Halacha

Guarding our health is an act of Jewish responsibility - opinion

Neglecting the body is not an expression of faith. Exercise, proper rest, and healthy habits are part of the Jewish obligation to protect the life entrusted to us.

THOUSANDS OF RUNNERS take part in the Tel Aviv Night Run, Oct. 2025.
Ultra-Orthodox Jewish men from the Vizhnitz Hasidic dynasty study Torah outside the Justice Ministry in Jerusalem during a silent protest against the imprisonment of yeshiva students who failed to comply with military recruitment orders, July 1, 2026; Illustrative.

Basic Law: Debasing Torah - opinion

 Second Temple Model

Beyond mourning: Rebuilding the Temple starts with rebuilding Israeli society - opinion

Sephardi Chief Rabbi David Yosef, December 28, 2025; illustrative.

Rights org. files complaint after Sephardi Chief Rabbi Yosef shames women for private mikveh use


Israeli rabbis are issuing guidance about how to adjust Jewish law during wartime

The opinions are almost all rooted in the core Jewish idea that pikuach nefesh, or the preservation of life, overrides nearly every other religious law.

 Head Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef seen with Chief Rabbi of Tzfat Shmuel Eliyahu at an inauguration ceremony for a new women's mikve, in the Northern Israeli town of Tzfat.

Rabbinate releases instructions for keeping Shabbat during wartime

Some laws can be altered or followed differently due to the principle of "pikuach nefesh," asving a person's life.

 ASHKENAZI CHIEF Rabbi David Lau (left) and Sephardi Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef: The silence of our two chief rabbis is thunderously indicative of the abject state of these once meaningful and relevant positions, the writer argues.

American Jewish author Dara Horn trains her robot to shake a lulav

The fun little video made the rounds on X (formerly Twitter), and it points to what will only get more relevant as a question for religious authorities to resolve.

 Yada Labs Artificial Intelligence called Desdemona, with a robotic body, stands on a stage and answers questions of visitors during the opening day of the international consumer technology fair IFA in Berlin, Germany September 1, 2023.

Do people with dementia have to follow Jewish law?

We see how Halacha seeks to keep people with dementia in the world of mitzvot for as long as possible, while always doing everything to protect their physical well-being.

 ONE SHOULD not hand a little child a cheeseburger.

Ukraine-Russia War: A halachic perspective on conflict and peace - opinion

As Jewish individuals, we have a responsibility to advocate for non-violence and support to those affected by the conflict in Ukraine.

 A BUILDING damaged in Donetsk region, Ukraine.

Conservative rabbis endorse use of electric cars on Shabbat, but divisions over driving remain

The rise of the electric car offers a widely accessible way to drive without creating fire. Concerns about driving too far or needing repairs still apply.

A Tesla logo on a Model S is photographed inside of a Tesla dealership in New York, US, April 29, 2016.

Alexa and Halacha - opinion

Proud Sabbath observers who possess Alexa are not required to switch her off on Shabbat. What is halachicly forbidden, of course, is to use Alexa intentionally on Shabbat.

 PROMPTS ON how to use the Alexa personal assistant are seen in an Amazon ‘experience center’ in California.

Is quality of life a Jewish concept?

Judaism certainly places a premium on preserving life and usually calls upon us to do everything to save a life. Nonetheless, as Kohelet proclaims, “There is a time for death.”

 ‘TO PROLONG life is a mitzvah, to prolong dying is not.’ (Illustrative)

France gets its first Orthodox woman rabbi

Out of France's tradition of traditional, Orthodox Judaism, is emerging an invigorated movement of women who are looking to serve as rabbis for the Orthodox community.

Female rabbi being ordained (illustration)

'Values in Halakhah': Lichtenstein's views on humanism in Jewish law - review

The central thesis of the book – supported by careful text analysis – is that Halacha itself reflects and promotes many humanistic values. 

 RABBI AHARON LICHTENSTEIN in 2008.