“Maimonides ”

Sha'atnez

SHA'ATNEZ (Heb. שַׁעַטְנֵז; Gr. κίβδηλος, "counterfeit"), cloth combining wool and linen. Leviticus 19:19 and Deuteronomy 22:11 prohibit the wearing of sha'atnez, in the former passage explained as beged kilʾayim, "cloth made from a mixture of two kinds of material," in the latter passage explained as "wool and linen together... read article

Moshe ben Nachman (Nachmanides/Ramban)

Biography of noted halakhist Moshe ben Nachman, also known as Nachmanides or the Ramban... read article

Compassion

COMPASSION, norm governing the relationship between human beings and also regulating their behavior toward animals. In the Bible The biblical noun raḥamim and the verb raḥam, riḥam, frequently used to denote this behavior, are derived from the same root as is the noun reḥem ("womb"), hence some scholars have proposed that its original meaning was "brotherhood," "brotherly feeling" of those born from the same womb... read article

Onanism

ONANISM, term derived from the biblical narrative of Onan, son of Judah (Gen. 38, 7–10), who "spilled" his seed "on the ground." Onanism refers to the thwarting of the sexual process in one of several ways. In Hebrew, it is called more fully ma'aseh Er ve-Onan ("the act of Er and Onan") and is taken by the Midrash (Gen. R. 85:5; and by Rashi to the Pentateuch) to mean coitus interruptus and by the Talmud (Yev. 34b) to refer either to unnatural intercourse or (cf. Nid. 13a) to masturbation. The Zohar (Va-Yeshev, p. 188a; Va-Yeḥi, p... read article

Cremation

Disposal of the dead body by burning is not a Jewish custom and inhumation is considered by traditional Jews to be obligatory and a religious commandment. The passage in Deuteronomy (21:23) "his body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt surely bury him the same day" has been advanced as a scriptural proof, as well as other biblical sayings such as "for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return" (Gen. 3:19)... read article

Emotions

Jewish tradition has shown a positive interest in human emotions, and they are portrayed and discussed in the Bible, Talmud, Jewish philosophy, and mysticism.BibleBiblical figures are frequently emotional, and in this lies much of their human appeal and credibility. Genesis introduces feelings of *Love, *Joy, Fear, and their opposites (in, e.g., 3:6; 4:5; 29:18; and 37:3) that are later found in such figures as Saul and David, the psalmist, and the lovers of the Song of Songs. Similarly, in His initial appearances God is portrayed as a deity who acts out of deep feelings of compassion and anger (Gen... read article

Hermetic Writings

HERMETIC WRITINGS, a collection of religious and philosophical treatises, also known as Hermetica, which was traditionally attributed to Hermes Trismegistos (Hermes the thrice-great). The Hermetica contain cosmological, ethical, and eschatological discourses, based on the assumption that only selected spirits may achieve bliss and salvation of the soul through gnosis (esoteric knowledge). In addition to this gnostic basis, Platonic and eastern religious elements may be discerned. The Hermetica, which are of late origin (4th–11th century C.E.), were produced on Egyptian soil by men of Greek speech and culture, although part was written in Latin... read article

Jewish Concepts: Chuppah

The chuppah is a tapestry attached to the tops of four poles. The word chuppah means covering or protection, and is intended as a roof or covering for the bride and groom at their wedding. The chuppah is not merely a charming folk custom, a ceremonial object carried over from a primitive past. It serves a definite, though complicated, legal purpose: It is the decisive act that formally permits the couple's new status of marriage to be actualized, and it is the legal conclusion of the marriage process that began with betrothal. Together these two kinyanim (acts of acquisition) are called chuppah ve'kiddushin... read article

Suffering

The presence of suffering in the world poses a problem for religion insofar as it seems to contradict the notion of an all powerful benevolent God. It would seem that if God were good, He would not want His creatures to suffer, and if, all powerful, He would be able to prevent their suffering. Judaism has attempted to cope with the problem of suffering in various ways. The Bible is from the very beginning aware of suffering as a characteristic of human existence (Gen. 3:19; Job 5:7), as is rabbinic Judaism (PR 189b). In kabbalistic doctrine the existence of the world and man as distinct from God by definition entails the pain of separation from God... read article

Rice

RICE (Heb. אֹרֶז, orez), Oryza sativa, introduced to Ereẓ Israel at the close of the Second Temple period. Within a short time it became a product of considerable economic importance. The rice of Ereẓ Israel was of excellent quality and an important export. There was said to be "none like it outside Israel" (TJ, Dem. 2:1,22b) and as a result it was laid down that it had to be tithed as *Demai even outside Israel (Dem. 2:1)... read article

Sukkah

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Hallel

HALLEL (Heb. הַלֵּל), the general term designating Psalms 113–118 when these form a unit in the liturgy. These psalms are essentially expressions of thanksgiving and joy for divine redemption. Hallel is recited in two forms: (a) The "full" Hallel, consisting of Psalms 113–118. It is chanted in the synagogue on *Sukkot , *Ḥanukkah , the first day of *Passover (the first two days in the Diaspora), *Shavu'Ot (Tosef., Suk. 3:2, Ta'an. 28b), and (in many synagogues) *Israel Independence Day. Hallel is also recited during the Passover *seder service (Tosef., Suk... read article

Related Links: Jewish Schools & Student Organizations Outside the United States or Israel

Argentina Escuela Hebrea Jaim Najman Bialik (La Plata - Spanish) Instituto Martin Buber (Spanish)   Australia Australian Union of Jewish Students King David School (Melbourne) Massada College (Adelaide) read article

Jonah ben Abraham Gerondi

JONAH BEN ABRAHAM GERONDI (c. 1200–1263), Spanish rabbi, author, and moralist. In his youth Gerondi studied in the French yeshivot under Moses b. Shneur and his brother *Samuel of Evreux, and later under *Solomon b. Abraham of Montpellier. When in 1232 the latter began his campaign against Maimonides' philosophical works, Jonah followed his teacher and became one of his most devoted assistants in the conflict, which ended, according to tradition, in the burning of these books by the Inquisition... read article

Freedom

The concept of freedom in the Bible is found in the injunction that on the advent of the *Jubilee, "liberty was proclaimed throughout the land unto all the inhabitants thereof … and ye shall return every man unto his family" (Lev. 25:10). Thus the freedom envisaged encompassed not only the emancipation of slaves, but the return to one's ancestral lands which had been alienated by sale... read article

Attorney

ATTORNEY. Biblical law requires that "the two parties to the dispute shall appear before the Lord, before the priests or magistrates" (Deut. 19:17), i.e., in person and not by proxy. It was considered essential that the court should hear all pleadings and arguments, as well as all testimony, directly from the mouths of litigants or witnesses; even interpreters were not to be admitted (Mak. 1:9; Maim., Yad, Sanhedrin 21:8)... read article

Jewish Concepts: Anger

Ecclesiastes 7:3 3. Anger is better then laughter; for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better. Your Ecclesiastes Navigator 1. The Hebrew word for anger "ka' as" can mean anger and sorrow... read article

Jewish Concepts: Obligation of Women to Perform the Commandments

There are believed to be three different kinds of mitzvot: those that are inclusive to everyone (observing Shabbat), those that are gender based (having children), and those that are gender based but not related to biological differences (reading Torah)... read article

Tennessee

A history of the Jewish community of Tennessee... read article

The Work of Maimonides: Return to Spain

For a century and a quarter, no edition of the Mishneh Torah appeared, and but a few of the Tur, but editions of the Shulhan Aruch proliferated. It had become the widely accepted code, its predecessors of interest only to students of the Jewish legal tradition. The center of Hebrew printing had shifted from the cities of Italy, Turkey, and Poland to the cosmopolitan city of Amsterdam... read article