Eliezer Melamed

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Jul 26, 2014, 4:38 PM

Jewish war ethics

Prayer for Our Soldiers We are all praying for the success of our soldiers who are fighting bravely for the defense of our people and the cities of our God. The appropriate perek of Tehillim (Psalms) to be recited for...

Jul 20, 2014, 10:44 PM

The Logical Solution: Torah

Soul-Searching The days during the three weeks between the 17th of Tammuz and the 9th of Av are days of soul-searching, in which the Jewish nation is obliged to correct the sins that led to the churban (destruction). In view...

Jul 13, 2014, 2:28 PM

The Religion of Democracy and Arab Hatred

The Arab Public’s Hatred The Arab public is cynically and viciously exploiting the horrific murder of the Arab boy from Shu’afat. All the leaders of the Jewish community – from the President to the last Member of Knesset, from the...

Jul 6, 2014, 4:21 PM

Beautiful and Dignified in Distress

The Beautiful Families Even as the Yifrach, Fraenkel, and Sha’ar families sit shiva, I cannot avoid expressing my deep admiration of the noble way they conducted themselves. Like community leaders to whom all eyes are lifted, they stood humbly and...

Jun 30, 2014, 2:32 PM

How Many Children is Enough?

The General Mitzvoth In the last few months, I dealt with the importance of the mitzvoth of puru u’revu (‘be fruitful and multiply’) and marriage, and I will now clarify its criteria. First and foremost, it is important to know that...

Jun 22, 2014, 1:55 PM

On Hostages, Hitchhiking, and Evangelists

All of our hearts are with the families of the kidnapped boys – may God save them, and return them home safely. May it...

Jun 16, 2014, 2:29 PM

Prisoner Exchange in Jewish Law

"For the sake of the general welfare" The Sages of the Mishna teach: "Captives should not be ransomed for more than their value, for the sake of the general welfare." The enactment of such a law was necessary, lest kidnapping become a...

Jun 13, 2014, 4:11 PM

Have Patience, Time is on Our Side

Summer Camps Run by the Ministry of Education Q: Can we register our children for the summer camps run by the Ministry of Education after learning that Keren Yedidut (International Fellowship of Christians and Jews) is a partner in funding...

Jun 11, 2014, 1:07 PM

The Sin of the Spies

The Jewish Nation transgressed two dreadful sins in the wilderness – the sin of the Golden Calf, where they made the figure of a molten calf and bowed down to it, and the sin of the Spies, where they...

Jun 8, 2014, 3:25 PM

The Significance of Eating Meat

Following a recent column in which I dealt with the ethical question of eating meat, I received numerous and diverse replies. First, a short review of the main points: In the beginning, man was intended to eat vegetation and was...

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About Me

Rabbi Eliezer Melamed; The writer is Head of Yeshivat Har Bracha and a prolific author on Jewish Law, whose works include the series on Jewish law "Pininei Halacha" and a popular weekly column "Revivim" in the Besheva newspaper; His books "The Laws of Prayer" "The Laws of Passover" and "Nation, Land, Army" are presently being translated into English; Other articles by Rabbi Melamed can be viewed at: www.yhb.org.il/1