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By ChabadInfo.com Staff

Heading one of the largest privately-held real estate companies in the USA, one would expect The Lightsone Group’s CEO David Lichtenstein to be too busy to write books, especially in-depth Halachic books, but nothing can be further from the truth.

A graduate of the prestigious Mirrer Yeshiva, and an avid Lamdan, Lichtenstein took the traditional ‘Gemara Kup’ and applied it to what you read in the newspapers, taking a headline and delving into the Torah view behind world events.

The soon-to-be bestseller, ‘Headlines: Halachic Debates of Current Events‘ was published by OU Press, a division of the Orthodox Union (OU), and hit the store shelves recently, with copies being grabbed off the shelves in Judaica stores in Crown Heights and elsewhere.

In what can be termed a 21st Century Sha’alos U’tshuvos, Lichtenstein took the hottest news stories of recent years, such as the arrest of pedophiles, Gittin obtained by cattle prods, legal funds for criminals, and even the most recent development in the field of infertility, with a child having three biological mothers, and presents a thorough but easy-to-read analysis of the Halachic opinions, from the earliest sources available all the way to this generation’s leading Poskim.

As a Lubavitcher, every book is analyzed via the lens of Shlichus, looking to see if anything is relevant to Shluchim and Shlichus, both as material for Shiurim, and as an answer for pressing Halachic dilemmas.

‘Headlines’ supplies an ample amount of both, with 24 pages dedicated to a topic which has long befuddled Shluchim: Can you invite a non-Shomer Shabbos Jew for a Shabbos meal if he will drive over? Although Lichtenstein does not present a clear-cut “Yes” or “No” answer, he presented all the Halachic opinions, and solutions to this problem.

As a service to our readers and to Shluchim worldwide, OU Press has graciously shared with ChabadInfo.com the above-mentioned chapter, about the Shabbos invitations.

Print it, Read it, Enjoy it, and then make sure to head to your nearest Jewish bookstore, brick-and-mortar or online, and purchase (at least) three copies of this book, one for your office and two for your Chabad House.

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?

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