Here is an attempt at a prayer for the state of Israel, designed to meet both the arguments of those who believe a prayer must be said, and those who believe the current versions used are theologically unacceptable. I have uploaded an editable version for anyone who wants to improve, change, delete or add to their tastes. PDF Editable version …
On pronouncing Hebrew correctly
Every language has its own mixture of phonological, morphological, and syntactic features that, taken together, constitute its unique character and identity. For the most part, these features are of interest only to a small minority of professionals and geeks; the better part of mankind remains obliviously content, interested only in how to practically manipulate the language so as to generate and absorb meaning. This is as true of Hebrew as it is of any other language. There is, however, one …
עדים זוממים (iii): A response to Prof. Shamma Friedman
Around a year ago, I wrote an article (and a short follow up) arguing that the famous d'rasha of הרגו אין נהרגין, widely believed to be an unimpeachable teaching of Hazal, is, in fact, a דעת יחיד found only in one late, and highly dubious, source recorded in the Talmud Bavli and tacitly ignored by codifiers until the advent of a revolution in the way the Bavli was conceptualized, spearheaded by the scholars of France. I happened upon this analysis while working on one of my unfinished projects, …
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עדים זוממים (ii) The source of Rashi’s d’rasha
In a previous article, I discussed at some length the genesis of the claim that עדים זוממים can only be punished for an intermediate period between the moment when their perjury results in the conviction of their victim (גמר דין) and the actual execution of the sentence. If, so the claim goes, the unfortunate object of their false testimony has already been executed then they may not be punished. Guilty as sin, free as a bird, what a country! As I demonstrated there at length, the story of …
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עדים זוממים and publication bias
The mitzvah of עדים זוממים is both intuitive and logical. False witnesses who pervert the legal system for their own ends are punished in direct proportion to the intended effect of their actions. If their false testimony was liable to cause someone to incur a financial penalty, they get a financial penalty; if lashes, they get lashes; if the death penalty, it's curtains. However, there is one aspect of עדים זוממים that is not intuitive at all, to say the very least. Devarim 19:19 commands us …
Children and Bircat Cohanim: A case study in the halachic process
Can a child go up to the duchan? It's a simple question that merits a simple answer. Fortunately, Hazal gave us one (Mishnah Megillah 4:3): קָטָן קוֹרֵא בַּתּוֹרָה וּמְתַרְגֵּם, אֲבָל אֵינוֹ פּוֹרֵס עַל שְׁמַע, וְאֵינוֹ עוֹבֵר לִפְנֵי הַתֵּיבָה, וְאֵינוֹ נוֹשֵׂא אֶת כַּפָּיו. In as many words (or, to be precise, fewer), the Mishnah tells us that a child cannot perform Bircat Cohanim. The minimum age for a Cohen to participate therefore is 13 or, at the very least, is no less than 13. I add …
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