Search
-
Read Rabbi Knopf’s Recent Posts
- Shabbat for Shabbat’s Sake: Parashat Sh’lakh Lekha 5782 June 25, 2022
- Embrace the Wilderness: Parashat Beha’alotekha 5782 June 21, 2022
- Message to the Class of 2022 June 20, 2022
- Punk’s Not Dead, It’s Jewish: Shavuot 5782 June 7, 2022
- ‘Earn This’: Last Day of Passover 5782 April 24, 2022
Tag Archives: halakhah
The Legal Responsibility of Jewish Hotel Patrons
Over the past few years, I had been trying to pass a teshuvah (Jewish legal opinion) in the Conservative Movement’s Committee on Jewish Law and Standards arguing that Jewish law insists we must not patronize businesses that abuse their workers. The paper … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged Conservative Judaism, current-events, equality, ethics, halakhah, Jewish law, justice, social justice
2 Comments
A House of Prayer for All People – Rosh Hashanah Day 1 5775
In the Jewish tradition, each new year provides an opportunity to pause, reflect, and refocus. We consider the events of the year that has passed, celebrate our triumphs, and confront our failures. Looking … Continue reading
Posted in Sermons
Tagged Conversion, Denominations, halakhah, High Holidays, holidays, intermarriage, Jewish law, Jewish People, pew report, religion, rosh hashanah, synagogues, Who is a Jew
3 Comments
30 Days of Liberation: Day 19 – Loyal Opposition
The Seder contains two distinct customs: one, representing the view of most ancient rabbis, to eat matzah and marror separately; the other, representing Hillel’s view, to eat them together as a sandwich. This was not a petty dispute; these rabbis … Continue reading
Posted in 30 Days of Liberation, Reflections
Tagged God, halakhah, holidays, Jewish law, Judaism, justice, nature of god, Passover, peace, Pesah, politics, rabbis, religion, society, Torah, wisdom
Leave a comment
Is Spying on Citizens Kosher?
“Big Brother is watching you.” That is one of the most iconic lines from George Orwell’s classic novel Nineteen Eighty-Four, but it could also describe one of 2013’s defining stories. In June, The Guardian exposed a classified court order that directed Verizon, … Continue reading
Posted in Articles and Op-Eds, Reflections
Tagged Big Brother, ethics, halakhah, human-rights, Jewish law, Judaism, justice, NSA, peace, politics, religion, religious thinkers, Snowden, social justice, society, Surveillance, Torah, war
Leave a comment
To Disrespect and Disobey – 30 Days of Liberation, Day 10
The first heroes of Exodus are two lowly, God-fearing midwives named Shifrah and Pu’ah who refuse Pharaoh’s order to kill all Hebrew baby boys. The midwives model being unafraid to stand up for what is right, even to someone profoundly … Continue reading
Posted in 30 Days of Liberation, Reflections
Tagged ethics, halakhah, holidays, human-rights, Judaism, justice, Passover, Pesah, religion, social justice, Torah, wisdom
Leave a comment
Winey Jews – Purim Prep
A famous (and strange) Purim custom is to drink “until one no longer knows the difference between blessed Mordechai and cursed Haman.” While many rabbis tell us not to drink this much (since our primary religious obligation is health/safety) there … Continue reading
Posted in Purim Prep, Reflections
Tagged drinking, ethics, halakhah, holidays, Jewish law, Judaism, purim, wisdom
Leave a comment
The Jewish Necessity to Question the Israel-Gaza Conflict
Over the past few years, Hamas operatives in Gaza have been indiscriminately firing rockets into Israeli civilian population centers. When the shelling dramatically increased last week, the Israeli government decided to initiate a strong military response. The Israeli government claims … Continue reading
Posted in Articles and Op-Eds
Tagged defensive war, ethics, halakhah, human-rights, Israel, Jewish law, Jewish People, Judaism, justice, middle-east, peace, peace negotiations, politics, religion, religious thinkers, ronald dworkin, social justice, society, Torah, war
Leave a comment
The Observant Life: Parashat Emor 2012
As many of you know, over the past week I had the great privilege and joy of attending the annual Rabbinical Assembly convention, which this year was held in Atlanta. The Rabbinical Assembly, or the “RA” as it is known … Continue reading
Posted in Sermons
Tagged Conservative Judaism, Denominations, ethics, God, halakhah, Jewish law, Judaism, leviticus, parashah, rabbis, religion, religious thinkers, sedra, sermon, Torah
Leave a comment
Israel, Iran, and Trayvon Martin
Reposted from: http://www.haaretz.com/jewish-world/the-line-connecting-trayvon-martin-and-an-israeli-attack-on-iran-1.426760 “If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then what is it? That’s right, it’s a duck. But this duck is a nuclear duck and it’s time the world started … Continue reading
Posted in Articles and Op-Eds
Tagged defensive war, ethics, halakhah, Israel, Jewish law, middle-east, peace, politics, society, tragedy, war
Leave a comment
Born Again Judaism – Parashat Tzav/Shabbat Hagadol 2012
This Shabbat, the Shabbat before the onset of Passover, is commonly referred to as “Shabbat Ha-Gadol.” Shabbat Ha-Gadol means “The Great or Big Sabbath,” and it is given this name because on this Shabbat we announce the impending arrival of … Continue reading
Posted in Sermons
Tagged born again, Conversion, halakhah, Jewish home, Jewish law, Jewish People, Judaism, leviticus, meaningful conversation, parashah, religion, sedra, sermon, spiritual transformation, spirituality, theology, Torah, Who is a Jew, wisdom
1 Comment
Rabbi Michael Rose Knopf 