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Tempering the Union $39.00
What are the earliest sources in the Torah for the commandment, purpose and benefit of Taharas Hamishpacha and Mikvah?
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Thanking G-d for Goodness Part I $39.00
This broad analysis of Birchas HaGomel takes a modern focus: Does a domestic flight over water trigger this blessing? An international one over land? What about a missed flight that crashes? A look at the basic laws and rational behind Gomel lays the foundation to determine when and why the blessing is required. (See also Thanking G-d for Goodness Part II)
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Thanking G-d for Goodness Part II $39.00
What defines a “dangerous scenario” for which one must recite birkas hagomel? This paper addresses the questions and challenges introduced by air travel, and defines the types of illnesses and levels of recovery that require the gomel blessing.
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The Afterlife of the Righteous Gentile $39.00
Many religions restrict life and the reward in the afterworld only to followers of that religion. How do the Talmud and other classic rabbinic sources treat the question of whether gentiles can merit a portion in the World to Come?
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The Art of the Ark and Other Rules of Shul Kibudim $39.00
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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The Bima and Equal Opportunity $75.00
The aliyos to the Torah are given to men; But why? Do societal changes not play a role in determining issues of gender in Judaism? What is the meaning of Kevod haTzibur? Can a Tzibur forego its own consideration? When does the principle of Kevod haBriyos trump laws that are rabbinic in origin?
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The Bima in No Man’s Land $39.00
May the Bima be placed in front of the Aron? May it be placed between the men and women sections?
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The Brilliant Engineering of the Jewish Calendar $39.00
This research paper examines the internal workings of the Jewish calendar and provides solutions for some of its inconsistencies.
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The Chazzan’s Dilemma $39.00
The greatest cantorial pieces call for the
repetition of certain words. When is this allowed? What is the issue? And what
role, if any, does the Chazzan play in Chabad philosophy? -
The Clock Strikes Six $39.00
The winter Shabbos is an eccentric experience. The moment the last Kaddish finishes, a sudden urgency befalls the congregants: suddenly there’s a desperate need to be home, a manic dash to make it before that fated hour – and should you arrive just a minute too late, you have to wait until 7:00 for Kidush, or do you? What is the origin of this seemingly peculiar custom? Does everyone agree with it? Should one wait the hour, possibly compelling guests to hungrily watch the ticking clock till the magic moment arrives?
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The Congregational Prayer Service – Prayer Section III $75.00
Familiarize yourself with the background of the various components that comprise the davening. The repetition of the Amida, the appropriate direction for prayer, who is fit to lead the service, the procedures of Krias HaTorah and much more.
Part III in a Series
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The Contralateral Brain and Body $39.00
Is there any mystical significance to the fact that the brain is designed in a contralateral fashion, with the right side controlling the left and vice versa?
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The Covenants that Bind Us $39.00
There are many covenants between G-d and the Jewish people described in the Torah, such as the covenants with Avraham, before Matan Torah, before entering Eretz Israel, as well as many others. What is the significance of each covenant according to the traditional and mystical meanings?
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The Crucible of Life: On Challenges and Tests $39.00
Life is an endless gauntlet of tests and challenges. Judaism teaches us that G-d never gives us a challenge we can’t surmount, but the question remains: why? Why does G-d continuously test us? What purpose does it serve? Can we not succeed without them? And how can we learn to thrive in the face of challenge?
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The Devastation of Midyan: Justice or Genocide? $39.00
The final battle of Moshe’s lifetime is known as the war with Midyan. Moshe conveyed the divine instruction to take the lives of all the male Midyanite minors. Can this paradigm be reconciled with modern-day norms of war?
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The Drugs Debate $75.00
What does the Torah stand on narcotics and other illegal substances? Would halacha demand that government intervene and regulate its citizens’ drug use? Or perhaps it is better to legalize such things, allowing addicts to escape a life of crime and perhaps start on the path to recovery?
