ברוכים הבאים
This web site is a portal to many of my writings, including Torah Posts on the weekly portion and festivals, essays on Jewish Law (responsa), and a selection of other essays, videos and audio files.
Updated versions of my responsa on technology may be found in my 2024 book, Torah and Technology: Circuits, Cells, and the Sacred Path (Izzun Books).
I welcome your feedback by email: rabbidanielnevins@gmail.com.
Recent Torah Posts
Waiting and Praying for Rain: Ekev 5786
When will it finally rain? The weather for the past month in the UK has been gorgeous–sunny and dry, but this is too much of a good thing. Hosepipe bans have been imposed to conserve water, lawns and gardens are turning tan, and flowers are fading. According to the Fire Severity Index, much of England…
Stuttering Sacred Speech: Devarim 5786
Learning to speak is one of the most mysterious, impactful and, for some, challenging of human capacities. To witness a toddler produce their first recognisable words often seems like a miracle. Language is a defining quality of the human experience, but it is not universally shared. Communication disorders come in many varieties and can have…
Shelach Lekha 5786: The Power of Predictive Processing
We frequently find that two people can observe the same set of facts and yet arrive at opposite conclusions. Our interpretive instincts are shaped by both personal experience and neurobiology. Facts that confirm our existing beliefs and well-established neural pathways are readily noticed, while those that contradict our assumptions are often dismissed as irrelevant. This…
Recent Responsa
Halakhic Guidance for Jews of Blended Religious Backgrounds was a joint effort with Rabbi Katja Vehlow, approved by CJLS in November 2024. We addressed the complexities of religious identity and halakhic status for people whose ancestry or personal practice has involved more than one religious tradition. Using the lenses of past, present, and future, we address rabbis and other Jewish educators on best approaches for guiding such people to deepen their Jewish engagement.
Early Circumcision During a Pandemic. As the Covid pandemic intensified and some jurisdictions imposed lockdowns, it became difficult for some families to convene for a brit milah on their son’s eighth day of life. In such circumstances is it permitted to circumcise early in the hospital? How might the mitzvah of brit milah be later fulfilled, and with what liturgy? This responsum was approved by the CJLS on December 10, 2020.
Recent Video
Rabbi Justin Pines interviewed Wall Street Journal Senior Tech writer Joanna Stern and me about the issues raised in her work and my book, Torah and Technology, on the Jewish Broadcast Network. Originally aired on January 14, 2025.
Changemakers: What’s Next for Jewish Life? A Discussion on the Post-Covid Jewish World with Rabbis Sharon Brous, Menachem Creditor, Mitchel Malkus and Julie Roth, April 15, 2021.