Freebies

R. Nissim Karelitz is one of the leading Lithuanian rabbis in Israel. He is the senior rabbinic judge in Bnei Brak and and a nephew of the Chazon Ish. His Chut Shani on the laws of Pesach is available for free download here: link See prior posts here: link

Pesach is just around the corner and I am thinking back to the time when we used to have to pay a few bucks for a comprehensive Pesach guide. Now you can get them for free from your favorite kosher supervision organization. Here are a few Pesach guides available online: OU Star-K cRc (PDF) London Beth Din MK (PDF) COR ...

The IDF Rabbinate publishes halakhah guidebooks for soldiers, providing detailed instructions on observance of Judaism in the Israeli army. Many of these books, such as for Purim, Pesach and the use of tanks on Shabbos, are available online for free download here: link See prior posts here: link

Some books on Purim from HebrewBooks.org: Yemei Ha-Purim by R. Tzvi Pesach Frank Gevuras Yitzchak by R. Yitzchak Sorotzkin Mekadesh Yisrael by R. Yisrael Harfenes Nitei Gavriel by R. Gavriel Zinner Ma’amar Esther by R. Shlomo Kluger Ma’amar Esther by R. Wolf Boskowitz Ze’ev Yitraf vol. 1 & Ze’ev Yitraf vol. 2 by R. Zev Hoberman Reshimos Lev based on ...

R. Yechiel Mikhel Tukaczinsky‘s three-volume Gesher Ha-Chaim is a classic work on the laws of mourning. When a friend in yeshiva lost a parent, I asked him whether he preferred Gesher Ha-Chaim or Pnei Barukh, which was later translated and published by Artscroll. He liked Gesher Ha-Chaim better because it doesn’t just give multiple opinions (some say this and some ...

The Kitzur Shulchan Arukh (link) by R. Shlomo Ganzfried is a classic condensation of practical Jewish law as it was practiced in mid-18th century greater Hungary. It has been adapted a few times, including R. Gersion Appel’s Concise Code of Jewish Law. R. Yitzchak Yosef’s version based on the rulings of his father, R. Ovadiah Yosef, is titled Kitzur Shulchan ...

The 1997 documentary about Chasidim, A Life Apart: Hasidism in America, is now available in full on YouTube: link. See prior posts here: link

Two major kosher supervision organizations offer free iPhone/iPad apps. The cRc (Chicago Rabbinical Council) app is fairly robust, offering lists of kosher items (regardless of supervising agency) organized by topic and lists of other kosher agencies it recommends (i.e. accepts). The OU app allows you to search for items, but only those it certifies. The app also contains recent advisories ...

Rabbi Dr. Adam Mintz is a Modern Orthodox rabbi in Manhattan and a popular lecturer on Jewish history. He has posted on his website his recently completed doctoral dissertation (NYU) — Halakhah In America: The History Of City Eruvin, 1894-1962: link Description: This dissertation will address the evolution of the community eruv from the days of the courtyards of Roman ...

Eretz Hemdah is a Religious Zionist institute founded by R. Shaul Yisraeli to prepare graduates for certification as dayanim (rabbinic judges) and rabbis of cities, and to serve as ramim (lecturers) and deans on college level and graduate level yeshivas. Its kollel has been responding to fax and e-mail questions from rabbis for many years and publishing them in Hebrew ...