e-TiM: Online Program
e-TiM: The Weight of Human Dignity: Kevod HaBeriyot in Halakhic Decision-Making

Program details

Dates

April 28, 2025 to May 12, 2025

Time

Mondays 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM Eastern

Next class

Monday May 12, 2025

Location

Online

Register

Throughout centuries of halakhic discourse, the principle of kevod ha-beriyot—human dignity—has played a decisive role in shaping rabbinic responses to some of the most sensitive and complex legal and ethical dilemmas. From personal ritual observance to societal structures, poskim (halakhic decisors) have invoked this principle to override prohibitions, reconsider precedents, and ensure that Jewish law remains not only rigorous but also compassionate. This series explores how human dignity has been a guiding force in halakhic decision-making and its dynamic responsiveness to human experience.

April 28: Nakedness in the Marketplace 

Does halakha mandate disrobing in public if shatnez is discovered in the marketplace? Are there other instances where human dignity overrides halakha? 

May 5: The Banning of Weddings on Friday in Krakow

While many Israelis today get married on Friday morning, there was a ban on such weddings in Krakow in the 16th century. What was the curious story of the bride almost left at the altar and how does the Rema’s decision impact other responsa centuries later relating to cheating spouses and an undisclosed abortion?

May 12: Charity Begins at Home

Does the mitzvah of tzedakah extend to non-Jews as well? The Talmud introduces the principle of Darkei Shalom – ways of peace that mandate our ensuring non-Jews set up social structures to care for their poor and bury their dead. Find out how one Jewish community partnered with neighborhood churches remit medical debt across their state.

Upcoming classes

Meet the speaker

Rabbanit Nechama Goldman Barash

Rabbanit Nechama Goldman Barash teaches contemporary halakhah and Talmud at Matan, Midreshet Torah V’Avodah (MTVA), Amudim and the Pardes Institute in Jerusalem. She is the educational director of the Pardes Learning Seminar. She moved to Israel in 1991, after graduating with B.A. from Stern College in New York. Nechama holds a master's degree in Talmud from Bar-Ilan University and is a graduate of Nishmat’s Yoetzet Halacha program and fertility counselor's program, which certified her to serve as an advisor to

Rabbanit Nechama Goldman Barash bio & resources

Past classes of e-TiM: The Weight of Human Dignity: Kevod HaBeriyot in Halakhic Decision-Making

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