Papers by Michael Pitkowsky
Hakol Kol Yaakov, 2021
Soon after its publication, commentators began to pore over almost every statement in Yosef Karo'... more Soon after its publication, commentators began to pore over almost every statement in Yosef Karo's Shulḥan Arukh. Some commentators wanted to simply elucidate Karo's sometimes laconic language, desiring to help readers understand statements whose meaning or intention weren't clear. Others felt the need to further expand upon Karo's text, adding layer upon layer of interpretation. This multi-layered approach of the commentaries on the Shulḥan Arukh was even cited by Abraham Zevi Hirsch Eisenstadt in his Pitḥei Teshuvah in order to justify the reliance on the Shulḥan Arukh for halakhic decision-making. In response to the criticism of those who used the Shulḥan Arukh as the sole source for halakhic decision-making voiced by the Maharsha, Samuel Edels,2 Eisenstadt wrote that 1 I would like to thank this volume's honoree, Rabbi Joel Roth, for all that he has taught me about halakhah and halakhic literature. Through his many public talks and lectures, writings, and personal conversations Rabbi Roth has helped shape my understanding of what it means to be a Jew who tries to live their life according to the halakhah.
The interaction between rabbis and women demonstrates the accessibility of halakhic authority to ... more The interaction between rabbis and women demonstrates the accessibility of halakhic authority to women. This accessibility is influenced by a number of factors and occurs at varying levels and frequencies in different communities. Not only the frequency, but also the content of the questions asked by women of rabbis has varied. This paper will examine the questions women have addressed to Rabbi Moshe Feinstein, Rabbi Hayim David Halevy, and the Internet portal www.kipa.co.il. I will address both the frequency and the nature of questions asked by women. The different findings in each case reflect not only the religious roles and expectations of women within their respective communities, but also the mediums of communication that exist between women and rabbis. I argue that the Internet has in a sense changed the rules of the game by allowing women almost unbridled access to rabbinic authority. How this access will affect religious society as a whole waits to be seen.
rabbi yehudah leib Zirelson (1859Zirelson ( -1941 was born in what is today the ukraine. 1 rabbi ... more rabbi yehudah leib Zirelson (1859Zirelson ( -1941 was born in what is today the ukraine. 1 rabbi Zirelson was a prolific writer and essayist, publishing a number of volumes of responsa, many articles in the hebrew press, and even a volume of poems. he was active in the Zionist movement and was one of the founders of the mizrachi religious Zionist movement. a number of years later he left the Zionist movement and was one of the founders of agudath yisrael, a non-Zionist movement within orthodox Judaism. in 1908 he was appointed to be the official state rabbi of Kishinev.
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Papers by Michael Pitkowsky