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Healing in the Hereafter $39.00
Without question, our prize possessions are the children we raise, and it is they who remain our legacy after we depart from the world.
Traditionally, children pledge funds to tzedakah and perform other good deeds in the merit of their deceased parents and loved ones.
What are the legal and philosophical arguments in defense of the idea that the deceased may enjoy the merits accrued by the good deeds of others? What if the individual was less-than righteous? Can the tzedakah by community members benefit their soul as well? What makes Yom Kippur a most propitious day to pledge tzedakah for the deceased?
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The Kosher Diet – Healthy in Body and Soul [New!] $39.00
Food makes the world go around. But for the Jewish consumer there’s a whole other angle to consider: is the food Kosher?
To the discerning Jewish palate, the question also relates to the rationale behind the mitzva. Are there material or spiritual benefits to be had from its fulfillment or must it be carried out only because G-d has so ordained it?In stock
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Medical Intervention for Terrorists – To Treat or Not to Treat? [New!] $75.00
The sanctity and celebration of human life in Judaism can be said to be commensurate with the aspiration for death amongst our enemies.
The recent headlines reporting that some Israeli MDA first responders provide emergency medical care for injured terrorists, raises some serious ethical dilemmas.What is the Torah’s position?
A detailed exploration of these laws as they pertain to Bnei Noach and Gerei Toshav; the laws of Lo Sichanem, Rodef, Moser and more.
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Our World – Judaism and the Environment (Sources)
$75.00Original price was: $75.00.$25.00Current price is: $25.00.How would you rate your concern for the environment?
Are there Torah perspectives about respect for nature, plant life, wastefullness and the like that you should be aware of?
The following collections feature sources exploring each of the following Mitzvos, as well as insights into how these laws inform our personal lives:
A. Ba'al Tashchis – (17 pages)
Table of Contents Request this paperB. Shmittah – (50 pages)
Table of Contents Request this paperC. Cutting Fruit Trees – (44 pages)
Table of Contents Request this paperD. Orlah – (16 pages)
Table of Contents Request this paperE. Tza'ar Balei Chaim – (47 pages)
Table of Contents Request this paperF. Kilayim – (25 pages)
Table of Contents Request this paperIn stock
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The Sound of Shabbos: Voice-Activated Devices $39.00
Have you set up “Hey Siri!” on your iPhone yet? How about the Amazon Echo to obediently adjust your thermostat, turn on your lights and play your favorite music – all by the sound of your voice?
During the week this might be great, but what about on Shabbos? Do the laws proscribing creative activity extend to actions that result from our verbal expression? What if some technology was devised to act upon your thoughts?Related: “An Uplifting Shabbos” and “Motion-Triggered Sensors“
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Banning the Beans: How Kitniyos Became Off-Limits [New!] $75.00
Further restricting an already slimmed down Pesach diet is not something anybody would eagerly embrace. But the Jews of medieval Ashkenazic communities adopted the stringency of avoiding the consumption of legumes throughout the duration of Pesach. The question is, why? How was this ban treated for the centuries that have since passed? Was it adhered to equally in times of prosperity and adversity?
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When the Swine Will be Divine $39.00
Hog farming is a multi-billion dollar industry, yielding one of the worlds most popular meats. Yet this animal is also emblematic of all that Judaism regards as distasteful and non-Kosher.
A Jewish tradition describes the future return of this creature to the Kosher carte du jour in the Messianic era.
Can this be traced to traditional Torah sources, and if yes, what does it mean? How can this be reconciled with the immutability of the Torah?
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Feasts of Gratitude
$39.00Original price was: $39.00.$25.00Current price is: $25.00.G-d's benevolence is all around us. Every day we experience divine salvation whether we know it or not. But sometimes these events truly transcend the natural order for which we owe G-d an additional debt of gratitude.
What is the appropriate way to express thanks to G-d when experiencing deliverance from danger? Is it preferable to do so discreetly or is a public celebration in order? What is the basis for the common custom of inviting friends to participate in a Seudas Hoda'ah (feast of gratitude)?
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Gender Modification and Jewish Law (Sources) [New!]
$75.00Original price was: $75.00.$39.00Current price is: $39.00.“Man and woman He created them” (Bereishis 1:27).
Newborn babies arrive from the mint of the Creator assigned with a particular gender. But does this have to remain this way? What if people feel that they ought to belong to the opposite gender? What is the Torah perspective regarding availing oneself of modern techniques to align one’s physical features with one’s “gender identity”?Throughout history there have been medical anomalies which have not fit neatly into the standard definitions of male or female. This collection also documents some of those instances as addressed by the Torah authorities of their times.
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Do Lifestyles Have Alternatives? [New!]
$39.00Original price was: $39.00.$25.00Current price is: $25.00.Since the genesis of humanity, the family unit has comprised of a man and woman – the formula for procreation. There are, however, some who struggle with traditional orientations that depart from this standard.
Should this issue be cast as merely a matter of human rights? What may be a healthy balance between compassion and adherence to Jewish law?
A collection of responses and essays by contemporary Rabbinic voices.
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Visitor Information (Sources) $75.00
Emulating G-d’s example, we are encouraged to visit and tend to the sick. Our presence is assured by the Talmud as having the power to heal a portion of the patient’s suffering. Does Halacha provide guidelines for the visitor in the performance of this mitzva?
Prayer, too, is an integral part of this mitzvah. What particular prayers should be said for their recovery? What about assisting the individual in the recitation of prayers during their final moments?
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Extending an Olive Branch (Sources) $39.00
Having survived the Great Flood, Noach was comforted by the sight of the dove clutching an olive leaf, the proverbial sign of peace.
What is unique about the olive leaf? What was the message it conveyed to Noach? What relevant lesson can be gleaned from this incident?
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סוד עניית אמן. פרק א $39.00
אמן. מילה קטנה הטומנת בתוכה אוצרות גדולות. המילה שהפכה לביטוי עמקי האמונה, בכוחה להמשיך ברכות וכוחות עצומים. מהו אפוא סודה של עניית אמן? האיך אמור האדם להתחבר אליה במדה מלאה? סקירה מקיפה לאור גנזי הקבלה והחסידות (חלק א).
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Is Aliyah for Everyone? (Sources)
$39.00Original price was: $39.00.$25.00Current price is: $25.00.Eretz Yisroel is distinguished as “The Land G-d, your G-d, watches over; The eyes of G-d, your G-d, are always upon it, from the beginning of the year to the end of the year” (Devarim 11:12).
Settling the land of Israel is regarded by some authorities as a personal imperative, while others point to its intense holiness as a reason for caution.
An assortment of articles and letters.
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Calculated Moves
$75.00Original price was: $75.00.$25.00Current price is: $25.00.As a complex, strategic game known to improve memory and cognitive abilities, the Jewish attitude to Chess is an intriguing one. Were Torah scholars in favor of this pastime? Are there halachic issues to be aware when playing this game?
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Made in the Twilight Zone $75.00
“If not for the last minute, nothing would get done.”
The Mishna (Avot 5:6) lists a number of unique items created on that first Friday during Bein Ha-Shmashos (the twilight hour between shkia and tzeis hakochavim).
If our Shabbos observance — characterized by abstaining from creative labor — is to be a reflection of Hashem’s abstention from creation, why must we not engage in creative labor during Bein Ha-Shmashos?
Some fascinating perspectives culled from the Midrash, Kabalah and Chassidus.
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