Beginners Guide for the Major Jewish Texts: Torah, Mishnah, Talmud
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Jewish Perspectives on Reproductive Realities by Rabbi Lori Koffman, NCJW Board Director and Chair of NCJW’S Reproductive Health, Rights and Justice Initiative
Jewish Perspectives on Reproductive Realities By Rabbi Lori Koffman, NCJW Board Director and Chair of NCJW’s Reproductive Health, Rights and Justice Initiative A note on the content below: We acknowledge that this document invokes heavily gendered language due to the prevailing historic male voices in Jewish rabbinic and biblical perspectives, and the fact that Hebrew (the language in which these laws originated) is a gendered language. We also recognize some of these perspectives might be in contradiction with one another and with some of NCJW’s approaches to the issues of reproductive health, rights, and justice. Background Family planning has been discussed in Judaism for several thousand years. From the earliest of the ‘sages’ until today, a range of opinions has existed — opinions which can be in tension with one another and are constantly evolving. Historically these discussions have assumed that sexual intimacy happens within the framework of heterosexual marriage. A few fundamental Jewish tenets underlie any discussion of Jewish views on reproductive realities. • Protecting an existing life is paramount, even when it means a Jew must violate the most sacred laws.1 • Judaism is decidedly ‘pro-natalist,’ and strongly encourages having children. The duty of procreation is based on one of the earliest and often repeated obligations of the Torah, ‘pru u’rvu’, 2 to be ‘fruitful and multiply.’ This fundamental obligation in the Jewish tradition is technically considered only to apply to males. Of course, Jewish attitudes toward procreation have not been shaped by Jewish law alone, but have been influenced by the historic communal trauma (such as the Holocaust) and the subsequent yearning of some Jews to rebuild community through Jewish population growth. -
Rosh Hashanah Jewish New Year
ROSH HASHANAH JEWISH NEW YEAR “The LORD spoke to Moses, saying: Speak to the Israelite people thus: In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall observe complete rest, a sacred occasion commemorated with loud blasts. You shall not work at your occupations; and you shall bring an offering by fire to the LORD.” (Lev. 23:23-25) ROSH HASHANAH, the first day of the seventh month (the month of Tishri), is celebrated as “New Year’s Day”. On that day the Jewish people wish one another Shanah Tovah, Happy New Year. ש נ ָׁהָׁטוֹב ָׁה Rosh HaShanah, however, is more than a celebration of a new calendar year; it is a new year for Sabbatical years, a new year for Jubilee years, and a new year for tithing vegetables. Rosh HaShanah is the BIRTHDAY OF THE WORLD, the anniversary of creation—a fourfold event… DAY OF SHOFAR BLOWING NEW YEAR’S DAY One of the special features of the Rosh HaShanah prayer [ רֹאשָׁהַש נה] Rosh HaShanah THE DAY OF SHOFAR BLOWING services is the sounding of the shofar (the ram’s horn). The shofar, first heard at Sinai is [זִכְּ רוֹןָׁתְּ רּועה|יוֹםָׁתְּ רּועה] Zikaron Teruah|Yom Teruah THE DAY OF JUDGMENT heard again as a sign of the .coming redemption [יוֹםָׁהַדִ ין] Yom HaDin THE DAY OF REMEMBRANCE THE DAY OF JUDGMENT It is believed that on Rosh [יוֹםָׁהַזִכְּ רוֹן] Yom HaZikaron HaShanah that the destiny of 1 all humankind is recorded in ‘the Book of Life’… “…On Rosh HaShanah it is written, and on Yom Kippur it is sealed, how many will leave this world and how many will be born into it, who will live and who will die.. -
A USER's MANUAL Part 1: How Is Halakhah Organized?
TORAHLEADERSHIP.ORG RABBI ARYEH KLAPPER HALAKHAH: A USER’S MANUAL Part 1: How is Halakhah Organized? I. How is Halakhah Organized? 4 case studies a. Mishnah Berakhot 1:1, and gemara thereupon b. Support of the poor Peiah, Bava Batra, Matnot Aniyyim, Yoreh Deah) c. Conversion ?, Yevamot, Issurei Biah, Yoreh Deah) d. Mourning Moed Qattan, Shoftim, Yoreh Deiah) Mishnah Berakhot 1:1 From what time may one recite the Shema in the evening? From the hour that the kohanim enter to eat their terumah Until the end of the first watch, in the opinion of Rabbi Eliezer. The Sages say: Until midnight. Rabban Gamliel says: Until morning. It happened that his sons came from a wedding feast. They said to him: We have not yet recited the Shema. He said to them: If it has not yet morned, you are obligated to recite it. Babylonian Talmud Berakhot 2a What is the context of the Mishnah’s opening “From when”? Also, why does it teach about the evening first, rather than about the morning? The context is Scripture saying “when you lie down and when you arise” (Devarim 6:7, 11:9). what the Mishnah intends is: “The time of the Shema of lying-down – when is it?” Alternatively: The context is Creation, as Scripture writes “There was evening and there was morning”. Mishnah Berakhot 1:1 (continued) Not only this – rather, everything about which the Sages say until midnight – their mitzvah is until morning. The burning of fats and organs – their mitzvah is until morning. All sacrifices that must be eaten in a day – their mitzvah is until morning. -
The Seder Olam
January 1997 Frank W. Nelte THE SEDER OLAM PART 1 GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE SEDER OLAM In an attempt to support the use of the Jewish calendar, appeals have been made to the Jewish historic document known as "The Seder Olam". The Hebrew word "seder" means "order, arrangement". It is used only once in the Bible, in the plural, in Job 10:22 where it is translated as "order". The Hebrew word "olam" is used 439 times in the O.T. and translated in the KJV as "ever" 272 times, as "everlasting" 63 times, as "old" 22 times, as "evermore" 15 times, as "world" 4 times, etc.. In Gesenius' Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon to the Old Testament "olam" is defined as: "what is hidden, specially hidden in time, long, the beginning or end of which is either uncertain or else not defined, eternity, perpetuity", etc.. Gesenius continues to point out that "olam" is used to refer to ... "the world, from the Chaldee and RABBINIC usage, like the Greek word 'aion'". So the rabbinic expression "Seder Olam" basically means "THE ORDER OF THE WORLD". There are TWO midrashic chronological works known as "Seder Olam". They are known as "Seder Olam Rabbah" ("The Great Seder Olam") and as "Seder Olam Zuta" ("The Small Seder Olam"). The Seder Olam Rabbah is the earlier one (2nd century A.D.) and the one on which the later Seder Olam Zuta (6th to 8th century A.D.) is based. One more word we need to clarify is the word "Midrash", so we know what is meant by a "midrashic work". -
Designing the Talmud: the Origins of the Printed Talmudic Page
Marvin J. Heller The author has published Printing the Talmud: A History of the Earliest Printed Editions of the Talmud. DESIGNING THE TALMUD: THE ORIGINS OF THE PRINTED TALMUDIC PAGE non-biblical Jewish work,i Its redaction was completed at the The Talmudbeginning is indisputablyof the fifth century the most and the important most important and influential commen- taries were written in the middle ages. Studied without interruption for a milennium and a half, it is surprising just how significant an eftèct the invention of printing, a relatively late occurrence, had upon the Talmud. The ramifications of Gutenberg's invention are well known. One of the consequences not foreseen by the early practitioners of the "Holy Work" and commonly associated with the Industrial Revolution, was the introduction of standardization. The spread of printing meant that distinct scribal styles became generic fonts, erratic spellngs became uni- form and sequential numbering of pages became standard. The first printed books (incunabula) were typeset copies of manu- scripts, lacking pagination and often not uniform. As a result, incunabu- la share many characteristics with manuscripts, such as leaving a blank space for the first letter or word to be embellshed with an ornamental woodcut, a colophon at the end of the work rather than a title page, and the use of signatures but no pagination.2 The Gutenberg Bibles, for example, were printed with blank spaces to be completed by calligra- phers, accounting for the varying appearance of the surviving Bibles. Hebrew books, too, shared many features with manuscripts; A. M. Habermann writes that "Conats type-faces were cast after his own handwriting, . -
“IN the BAG” Iences Today Enjoyed by Ed Matters
ww ww VOLUME s h / NO. 5 SHEVAT 5766 / FEBRUARY 2006 s xc THEDaf HaKashrus A MONTHLY NEWSLETTER FOR THEU RABBINIC FIELD REPRESENTATIVE AND DAF NOTES: For over a year, on a weekly basis, the U has provided the announced that these high quality articles will be collected and pub- popular Hamodia newspaper with a quality Kashruth article written by U lished by the OU as a book in the near future. Kashruth personnel. These articles appeared in a column entitled Kashrus Anyone interested in contributing future articles should contact Kaleidoscope. The responsibility of providing these excellent articles to Hamodia Rabbi Buchbinder by phone at 212-613-8344, fax 212-613-0720 or was superbly shouldered by Rabbi Avram Ossey. This responsibility has now been email [email protected]. assumed by Rabbi Gad Buchbinder. He will be ably assisted by the editorial board The Daf HaKashrus is pleased to publish, with permission, the fol- consisting of Rabbis Luban, Cohen, Price, Gorelik and Scheiner who previously lowing pertinent article by Rabbi Dovid Bistricer which first assisted Rabbi Ossey as well. appeared in Hamodia. It discusses leafy vegetables and insect infes- At a recent Kashruth staff meeting, Rabbi Genack announced the awarding of an tation – an issue which has recently been widely discussed here in honorarium of $200 to any RC or RFR whose article is henceforth accepted by the America. OU to be included in this column, subject to certain conditions. He also ages of up to 60 insects per 100 grams in frozen broccoli, and up to 50 insects per 100 grams of frozen spinach (See Food, Drug, and Cosmetics Act 402 (a)(3)). -
Jewish Eugenics, and Other Essays
JEWISH EUGENICS AND OTHER ESSAYS THREE PAPERS READ BEFORE THE NEW YORK BOARD OF JEWISH MINISTERS 1915 I JEWISH EUGENICS By Rabbi Max Reichler II THE DEFECTIVE IN JEWISH LAW AND LITERATURE By Rabbi Joel Blau III CAPITAL PUNISHMENT AMONG THE JEWS By Rev. Dr. D. de Sola Pool NEW YORK BLOCH PUBLISHING COMPANY 1916 <=> k Copyright, 1916, by BLOCH PUBLISHING COMPANY CONTENTS I. Jewish Eugenics 7 II. The Defective in Jewish Law and Literature 23 III. Capital Punishment Among the Jews . 53 424753 Jewish Eugenics Rabbi Max Reichler. B. A. JEWISH EUGENICS Who knows the cause of Israel's survival? Why- did the Jew survive the onslaughts of Time, when others, numerically and politically stronger, suc- cumbed? Obedience to the Law of Life, declares the modern student of eugenics, was the saving quality which rendered the Jewish race immune from disease and destruction. "The Jews, ancient and modern," says Dr. Stanton Coit, "have always understood the science of eugenics, and have gov- erned themselves in accordance with it; hence the 1 preservation of the Jewish race." I. Jewish Attitude To be sure eugenics as a science could hardly have existed among the ancient Jews; but many eugenic rules were certainly incorporated in the large collection of Biblical and Rabbinical laws. Indeed there are clear indications of a conscious effort to utilize all influences that might improve the inborn qualities of the Jewish race, and to guard against any practice that might vitiate the purity of 1 Ci. also Social Direction of Human Evolution, by Prof. William E. Kellicott, 1911, p. -
Daf Ditty Pesachim 78: Korban Pesach Today (?)
Daf Ditty Pesachim 78: Korban Pesach today (?) Three girls in Israel were detained by the Israeli Police (2018). The girls are activists of the “Return to the Mount” (Chozrim Lahar) movement. Why were they detained? They had posted Arabic signs in the Muslim Quarter calling upon Muslims to leave the Temple Mount area until Friday night, in order to allow Jews to bring the Korban Pesach. This is the fourth time that activists of the movement will come to the Old City on Erev Pesach with goats that they plan to bring as the Korban Pesach. There is also an organization called the Temple Institute that actively is trying to bring back the Korban Pesach. It is, of course, very controversial and the issues lie at the heart of one of the most fascinating halachic debates in the past two centuries. 1 The previous mishnah was concerned with the offering of the paschal lamb when the people who were to slaughter it and/or eat it were in a state of ritual impurity. Our present mishnah is concerned with a paschal lamb which itself becomes ritually impure. Such a lamb may not be eaten. (However, we learned incidentally in our study of 5:3 that the blood that gushed from the lamb's throat at the moment of slaughter was collected in a bowl by an attendant priest and passed down the line so that it could be sprinkled on the altar). Our mishnah states that if the carcass became ritually defiled, even if the internal organs that were to be burned on the altar were intact and usable the animal was an invalid sacrifice, it could not be served at the Seder and the blood should not be sprinkled. -
Jewishness, Birth and Giyyur
1 Zvi Zohar All Jews are Jews by Birth Biblical and Rabbinic Judaism agree, that anyone born to the appropriate Jewish parent – is Jewish. To most Jews, it sounds quite reasonable for Jewishness to derive from birth. However, such a determination is far from self-evident. Consider a counter-example: if a person was born on a kibbutz, and her two parents are members of the kibbutz, she is not automatically a member. Rather, upon reaching a certain age, she must decide if she wishes to apply for membership. If she applies, her application comes up for discussion by the kibbutz assembly, who then decide the matter by a vote. While it is reasonable to assume that a child born and grown on the kibbutz will be accepted for membership if she applies, it is not automatic. The important point (in the current context) is, that her membership is contingent upon at least two decisions: her decision to apply, and the assembly’s decision to accept her. In contrast, Jewishness is not contingent upon any person’s decision, but is regarded by tradition as a ‘fact of birth’. The sources of this self-understanding are very ancient: in the Bible, the Israelites are the “Children of Israel”, i.e., the lineal descendents of the Patriarch Jacob and his twelve sons. In the bible, then, the People of Israel are made up of persons born into a (very) extended family. Some notions accepted in Biblical times were abrogated or modified by the Oral Torah (Torah she- b’al peh); significantly, the concept of the familial nature of Jewishness was not only retained, but also even reinforced. -
G B a W H D F J Z by Ay Y
This is the Path Twelve Step in a Jewish Context g b a w h d f j z by ay y Rabbi Rami Shapiro 1 –––––––––––––––– 12 Steps in a Jewish Context This is the Path © 2005 by Rabbi Rami M. Shapiro. All rights reserved. Any part of this manual may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or any retrieval system, without the written permission of the author as long as credit is given to the author and mention is made of the Gerushin Workshop for which this manual was created. 2 –––––––––––––––– 12 Steps in a Jewish Context 1 INTRODUCTION Then your Guide will no more be ignored, and your eyes will watch your Guide, and whenever you deviate to the right or to the left, your ears will heed the command from behind you: "This is the path, follow it!" - Isaiah 30:20-21 Over the past few years, I have come into contact with ever greater numbers of Jews involved in Twelve Step Programs. I am always eager to listen to the spiritual trials these people undergo and am amazed at and inspired by their courage. Often, as the conversation deepens, a common concern emerges that reveals a sense of uneasiness. For many Twelve Step participants, despite the success of their labors, the Twelve Steps somehow strike them as un-Jewish. For many participants, the spiritual element of the Twelve Steps has a decidedly Christian flavor. There may be a number of reasons for this, not the least of which is the fact that churches often provide the setting for meetings. -
KS 3 Talmud Page Layout Copy
Page Chapter name Tractate name Chapter number Ein mishpat, Ner mitzvah Rashi’s commentary –Rashi (an acronym for Rabbi (Hebrew: Well of justice, Lamp of Shlomo Yitchaki) was a major Jewish scholar active in the commandment) Compiled in 11th century France. Rashi compiled the first the 16th century this provides the complete commentary on the Talmud. The Mishnah source references to the laws are written in in a brief, terse style without being discussed on the page. punctuation and Rashi’s commentary is directed towards helping readers work through the text and understand its basic form and content. Tosafot (Hebrew: additions) These Mishnah and Gemara The central column of the page contains medieval commentaries were written in verses of the Mishnah followed by verses from the Gemara. the 12th and 13th centuries. They are the The Mishnah is the primary record of the teaching, decisions work of various Talmudic scholars and disputes of a group of Jewish religious and judicial scholars primarily living in France and Germany. known as Tannaim, active from about 10 to 220 CE. Originally transmitted orally, it was edited into its current form and written down in 200 CE by Rabbi Yehuda Hanasi. Written primarily in Hebrew, it is divided into 63 tractates and organized into six sections or ‘orders’. The Gemara is an analysis and expansion on the Mishnah. There are two versions - the Other commentaries Various other Babylonian Talmud (the most commonly studied) and the commentaries appear in the margins Jerusalem Talmud. The Gemara is written primarily in Aramaic of a printed Talmud page. -
Chanukah at Home Booklet
MJCS CHANUKAH @HOME “The proper response, as Chanukah teaches, is not to curse the darkness but to light a candle.” —Rabbi Irving Greenberg We’ve come to dispel the darkness. In our hands are light and fire. Each one of us is a small light, but all of us [together] are a strong beacon! Flee darkness! Retreat night! Flee because of the light! —Popular Hebrew Chanukah children’s song Each Jewish holiday has its unique rituals, tastes, songs, and experiences. Many of us associate Chanukah with the hopeful and warm glow of lighting candles at home, tasting latkes, and spinning dreidels! This year particularly, Chanukah will be a holiday we experience at home. MJCS has put together this at- home holiday guidebook to help you make this Chanukah at home an especially cheerful and celebratory holiday full of light, spirit, and joy! A Short History of Chanukah Chanukah is one of just a few Jewish holidays that are not mentioned in the Tanach, the Hebrew Bible. Chanukah recalls how Jewish freedom fighters liberated our ancestors from oppression. Under the Seleucid (Syrian-Greek) Empire’s ruler, Antiochus IV Epiphanes, efforts to impose Hellenist culture in the land of Israel intensified by 167 BCE with an order to end all Jewish practice and the defilement of the Temple in Jerusalem. Led by the priest Mattathias and his five sons from the village of Modi’in, including Judah who was a brilliant strategist, the Maccabees revolted and waged a guerilla war against the stronger and better equipped Seleucid army. After three years of battle, the Maccabees prevailed and rededicated the Temple beginning on the 25th of Kislev in 164BCE.