Judaism Articles

Article / Updated 10-19-2023

The Jewish people have made tremendous contributions in politics, law, religion, and science. Here are just a few notable Jewish thinkers — names of people you should know for their contributions to society and the modern world. David Ben-Gurion Rightfully known as Israel's founding father, David Ben-Gurion (1886–1973) led Israel's War of Independence in 1948, and then he guided the country as prime minster for the next 15 years. Ben-Gurion was a fiercely stubborn man, and his charisma and force of will often seemed to hold Israel together in difficult times. On the other hand, his decisions were not always pretty. He argued against the extreme policies of the fanatically anti-British Jewish militant group, called the Irgun, and he went so far as to order the Israeli Army to fire on and sink a ship on which they were bringing arms. A staunch socialist, passionately Jewish but not religious, Ben-Gurion became the face of Israel in the 1950s and early 1960s. Albert Einstein Albert Einstein (1879–1955), likely the best-known Jew in the modern world, was a theoretical physicist who changed the way we think about the universe. Born and raised in Germany, he was a notoriously slow learner as a child but blossomed after receiving his doctorate and landing a temporary job as a patent clerk in Bern, Switzerland. In 1905, Einstein published several revolutionary ideas, including his theory of relativity and the equation E=mc2 (establishing the relationship between energy and matter). His work earned him a Nobel Prize in 1921. The rise of the Nazi party forced Einstein to emigrate from Germany to the United States, where he became an American citizen and a professor at Princeton. Although nonobservant, he was proud of his Jewish identity. His brilliance and his humor often combined in interesting ways, as in this famous quote: "If my theory of relativity is proven successful, Germany will claim me as a German and France will declare that I am a citizen of the world. If my theory should prove to be untrue, then France will say I am a German, and Germany will say I am a Jew." Golda Meir Born in Russia and educated in America, Golda Meir (1898–1978) was a young school teacher in Milwaukee, Wisconsin when she became involved in the Zionist movement and decided to move to Palestine. She quickly became a close associate of David Ben-Gurion and soon after Israel's independence, she became Israel's first ambassador to the Soviet Union. By 1969, Meir was Prime Minister of Israel and so well known internationally that to this day, she is simply known as "Golda." As stubborn as Ben-Gurion, Golda not only opposed a Palestinian state, she also denied the existence of the Palestinian people. One favorite Golda-ism is: "Let me tell you something that we Israelis have against Moses. He took us 40 years through the desert in order to bring us to the one spot in the Middle East that has no oil!" Reb Nachman In the late 18th century, Reb Nachman (1772–1810; often called Reb Nachman of Breslov, or Bratzlav) was considered a heretic and was even excommunicated by a group of rival rabbis for his radical teachings, which became the basis of a black-hatted Hasidic sect of Judaism. Reb Nachman is now considered one of the greatest Jewish thinkers in history. Reb Nachman preached living life with joy and happiness, emphasizing the importance of ecstasy over strict intellectualism. Nachman taught that despair was the greatest sin, and Jews still sing his famous words in a popular folksong: "All the world is but a narrow bridge over which people need to cross. And the most important thing, the most crucial thing, is not to be afraid at all." Ruth Bader Ginsburg Ruth Bader Ginsburg (born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1933) became the second woman and first Jewish woman to sit on the United States Supreme Court (the first Jew on the Court was Louis Brandeis, appointed in 1916). Her parents were immigrants, and she was raised with a solid Jewish education. During her confirmation hearings, she offered the following recollection: "I grew up during World War II in a Jewish family. I have memories as a child, even before the war, of being in a car with my parents and passing a place in [Pennsylvania], a resort with a sign out in front that read: 'No dogs or Jews allowed.' Signs of that kind existed in this country during my childhood. One couldn't help but be sensitive to discrimination living as a Jew in America at the time of World War II." Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneersohn Many of the black-suited traditional Hasidic Jews that you see in America are members of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement, which was spearheaded by Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneersohn (1902–1994) in the latter half of the 20th century. Under Rabbi Schneersohn's leadership, Chabad-Lubavitch became the largest of the Hasidic groups, particularly active in working to free Russian Jews in the 1970s and 1980s, and putting representatives on college campuses. Many Lubavitchers revere Reb Schneersohn (known simply as "the Rebbe") so much that they truly believe that he was the Messiah. Zalman Schachter-Shalomi Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi (born in Poland in 1924) fled Nazi oppression and arrived in the United States as a teenager. Ordained as a Lubavitcher Hasidic rabbi, he later studied psychology and taught Jewish mysticism and the psychology of religion at Temple University. Schachter-Shalomi is considered a founder of the Jewish Renewal movement, which began in the early 1970s, intending to invigorate Jewish life with greater spirituality and celebration. Reb Zalman has long participated in interfaith dialogues, including a famous trip to India in 1997, along with a group of other Jewish leaders, to speak with the Dalai Lama. The rabbi is also known for his work on spiritual eldering, based on his 1995 book From Age-ing to Sage-ing.

Article / Updated 09-14-2023

Many non-Jews (as well as Jews who had little connection with their heritage growing up) find Yom Kippur, which literally means “The Day of Atonement,” baffling. The holiday has no Christian equivalent. But even though most Jews can’t explain why Yom Kippur resonates so deeply for them, they’re drawn to Yom Kippur services, even if it’s the only time they wander into a synagogue all year. For many Jews, Yom Kippur services provide a chance to say, “I’m still Jewish, even if I don’t know what that means.” For other Jews, Yom Kippur is the highlight of their year, a day that seems sad but is actually uplifting, a day during which “atonement” becomes “at-one-ment.” They feel an extraordinary sense of release and spiritual unity that comes with forgiveness. Seeking forgiveness from God Aside from being a holiday when people strive to let go of grudges, seek forgiveness, and unite with each other, Yom Kippur also serves as an important time to seek forgiveness from God. This High Holy Day is called the Shabbat of Shabbats, and is traditionally seen as the day on which God finalizes the judgment of all Jews each year, sealing people’s names in the Books of Life or Death. Yom Kippur is the last chance to change, to repent, and to atone before this judgment. By the time Yom Kippur rolls around, Jews are expected to have asked for forgiveness for sins against other people. The actual day of Yom Kippur is then reserved for atoning for sins against God. Of course, if you believe that God is One (and includes everything), then all our sins impact everyone on some level. Repenting When most people hear the word repentance, they think of a system in which some authority figure absolves people of their sins. In Judaism, however, there is no such authority. Jewish tradition clearly states that Yom Kippur offers a blanket forgiveness from God if (and only if) you have both repented and atoned for any wrongs. The Hebrew word for repentance is teshuvah, which signifies a psychological or emotional “turning,” resulting in a retargeting of your life. The word for “sin” in Hebrew is khet, an archery term that means “missing the mark.” The Hebrew meaning exposes an important difference between the Christian and Jewish concepts of sin. Jews don’t believe in original sin, believing instead that each person is born innocent. Judaism also believes that each person is responsible only for his or her own sins or mistakes. To a Jew, sinning means going astray, not following through, or losing focus. Certainly, lack of honesty or integrity is sinful, as is ignoring or contradicting the Jewish laws. But an unconscious or accidental omission or slight can also be considered sinful. Jewish sin isn’t just what you do; it can even be what you don’t do. For example, walking by someone in need can be considered a sin because of the missed opportunity to do a good deed. Rabbi Nachman of Bratslav said that the worst sin is despair, perhaps because it so deeply undermines faith. Jews believe that there are three ways of sinning: sinning against God (making a vow that you don’t keep or violating ritual law), sinning against another person (acting illegally, hurtfully, or deceitfully), and sinning against yourself (hiding behind addictive behavior or bringing harm to yourself). Although Yom Kippur stresses the sins against God, the High Holidays as a whole encourage people to focus on all three types of sin, providing an opportunity to actively seek and extend forgiveness, and freeing people to act with greater integrity and truthfulness in the New Year. Atonement has more to do with actually making amends, fixing something that you have broken. Just apologizing isn’t enough; you have to find a way to make reparation. A rabbi might help you discover a suitable action, but ultimately he or she can’t prescribe anything — that’s between you and the other person, or between you and God. The Talmud (record of rabbinic teachings) states that you can’t just go out and sin with the understanding that you’ll be forgiven by God on Yom Kippur. You can’t circumvent the important work of reconciliation with yourself, your family, your neighbors, and so on. Ultimately, the point of all of this is to change, to grow, and to develop. In fact, the ancient Jewish rabbis taught that you haven’t fully repented until you’re twice confronted with the opportunity to engage in the same sin, and you refuse. Although Yom Kippur is traditionally the last day to atone, Judaism ultimately says that the doors of repentance are open all the time — it’s never too late. But if there wasn’t at least a symbolic deadline, would anyone ever really get around to it? How to forgive others Jewish tradition identifies three stages in the process of forgiveness, whether you’re being forgiven or you’re forgiving others. The steps are identified by the words s’lichot (“forgiveness”), m’khilah (“letting go”), and kapparah (“atonement”). Forgiveness begins with the conscious intention to forgive. But if the process ends there, the feelings of guilt or resentment reappear when you least expect them. Letting go means, “I no longer need the past to have been any different than it was.” At this stage, you may remember the pain, but you are no longer consumed either with guilt or resentment. With atonement, you can accomplish something positive that otherwise wouldn’t have been possible. You still remember, and you still may feel the pain, but the act of atonement transforms the pain into a blessing. Observing Yom Kippur Most Jewish holidays are distinguished by what you’re supposed to do; Yom Kippur, however, is famous for what you’re not supposed to do. Tradition states that on this day Jews should refrain from bathing luxuriously (though necessary washing with cold water to remove dirt is okay), anointing themselves with perfume or moisturizers, having sex, wearing leather (the soles of shoes, specifically, though some Jews don’t wear any leather), and — probably the most-commonly observed restriction — eating or drinking. Of course, because Jews consider Yom Kippur to be like Shabbat, all the regular Shabbat restrictions apply. Fasting, but not quickly Rabbis have interpreted the fast — which lasts for 25 hours from sundown to just after sundown — in a number of ways: Some say that fasting afflicts the body (because eating is pleasurable) and thereby atones for every sin committed that hasn’t been atoned for in another way. Instead of seeing the fast as a punishment, many rabbis see it as freeing Jews from thinking about ordinary things, which allows them to focus on their prayers and the spiritual energies of the day. The fact that humans can choose to fast symbolizes the freedom of choice that gives humans a greater responsibility in the world than other animals. Yom Kippur is like the prayer before a meal, and the meal is the whole year to come. So just as you wouldn’t eat during a blessing, you don’t eat during Yom Kippur. The Talmud states that you shouldn’t fast if you’re really sick, pregnant (or recovering from giving birth), or if you’re under 13 years old. Some children refrain from eating one or two meals during the day as a way to “warm up” to the fast they’ll perform when they get older. And although tradition clearly calls for a fast from both food and fluid, some Jews do drink a little water throughout the day. No, you can’t eat at McDonald’s, even if they do serve “fast” food. Here are a few suggestions to think about if you choose to fast: Most healthy adults can last a month or more without eating. However, you do need water. If you’re going to go without fluids on Yom Kippur, make sure you drink a lot in advance. However, avoid alcohol or caffeine, which dry you out. If you’re avoiding fluids, don’t eat salty foods (pickled or smoked foods, commercial tomato sauce, and so on) the day before. Doctors report that the nausea and headaches that some people experience when fasting have nothing to do with not eating or drinking. Rather, these symptoms are generally the result of caffeine withdrawal. Laying off caffeine a day or two earlier may help significantly. Some traditional Jews bring fragrant herbs or essential oils with them to synagogue in order to nourish the soul through smell. Others find that smelling such fragrances just makes them hungrier. After the fast, don’t pig out (pun intended). It’s best to begin your “break-fast” meal with a couple glasses of juice in order to put some sugar into your bloodstream. A first-timer's guide to Yom Kippur services Yom Kippur services vary radically depending on the observance of the synagogue. A traditional Orthodox service might be wonderfully intense, but deeply indecipherable for the novice. More liberal congregations may have a much simpler makhzor (Holy Day prayer book), leaving out some of the readings and prayers in favor of more explanation or a break between services. Here are a few things to keep in mind when you show up for services: Like at Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur services require buying tickets in advance at most synagogues. If money is tight, try calling ahead to see if they offer a sliding scale. Remember that many Jews don’t wear leather shoes during Yom Kippur, and some wear no leather at all. So while most Jews wear their finest clothes, you may see people in suits or dresses wearing canvas high-tops, sneakers, or other shoes made without leather. Most Jews who attend services also fast on Yom Kippur, so if you bring any food or drink, keep it out of sight (and smell). Don’t expect the best hygiene of your neighbors on this day. Traditional Jews don’t brush their teeth or bathe on Yom Kippur. Yom Kippur is an ideal time to remember that all human beings make mistakes; the important thing is to continually review your life, learn, and grow. With this in mind, don’t worry if you can’t pronounce all the words of the prayers, or if you mess something up. By showing up and trying, you fulfill the spirit of the day. At the very end of the Yom Kippur services, when the Neilah has concluded, a member of the congregation blows one long blast on the shofar (ram’s horn). Yom Kippur is now over. Believe it or not, many Jews then stick around for the evening service, which follows immediately. Others rush for the doors in search of their break-fast meal. Either way, it’s become a tradition that after the meal, Jews go out and hammer two pieces of wood together or plant a stake in the ground to signify that they’ve begun to build a sukkah (a temporary structure) in preparation for Sukkot. Some teachers point out that this shifts attention from your own emotional and spiritual rebuilding during the High Holidays to a renewed focus on rebuilding and repairing the world around you. Honoring the light of Yom Kippur On Yom Kippur, Jewish tradition says that the day itself makes the atonement. Something about the day carries the energy of healing and forgiveness and touches on the deeply human need for the release of guilt and resentment. In the eighteenth century, an Italian kabbalistic scholar named Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto wrote that, “Any great light that radiated at a certain time, when that time comes around again, the radiance of that light will shine again … and be available for whoever is there to receive it.” Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, is such a time of radiant light — the radiant light of forgiveness. If the day itself carries such energy, then the task of the participant is to allow herself to be fully present, to allow himself to be available for the healing influences of the moment.

Article / Updated 08-31-2023

Rosh Hashanah — the Jewish new year — and Yom Kippur (which follows ten days later) are together called the "High Holidays." They are among the most important and holiest days of the Jewish year. For over 2,000 years, the High Holidays have been celebrated as a time for judgment, remembrance, and teshuvah ("return" or "repentance"). While every other Jewish holiday commemorates a transition in nature or a historic event, the High Holidays don't — they focus on people and their relationship with God. What Rosh Hashanah means While new year's celebrations in most cultures are boisterous events, Rosh Hashanah is a solemn time — solemn, but not sad. In fact, there's great happiness on this day, but this happiness is typically honored in quiet ways because of the focus on judgment. To reflect this solemnity, Rosh Hashanah is also called Yom Ha-Zikaron ("The Day of Remembrance") and Yom Ha-Din ("The Day of Judgment"). Rosh Hashanah is the time to pull out your calendar, review your year, and consider how you might have wronged others or might be falling short of your potential. It's a time to judge yourself and your actions over the preceding year. The most important aspect of Rosh Hashanah isn't the judgment, though, but the teshuvah, the return, renewal, or repentance that each Jew is called to. This isn't just another "I promise to do better in the future" kind of response. It's a serious stab at beginning the process of forgiveness and of forgiving others. The process continues through Yom Kippur. Teshuvah: Getting back on track Perhaps the most important aspect of Rosh Hashanah isn’t the judgment, but the teshuvah — the return, renewal, or repentance that each Jew is called to. This isn’t just another “I promise to do better in the future” kind of response. Instead, teshuvah is a serious stab at beginning the process of forgiveness and of forgiving others. The process continues through Yom Kippur. Tradition teaches that there are three primary ways to repent: deep prayer, change of conduct, and gifts to charity. However, as Rabbi Soleveitchik, the founder of Modern Orthodox Judaism noted, the main path of repentance is confession — telling the truth, whether to yourself, to God, or to another person. Of course, Judaism has no mechanism for anyone to grant you absolution; sins against another person must be forgiven by that person, and sins against God … well, that’s strictly between you and God. Ultimately, the goal of teshuvah is to let go of the past — through self-judgment, making amends, and so on — to make room for what is coming in the new year. Rosh Hashanah arrives like a wake-up call just before winter, offering a chance to renew and refresh your intentions, your priorities, and your sense of spiritual connectedness. The 40-day plan Judaism recognizes that you can’t be expected to undertake this kind of major life review in just one day, so tradition calls for a 40-day plan. Just as the Jewish day always begins at sundown, the year begins at the waning of summer, when winter is approaching (in the Northern Hemisphere, at least). The cycle begins in the last month of the year, Elul (which has 29 days), and then ends 10 days after Rosh Hashanah, on Yom Kippur. Tradition says that after Moses smashed the first set of tablets (when he found the Jews dancing around the golden calf idol) he ascended the mountain for the second time on the first of Elul. That meant that he descended with the second tablets (40 days later) on what would become Yom Kippur. (Those of you who love math may have noticed that this adds up to only 39 days. However, Jews celebrate the day of Rosh Chodesh Elul — the beginning of the month of Elul —one day before the month, making it a total of 40.) Celebrating Rosh Hashanah Rosh Hashanah is a holiday of several “only’s.” It is the only Jewish holiday that falls on a new moon, that Jews blow the shofar horn more than once (traditionally for a hundred blasts), and that lasts two days in and outside of Israel. Actually, these days, while Conservative and Orthodox synagogues typically celebrate for two days, most Reform Jews only observe Rosh Hashanah for a single day. The High Holidays are among the most important celebrations of the year, and for many less-observant Jews, this may be the only time they set foot in a synagogue all year. Surprisingly, there’s very little unique ritual involved in either Rosh Hashanah or Yom Kippur. The Bible states that you should blow a ram’s horn on Rosh Hashanah. That doesn’t take very long, so then what? You pray. And, oy, are there a lot of prayers! The celebration begins with a lighting of candles at sundown (usually at home) and saying two blessings: the yom tov (“holiday”) blessing and the Sheh-heh-khi-yanu blessing (see Appendix B). Then, everyone heads off for the evening service at the synagogue. Remember that many traditional Jews attend services at the synagogue every night (see Chapter 3), and this service is simply an extension of the “regular” service, with additional prayers and readings (which we discuss in a moment). At the synagogue, the Torah covers, the curtain of the ark, and the reading table (where the Torah will be placed) are often covered with white as a sign of purity, and many Jews also dress in white at services. Although most Jews dress nicely for services year-round, for some this is one of the great social events of the year, and they may dress in their very best for the evening. Finally, after the evening service (on both nights), it’s customary to eat sweet foods — especially apples dipped in honey — and toast to “a good and sweet year.” Similarly, people eat challah (often with raisins or dipped in honey to make it sweeter) that has been baked in round loaves. (Round foods symbolize the cyclical nature of life.) Some Jews add foods to their table based on puns. For example, if you invite a single friend to dinner, you might offer dates with the wish, “May you have many good dates this year.” People also eat tsimmis (a sweet casserole that’s often made with carrots, sweet potatoes, and dried fruits such as prunes) or kugel (a sweet noodle pudding that acts best as a dessert; see the kugel recipe later in this chapter if you want to make your own). Just thinking about this stuff makes us hungry. Jews typically go to Rosh Hashanah services both in the evening and the next day (especially the morning service and the additional Musaf service that follows it). Then they repeat the whole thing for the second day (with a few minor changes in the readings). Saying 'Happy New Year' to your Jewish friends There are various ways to wish your Jewish friends a happy new year: Shanah Tovah is Hebrew for "Happy New Year." L'shanah tovah tikateyvu v'tichatemu is a Hebrew blessing meaning "May you be inscribed and sealed for a good year." Others just use the Yiddish Gut Yuntoff ("Good Holiday") or Gut Yor! ("A Good Year"). It's also traditional to send Shanah Tovah cards to friends and relatives. Blowing your horn Nothing says “Wake up!” more than hearing a ram’s horn blown during the Musaf service on Rosh Hashanah day. And it’s not just blown once — it’s traditionally blown 100 times in varying ways and times throughout the service. Usually one person is given the honor of blowing the shofar, but sometimes more than one person blows at the same time, or they take turns blowing. In ancient days the shofar was blown quite often (to signal a fast or the beginning of a holiday, and so on), but these days the shofar is usually only blown during Elul (once a day), on Rosh Hashanah (a lot), and on Yom Kippur (once, at the end of the holiday). However, to say that it’s just “blown” doesn’t do the act justice. Various ways of blowing on the shofar have specific meanings: Tekiah: One long note like an alarm Shevarim: Three medium blasts Teruah: Eight quick staccato notes followed by one slightly longer blast Each of these “notes” evokes a different sense of crying: sorrowful moaning, grievous wailing, or sharp sobbing. The sounds resonate not only in sad ways, though; for many Jews, the blasts of the shofar are indescribably beautiful and moving. During the Musaf service, one person quietly calls out the order of the pattern, which is printed in the makhzor (like, “tekiah, teruah-shevarim, tekiah,” and so on). The last note of the pattern is always a tekiah gedolah, which is a particularly long blow, usually ending with a more forceful blast at the end. Here are a few things to think about when listening to the shofar: According to the Bible, the sound the ancient Hebrews heard at Mount Sinai was the blast of a shofar. Curiously, the tradition requires Jews to hear the sounds of the shofar, not to blow the horn themselves. Abraham sacrificed a ram after God spared Isaac (see Chapter 11). Tradition holds that God blew one of the ram’s horns at Sinai and will blow the other horn to announce the coming of the messiah. For those who aren’t into the idea of an external, redeeming messiah, the shofar blast is like a taste of what it’s like to be really wide awake and aware in a “messianic consciousness,” a taste of expanded love and compassion which marks the messianic time. Some folks think of the shofar as an alarm, warning people to wake up and turn their lives around. Others see it as piercing the shell that has hardened around their hearts in the previous year. Focus on the sound, remembering that though words and melodies have changed over centuries, the sound of the shofar remains a constant. Note that traditional congregations don’t blow the shofar when Rosh Hashanah falls on Shabbat.

Article / Updated 10-18-2022

The Ten Commandments may be the most well-known part of the Torah. Interestingly, two versions of the Ten Commandments exist in the Torah: one in the book of Exodus and one in the book of Dueteronomy. The Ten Commandments according to Jewish tradition also differ from the Ten Commandments of various Christian denominations. The following Ten Commandments are from the book of Exodus in the Torah: I am the Lord your God. "I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of slavery." (Exodus 20:2) You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself an idol. "You shall not recognize other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth." (Exodus 20:3–4) You shall not take the name of God in vain. "You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain." (Exodus 20:7) Remember and observe the Sabbath and keep it holy. "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God; you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant, your animal or your stranger within your gates." (Exodus 20:8–10) Honor your father and mother. "Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be prolonged in the land which the Lord your God gives you." (Exodus 20:12) You shall not murder. "You shall not murder." (Exodus 20:13) You shall not commit adultery. "You shall not commit adultery." (Exodus 20:13) You shall not steal. "You shall not steal." (Exodus 20:13) You shall not bear false witness. "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor." (Exodus 20:13) You shall not covet your neighbor's wife or house. "You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife or his male servant or his female servant or his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor." (Exodus 20:14)

Article / Updated 03-29-2022

Passover is both the most-celebrated Jewish holiday of the year and the holiday voted most likely to elicit a groan. People groan when they consider Passover's dietary requirements. They groan when they think of all the preparations. They even groan when they remember how much they overate during Passover last year. But the real irony behind the moaning, groaning, and kvetching is that in some ways this is exactly what you’re supposed to feel at this time of year. Passover is a celebration of spring, of birth and rebirth, of a journey from slavery to freedom, and of taking responsibility for yourself, the community, and the world. However, strangely enough, none of this taking of responsibility gets done without groaning. It was with groaning that the Hebrews expressed the pain of their ancient enslavement in Egypt more than 3,300 years ago. It was with groaning that they called attention to their plight. So groan, already! The Torah states that Jews are to observe Passover for seven days, beginning on the 15th of the Jewish month Nisan (usually in April). The first night always includes a special seder (ritual dinner). Plus, traditional Jews outside of Israel don’t work on either the first two or the last two days of the seven-day period. Outside of Israel, Jews celebrate a second seder on the second night of Passover. You can think of Passover as honoring the renewal of the sun (it’s always on the first full moon after the Vernal Equinox), or a time to step firmly into springtime. You can also think of Passover as celebrating the Jewish people’s “birth certificate” and “Declaration of Independence.” Or you can think of it as memorializing something that God did for the Jews 3,300 years ago. However, to make any celebration or ritual truly meaningful, you must find a way to make it personal. Even Moses — and later the rabbis of the Talmud — recognized this when they instructed the Jewish people how to celebrate Passover. The key isn’t only to tell the story of the Exodus, or even to compare your life to the story of the Exodus, but to actually personalize the history: feel the feelings and experience the sensations of this journey. In this way, the Jewish people as individuals and as a people move forward. Everything a person does during Passover aids this process. Jewish people have four Hebrew names for Passover, each pointing to a particular aspect of the holiday. The most common Hebrew name is Pesach, which is usually translated as “passing over,” as the Angel of Death passed over the homes of the Jews in Egypt. (Killing the Egyptian first-born was the tenth plague, and it convinced the Pharaoh to release the Hebrews from slavery.) But there are three more Hebrew names for Passover: Chag Ha-matzot (“Festival of Unleavened Breads”), Z’man Cheiruteinu (“The Time of Liberation”), and Chag Ha-aviv (“Festival of Spring”).

Cheat Sheet / Updated 03-14-2022

The Torah (the Five Books of Moses) is the essential book of Judaism and a manual for living. If you don't read Hebrew, study an English translation so you can understand and follow the basic principles to guide personal behavior and the Ten Commandments (taken from the Book of Exodus).

Cheat Sheet / Updated 02-22-2022

Understanding Judaism begins with looking at significant historical events that shaped the Jewish culture and learning the Hebrew alphabet, Jewish blessings, and Jewish words and phrases.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

It isn't surprising that the Torah places great value on the family unit; after all, the Jewish people as a whole are considered to be a family, as implied by the phrase "the Children of Israel." Even though a few million people stood at Mount Sinai to receive the Torah, the entire group knew itself to be one large family, with all descended from Jacob, the patriarch. In a sense, the entire Torah is really the rules and history of one large family, but within the Torah you find many specific commandments designed to regulate the individual family unit. Be fruitful and multiply The Torah contains 613 commandments, and the first one found in the first chapter of the first book is the commandment to have children: "And God blessed them, and God said to them, 'Be fruitful and multiply and fill the land and conquer it, and you shall rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the sky, and all the animals that move upon the earth'" (Genesis 1:28). Honor your father and mother Honoring your father and your mother is known in Hebrew as kibbud av v'em (kih-bood ahv vah-eem). It's one of the Ten Commandments, but there are other verses in the Torah that also concern themselves with how to treat your parents. They are as follows: "Honor your father and your mother in order that your days shall be lengthened upon this land that the Lord your God has given you." (Exodus 20:12) "He who smites his father or his mother shall surely be put to death." (Exodus 21:15) "He who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death." (Exodus 21:17) "A man, his mother and his father shall he fear, and my Sabbaths shall he guard, I am the Lord your God." (Leviticus 19:3) Just married? Take a year off An unusual set of commandments in the Torah pertains to a newly married couple. The Torah teaches that a newly married husband shall be free for one year to rejoice with his wife: "When a man takes a new wife, he shall not enter military service, nor shall he be charged with any business; he shall be free for his house one year, and shall cheer his wife whom he has taken" (Deuteronomy 24:5). The wife's rights are just as important as the husband's The Torah protects the rights of wives in many ways. To mention just one example, Jewish law states that if a husband wants to change careers, his wife can forbid him to do so if it means that he will be away from home more often and therefore will not be able to make love as often as the wife would like. The Torah states, "If he takes a wife, her food, her clothing, and her conjugal rights, he shall not diminish" (Exodus 21:10). Steer clear of forbidden relationships According to the Torah, sexual relations are confined to being between a husband and wife. It's forbidden to have sex with another person outside of the marriage as well as to have sex with an animal. Here are the relevant verses: "And you shall not lie carnally with your neighbor's wife, to defile yourself with her" (Leviticus 18:20). Note that although the technical definition of adultery according to the Torah only pertains to the wife, tradition also forbids extramarital relations by the husband because, at one time, polygamy was a common practice. "And you shall not lie with any beast to defile yourself with it; neither shall any woman stand before a beast, to lie down with it; it is perversion." (Leviticus 18:23)

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

Judaism, a religion that focuses far more on deeds than on beliefs, is a practice, too. Because Judaism is a set of practices, it's called a Way of Life. These practices, particularly when they are vehicles through which an individual connects more consciously to God, are called mitzvot (mitz VOTE; plural of mitzvah). The word mitzvah means "commandment," or "religious act." Mitzvot consist of ritual as well as ethical acts, and they follow from the codifications of principles from the Torah. Some practices fall under the category of minhag (custom), like wearing the head covering (kippah or yarmulka). Undoubtedly the most famous mitzvot are those called "The Ten Commandments" or the "Decalogue." The Bible never refers to them specifically as "commandments," perhaps because they were seen as so basic and fundamental to the community. (The ten principles, when numbered according to Jewish tradition, differ slightly from the Christian numbering.) For traditionalists, the answer to the question "Why perform mitzvot?" is easy. They say the commandments of the Torah represent the Will of God. However, even traditionalists make exceptions in life-threatening situations, when one is required to let go of the mitzvot and save life. The exceptions to that exception are the mitzvot prohibiting idolatry, murder, and adultery (or incest.) Going to shul/synagogue/Temple You may have heard people talk about "going to Temple" to pray or worship. However, most Jews don't call the house of worship "Temple," preferring instead to reserve that word for The Temple in Jerusalem (the one that was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 B.C.E., rebuilt and then destroyed by the Romans in 70 C.E.). Some Reform congregations still use "Temple," but it's becoming rare. Today, English-speaking Jews tend to call the Jewish place of worship a "synagogue." Many people also use the Yiddish word shul (from the German word for "school"). Every synagogue is different in physical style, attitude, and even practice. You can find similarities, however, such as where the Torah is kept and what sorts of clergy you'll find there. In every synagogue you usually find the following three items: The Aron Kodesh is the ark that holds the Torah scrolls. In Western countries, it's always on the east wall (so, facing it, you're facing Jerusalem). The Ner Tamid is the "eternal light," which often burns above the ark. This symbolizes the menorah from the ancient Temple. The bimah (a raised platform), where the Torah is read and the service is led. Synagogues, for the most part, reflect the sanctuary style of the dominant culture. For example, many synagogues in the Middle East look almost like mosques, and those in England tend to look more like churches. However, you rarely see statues of animals or people in a synagogue because of the commandment "Thou shalt not make graven images!" (One notable exception is the often-seen "Lion of Judah," the insignia of the ancient Kingdom of Judea.) Who's who at shul Many people behind the scenes help make worship services run, but the focus is usually on two people: the rabbi and the cantor. The rabbi While a rabbi is not necessary to conduct religious services, most congregations do employ one. The rabbi is also an educator, a counselor, and the officiator at life-cycle events like baby-namings, Bar or Bat Mitzvah ceremonies, weddings, and funerals. It generally takes over five years of post-graduate work to become a rabbi. The cantor In a traditional synagogue, the cantor (chazan in Hebrew) actually leads worship services. In most other synagogues, the cantor performs solo musical prayer selections and leads community singing. Cantors bring great musical and liturgical depth to the community. There are specific training programs for cantors, usually associated with the various rabbinical schools. A brief guide to what's kosher The word kosher is so well-known that it's become part of the common English language, meaning something that's allowed, legal, or proper. However, in Judaism, kosher almost exclusively relates to food: what Jews are and are not allowed to eat. The Jewish dietary laws are called kashrut, and they're so complex that whole volumes have been written on them. Following is a sampling of these rules: Animals with cloven hooves that chew their cud are kosher, including cattle, sheep, goats, and deer. Other mammals, like pigs, camels, and hares, aren't kosher. Not only are they not to be eaten, but no products that derive from them are kosher. Certain procedures must be followed to ensure a humane slaughter. For example, the animal's throat must be cut by a trained ritual slaughterer, using a single slice of an extremely sharp knife that has no nicks. Certain parts of animals aren't kosher, like the sciatic nerve in the hindquarters. Unfortunately, not only are these parts difficult to remove, they also include some of the choicest cuts, which is why it's rare to find kosher filet mignon, rump and sirloin steaks, leg of lamb, or London broil. Seafood is kosher as long as it has fins and scales. Shellfish like lobsters, oysters, shrimp, octopus, clams, and crabs are forbidden. Some fish, like swordfish and sturgeon, have scales that are questionable, so they're usually considered not kosher. Domesticated fowl — chicken, turkey, quail, Cornish hens, doves, geese, duck, and pheasant — are kosher, but birds of prey (like eagles and hawks) are not. All reptiles, insects, and amphibians are not kosher. Note that some food additives and colorings are made from insects, so those items are prohibited, too. Kashrut laws extend to any item that Jews eat, or that touches the food that Jews eat, so you may even hear of kosher aluminum foil or plastic bags, which ensure that the manufacturer used only kosher organic oils in the process of pressing the foil or making the bags. Similarly, most hard cheeses contain rennet, which is often obtained from the stomach linings of non-kosher animals, making the whole cheese non-kosher. The reasons behind kosher Everyone loves to conjecture why or how these laws came about. Some say they're for health reasons — because under-cooked pork can carry disease, for example — but this explanation is unlikely. Here are a few possibilities to chew on. First, maintaining specific dietary regulations strengthens and defines the integrity of a group. A community that shares requirements for eating tends to stay together. Similarly, eating practices can help identify the line between one tribe and another. For example, some scholars believe the prohibition against eating pork resulted from the desire to be different from the neighboring tribes. Kashrut also forces Jews to be forever thoughtful of what they put into their bodies. Many meditative traditions encourage mindful eating, but Judaism turns it into a law. In this way, Jews show that humans can make choices from free will rather than catering to every desire. Kashrut is a discipline, a practice, that many Jews believe elevates eating to a religious ritual. Jewish tradition recognizes that all life is holy, and no animal should be killed carelessly or painfully.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

While some religious traditions forbid divorce, Judaism does not. In the Torah, divorce is viewed as a common and acceptable occurrence (Deuteronomy 24:1–4), and although the Talmud teaches that the "altar in heaven weeps" on the occasion of a divorce, there's no requirement that a husband and wife continue their marriage if they're miserable together. A Jewish marriage has two levels: One is spiritual, and the other is down-to-earth and quite practical. The practical aspect of marriage is reflected in the fact that Jewish marriages are finalized by a contract. The contract is mostly about the rights of the parties and the terms if a divorce occurs. Yes, when a Jewish couple gets married, they sign a document that has a lot to do with what happens in the case of a divorce. When a divorce occurs, the marriage contract is fulfilled and then destroyed, severing both the spiritual and the physical connections between the two people. Here are some rules of divorce according to the Torah: A man may not divorce his wife concerning whom he has published an evil report (about her unchastity) before marriage. "And they shall fine him a hundred shekels of silver, and give them to the father of the woman, because he has brought an evil name upon a virgin of Israel; and she shall be his wife; he may not divorce her all his days." (Deuteronomy 22:19) A divorce must be enacted by a formal written document. "When a man takes a wife, and marries her, then it comes to pass that she does not find favor in his eyes, because he has found something unseemly in her, then he writes her a bill of divorce, and gives it in her hand, and sends her out of his house." (Deuteronomy 24:1) The topic of divorce provides a good example of how the Torah can't simply be read literally. Deuteronomy 24:1 makes it seem as though only a husband can initiate a divorce. The fact is that the Oral Torah explains how both husband and wife have rights and responsibilities in a marriage, including the right to go to a Jewish court to request that the marriage be dissolved. A man who divorced his wife shall not remarry her if she married another man after the divorce. "Her former husband, who sent her away, may not take her again to be his wife. After that she is defiled, for that is an abomination before the Lord, and you shall not cause sin in the land which the Lord thy God gives you as an inheritance." (Deuteronomy 24:4)