Vaeira 5779 The Higher Perspective of the Mitzva of V’chai Bahem – ‘And you shall live by them’. (Danger to life overrides all of the sins in the Torah) ‘The river shall swarm with frogs, and they shall ascend and...
Yom Kippur 5780
Rabbi Yossi SprungAre Bandages or Hair Implants a Chatzitza for Tefillin?
Tetzaveh 5779 “You shall place the Mitznefes on his head and put the crown of sanctity upon the Mitznefes” (Shemos 29:6) One of the common sha’alos in Hilchos Tefillin is: if a person has a bandage on his head (due to a...
To Give is To Receive
Trumah 5779 ‘Speak to the Children of Israel and let them take for me a portion; from every man whose heart motivates him you shall take my portion.’ ...
Kidney Donation & Bal Tashchis
Shoftim 5779 “When you besiege a city for many days to wage war against it to seize it, do not destroy its trees by swinging an axe against them, for from it you will eat, and you shall not cut it down.” (Devarim 20:19...
Where Does the Glycerin Come From?
Shmini 5779 “To distinguish between the impure and the pure, and between the creature that may be eaten and the creature that may not be eaten” (Vayikra 11:47) Glycerin is a very common ingredient in the modern food and...
Are Patient Rounds Bikur Cholim?
Reeh 5779 “You shall follow Hashem your God and you shall fear Him…” (Devarim 13:5) The Gemara (Sotah 14a) derives from the words “You shall follow Hashem” that a person should endeavor to emulate Hashem’s Midos...
Food Allergies, Celiac Disease and Mishloach Manos
Tzav – Purim 5779 “To observe them as days of feasting and gladness, and sending portions to one another, and gifts to the poor.” (Esther 9:22) “What are the obligations of this meal (the Seudas Purim)? A person...
Pikuach Nefesh vs. Shmiras haMitzvos
Pinchas “Therefore say: Behold, I give him My covenant of peace. And it shall be for him and his offspring after him a covenant of eternal priesthood, because he took vengeance for his G-d, and he atoned for the...
The Quickest Seder: A Guide for Medical Professionals and Patients
Pesach 5779 Paragraph If a doctor or other medical staff is on duty in a hospital on Seder night, it is important to know how to conduct an abridged Seder in order to fulfill the special Mitzvos of the night properly. A...
Hashem’s Decree & PGD
Pekudei 5779 Paragraph Parents at high-risk of transmitting genetic disease to their offspring can ensure the birth of healthy babies through Pre-Implantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD). PGD enables the genetic diagnosis...
