VOLUME 1
Hardcover
462 pages
In Headlines, Dovid Lichtenstein takes items drawn from the news as starting points for in-depth halachic analyses of questions at the forefront of our contemporary conversation. A small sample of issues discussed in this wide-ranging book: Must we rescue people who ignored evacuation warnings during Hurricane Sandy? Should one report suspected child molesters? How can we solve the problem of recalcitrant husbands and agunot? What is the halachic status of lab-created beef? Employing the classical yeshivah method of learning, combined with clear language and broad scope, the author finds relevant halachic analogues for new situations in classic sources.
Dovid Lichtenstein is the founder and CEO of The Lightstone Group, one of the largest privately held real estate companies in the United States. He studied for five years in the Mir Yeshiva.
Table of Contents:
Society
1. Obamacare and “Death Panels”: Healthcare Rationing in Halacha
2. Hurricane Sandy: Rescuing Those Who Put Themselves in Danger
3. Stand Your Ground vs. Duty to Retreat: Would a Beis Din Have Convicted George Zimmerman?
4. Reporting Child Molesters: מסירה or Obligation?
5. Shooting Down a Hijacked Plane: Killing a Few to Save the Lives of Many
6. Air Pollution in Halacha
פדיון שבוים . 7 of Convicted Criminals
8. Leiby Kletzky’s Killer: The Insanity Defense in Halacha
חילול השם . 9 in the Presence of Gentiles
10. May Halacha be Violated to Avoid Embarrassment?
11. A Rabbi in Church: The Permissibility of an Orthodox Rabbi Attending a Presidential Convocation
12. Touring the Vatican
13. Governmental Charities
14. Voting for A Candidate Whose Platform Supports Torah Prohibitions
Family
15. Alternatives to Cattle Prods: In Search of a Solution to the Aguna Problem
16. Therapy and Impropriety: Yichud with a Therapist
17. Can a Child Have Two Halachic Mothers or Fathers?
18. Who’s Your Mother? Surrogate Motherhood and In Vitro Fertilization in Halacha
19. Family Planning: May a Couple Delay Having Children?
20. Are Internet Filters Halachically Required?
Israel
21. No Sephardim Allowed: Discriminatory School Policies in Halacha
22. Draftng Yeshiva Students: A Halachic Debate
23. Many Terrorists for One Israeli? The Gilad Shalit Deal Through the Prism of Halacha
Shabbos & Yom Tov
24. Outreach or Stumbling Block? Extending Shabbos Invitations to the Nonobservant
25. Online Business on Shabbos
26. Viewing Israeli News Broadcasts Filmed or Posted on Shabbos
27. Making a Beracha on Chanukah Candles at the White House
28. Ordering Chametz by Credit Card During Pesach for Delivery after Pesach
Kashrut
29. A Kosher Cheeseburger? The Halachic Status of Synthetic Beef
30. The Webcam in Halacha
Business
31. Bernie Madoff: Must a Charity Return Funds Donated by a Ponzi Scheme to Investors?
32. “Wireless Connections are Available” — Or are They? Using a Wireless Connection without Permission
33. Virtual Theft: Downloading and Copying Files or Programs Without Permission
34. Is One Liable for Damages Caused by Sending a Computer Virus?
VOLUME 2
Hardcover
As with the bestselling first volume of Headlines: Halachic Debates of Current Events, Dovid Lichtenstein presents in-depth halachic analysis of some of the most controversial issues of our times. Some of the topics discussed in this book include:
- –What is the right to privacy in halacha?
- –When can DNA be used as halachic evidence?
- –How should we treat members of the community who were convicted of crimes?
- –Why can’t one steal a kidney to save his life?
- –Is it permitted to kill a terrorist who has been neutralized?
- –Will the imminent arrival of genetically modified meat and fish present a kashrus crisis?
In addition, the book includes interviews of leading poskim on many of the subjects discussed, including Rav Dovid Cohen, Rav Moshe Heinemann, Rav Doniel Neustadt, Rav Moshe Sternbuch, Rav Asher Weiss, and Rav Mordechai Willig.
Table of Contents:
SOCIETY
- Apple vs. the FBI: Accessing and Disclosing Private Information
- DNA as Halachic Evidence
- What if Kim Davis Were an Orthodox Jew? Issuing Marriage Licenses to Same-Sex Couples
- Who is a Believer?
- The Disgraced Rabbi
- Light Unto the Nations, or None of Our Business? Influencing Gentiles to Observe the Noachide Laws
- Criminals in Shul: Should Convicted Felons be Welcomed in Our Communities?
- Fraud and Deceit in the Contemporary Marketplace
FAMILY & HEALTH
- Fathering a Child After Death
- Is Artificial Insemination an Option for Unmarried Women?
- Why is it Forbidden to Steal a Kidney?
- Maintaining Good Health as a Halachic Imperative
- Ebola: May a Doctor Endanger Himself by Treating Patients?
- Aborting a Fetus Infected With the Zika Virus
- Suspending Mitzva Observance to Treat OCD
ISRAEL
- Seducing the Enemy
- Killing a Neutralized Terrorist
SHABBOS & YOM TOV
- How Kosher is the Kosher Switch?
- Adjusting “Sabbath Mode” Ovens on Yom Tov
- Bioplastic Sechach
KASHRUT
- Is Ben Pekua Meat the Solution to Prohibitive Kosher Meat Prices?
- Genetically Modified Organisms: Will this be the Greatest Kashrus Challenge of Modern Times?
- Is Sherry Cask Whiskey Kosher?
- Are Treif Utensils Really Treif?
Dovid Lichtenstein is the founder and CEO of The Lightstone Group, one of the largest privately held real estate companies in the United States. He studied for five years in the Mir Yeshiva.
VOLUME 3
In a rapidly changing world, Orthodox Jews turn to halacha as both their anchor and their source of guidance for navigating the increasingly complex life that we live, with the firm, passionate belief that our ancient texts are no less relevant now than they were millennia ago. Headlines 3, like the first two volumes, presents a variety of case studies showing just how true this is, exploring the application of timeless halachic and ethical principles to the problems and issues facing 21st-century society, including burning topics such as racism, the role of women, and the coronavirus pandemic.
“In an increasingly polarized and politicized world, R’ Dovid Lichtenstein’s consistent coverage of the Headlines of our day from the perspective of Torah, halacha, faith, and values is not only refreshing and informative but critical. Each episode and every chapter challenges us to consider multiple and diverse points of view, all bound by a fidelity to our Torah and mesorah.
R’ Dovid’s extraordinary knowledge, combined with his insatiable thirst to listen, learn, and consider make us all both more informed and more inspired.”