The Freehof Blog
Texts, Sources, Opinions, and Arguments
![]() Preemptive War and Preventive War
July 1, 2025 Military ethics distinguishes between "preemptive war" (good) and "preventive war" (bad). So does the halakhic tradition. Both disciplines define those categories with a fair degree of precision. In the wake of the Israeli and American strikes against Iran's nuclear and military facilities this past month, maybe it's time to reconsider those definitions. [more] ![]() Fatal Contradictions? Progressive Halakhah According to Yogi Berra
March 16, 2025 Does a fatal contradiction lie at the heart of the project called “progressive halakhah”? It’s an article of faith for those of us in the field that traditional Jewish law, properly read and interpreted, does not conflict with the liberal values that govern contemporary culture and society. But there are times when Jewish law, despite our best efforts at liberal interpretation, yields conclusions that are decidedly non-liberal. When that happens, when we find ourselves unable to reconcile between halakhah and our values, we have no recourse but to choose the one or the other. Thus the fatal contradiction: when conflict occurs you can accept the decision yielded by the halakhic process, or you can declare that our liberal standards of justice and equity take precedence over Jewish law. But you can’t have it both ways. We disagree. We think, rather, that you can have it both ways. That’s because we accept the advice of that great rabbi, Yogi Berra, z”l: “when you come to a fork in the road, take it.” [more] ![]() Senator Adam Schiff and the Mishneh Torah
December 17, 2024 Adam Schiff, newly elected U.S. Senator from California, was sworn into office while placing his hand on - wait for it - a volume of the 1490 Soncino edition of Rambam's Mishneh Torah. We at the Freehof Institute are thrilled that he chose a work of halakhah for the oath-taking... well, sort of thrilled. We're wondering whether the Mishneh Torah was the best sefer he could have chosen? For this highly symbolic ritual act, was it the wrong symbol? [more]
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