Topical Torah Essays and Weekly Parsha

Shavuos

Torah For The Acoustically Challenged

Oct 19th, 2010 | By

by Rabbi Yisrael Rutman As high-rise construction in New York City proceeds at frantic pace, so does the decibel-level. Not surprisingly, demand in the city for acoustic defense—insulated glass windows, acoustic wall panels (available in the form of wall art), sound-absorbing plaster systems, lead-lined sheet-rock and plywood, fiberglass-lined ducts—has all risen along with the new
[continue reading...]



Jumbo Shrimp & Other Oxymorons

Jul 18th, 2010 | By

by Rabbi Yisrael Rutman In an op-ed piece on the vexed issue of conversion in the May 26th edition of Haaretz, staff writer Shachar Ilan complained about rabbis who “instead of finding every way to make it easier [to convert], to bring people closer, to encourage, they scattered obstacles and fences, they dug ditches.” Ilan
[continue reading...]