Boundary Stones and Unfair Competition in Jewish Law
In parshat Shoftim in the book of Deuteronomy, the Torah teaches that, “You shall not move your fellow’s landmarks, set up by previous generations, in the property that will be allotted…
Two Pillars of Five
Jewish law, and thus Jewish life, rests on two pillars, the mitzvot between a person and God and the mitzvot between one person and another. These two pillars of law are laid out in the…
Don’t Wake Them
If you have ever had a noisy neighbor or lived next door to a construction site, then you know how frustrating it can be to lose sleep because of someone else’s actions. In order to…
Two Pillars of Five
Jewish law, and thus Jewish life, rests on two pillars, the mitzvot between a person and God and the mitzvot between one person and another. These two pillars of law are laid out in the…
No Nicknames
Did you have a nickname growing up? Did you use it, or was it a name reserved for use by your closest friends or just family? It is fascinating to note that Jewish law frowns upon…
Two Pillars of Five
Jewish law, and thus Jewish life, rests on two pillars, the mitzvot between a person and God and the mitzvot between one person and another. These two pillars of law are laid out in the…
How to Lend a Cup of Sugar
A cup of sugar, a couple of eggs or a few onions. These are the types of items that neighbors often lend to one another without a second thought. As a good neighbor, a borrower will often…
I Got Worries
“Our Rabbis taught: Seven things are hidden from men... the day of death, and the day of comfort, the depth [extent] of judgment; and man does not know what is in his neighbor's heart;…
The Best Defense
The Mishna, as quoted in Sanhedrin 73a, says: “The following must be saved [from sinning] even at the cost of their lives: he who pursues his neighbor in order to slay him...” In other…
Two Pillars of Five
Jewish law, and thus Jewish life, rests on two pillars, the mitzvot between a person and God and the mitzvot between one person and another. These two pillars of law are laid out in the…