Jewish Religion

The case for compassionate halachah

The Importance of the Community Rabbi: Leading with Compassionate Halachah shows that what is important for rabbis is not encouraging a strict life according to the finer points of Jewish law, but empathy and kind-heartedness. He demonstrates that rabbis need to rethink their method of issuing halachic rulings, and return to the compassionate traditional method of making legal decisions. [Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin]

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Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish Religion

Social distancing in Jewish law

Once again, we are hearing more discussion about social distancing. Here is a chapter from my new book, God and the Pandemic, A Judaic Reflection on the Coronavirus. The concept of social-distancing at a time of pandemics is discussed in the Responsa literature. The term “responsa” refers to questions people have asked rabbis for almost 1500 years in matters of Judaic law, traditions, and values. [Rabbi Dr. Michael Leo Samuel]

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Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, Science, Medicine, & Education

Pandemics through history and the religious response

In his newest book, God and the Pandemic, Rabbi Samuel starts with a historical look at plagues in antiquity, comparing and contrasting leadership skills combating them, praising Marcus Aurelius, a stoic, for guiding his nation through the Antonine Plague in the second century, and condemning Roman emperors in the following century for failing to protect the citizenry during the Plague of Cyprian. [Fred Reiss, Ed.D]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Fred Reiss, EdD, International, Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, Middle East, USA

Seeking compromise; going beyond law

The Torah states, “You shall do what is fair and good in the eyes of G-d, so that it will be good for you, and you shall come and possess the good land that G-d swore to your forefathers…” (Deut. 6:18). The classic commentary simply explains the words, “fair and good,” as meaning, “compromise and going beyond the letter of the law.” [Rabbi Yeruchem Eilfort]

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Jewish Religion, USA, Yeruchem Eilfort-Rabbi

What Rav Soloveitchik taught about suffering

In all faiths, cultures, and communities, the question of evil plays a prominent role in that specific group’s philosophies. What is evil, and how does one comprehend it in our lives? In Judaism, the question of evil and suffering is expressed in the following statement “Tzadik ve ra lo- A righteous person, and bad to him, rasha vetov lo- a wicked person, and good to him.”  The question is why do righteous people suffer and experience hardship, while others who are “wicked “do not experience pain and suffering? [Rabbi Dr. Bernhard H. Rosenberg]

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Bernhard H. Rosenberg-Rabbi, Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Jewish History, Jewish Religion

Rabbi Goldstein deserves prison, not probation

The late Rabbi Aaron Gold, of blessed memory, used the expression, “Big Beard, Small Jew” to characterize those people in our religion who make a big outward show of their piety, while having inside hearts so corrupted that they are willing to violate the very Torah lessons that they preach, including the eighth commandment, “Thou Shalt Not Steal.” (Exodus 20:15). It is bad enough when any Jew commits a crime, but it is even worse when someone does so who is a Rabbi. By accepting that title, the person bearing it becomes a representative of the Jewish people, a spokesperson and exemplar for our moral beliefs. In breaking the law, Goldstein not only brought shame on himself, he brought shame on the Jewish people. He deserves to be punished. [Our Shtetl San Diego County column by Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, San Diego County, USA

Studying Torah should be a constant endeavor

As we all know, it is tremendously important for us to study Torah as the unfiltered word of G-d. If there is something that we do not understand within the Torah, it is our intellect that is lacking, not the Giver of the Torah’s. At the same time, however, it is essential that we use our heads in studying and analyzing the Torah. G-d does not want us to be robotic in our service of Him. Instead He wants us to serve Him with our entire being, which of course includes our intellect. This transitionary book written with the human perspective demonstrates to us how this approach is meant to look. [Rabbi Yeruchem Eilfort]

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Jewish Religion, Yeruchem Eilfort-Rabbi

Torah for children: Learn from parents’ mistakes

This week’s Torah portion takes readers into the fifth book of Torah, Deuteronomy. The Jewish people have wandered for forty years and are again standing right outside Israel. They are ready to cross into the Promised Land. Before they can, however, Moses speaks to them. This last Torah book is all about what he tells them. [Marcia Berneger]

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Jewish Religion, Marcia Berneger

Ancient practices: leaders’ complaints; judicial systems, and giants

By way of introduction, the Book of Deuteronomy is labeled as Moses’ Last Discourse, and thus touted as a review of Exodus through Numbers. However, it is quickly seen that the text of this book departs in numerous details from what is contained in the three preceding Torah books. I have chosen three passages from this parasha for a comparison with texts about the Israelites’ pagan neighbors. I chose such subjects as leaders’ complaints; judicial systems, and giants. [Irv Jacobs, M.D.]

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Irv Jacobs, MD, Jewish Religion