My halachah column for this past year’s פרשת נשא: In Parashas Naso (6:11), a Nazarite is commanded to bring a sin-offering. As we have noted in previous years, the Talmud (Bava Kama 91b) cites an explanation that this is to atone for the sin of having (unnecessarily) deprived himself of the enjoyment of wine. Elsewhere […]
Tag Archives: self-endangerment
Signing Up To Soldier On the Sabbath
In honor of my friend R. LCdr. Eric Kinzbrunner, who (about a dozen years ago) “cut the first piece of [his] wedding cake with his 34-inch Navy sword, which had been ritually cleansed, or toveled, for the occasion“. CS brings to our attention Noah Lang’s determination to become an Orthodox Jewish marine. In Lang’s manifesto, […]
Risking One’s Life For Fun and Profit
There is a well known medrash that Esav murdered Nimrod out of lust for the latter’s wonderful Hunter’s Garment: ר’ מאיר אומר עשו ראה את הכתנת על נמרוד שהיו מצויירין עליה כל החיות והעופות שבעולם ונראין כאלו הן חיין וכשהיו בשדה היו באין אצלו וניצודין מאליהן וחמדה אותה בלבו והרגו ולקחה ממנו וכשלבש אותה נעשה […]