Is it a mitzvah for an Orthodox Jew to have fresh fish for his Friday night meal? Yes, a Jew in Lemberg, Galicia argued when he was haled into court by his landlord who complained that his tenant filled his bathtub every Thursday to keep alive in it the first he bought for the Sabbath meal.
The landlord argued that this is an entirely superfluous luxury and is a wicked waste of water for which he, the landlord, has to pay. Since a religious question is involved, the judge has decided to call in religious experts to give their testimony on this matter before issuing his decision.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
