Hi JITC- I am new to your website, so perhaps this question has been answered previously. I have been enjoying watching Shtisel on Netflix, and was curious how the men actually curl their sidelocks into those perfect ringlets. Also, when a married couple’s bedroom is shown on the show, they have separate beds. Is this […]
I never really appreciated the concept of freedom until I felt that I had lost it. So when my husband left the marriage after 10 years, slamming the proverbial door behind him, I was wholly unprepared when he refused to give me a get and trapped me in a marriage neither of us wanted to […]
Dear Jew in the City- What are the halachic requirements of attraction in a prospective marriage? Sincerely, R.G. Dear R.G.- Thanks for your question. Let’s discuss two types of “attraction” – emotional attraction (which we’ll call “love”) and physical attraction (which, for the sake of literary balance, we’ll cynically refer to as “lust”). Let’s address […]
Dear Jew in the City, What is the difference between a pilegesh (concubine) and a wife in the Torah? S.D. Dear S.D.- For the answer to this, let us turn to tractate Kesubos in the Talmud Yerushalmi (5:2). There, the gemara asks your exact question. Rabbi Meir explains that a wife has a kesubah (marriage […]
As Sex Ceases to Sell, Modesty Has Its Fashion Moment The style is as old as Adam and Eve, but it’s newly cool. Runways this year were full of more-covered-up options far removed from stereotypically dowdy looks. Valentino SpA and the Row have led the way with luxurious fabrics and designs so ornate and layered […]
Hey JITC- Rivka got engaged at three years old? How are we supposed to understand this? Best, Emily Dear Emily- Thanks for your question. I’m gratified that you said “engaged” rather than married because that’s a huge difference. The idea that Rivka was three is not the only opinion but it’s been popularized because it’s […]
