In 1980, R. Moshe Feinstein issued a harsh condemnation against cheating on the New York State Regents exam. While the question of cheating was immediately put to rest, what remained less clear was his general approach to secular studies. In this column, Moshe Kurtz explores R. Feinstein’s complicated opinions on college, medical study, and more.

Is it enough to believe that the Messiah “might” arrive soon? In this installment of "Unpacking the Iggerot," Moshe Kurtz provides us with a selection of stories and halakhic rulings that reveal R. Moshe Feinstein’s unique approach to living with a Messiah Mentality.

R. Moshe Feinstein is known for his patriotic embrace of his adopted home in the United States. But Moshe Kurtz’s closer look presents a more nuanced and skeptical version of R. Feinstein’s positions on an array of issues, including his many reservations about American public policy, and the fundamental nature of non-Jewish society.

What happens when halakha and kabbala clash? Moshe Kurtz explores how R. Moshe Feinstein either valued or objected to the incorporation of mystical and hasidic concepts into normative halakhic practice.