In Splitting Hairs, Rabbi Michael J. Broyde delves into the intricate history and nuanced legal discussions surrounding the Jewish laws of modesty, with a particular focus on the practice of women’s hair covering. Through a meticulous examination of sources spanning nearly 3,000 years—from the Bible, Talmud, and medieval commentaries to modern responsa—Broyde challenges the commonly held views within the Orthodox Jewish community, arguing that many of the traditional norms around ...

The book of Numbers is more than an ancient chronicle--it is a profound exploration of leadership, justice, and the interplay between faith and freedom. While many wrestle with its depiction of an angry God, this fresh perspective reveals its ongoing relevance, especially for secular Americans. Numbers offers profound insights into the foundations of democracy, illustrating that true governance is rooted in process and procedure rather than outcomes. Witness Moses's pivotal shift from rule...

How does one navigate living religiously in a secular world? Where life is governed not just by the laws of faith, but by the laws of the state as well, what does "doing the right thing" actually mean? When people think about the interplay between religious and secular law, certain meta-issues arise, such as, how does one weigh what is legal (which secular law demands) versus what is right (that is, the moral code which religion expects its followers to adhere to)? Such questions inevitabl...

It would seem that we have taken on an impossible task in this book: trying to demonstrate to modern Americans, be they secular or religious, Jews or Christians, that the sacrificial rites found in Leviticus have any germaneness to their lives. After all, to the extent that any modern reader turns to the pages of Leviticus at all, the notion that they would be inspired by the text and pine for the restoration of animal sacrifices is ludicrous! However, Leviticus is more than laws of sacrif...

God's charge to the Jewish people at Sinai was to be "a kingdom of priests and a holy nation." Nowhere is freedom found in this exhortation, even though the Jews had been freed from slavery only seven weeks prior. That is because the Jews were not liberated merely to become a free people. God wanted them and expected them to evolve into a nation committed to creating a law-abiding society. From this perspective, freedom is just a necessary precondition to achieving this. America's founders...

In the #MeToo times in which we live, there are few hard and fast rules that govern personal encounters and sexual liaisons. Consent, so long as it is neither coerced nor forced, dictates all. Astute students of the Bible will see this aspect of our current social milieu reflected in the book of Genesis. Genesis is not a book about laws. There are no "thou shall" or "thou shall not" commandments given over by God to humanity. Instead, its narrative depicts the cultures of its time as opera...

Jewish Law and International Law offers a timely exploration of the intricate relationship between Jewish law (or halakhah) and international legal systems. In an era marked by rising antisemitism and increasing tensions between the Israel and the international community, the book offers a deeper understanding of Jewish law's contributions to the broader legal landscape. Offering relevant analysis and a forward-looking approach, Jewish Law and International Law i...

At first glance, Orthodox Judaism is not compatible with the prevailing world view of equal treatment for all people, regardless of their race, gender or religion. But modern Orthodox Jews share the sense that egalitarianism is a positive moral value, so they cannot simply dismiss this contemporary ethos as incompatible with their faith. In a range of ways and variety of perspectives from the leading Orthodox scholars in the field, this collection of essays explores the affinities and disa...

This book explores the rise of private arbitration in religious and other values-oriented communities, and it argues that secular societies should use secular legal frameworks to facilitate, enforce, and also regulate religious arbitration. It covers the history of religious arbitration; the kinds of faith-based dispute resolution models currently in use; how the law should perceive them; and what the role of religious arbitration in the United States and the western world should be. Part ...

Marriage, Sex and Family in Judaism explores Jewish marriage from historical and contemporary perspectives, focusing on the religious and legal concepts of marriage, and the social impact of family in the Jewish community. The book does not advocate one perspective or another; instead, the essays range from conservative to liberal viewpoints, offering readers a well-balanced mixture of perspectives on Jewish marriage.

Why was Abraham ordered to sacrifice his son? Was Jacob right in stealing the blessings? Why were we commanded to destroy Amalek? What was Moses’ sin in hitting the rock? And how did the Ten Commandments change the Jewish people, and humankind, for good?Essays on Ethics is the second companion volume to Rabbi Jonathan Sacks’s celebrated series Covenant & Conversation. Believing the Hebrew Bible to be the ultimate blueprint for Western morality, Rabbi Sacks embarks upon an ethical e...

It was the center of learning, commerce, wealth, and religion. Devoted to materialism, extravagance, luxury, and the pursuit of sensual pleasure, it was a privileged society. But, there was also injustice, poverty, and oppression. It was the great and ancient Babylon—the center of the universe.And now we find Babylon redux today in Western society. Consumer capitalism, a never-ending cycle of working and buying, a sea of choices produced with little regard to life or resources, soc...