Medieval illuminated Haggadahs shed light on how the observance of the past was both similar to and different from the present. Taking this journey is an excellent way to review some of the laws and customs of Pesach.

The Old, the New, the Forgotten: Halachah and Minhag In Haggadah Art

Every so often we hear of someone who is blessed with a true windfall. In such instances, we often find multiple parties claiming a stake in the bonanza. How do we determine ownership when there are conflicting claims to life’s valued surprises?

Finders Keepers? Halachic Implications From Tzaraas In the Home

The Story of the Haggadah is synonymous with the story of the Jewish people. Observe how this most famous Jewish liturgical work has evolved in its appearance from one generation to the next. Yes, things do change, but they also stay the same.

Evolution of the Haggadah: A Pictorial History, from the Cairo Genizah, to the Medieval Art Workshop, to the Modern Printing Press

Continuing to explore whether there can ever be a time when mitzvos are suspended, and how this relates to the mysterious teaching that the pig will one day become kosher.

Is it appropriate for a Jew to eat kosher imitation bacon, crab, or shrimp? Is this undermining the spirit of Kashrus? Central to the contemporary discussion is a fascinating Talmudic passage about a conversation between Yalta and Rav Nachman, which deserves analysis and exploration. 

The Letter and Spirit of the Law vis-a-vis Imitation Products

There’s a well-known tradition that it will be permissible for Jews to consume the meat of a pig when Moshiach comes. What is the source for this teaching and what is its logic? Can there ever be a time when mitzvos are suspended? There are multiple approaches to these questions.

Kosher Pig? Analyzing a Mysterious Midrash (Part 1)

The Jews throughout the ages who employed art to depict the Purim story left us a legacy rife with messaging. Synagogue walls, biblical manuscripts, and medieval machzorim can teach us a lot about what Purim used to mean and what it can still mean today.

Purim Through the Lens of Historic Jewish Art

One of the most important commentaries on Megilas Esther was authored by Rabbi Shlomo Halevi Alkabetz (d. 1576), the famed author of Lecha Dodi. We explore eight memorable teachings from Manos Halevi and examine how they are cited and explained in Chabad sources.

Purim Class - The Manos Halevi by Rabbi Shlomo Alkabetz: Overview and Highlights

The Czarist regime forbade rabbinical courts from employing coercive measures and adopted policies to promote assimilation. This led to the censoring of Jewish texts, and a recent discovery has shown that this also affected the Alter Rebbe’s Shulchan Aruch.

Rabbinic Police Powers, Love and Hate, and Stern Censorship: Insights from Newly Discovered Passages of the Alter Rebbe’s Shulchan Aruch 

For centuries, Halachic authorities have debated how to designate Christian theological beliefs. In recent weeks, a new manuscript of the Alter Rebbe’s Shulchan Aruch has surfaced, providing us with an important new voice in this conversation.

The Halachic Status of Christianity: Insights from Newly Discovered Passages of the Alter Rebbe’s Shulchan Aruch