Is there a Halahic mandate to guard private information? By: Rabbi Yosef Fund Public Interest vs. Privacy As the world of technology and personal computing evolves at breakneck speed, so do the issues surrounding its proper usage. One of the major issues currently under fire is the right to privacy. Following the December 2015 terrorist attack in San Bernardino, CA, which … [Read more...]
When a Driverless Car Crashes
Who is responsible for the damage wrought by Google’s Self Driving Car? By: Rabbi Yosef Fund Google Car Misses its Cue Over the past several years of testing, Google’s fleet of autonomous vehicles have been involved in a number of minor accidents, but up until now, all of them were caused by human driven vehicles running into Google’s machines. This changed in February … [Read more...]
Charge for the Cure
How much can a pharmaceutical company charge for medications? By Rabbi Ariel Ovadia Recently, lawmakers met on Capitol Hill to grill a highly unpopular CEO of the pharmaceutical firm Turing Inc. after the latter hiked the price of one of its drugs from $13 to a whopping $750. Outraged congressmen accused the executive of putting greed before human life by placing this vital … [Read more...]
Zika Virus Travel Advisory
May one travel to places with communicable diseases? By: Rabbi Yosef Fund The most recent outbreak of the Zika virus began in April 2015 in Brazil, and subsequently spread to other countries in South America, Central America, and the Caribbean. The virus has been linked to many cases of severe birth defects, including microcephaly and Guillain–Barré syndrome (GBS). … [Read more...]
A Mitzvah to Vote?
The Torah’s Take on Participating in the Political Process | By Rabbi Tzvi Haber As the United States political season reaches its apex, and races for office heat up on the national, state and local levels, politics are on many of our minds. What is the Torah view on voting specifically, and generally being an active participant in the political process? A Prosperous … [Read more...]