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What Is Dat Moshe?
The concepts of Dat Moshe and Dat Yehudit are central to the discussion of tzniut and hair covering for Jewish women. Dat Moshe is commonly understood to mean Torah level obligation, while Dat Yehudit is understood as the binding custom of Jewish women. In this article, we will discover that Dat Moshe is a more…
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Why Can’t a Woman Be a Judge?
In 1993, Ruth Bader Ginsburg smashed two glass ceilings when she was appointed as an associate to the Supreme court of Justice of the United States. RBD, as she became known, broke two impressive ceilings, she was the first Jewish woman, and only the second woman, to serve as a Supreme court justice. Serving as…
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A Woman Spy: Where Halacha and Bravery Meet
In the recent war with Iran, it emerged that a French Jewish journalist turned Israeli spy, Catherine Peretz-Shakdam, completed missions for the Mossad under the guise of an Islamic conversion. Her espionage missions, vital for Operation Rising Lion, necessitated her marrying an Iranian Shiite husband. How far can a female Jewish spy go to save…
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Unpacking the Complex Concept of Minhag Hamakom
All of Am Yisrael were given the same Torah. However, when observing Jewish society, we see many distinct cultures and communities that seemingly have different practices – why is this? The answer to this, is that alongside our laws, throughout our centuries-long history, different practices in different communities have developed. The term used to describe…
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How Is Divorce Perceived in the Torah?
One thing that sets Judaism apart from many other religions and traditions is the centrality of marriage. There isn’t a notion that people who are married, raise children, and are concerned with creating a home are less focused on spirituality than those who live celibate lives. In fact, marriage is considered a holy union that…
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Explaining The Prohibition of Kol Isha
In Shir Hashirim, the allegorical love song between Hashem and His chosen people, Shlomo Hamelech praises the beauty of the woman’s voice: …Ki koleich arev – because your voice is sweet. It is from these words that the Gemara learns the dictum that kol b’isha ervah, a principle which often rings offensive to the modern…
