By Dayan David Grossman, Rosh Bet HaVaad It is now barely a month since Hurricane Florence wreaked havoc on the Carolinas, with the memories still fresh of Hurricane Sandy that inflicted extensive damage to countless Jews on the East Coast with heavy flooding in some areas, and lengthy power disruptions in other places. For homeowners, damage from the hurricane meant serious … [Read more...]
The Immigration Ban
Banning Refugees for Fear of Terrorism in the Eyes of Halacha By Dayan Shlomo Cohen / Badatz Ahavat Shalom, Yerushalayim The war in Syria and uprisings in other parts of the world have uprooted hundreds of thousands of families from their homes. Many of these refugees would face certain death if they were to stay in their countries. Countries all over the world are willing … [Read more...]
Train Wreck
Who is Liable for the Maintenance of Safety Standards? Adapted by Rabbi Ariel Ovadia This past week, a passenger train in Brooklyn, New York ran into a bumper block at the Atlantic station at the speed of 10 to 15 miles per hour. The train overrode the buffers and crashed into a room in the station building. A total of 103 people were injured; 31 of them were taken to the … [Read more...]
PATERNITY AND DNA TESTS IN HALACHA
Are paternity, DNA and other tests admissible in Bet Din? By Rav Yaakov Rappaport Forensic experts, law enforcement and justice departments worldwide employ various methods to determine whether a person is telling the truth or not. Blood tests, DNA tests and polygraphs are all admissible in court. In this article, we will examine the attitude of Halacha towards such … [Read more...]
The Eviction of Ammona
Kicking settlers out of their homes in the eyes of Halacha By Dayan Shlomo Cohen, Badatz Ahavat Shalom, Yerushalayim The Jewish settlers of Ammona in the West bank were shocked by the recent ruling of the Israeli Supreme Court that they are to be evicted by the 25th of December. The settlement was founded many years ago by the Israeli government and the settlers were … [Read more...]