Gett Extortion
Nearly every telling of the Hanukkah story describes a different breaking point which triggers the Maccabean revolt. In the Scholion of Megillat Taanit it is the attempted rape of Mattityahu’s daughter at the hands of Greek soldiers. In this telling, the war and the miracles of Hanukkah all transpired in order to protect a Jewish […]
When Exactly is a Marriage Over?
One of the most common and dangerous misconceptions regarding Jewish divorce is that the husband alone has the power to decide when a marriage is over. In actuality, nothing could be farther from the truth, at least in the eyes of halacha. The rabbis had a profound grasp of human nature and understood that a […]
Mandating the Gett in the Absence of the Husband
During the High Holidays, the synagogue transforms from a place of worship to the heavenly court. Instead of just offering prayers, we suddenly find ourselves standing in judgment before God, our merits weighed against our sins. There is no lawyer to defend us in this court, nor any higher court of appeals. God takes on […]
The Broken Beit Din System: A Reflection on Powerlessness
Without the power of real enforcement, a judge’s ruling is little more than advice to be accepted or dismissed as one chooses.
Ruth: Who is an Agunah?
What Esther Can Teach Us About Domestic Abuse
While there are many things we can learn from the megillah, one of its unlikely lessons is that much of how we think about domestic abuse is wrong.