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History & Halacha

Exploring Jewish Law and its historical contexts.

The Man Who Became a Prisoner to His Own Vow
If he would return to his wife, he would not be allowed to cut his hair or drink wine ever again.
The 1912 Mystery of the Body on the Oklahoma Tracks
Who was Mottel Breslau, and how did he end up on the tracks out in the lands belonging to the Seminole Nation?
The Scandalous (Re)Marriage of Yakuta From Tripoli
She had been forced into marriage, enslaved, and exiled. Would she finally be allowed to start a family?
The Joke That Became an International Scandal
In 1710 Caselle, Yedidya's joke of placing a horsehair ring on Gotla's finger led to a serious controversy over potential betrothal.
When a Dead Man in Syria Was Taxed
A Safed resident moved to Syria and died, but not before the community tried taxing him in absentia. The city's rabbi ruled on the case.
The Mystery Convert of Jerusalem
The Rabbinic Controversy of Warder Cresson's Circumcision.
The Weasel and the Well: A Story of Loyalty and Love
“If I save you from the well, will you marry me?” asked the man, who was excited by her rich and illustrious family.
The Persian King, the Rabbi, and the Slave
The story begins with the men engaged in conversation when a fruit was brought to them.
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