31
According to R' Dr. David Shabtai, in a 2013 Times of Israel blog post, there is no such source:
The religious exemption exists to protect people whose religion forbids vaccination, to allow religious practice without governmental intervention. The basis for this exemption is to protect people whose religion prohibits vaccinations.
This is not true ...
21
There are two ways to be(come) Jewish: have a Jewish birth mother, or convert. It is possible that your adoptive parents had you converted when they adopted you, and that would be something to investigate. (Depending on who did the conversion and how, some in the community might not accept it as valid. You will probably want to obtain a copy of the ...
21
Yes (Yevamos 78a, Bechoros 46a), the child is completely Jewish. However, slightly different Halachos may be applied in some cases. (For example, whether the child can marry a Kohen.)
There is also a dispute over whether the fetus is considered a part of its mother or not, and therefore, whether the child was born Jewish, or is considered to have converted ...
18
Yes. See Igros Moshe YD 2:130, and importantly the Rambam Mamrim 5:11 where he writes:
הגר אסור לקלל אביו העכו"ם ולהכותו. ולא יבזהו כדי שלא יאמרו באו מקדושה חמורה לקדושה קלה שהרי זה מבזה אביו. אלא נוהג בו מקצת כבוד.
A convert is prohibited from cursing his non-Jewish father or hitting him. And he shouldn't disgrace him, so that people shouldn'...
18
That reminds me of the anecdote from Rabbi Emanuel Feldman's book, Tales Out of Shul. A woman once told him, "Rabbi, I'm really not enjoying this week of mourning."
Not everything in life (or Judaism) has to be enjoyable. Nor is it meant to be. At least not in the immediate gratification, self-centered sense of the word. Sometimes your enjoyment should not ...
17
Talmud Sukkah 53A:
חסידים ואנשי מעשה כו': ת"ר יש מהן אומרים אשרי ילדותנו שלא ביישה את זקנותנו אלו חסידים ואנשי מעשה ויש מהן אומרים אשרי זקנותנו שכפרה את ילדותנו אלו בעלי תשובה אלו ואלו אומרים אשרי מי שלא חטא ומי שחטא ישוב וימחול לו
The mishna continues: The pious and the men of action would dance before the people who attended the celebration. The ...
16
Human breastmilk is 100% kosher once it has left the woman's body (Shulchan Aruch YD 81:7). Furthermore, it is pareve, but shouldn't be cooked with meat to avoid issues of Marat Ayin (ibid. 87:4).
15
The oldest source I could find is the Likutei MaHarich - (c. 1900). I recall hearing that the custom started, since the Halacha is that if the lady forgot to light one week she has to add a candle in future weeks, often when a lady gave birth they were busy and forgot. (Childbirth was not as easy years ago). Due to this they added a candle and today it has ...
15
The Rama (EH 1:3) writes that nowadays we are not accustomed to force people to get divorced over this issue. The Bet Shemuel (1:7) there adds that in such a case the husband may divorce his wife against her will if he chooses to, without worrying about the Cherem of Rabbeinu Gershom.
15
Gitin 57b says that the grandchildren of Sisra taught children in Yerushalayim. Rabbi Tzadok HaCohen in Poked Ikrim - Os 5 - page 36 - line 3 - second columm says that this Gemara, according to the teachings of הרמ"ע is talking about grandchildren that came from the relations Yael had with Sisra. I do not know whether she had a son or daughter nor whether ...
14
Teach the difference from the very beginning.
Even if they don't really understand the difference between saying that a story is written in the Torah, or is from a Midrash/Gemara/Rashi but doesn't appear in the Torah, you wont damage them by inserting a little comment right before/after a story giving its source. Kids are smart - they will hear what you ...
14
Josh, welcome to the site. In answer to your question, a distinction needs to be made between normative Halachic practice (aka Jewish law) and streams of Judaism that do not consider Halachah as binding (like Reform Judaism).
I am not an expert in Reform conversion or synagogue standards, but my understanding is that the Reform community will welcome you as ...
14
The Taz in YD 289 sk 3 is medayek (derives from a careful reading) that both the Rama and the Mechaber rule like the Rambam that if the mezuzah is placed below the upper third it is invalid even bediavad (after the fact). No one seems to mention any distinction based on the height of the room's occupants be they children or adults and it doesn't seem there ...
14
While Jewish law applies patrilineal descent to other nations (Yevamos 78b), Nachmanides writes that matrilineal descent applied to the Jewish people from the time of Avraham and onwards (Commentary to Vayikra 24:10). This is justified by the existence of some degree of Israelite nationhood from the time of the Patriarchs, which is suggested by the Talmud's ...
14
Basically, we don't have the power to declare someone categorically exempt. Abudraham suggested one explanation, but our system of laws categorically says "all men are obligated", "all women are not."
If a person is truly in a situation beyond their control, halacha recognize that. If it's five minutes before sunset and a single dad who hasn't yet prayed ...
14
What happened happened and the Torah approach is not to dwell on it, but rather focus on improving going forward. Regarding sins from the past, the Rambam writes (Hilchot Teshuva 1:3)
Teshuvah [repentance] atones for all sins. Even a person who was wicked his whole
life and repented in his final moments will not be reminded of any
aspect of his ...
13
Only three of his children are named in Tanach: his successor Rechavam, and two daughters named Tafath and Basemath, who married two of Shlomo's officials (I Kings 4:11,15).
R. Chaim Dov Rabinowitz (Daas Soferim) comments that it seems likely that Shlomo had 100 children or less (which would of course mean that most of his wives were childless), since in ...
13
When teaching Kodesh at Yeshivas Toras Emes (High School) in Johannesburg almost 30 years ago, the Menahel HaRav Gedalia Sternstein שליט"א told me that the Rov - Rabbi Salzer זצ"ל - told him that it's best if the students learn about these things from the Gemora - BiKedusha uVeTaharo.
As relevant topics came up, we were to explain them is as much detail as ...
12
" my 4-year-old has offhandedly pointed out that "God's not real," or "not a real person.""
In response to this exact line of conversation I would suggest the following.
Admit to the child that based on how they understand "real", or how you have taught "real" to them in the past, they are correct.
Explain to the child that some things are real even if ...
12
In "What's in a Name", the English translation of Zusha Wilhelm's sefer "Ziv HaShemot", the following is stated (Hebrew version with footnotes here):
1) Some say that one may name a male child after a female. (See Bris Avos 8:37; See also Koreis HaBris, Posach Eliyahu, note 8; See Kuntres HaShemos (revised edition), Vol 7, p. 10; See Sefer HaBris, p. 313; ...
12
Aruch Hashulchan 1:17:
Even if he has a son and daughter from an unmarried woman whom he did not marry with chupa and kidushin…, nonetheless he has fulfilled the command of p'ru urvu… for, after all, they are his offspring and fit to have children.
11
I'm not so sure it's as straightforward as follick said. True that Christianity is avodah zarah for us Jews; true also that it is, according to some posekim, also the same for non-Jews. Nevertheless, one of the major leniencies in this regard (alluded to by Shalom in his answer to the related question) is that most non-Jews nowadays aren't אדוק באמונתם, so "...
11
The current answers don't address the question in detail. So here goes:
What is the source and reason for this?
The source is the Mishna in Yevamos 64a and the subsequent discussion in the Talmud there. The reason is that the man is commanded to have children, and after 10 years with no pregnancy, he needs to do something else to fulfill the Mitzvah. It ...
11
He is reciting Numbers 6:24-26 (he only gets through half of the last verse in that clip):
The LORD bless thee, and keep thee;
The LORD make His face to shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee;
The LORD lift up His countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.
This is known as the Priestly Blessing and it is sometimes used when parents bless ...
11
The Rema in Even Ha'Ezer 1:6 writes that one fulfills the mitzvah of p'ru u'revu with a child who is a mamzer, which by definition is out of wedlock:
היה הבן ממזר... קים המצוה
If the child is a mamzer, he fulfills the mitzvah.
Minchas Chinuch Mitzvah #1 explains that it is not a mitzvah haba b'aveira using the idea of the Shaar HaMelech Hilchos ...
10
There is a famous story about Rabbi Yaakov Kaminetzky, told in the book, Reb Yaakov, by Yonason Rosenblum, pp.326-327.
Reb Yaakov was particularly attuned to the dangers of exposing children to any kind of falsehood. He once visited the kindergarten of his son Binyamin's yeshiva and noticed that the mezuzah had been placed lower on the doorpost than ...
10
The Lubavitcher Rebbe says (in a long speech about "Family Planning") that
One of the strongest objections is fear of financial inability to support children. Naturally, parents want the best for their children, and fear of being unable to provide adequately is a powerful deterrent to having them. This is a genuine concern -- but based on an assumption ...
10
The Tur indicates that a number of these apply to the woman (EH 25):
Nidah - The woman would at least share responsibility.
Shichrus - This applies if either spouse is intoxicated.
Chatzufa - This applies specifically to a woman who verbally propositions her husband in an explicit manner.
The Aruch HaShulchan (EH 25:9) mentions that m'riva refers to a ...
10
Being "Raised Jewish" in this context means that, to the degree that there is any religious experience in the home, it is of Jewish origin. So if they go to a house of worship, it will be a synagogue. If they do something of a religious commemoration in the month of December, it will be Chanuka, and most significantly if the child asks what religion they are,...
9
I was at the bar mitzvah of the adopted son of Rabbi Yitzchok Breitowitz, shlita. At the bar mitzvah, the rabbi explained that his son had been converted conditionally as a small child by putting him in a mikvah and by the parents committing themselves to raise him as a Jew. But since the child cannot yet speak for himself (until he reaches 13 -- or 12 for ...
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