We’re very proud of our OU Torah halacha series, which shed light on a great number of topics in Jewish law. Among these are:
- Mishnah Brurah Yomi by Rabbi Aaron E. Glatt, MD. This shiur goes through this seminal work of practical halacha at the rate of a page a day, five days a week.
- Mishnah Brurah Iyun Chaburah by Rabbi Ephraim Glatt, Esq. This companion series takes a topic from each week’s Mishnah Brurah Yomi and applies it to an interesting contemporary situation.
- A Responsum a Day by Rabbi Dr. Gidon Rothstein. Hear teshuvot from the great responsa literature pretty much every day of the year (excluding yomim tovim). The fun part is that the responsum each day is from that same date in halachic history!
- Dalet Amot of Halacha by Rabbi Ari Enkin. Thoroughly-researched and enlightening insights on the broad spectrum of halacha from Rabbi Enkin’s acclaimed book series.
- HaShoneh Halachos 2: Mishneh Torah by Yours Truly. Review two halachos each day from the Rambam’s classic work, on our web site or delivered straight to your inbox.
- Plus many more!
But there are two halacha series that consistently outperform all expectations: the original HaShoneh Halachos and Halacha L’Maaseh.
The original HaShoneh Halachos series, also by Yours Truly, reviewed two halachos a day from the Kitzur Shulchan Aruch with occasional elucidations from the Mishnah Brurah. Halacha L’Maaseh, by Richard B. Aiken, features matters of practical application from practicalhalacha.com. (The halachos in this series are not sourced but the Practical Halacha web site is approved by, and reflects the halacha according to, Rabbi Moshe Heineman.)
HaShoneh Halachos is “in the can” (meaning that it is all concluded – there are no new entries) but it is still OU Torah’s most heavily-trafficked halacha series. Halacha L’Maaseh is still ongoing but its most popular entries are archival. The reason for this is because people often want to know what what to do right now. Looking at the traffic for HaShoneh Halachos, it’s obvious that, in July, a lot of people wanted to know if they can greet others after middday on Tisha b’Av and whether Tachanun is recited at mincha on the day before Tu b’Av. Similarly, many people were checking out Halacha L’Maaseh regarding kiddush levana and making a bracha achrona. (Halacha L’Maaseh recently featured a handy Shabbat Preparation Checklist, which is also worth checking out!)
I must qualify that no web site is a substitute for consulting your rabbi but sometimes there’s no time or a question simply doesn’t warrant bothering him. When you need a quick and easy answer, these series can be an extremely handy tool. (Of course, many areas of halacha are subject to dispute. No halacha source necessarily reflects universal consensus.)
So check out HaShoneh Halachos, Halacha L’Maaseh, and all the other highly-informative halacha series on OU Torah or by using the OU Torah app for iOS and Android!