Jewish Law Quotes



The reference to sex with Niddot refers to having sex with a menstruating woman which the ultra-Orthodox see as a serious sin. Few modern people the world over obey this biblical injunction. The Israeli Supreme court has constantly invalidated laws and government regulations that require other Jews and non-Jews in Israel to obey all the Sabbath laws of the Bible. That in the view of Ovadia is “desecrating” the Sabbath.


Saudi Arabian Newspaper. This and other absurd libels against Jews permeated a series of two articles she wrote in the newspaper. The lie that Jews use the blood of non-Jews to bake their holy bread has been a staple of anti-Semitic propaganda through the centuries. A few days thereafter, the editor of the newspaper, who had been away at the time of the publication himself published a rebuttal and repudiation. See Turki Abdullah al-Sudeiri: {593163}


The Shereth Israel congregation was the first organized Jewish congregation in America. Traditionally, in Europe the congregation would appoint a butcher to ritually slaughter animals and sell them to the congregation members at controlled prices. However, a New York butcher of the time decided that since America was a free country, he would sell directly to Jews and not go through the congregation, thus avoiding the price fixing which he thought unfairly low. The congregation responded as they traditionally had in Europe and asked the civil authorities to enforce their right to control religious activities in the community. The City Council then passed this law. The butcher appealed to the courts which ruled that he had the right to sell his meat regardless of the congregation—that the American law may not be used to enforce any religious tradition. The case set important precedents regarding the relationship between church and state, monopolies, and individual commercial rights.