Avodah
- [Avodah] composting? March 24, 2026A recent Wall Street Journal article examined an emerging practice of human composting as a solution to cemetery space shortages. The process involves natural organic reduction transforming bodies into nutrient-rich soil using microbes, clover, hay, and straw in sealed vessels over 40 days. Brooklyn's Green-Wood Cemetery plans on adopting this method. What does halacha has […]
- [Avodah] individualism March 24, 2026From, The Paths of Providence -Chaim Gross This articulates one of my deepest frustrations: One of the hallmarks of modernity was the adoption (in the 18th and 19th centuries) of individualism as the basis by which political and social groups are structured. This principle values the individual over the community to a much greater extent […]
- [Avodah] aruch hashulchan March 18, 2026On Wed, Mar 18, 2026 at 12:22:53AM +0200, Joel Rich via Avodah wrote: > ... which raises the question when can we say there is a minhag when > something is infrequent (tbd) I recently encountered the AhS saying "no". Those who are learning the supplementary material to Arukh haShulchan recently learned YD 57:19. The […]
- [Avodah] Fish out of water? March 17, 2026The mlacha of kotzer on Shabbat is generally defined as taking a living organism and detaching it from the ground which is its chiyut (source of life). The Yerushalmi (shabbat 48b) and many rishonim use this definition to classify taking a fish out of water as kotzer. Some extend the concept to keeping a fish […]
- [Avodah] aruch hashulchan March 17, 2026Me-I?d also love to know when the aruch hashulchan says??????? here and in other places is he reflecting on his empirical observation in his and surrounding communities or on his estimation of what other authorities have said about it or something else? A Rav I respect-Sounds like his empirical observation, but he says ??????? because […]
- [Avodah] psak from aged March 11, 2026[I'm converting the opening quote to something our digest software can handle. -micha] Rambam Hilkhos Sanhedrin 2:3: Ein ma'amidim bekhol haSanhedrin - lo zaqei muflag bashanim - velo saris mipenei sheyeish bahen akhzariyus - velo mi she'ein lo banim kedei sheyehei rachaman. Given the above, was there ever a time in halachic history where a […]
- [Avodah] Segulos and how they work March 10, 2026If I may add one point that I don't think RJIR and R'Micha raised in their respective, excellent V44n15 responses (if one or both did, please forgive me for not thus understanding...): if someone can positively change herself psychologically, she becomes a different person subject to a different (hopefully "rewarding") outcome -- compare with *t'shuvah*. […]
- [Avodah] Rambam Yomi - Mesiras Nefesh March 9, 2026In Avodah Digest, Vol 44, Issue 11 dated 2/19/2026? ?From: Danny Schoemann ?Subject: [Avodah] Rambam Yomi - Mesiras Nefesh??We're up to Yesodei HaTorah Ch. 5.?You have to give up your life rather than transgress if:?If the goy's intent is to make you transgress any Mitzva and it's public(in front of 10 Yidden).?If it's a time […]
- [Avodah] Segulos and how they work March 9, 2026On Sun, Mar 08, 2026 at 02:57:20PM +0200, Joel Rich wrote: > My general theory of segulot is that if they make you feel closer to HKBH > then that is their value. It may be the realization that this is a prayer > to say when you feel a fertility related need is sufficient […]
- [Avodah] Segulos and how they work March 8, 2026On Sun, Mar 8, 2026 at 2:29PM Akiva Miller wrote: > The methodology of segulos is a frequent topic here, and I came across a > relevant Kitzur Shulchan Aruch that I'd like to share with the chevra. > > In Hilchos Ner Shabbos 75:2... > The Kitzur answers that question in the very next […]