Motion Sensors on Shabbos (Sources)
$75.00
The popularity of Smart Sensors is on the rise. As more aspects of ordinary life are administered by electronic mechanisms, many practical questions are raised about how observant Jewish life is impacted by the new technology.
When the stairwell lights only turn on when sensing your presence, can you use them on Shabbos? What about the inadvertent motion that triggers a neighbors’ outdoor lights? Can you be present in a room that is monitored by closed-circuit surveillance cameras?
A summary and index of the major contemporary Poskim on this issue.
See also: “An Uplifting Shabbos” on the general issue of Electricity and Shabbos.
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Where should a mezuzah go? An analysis of the Chabad approach, where the mezuzah is placed on the doorpost opposite the hinges.
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In recent decades, thousands of Jews have gravitated to the East in pursuit of spiritual enlightenment. More recently, several Eastern Practices have been secularized, popularized, and repackaged as physical and meditative exercises. Does this make them kosher? Which practices are problematic and should be avoided? And what was the Rebbe’s response to the popularization of Yoga and Transcendental Meditation back in the '70s?
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Submitted by a Shliach in New York
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Many natural substances have psychoactive (mind-altering) properties that can significantly impact one’s mental state and affect one’s mood.
May an observant Jew avail himself of such stimulants? Is such recreation acceptable from a halachic standpoint, or does it contravene one’s Torah obligations? How would we judge actions taken while under the influence of drugs and alcohol?
See also: “The Drugs Debate” on the appropriate legislative attitude towards controlling the proliferation of potentially harmful substances.
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Machon Shmuel is proud to offer a collection of papers on a variety of topics relevant to Gimmel Tammuz.
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מקדמת דנא מסורת ההלכה היהודית לקבות את המת בקרקע דוקא. אלא שחדשים מקרוב באו למצוא סמך והיתר למנהג הגויים לשרוף את המת. מאמר תגובה ומסכם על חומרת איסור שריפת גוף המת. כי קבור תקברנו.
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Are there any scientific parallels to the Chassidic doctrine of Continuous Creation? Did either theory inspire the other? A deeper look at one of Chassidus’ defining beliefs.
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May a congregant given a kibud pass it on to someone else? Should the honor of opening the Aron Kodesh to return the Torah be given to the same person who took out the Torah? How to navigate the pulpit rabbi’s diplomatic minefield.
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Harmonizing two monumental works of the Rambam, in the teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe
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עם הנבחר מתייחד בתכונותיו של רחמנות וגמילות חסד. אלא שלפעמים מתווצר גם מצב הנותן משום לשאלה: האם אפשר לכוף את העשיר לנדב מהונו לצדקה? או שמא אינו תלוי אלא בנדיבות לב של כל אחד ואחד? על מצות הצדקה ותנאיה.
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Love is not bound by time. Even after a loved one passes on, they continue to live on in our hearts; we treasure the memories of the times we spent together and immortalize them through noble deeds.
But may we communicate with them after they’ve gone? The Torah (Devarim 18:11) instructs us to avoid all occult arts, such as sorcery, divination and necromancy. What are the details of these laws and what practical relevance do they have?
Related: Familial Bonds in the Hereafter and תפלה על קברי צדיקים
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Query from a Shliach in France
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May non-Jews participate in personal and communal performance of mitzvos? What must we be aware of when working with intermarried families? A look at how the people of the book share their birthright with the people of the world.
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