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Daniel Sayani

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Jun 30, 2018, 12:41 AM

OCD and halakha: The Orthodox rabbi’s challenge

One of the great privileges of my budding career in the rabbinate has been the opportunity to study with the Center for the Jewish Future (Yeshiva University), and to complete their Continuing Rabbinic Education (CRE) programs in areas including...

Jun 19, 2016, 8:19 PM

The Missionary Cult of Personality

One of the social phenomena most at odds with Judaism is that of the cult of personality. Max Weber explains in Economy and Society that among three distinct models of authority is the charismatic leader, whose authority grows out...

Jun 7, 2016, 7:12 AM

The Missionary Deception Hits the Israel Parade

At the Celebrate Israel Parade yesterday in Manhattan, Jews of all stripes came together to acknowledge and celebrate the central role Israel plays in Jewish life, especially salient on the 28th of Iyar, Yom Yerushalayim, commemorating the unification of...

May 30, 2016, 7:10 AM

Wholeness as the Means to Priesthood: Thoughts on Counting the Omer

The period of Sefirat haOmer is characterized by one middah in particular, temimut. Defined as wholeness, completeness, perfection, the term appears in Parshat Emor in connection with the mitzvah of Omer: Usfartem lachem mimochorat haShabat miyom havi'achem et-omer hatnufah sheva...

May 15, 2016, 10:42 AM

The Hamsa in Jewish Thought and Practice

One of the most ubiquitous religious motifs used in contemporary Jewish art and design is the hamsa, an amulet in the form of a five-finger, open, right hand-shaped charm, commonly with an all-seeing eye, that has been used as a sign...

Apr 28, 2016, 3:29 AM

Yizkor on Yom Tov: Halakha and meaning

The practice among Ashkenazic Jewry has emerged to recite Yizkor, prayers in memory of the deceased, on Simchat Torah, the eighth day of Pesach, the second day of Shavuot, and Yom Kippur, even if these days fall on Shabbat...

Apr 16, 2016, 9:29 AM

Shabbat HaGadol and Pesach Restoration

The Sabbath preceding Passover, Shabbat haGadol, “the great Shabbat,” is often treated as the fifth special Shabbat of the Adar-Nissan period, although this is inaccurate. The four special Sabbaths on which special Torah passages are read- Shekalim, Zachor, Parah,...

Apr 8, 2016, 8:28 PM

Parshat Tazria: Learning from the Animals

Judaism teaches that there is much to be learned from the animal kingdom. Aside from the ethical treatment of animals, as explained by mitzvot such as tza’ar baalei chaim, Judaism recognizes there are characteristics and traits that can be...

Jan 22, 2014, 11:43 PM

Roe v. Wade and Mishpatim: On Torah and sacred choice

This Wednesday, January 22, marks the forty-first anniversary of the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade, which effectively legalized abortion, arguing that a Texas law making it illegal to assist women in obtaining abortions violated the due...

Jan 17, 2014, 1:05 AM

On aufrufs and felons: Halakha, ethics, and Jonathan Braun

In recent years, there have sadly been greater documented instances of illegal, fraudulent, and uncouth conduct among Jews who at least externally, seem to identify themselves as part of the Orthodox community. Images of criminals going to trial wearing...

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About Me

Daniel Sayani is a student of traditional Jewish texts, with an eye towards their contemporary applications, and serves as ba'al tefillah in numerous Orthodox congregations in the NYC area. He has been widely published on issues of religion, ethics, and their geopolitical dimensions, and he is excited about entering the next phase of his academic and professional life, as he pursues medical school admissions.