Adapted from a Shiur by Rav Yosef Greenwald Professional party politics, properly played. Thanksgiving opens the American “holiday season,” which culminates in New Year’s Day. For a Jew working in a non-Jewish office, this period often features events and practices that occasion Halachic quandaries. Chief among those are office holiday parties and gift exchanges. We … [Read more...]
Stepping on the Gas: Is it Permitted to Increase Supply to Drive Down Prices?
Rav Micha Cohn One of the many practical ramifications of sanctions in the middle east relates to the price of crude oil. This drop or increase is attributed to many factors: increased U.S. production of oil, lower demand from a slower China and Europe, manipulation of the oil market by traders, and rhetoric from Saudi Arabia that it is not going to cut output. Indeed, … [Read more...]
Hosting Postings: Is Facebook Responsible for Its Content?
Adapted from the writings of Rav Ariel Ovadia Is a facilitator liable for the actions of others? People of the ‘book In the past 30 days, 3 out of every 10 people on the planet—some 2,227,000,000 souls—accessed their Facebook accounts. This is a staggering fact. On November 27, at the inaugural hearing of the “International Grand Committee on … [Read more...]
Staying Safe and Secure
Are All Security Measures Permitted On Shabbos? The terrible tragedy that occurred in Pittsburgh left us all with a sense that we are not as safe as we’d like to be. Many people seek to increase the security of our public institutions. To this end, it is important to delve into the Halachot that relate to security measures on Shabbat. Firearms On Shabbat: The act of … [Read more...]
Fly-by-Night Operation: When a Plane Arrives on Shabbat
Highlights of a Shiur by Rav Daniel Dombroff A plane on the tarmac is a flight risk… El Al Flight 002 was scheduled to depart JFK for Tel Aviv on Thursday, November 15 at 6:30 pm. Long story short: It didn’t. As delays on the tarmac mounted, pushing the projected arrival time ever closer to Shabbat, Shomer Shabbat passengers asked that the plane be returned to the gate … [Read more...]