Search Jewish Dispatch
Found 80 result(s) for Halakhah
Erev Tisha B'Av: Preparing the Heart Before the Fast
What Is Forbidden on Tisha B'av, and Which Torah Subjects May Be Studied?
When Av Begins, We Diminish Our Joy
Must One Leave Part of a Home Unfinished in Memory of the Destruction of the Bet HaMikdash?
Should Jewish Parents Ever Strike Their Children?
Parashat Balak (Outside Israel Parashiyot Chukat-Balak)
What Really Interests a Person and WHO Stole the Gold?
Belgium’s Assault on Brit Milah Is an Assault on Jewish Life
A nation cannot claim to welcome Jews while criminalising one of the oldest and most fundamental commandments of Judaism
Hebrew Synagogue Welcomes UK Court Clarity on Biologically Specific Facilities
Hebrew Synagogue Welcomes UK Court Clarity on Biologically Specific Facilities Hebrew Synagogue has today confirmed its support for the legal clarification provided by the United Kingdom Supreme Court and subsequent Equality and Human Rights Commission guidance regarding the use of single-sex facilities based upon biological sex under the Equality Act 2010. The organisation confirmed that this position will apply across all facilities operated by Hebrew Synagogue throughout the United...
Do I Need to Fast Before Studying the Talmud?
What is the Halakhah Regarding Receiving a Blood Transfusion?
Pesach, Not “Passover”: The Distortion of a Divine Act
Opening Our Eyes to the Hidden Miracles
May a Jew Celebrate the Death of an Enemy?
Not Us — Or Have We Forgotten?
Putting Words into G-D’s Mouth Is Not Torah
Parashat Yitro
The Judeo-Christian Fiction: Stop Claiming What Is Not Yours
by Ram ben Ze’ev The Judeo-Christian Fiction: Stop Claiming What Is Not Yours In January 2020 I wrote Judeo-Christian Divide to address a growing falsehood: the claim that Judaism and Christianity share a common religious foundation. In the years since, that falsehood has not diminished. It has intensified. Today, ever more voices from foreign belief systems insist on associating themselves with Jews, with Israel, and with Judaism itself, as though repetition might somehow transform...
Doubt on Shabbat: Did I Put On Tefillin?
Parashat Beshalach – Shabbat Shirah
One Who Wishes to Be Pious — On Blessings, Intention, and Reliance
Parashat Bo
When Death Becomes Theatre: The Idolatry of Public Praise
by Ram ben Ze'ev When Death Becomes Theatre: The Idolatry of Public Praise The modern world has developed a ritual which it treats as sacred: the instant public tribute. A famous person dies, and within minutes a chorus begins. Social media floods with accolades, praise, affectionate “rememberings,” and grand pronouncements, as though death itself confers holiness — as though the grave has the power to sanctify a life that was never virtuous. Men who were alive yesterday as complicated,...
G-D Does Not Have a “Wife”: The Academic Reinvention of Idolatry
When Words Are Corrupted, Meaning Is Lost
by Ram ben Ze’ev When Words Are Corrupted, Meaning Is Lost Language is not a cosmetic choice in Judaism. Language is the vessel of truth. The Torah does not merely describe reality; it creates it. G-D spoke, and the world came into being. When we alter the words, we alter the world they shape. Today, our message is in crisis, not because Jews have forgotten how to speak, but because we have grown careless about what we speak. Even within Jewish publishing houses, educational institutions,...
Parashat Miketz – Shabbat Rosh Chodesh Chanukah
The War on Words: How the Nations Distort Our Holiest Language
by Ram ben Ze'ev The War on Words: How the Nations Distort Our Holiest Language Language is not neutral. For ישראל, it is the vessel through which קדושה enters the world. When the nations take our sacred words, reshape them, and hand them back to us with their meaning hollowed out, something essential is lost. Holiness becomes obscured, and the identity of our people is quietly eroded. Few examples reveal this more starkly than the distortion of שבת (Shabbat, rest) into the Christian term...
Parashat Chayye Sarah
Clarification and Ruling on the Placement of Tefilin Shel Yad
When Titles Overshadow Torah
A historical shift in leadership has placed public image above halakhic fidelity — a trend that demands careful discernment by Ram ben Ze’ev A historical shift in leadership has placed public image above halakhic fidelity — a trend that demands careful discernment There is a dangerous trend in contemporary Jewish leadership: the elevation of titles and public platforms above fidelity to Torah. Throughout our history, titles have never been the source of spiritual authority. Genuine leadership...
Guarding the Purity of Torah
Do Not Cast Doubt on a Fellow Jew
Sanctifying Idolatry: The Praise of Charlie Kirk
by Ram ben Ze’ev Sanctifying Idolatry: The Praise of Charlie Kirk Charlie Kirk, a young Evangelical firebrand, was assassinated in Utah. His death has triggered an extraordinary wave of sanctification, with media outlets elevating him almost overnight to the level of a saint. What is most troubling, however, is not the idolatrous exaltation of the nations, but the eagerness of Jews—including Jews in Israel—to join in this chorus of praise. By applauding Kirk, they are not honouring Israel;...
Nothing Outside His Will
When Jews Commit Blood Libel
by Ram ben Ze'ev When Jews Commit Blood Libel It is one of the most infamous lies in human history—one that echoes with the blood of the innocent and the cries of the falsely accused. The term blood libel refers to the grotesque accusation that Jews murder non-Jewish children to use their blood in religious rituals. This slander, born in Christian Europe during the 12th century, became a tool of mass hatred, inciting pogroms, public executions, and expulsions across the continent. From...
The Fire That Should Never Burn: A Plea for Halakhic Burial
by Ram ben Ze'ev The Fire That Should Never Burn: A Plea for Halakhic Burial An alarming statistic has emerged in recent years—50% of American Jews are cremated. Not just secular Jews, not just unaffiliated Jews. Jews. Our brothers and sisters, each created in the image of G-D, choosing a path that is not only foreign to our tradition but in direct violation of Halakhah (הלכה, Jewish law). Cremation is not a modern innovation. It is an ancient practice rooted in paganism and used by empires...
When Will We Finally Understand?
Banning Sharia: A Slippery Slope Toward Banning Halakha
The Halakhic Framework of Bishul Akum: Understanding the Prohibition and Its Permissible Boundaries
by Ram ben Ze'ev The Halakhic Framework of Bishul Akum: Understanding the Prohibition and Its Permissible Boundaries The Sages of Israel, in their unmatched wisdom, instituted many decrees to preserve the holiness of the Jewish nation and to prevent assimilation and spiritual decline. One such decree is the prohibition against eating food cooked by a non-Jew, known as בישול עכו"ם ( bishul akum – cooking by a non-Jew). This rabbinic restriction remains in force to this day and is observed by...
“As Though It Were Hidden”: The Abuse of Jeremiah 31:31 by the Agents of Idolatry
Marked or Remembered? A Jewish Teaching on Tattoos, Piercings, and Body Modification
How Public Talk of Terror Strengthens Our Enemies
by Ram ben Ze'ev How Public Talk of Terror Strengthens Our Enemies In times of terror and tragedy, good people often struggle to know how to respond. The natural instinct — particularly in an age of relentless media and instant communication — is to speak: to share, to bear witness, to denounce evil aloud. Yet in doing so, many unintentionally serve the very purposes of those who commit such heinous acts. This truth must be confronted, particularly by those who seek to live in accordance with...
Trading with Terror: The Price of Jewish Lives
by Ram ben Ze'ev Trading with Terror: The Price of Jewish Lives A proposed ceasefire agreement has been placed before the Israeli government and the Jewish people. Its details are by now widely known: a temporary cessation of hostilities, the release of 10 living Jewish hostages, the return of 18 bodies of murdered Jews being grotesquely held by Arab terrorists, and in exchange, the release of 125 Arab terrorists serving life sentences, and the release of 1,111 additional Arab prisoners...
Stop Calling It "The Holy Land" — It’s the Land of Israel
by Ram ben Ze'ev Stop Calling It "The Holy Land" — It’s the Land of Israel There is a subtle yet dangerous behaviour that many among the Nations have adopted—particularly a certain brand of Christianity—which must be called out without apology or hesitation. They refer to the Land of Israel as “The Holy Land.” On the surface, it sounds harmless—even reverent. But make no mistake: this phrase is not just inaccurate. It is part of a calculated attempt to confuse , dilute , and ultimately...
Justice Refined: The True Meaning of “An Eye for an Eye”
When Defending Israel Crosses a Line: A Torah View on Public Embarrassment
by Ram ben Ze'ev When Defending Israel Crosses a Line: A Torah View on Public Embarrassment In a recent episode of The Joe Rogan Experience , British author and political commentator Douglas Murray confronted comedian Dave Smith about his public criticisms of Israel. Murray, who has emerged as a staunch public defender of Israel — particularly following the atrocities of 7 October 2023 — pointedly noted that Smith had never even visited Israel, let alone the broader region. The tone and...
The Immutable Authority of Torah over Talmudic Law
Parashat Yitro
Parashat Bo
Parashat Chayye Sarah
G-D Isn't on Anyone's Side
Compassion Over Ridicule: Upholding Jewish Values in the Age of Social Media
The Art of Rebuke: Exploring the Halakhic Principle of Admonishing a Fellow Jew
by Ram ben Ze'ev The Art of Rebuke: Exploring the Halakhic Principle of Admonishing a Fellow Jew In Judaism, the principle of rebuke, or Tocheichah/Tochacha ( תוכיחוח ), holds significant weight. Rooted in the understanding that every individual is responsible for the welfare and spiritual growth of our Community, the concept of rebuke is both intricate and delicate. Guided by Halakhic principles, rebuke is not merely about pointing out faults or shortcomings in others; it's about fostering...
Parashat Yitro
Parashat Bo
Parashat Chayye Sarah
It is a Rule that Esau Hates Jacob
The Concerns Surrounding Reform Judaism: A Critical Examination
by Ram ben Ze'ev Reform Judaism, a progressive movement within Judaism, has been a subject of debate and controversy within the Jewish community. While popular with Jews, the Reform movement has undoubtedly attempted to introduce changes to Jewish practice and belief, which raise valid concerns and criticisms. As an Observant Jew, and Executive Director of Hebrew Synagogue , my goal here is to critically examine some of the key concerns surrounding Reform Judaism. One of the primary...
Preserving the Tanakh: Why Sefaria Shouldn't Rewrite Portions to Reflect Changes in English
Parashat Bo
Tsav
Did It Really Happen?
Shabbat Vayikra
Forced Conversions
Hebrew Synagogue Amends Religious Ruling on Mass COVID19 Vaccinations
Hebrew Synagogue Publishes Religious Ruling on Mass COVID19 Vaccinations
Women Rabbis, Again!
Why Another Fast?
Conversion
What Is an Omer?
The Rainbow and Halloween
Adam and Eve
Sucot and the World
What’s the Point of Fasting?
Repentance
Prayer in the Time of COVID-19
Judeo-Christian Divide
Exiled by Men Who 'Speak for G-D'
When Men Claim to Speak for G-D
A Merry Chri$tmas To Us All; G-D Bless Us, Every One!
Putting aside religion, as most followers of HeyZeus do each year for their holiday, it is worth pausing to examine the messaging behind this day devoted to idolatry, confusion, and deception.