32
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
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 ...
20
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 ...
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 ...
answered Dec 28 '12 at 19:49
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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 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 ...
15
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 ...
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 ...
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
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
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
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
Great question!
This can be understood Cabalistically based on the idea that the soul of the deceased transmigrates into the new child. As such the soul of Machlon has passed into this child so that in a manner of speaking this is a child to Naomi. (cf. Likuetei Moharan 21:6)
Furthermore note that during the discussion between Rus and Naomi about visiting ...
9
There is a custom in Ashkenazic communities to have a married couple act as kvatter for newborn sons during the bris. It is their role to carry the boy from the mother to the father before the circumcision takes place. While the term may be a corruption of the German "godfather", I am not aware of any specific responsibility conferred after their role is ...
9
A couple of other pertinent sources not cited here:
- The Chida (Yosef Ometz 85) allows the MOTHER of the child to be a sandeket;
- The Ben Ish Hai (Rav Peilim Helek 4, Sod Yesharim, 11) notes that the Zohar equates being a sandak with the bringing of the ketoret - a job reserved for men – such that, "l'hathila", a man should be the Sandak, but implying ...
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 ...
9
The Rambam writes that it is considered cruel to repeatedly refuse to forgive someone who asks sincerely for forgiveness. Under normal circumstances if they ask once, twice and then a third time you must forgive them, or else you become the one in the wrong. They however do need to appease the wronged party and make amends as far as possible, such as ...
9
From http://www.shemayisrael.com/parsha/alport/archives/matos67.htm
ונבח הלך וילכד את קנת ואת בנתיה ויקרא לה נבח בשמו 32:41-42
Rav Aizik Ausband was once faced with a dilemma. His father-in-law,
Rav Avrohom Yitzchok Bloch Hy”d, was one of the leaders of the Telz
yeshiva who was tragically murdered in the Holocaust. Rav Ausband’s
wife was ...
9
Megilla 13b says that Ester would "rise from the bosom of Achashverosh and immerse herself and sit in the bosom of Mordechai". Tosfos Harosh asks how this was permitted due to the law of "havchana" (the requirement for a women to abstain from relations for three months between husbands to identify the father), and explains that she utilized anti-...
9
Alshich explains that Yisro was worried: Perhaps Moshe would not be interested in a Midyanite woman and would rather marry a Jewess. He therefore emphasized that he brought "her two sons" with him (and not "his two sons"), since a man comes to like his wife because of the children she bears him, and this would persuade Moshe to remarry Tziporah. (See also ...
9
"What is the best way to explain the concept of tzniut to a very young (say first grade) girl without explaining sexuality?"
The same way you would explain the concept to anybody else: without explaining sexuality.
To quote the esteemed R' Alex:
This would have to begin with Micah 6:8: והצנע לכת עם א-להיך, "be tzanua in walking with your G-d" (this is ...
9
Pischei Teshuva Y.D. 116:6 quotes Adnei Paz as permitting it, but then quotes the Adnei Paz's corrigenda as indicating that it should not be done for reasons of Ein HaRah (if both are alive) or inheriting a bad Mazal (if one has passed away).
That latter view seems to be predominant in practice (see e.g.).
8
It is superstition, which Jewish women likely absorbed from the surrounding culture. I wrote in another answer about upsherin and the Pennsylvania Germans / Dutch, where the Pennsylvania Germans are continuing an old superstition from Europe (and where upsherin is explicitly not practiced by Tannaim/Amoraim).
Similarly, R' Menasheh Klein's endorsement of ...
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