The Population Question
The Malthusian theory of overpopulation is a popular doomsday prediction. Thomas Malthus (1766 -1834) proposed that population increases due to improved standards of living would lead to…
The Question of Tattoos
Where once they were demarcations of sailors, soldiers and convicts, tattoos have become a common form of self-expression in Western society. Tattoos are no longer limited to biceps, but…
The Giving Of The Get
Just as a Jewish marriage requires a ketubah (marriage contract), so too a Jewish divorce requires a get (bill of divorce). The ketubah is a contractual agreement in which the groom…
Can the Theory of Evolution and God Co-Exist?
On this “Darwin Day,” commemorating the birth of Charles Darwin on February 12, 1809, we address the issue of Darwin’s own belief in God, given his authorship of the famed Theory of…
Those Who Can…Teach And Do
Among the many wise statements recorded in Pirkei Avot/Ethics of the Fathers is the following from Rabbi Ishmael the son of Yochanan: “He who learns in order to teach will be enabled both…
Get Out And Vote
Whatever your political viewpoint, participating in elections is a means of demonstrating gratitude to the country for the freedoms we enjoy.
Can You Spare A Lung
Postmortem organ donations seem like a thoroughly altruistic act. However, from a Jewish perspective, there are certain other issues that must be taken into consideration: 1) Is the…
Can There Be Too Much Joy?
The Talmud (Mo’ed Katan 8b) rules that we may not get married during the intermediate days of a festival. The Talmud offers two reasons for the prohibition. First, because we do not mix…
Torah, To What Can I Compare Thee?
Various biblical verses and rabbinic texts often compare the Torah to different natural resources, in order to teach us about the greatness of the Torah in terms that can be more readily…