem" (Eiruvin 19a…
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Eiruvin 17a: Pesach and the Salt of Sedom
"Four obligations were nullified in a [military] camp" (Eiruvin 17a). The Torah goes to great lengths to ensure that the Jewish army…
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Eiruvin 13b: Following Beit Shammai
It is well known that the halacha, with rare exceptions, follows the opinion of Beit Hillel over that of Beit Shammai. What is less well known…
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Eiruvin 13a: Just One Letter
"When I [Rav Meir] came to Rabbi Yishmael, he said to me, 'My son, what is your occupation?' I told him, 'I am a scribe', and he…
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Eiruvin 6b: Choosing Your Rabbi
Traditionally, Jewish law allowed for a good deal of local autonomy in the application of Jewish law. While questions of national import were to be…
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Eiruvin 5a-6b: Building Fences
The halachic system, like most other disciplines, has both a theoretical framework and a practical application--and the two do not always coincide.…
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Eiruvin 4a: Measuring Up
It is impossible, at least from a Jewish perspective, to understand the Bible without the tools to interpret the text. It is this "reading…
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Eruvin 3: Stirring the Pot
"A pot with two cooks is neither hot nor cold" (Eruvin 3a). This popular folk saying is used by the Talmud to explain Rava of Parzkiah'…
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Some Opening Thoughts on Eruvin
Judaism has long recognized that we need both private and public space. Man is both an individual and a member of a community. At times, the…
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Shabbat 157: Some Concluding Thoughts on Masechet Shabbat
Masechet Shabbat deals primarily with the 39 forbidden activities on Shabbat--especially that of carrying. Yet, as is the norm for Talmudic…
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Shabbat 151: Waiting for Mashiach?
Since at least the time of the Rambam, Jews have yearned for the coming of the Mashiach. Many Jews went to their deaths asserting the twelfth…
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Shabbat 147b: Sin City
"Rav Helbo said: The wine of Perugitha and the water of Diomsith cut off the Ten Tribes from Israel" (Shabbat 147b). As Rashi explains,…
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Shabbat 140b: Don't Eat Your Vegetables
The next time your mother tells you to eat your vegetables, you might try explaining to her that you are just following the advice of Rav Hisda, the…
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Shabbat 145: Home and Away
When one studies Talmud, it is easy to forget that Sages quoted on the same page may actually have lived hundreds of years and hundreds of miles…
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Shabbat 139: Guilty as Charged!
While we are unable to discern G-d's ways--and it behooves us to not even try--Talmudic rabbis were not so reticent in ascribing reasons for…
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Shabbat 130a: Taking the Plunge
One of the saddest statements Jews can make is, “It’s tough to be a Jew”. Why would anyone want to be part of a people identified with suffering,…
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Shabbat 118a: Shabbat Meals
“Make your Shabbat like a weekday, and have no need [to take from] people” (Shabbat 118a). In Talmudic times, it was the norm to eat two meals a day…