I remember vividly a Shabbat in 2005 when some friends and I decided to visit a Modern Orthodox shul we had never before attended. The four of us—three females and one male—entered our respective sections and were immediately impressed by the warm welcome we received. The davening was pleasant and full of singing. The structural […]
The Question Behind the Question: The Process of P’sak Read More »
Shortly before this journal went to print, the Modern Orthodox world heard that Rav Aharon Lichtenstein, zt”l, had passed away. Given that this JOFA Journal is about the nature of halakhic authority, it seemed appropriate to write about the Modern Orthodox world’s leading Torah scholar and educator and the influence Rav Lichtenstein had on Orthodox
An Appreciation: Rav Aharon Lichtenstein, zt”l Read More »
We Jews—and, in particular, we Orthodox Jews— tend to think that it’s all about us. We labor under the illusion that we are an autonomous society, immune from external cultural trends and changes. However, when examining the changing nature of rabbinic authority in the twenty-first century, we must take into account a few significant worldwide
Democratization of Halakhic Authority: Opportunities and Challenges Read More »
Change happens in many ways. Sometimes it is through the bravery of leaders who fight for rights and bring about change by inspiring a movement. Sometimes there is a violent revolution that brings about rapid, drastic change. Sometimes there is a grassroots movement, where the masses demand that change take place. Eden is part of
Grassroots Change Begins in the Mikveh: The Story of the Eden Center Read More »
Imagine you are twenty-one years old and have a halakhic question you’d like to ask your rabbi. But who is your rabbi? Is it the rabbi of the shul where you grew up, who knew you as a child? He has known your family for decades, but doesn’t know you personally very well. Maybe it’s
The Changing Nature of P’sak in the Twenty-First Century Read More »
This article is is dedicated to the memory of Belda Kaufman Lindenbaum, z”l. What does it mean to have an inclusive approach toward women and women’s voices in p’sak halakhah? The answer is not as simple as some might imagine. At Yeshivat Chovevei Torah (YCT) Rabbinical School, of which I am rosh hayeshiva, one of
P’sak Halakhah and Women’s Voices Read More »
This year, for the first time in my life, I spent Passover in Israel. My eldest is there for her year between high school and college, and we thought it would be a meaningful experience for all of us to be in Jerusalem when we conclude our Seder with “l’shana haba’ah bi-Yerushalayim.” And so began
The Biggest Question: Whom to Ask? Read More »
In the Bible, there are many important female figures—although many fewer than the male figures—occupying a variety of roles far beyond the traditional domestic ones, including judge, queen, warrior, and “wise woman.” If Proverbs 31:10–31—the Eishet Hayil— can be taken as a description of the ideal wife, she is far from a meek homebody. If
The discussion of abortion in halakhah begins with the life of the mother. Pikuaḥ nefesh, the obligation to preserve life—in this case, the life of the mother—trumps every other obligation except for three: murder, sexual immorality, and idol worship. Until the head of the fetus or the majority of its body has exited the birth
What Does Halakhah Say About Abortion? Read More »
Over the past hundred years, as medical knowledge has advanced, it became clear that infertility was a problem among a small percentage of the halakhically observant population. Jewish families were being denied offspring solely because of their observance of the Torah commandments of taharat hamishpaḥah (family purity laws). This problem has been discussed sporadically in
Halakhic Infertility, Halakhic Solutions Read More »
