Torah Corner

The Torah blog of Rabbi Yosef A. Cohen, MD of the Fleetwood Synagogue

Below you can find links to blog posts covering a range of topics. Rabbi Cohen writes about the parsha, chagim, and halacha, as well as a range of medical questions and how these topics overlap. 

There are also posts available on YUTorah by both Rabbis Cohen and Dayan.

The top of the page displays the most recent posts, while the categories section below can connect you to summaries and posts on a particular topic. 

Recent Posts

  • The Fleetwood Synagogue SoundCloud Page

    In addition to the various blog posts directly on the Torah Corner here on the Fleetwood Synagogue website, there are a large number of audio files on the Fleetwood SoundCloud page. These are audio only, without written commentary beyond the file name. The entire page is embedded below, although only a […]

  • Medication on Shabbat

    A Medical Perspective Background The Gemara Shabbat (53) describes the difference between an animal or person suffering from some form of hematoma where a person can bathe on shabbat to treat his hematoma while an animal cannot. Olah explains that the animal cannot bathe due to a gezira of schikat […]

  • Halachot of Zoom

    Many interesting halachic questions suddenly became relevant to many more than previously with the start of the COVID-19 pandemic where people were told to remain home and isolated from others. One such issue that within a few hours became a global controversy is the permissibility of using Zoom during the Pesach seder. For many families…

  • Metzora: Ralbag, Tzarat and Medicine

    In today’s פרשיות, we encounter intricate instructions regarding the procedure for identifying a מצורע. Various verses elaborate on the specific criteria, such as changes in color, size, and hair, that must be met to diagnose someone as a מצורע. However, the practical applications of these regulations are not explicitly mentioned. […]

  • Kedoshim: The Ibn Ezra and Kelaim

    קדושים תהיו, you should be holy, is understood by many ראשונים to highlight the value of a life not engaged in inappropriate relationships. It follows the prohibitions at the end of פרשת אחרי מות which list forbidden relationships and so it is logical that קדושים תהיו is a continuation of […]

  • Emor: The Sin of the Mekalel

    Twice we read about an individual that is sentenced to death during the Jew’s chronicles in the desert. Both times they are first placed in some sort of solitary confinement before their sentence is carried out. Today, we focused on the story of the בן מצרי who deemed it appropriate […]

  • HaChnassat Sefer Torah

    Now that we have a ספר תורה, we should probably ask the question: did we just do a מצווה? The ספר החינוך counts the very last מצווה in the Torah as writing a ספר תורה. The רא”ש introduces the novel notion that writing other ספרים that we use more readily […]

  • Internal Pesach, External Sukkot

    There is a puzzling distinction between Pesach and Sukkot. Pesach has a very clear reason for celebration, it commemorates the time we left Mitzrayim. Sukkot, while the Torah does provide a reason, the timing is not particularly clear. And yet, Pesach seems to be, externally at least, a much more […]

  • Vayakel Pekudi

    Few times throughout the Jews’ journeys in the desert does Moshe Rabbenu gather the people to speak with them. We must therefore consider the purpose of such events each time they occur. Rav Aharon Lichtenstein proposes that each time such a gathering occurred it a momentous occasion where Moshe gathered […]

  • Matza, An Expression of Talmud Torah

    Lomdus, the analytical explanation of Talmudic principles is a fascinating intellectual endeavor, that often allows for understanding and appreciating certain halachic principles. For example, as we’ve discussed in the past, there are two components of the mitzvat Talmud torah. One, the מצווה חיובית, that is the obligatory requirement to engage […]

Categories of the Posts of the Torah Corner

Tags of the Posts of the Torah Corner Blog

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