Shabbat

Embark on a journey of Jewish learning and discovery, exploring the depth of our Shabbat resources, where tagged items including audio, programs, and podcast episodes await your exploration.

Shabbat 91b: Talmudic Toys

Rabbi Jay Kelman

It seems that the toy industry in Talmudic times was quite different than the one we have today. Lacking the technological gizmos so popular today, Talmudic toys were much more attuned to the world of nature. “If one carries a live pure (kosher)…
Article
Jan 14, 2013

Shabbat 89b: Yitzchak to the Rescue

Rabbi Jay Kelman

Abraham is the founding father of Judaism, Yaakov is the founding father of the Jewish people, and Yitzchak is the link between them. His role was that of consolidator, enabling Abraham’s’ revolutionary ideas to survive to the next generation. He is…
Article
Jan 10, 2013

Shabbat 89a: Sinai and Sin'ah

Rabbi Jay Kelman

Years ago, I heard Dennis Prager note that, while the Talmud spends six double-sided folio pages discussing the permissibility of eating an egg laid on Yom Tov, the Talmudic discussion of anti-Semitism consists of about three lines. Our great sages…
Article
Jan 8, 2013

Shabbat 75: Sewing and Science

Rabbi Jay Kelman

It is the 39 melachot that define the observance of Shabbat. Yet a listing of the melachot does not appear until midway through the seventh chapter of masechet Shabbat, and for many melachot, the discussion lasts no more than a few lines. In…
Article
Dec 26, 2012

Shabbat 63: Battle Clothes

Rabbi Jay Kelman

The sixth chapter of Shabbat begins with the issue of what ornaments a woman—and to a lesser extent, a man—may or may not wear on Shabbat in a place with no eiruv. The Sages feared that, upon meeting people in the street, one might take off the…
Article
Dec 16, 2012

Shabbat 56: Rabbinic Cover-Up

Rabbi Jay Kelman

Interpreting Scripture is no easy feat. One of the difficulties in understanding biblical literature is to figure out what parts are to be taken at face value and which are to be understood in a more symbolic fashion. While we take it for granted…
Article
Dec 7, 2012

Shabbat 54b: Minding Others' Business

Rabbi Jay Kelman

“The cow of Rav Elazar ben Azaria used to go out on Shabbat with a strap between its horns, against the will of the rabbis”. Shabbat is the day of rest, both for ourselves and for our animals; and we must not allow our animals to carry that which we…
Article
Dec 3, 2012

Shabbat 46a: Going Barefoot

Rabbi Jay Kelman

One of the inspiring things we see in the many stories found in the Talmud is the realistic portrayal of our great sages. We see not only much greatness, but also the occasional lapses. Our sages were not averse to displaying their feelings, and…
Article
Nov 28, 2012

Shabbat 49a: The Wrong Reason

Rabbi Jay Kelman

The Talmud teaches that everything is dependent on mazal, “even the Sefer Torah in the ark”. Some sifrei Torah are used week in and week out, while others only see the light of day on Simchat Torah. So, too, certain mitzvoth “get lucky” and are…
Article
Nov 27, 2012

Shabbat 33: Let's Talk

Rabbi Jay Kelman

One of the differences between Talmudic rabbis and those of the post-Talmudic era is the “ability” of the former to link “crime and punishment”, or more specifically, sin and consequence. This is something we find distasteful, even blasphemous (and…
Article
Nov 21, 2012