A. Yehuda Warburg Livres

Introducing English-speaking readers to the parameters and scope of rabbinic authority in general, and the workings of the institution of the beit din—the Jewish court of law—in particular, this book presents 10 rulings in cases of Jewish civil law that the author handed down as a member of a beit din panel. These decisions touch on matters pertaining to employment termination, tenure rights and severance pay, rabbinic contracts, issues in the not-for-profit boardroom, real estate brokerage commission, drafting a halakhic will, a revocable living trust agreement, the division of marital assets upon divorce, spousal abuse, and a father's duty to support his estranged children. Accompanying these presentations is an examination of the notion of rabbinic authority, the business judgment rule, and an agunah's ability to recover for the infliction of emotional stress.

In this second volume of his groundbreaking series on rabbinic authority in English, Rabbi Warburg continues his in-depth discussion of rabbinical court arbitration decisions. He is the first rabbinic arbitrator to publish piskei din on cases in Jewish civil law. It is important that those who interact with the institution of a beit din know the inner dynamics and reasoning of those who issue rulings. This volume focuses on a number of topics such as the halakhic identity of an investment broker, the propriety of a civil will, contemporary issues relating to domestic violence, and the role of a rabbinical advocate in the beit din process. These topics and more are closely examined in Rabbinic Authority volume 2. Book jacket.