Whether exploring a new twist on a favorite topic, debating a taboo subject, or learning Jewish history on our heritage tours, Torah in Motion constantly seeks to expand the horizon of Jewish thought.
Nedarim Jun 30, 2015

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 Jun 29, 2015

  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 Jun 29, 2015

  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 Jun 23, 2015

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 Jun 17, 2015

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 Jun 15, 2015

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 Jun 9, 2015

In our second to last post of Masechet Ketubot we discussed the decision of Rabbi Yehudah Hanassi to put  the Oral Law into writing.…

Nedarim May 31, 2015

“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…

Ketuvot May 26, 2015

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…

Ketuvot May 21, 2015

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…

Ketuvot May 20, 2015

  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…

Ketuvot May 18, 2015

No contract can cover all eventualities, and only through goodwill and compromise can disputes be avoided when the inevitable happens, and something…

Ketuvot May 17, 2015

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…

Ketuvot May 14, 2015

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…

Ketuvot May 13, 2015

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…

Ketuvot Apr 19, 2015

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…

Ketuvot Apr 16, 2015

While it may sound unromantic, marriage partners are chosen, more often than we might like to admit, for socio-economic reasons. While this need not…

Ketuvot Apr 14, 2015

In our last post we discussed the challenge of balancing work and family obligations. The Mishnah that discusses the length of a "…

Ketuvot Apr 12, 2015

Finding the proper balance between work and family is a challenge that man has been dealing with since the beginning of time. There never seems to be…

Ketuvot Mar 30, 2015

One of the most difficult, yet vital, tasks as we learn, is allotting enough time and effort for review. We all find the new more exciting, and…

Ketuvot Mar 25, 2015

  The increasing age for marriage coupled with the high cost of housing has led to a situation of more and more children in their 20's and…

Ketuvot Mar 24, 2015

Our conception of the family unit has undergone revolutionary changes in the last few years. It should come as no surprise that norms of today often…

Ketuvot Mar 15, 2015

"One should be as careful with a light mitzvah as with a heavy mitzvah" (Pirkei Avot 2:1). Not every mitzvah is created equal. While all…

Ketuvot Mar 10, 2015

Malcolm Gladwell, in his bestselling book Outliers, demonstrates how so much of our success is a result of factors beyond our control.…