Rabbi Avraham Edelstein

The Mishnah, at the end of Horayos, teaches the laws of triage. Those principles convey the guidelines of determining whose life to save first when a rescuer encounters multiple people whose physical lives are in danger. Is there spiritual triage?

Ibn Ezra explains that the reason we are obligated to love our fellow Jew is because we recognize that we were both created by the same Maker. Hence the verse, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” concludes with the words, “I am G-d” (Vayikra 19:18) — our love of our fellow man is inextricably... Read more »

Every outreach professional knows that his job is not done until he sees his student standing under the chuppah, about to establish a Torah home. At the same time, marriage and married life brings with it many delicate halachic questions for the kiruv professional.

Already well before the outreach movement gained momentum, b’nei Torah moved to out-of-town communities with the berachos of Torah leadership. Each case required its own query, each answer tailor-made to the circumstances of the

There have been many proclamations from the Torah leadership exalting outreach activities and declaring it obligatory for all those who could participate, to do so

Chanufah can be liberally translated as the prohibition against undeserved flattering. It includes giving undue compliments and praising transgressors. The prohibition also includes endorsing

The Shelah refers to tochachah as “a very great mitzvah.” However, the sources for mitzvas tochachah are quite spread out and therefore not easily accessible. In this chapter, we provide background to understand the kiruv applications of the mitzvah of tochachah. Tochachah: It’s All About Caring It is not good enough to be a “tzaddik”... Read more »

Issues relating to male-female interactions dramatically affect outreach in so many ways. Among the questions we will explore are: Can a man recite a

Teaching Torah vs. Tochachah Most outreach professionals teach Torah as the central part of their outreach efforts. The source for the mitzvah of teaching Torah to the unaffiliated is not the same as that for other aspects of kiruv, such as inviting them for Shabbos. Determining the original source for these laws has practical ramifications.... Read more »

It is prohibited to derive pleasure from this world without reciting a berachah. Even a Jew who is not observant is required to recite berachos over food. In fact, there are a number of anecdotes about the Vilna Gaon in which he encountered heretics and warned them that they would be held accountable for every... Read more »

Pages By: Rabbi Avraham Edelstein

NEW from the Laws of Outreach: The Final Installment – Triage in Kiruv

NEW from the Laws of Outreach: Loving and Hating All in One

NEW from the Laws of Outreach: Marriage

NEW from the Laws of Outreach: Raising Children When Engaging in Outreach

NEW from the Laws of Outreach: Torah Leaders on Engaging in Outreach

NEW from the Laws of Outreach: Chanufah & Outreach – Undeserved Flattering

NEW from the Laws of Outreach: Tochachah – Giving Rebuke

NEW from the Laws of Outreach! Male – Female Interactions

NEW from the Laws of Outreach! Teaching Torah

NEW from the Laws of Outreach! Kiruv Through Food

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