“Maimonides ”

Lesbianism

Until the late 20th century, lesbians were invisible in Jewish textual traditions and within Jewish societies. Only recently have Jewish scholars and communities faced the issue of how erotic love between women fits into a Jewish view of the world. While male homosexual behavior is prohibited in the book of Leviticus, same-sex sexuality between women is not mentioned in the Hebrew Bible. Some commentators think that this difference exists because in ancient times only acts in which men emitted semen were defined as sexual... read article

Legumes

LEGUMES, a general name for plants of the family of Papilionaceae of the order Leguminae. In the Mishnah legumes are referred to as kitniyyot, a name derived from katan ("small"; cf. It.: leguma or minutia), because the seeds are usually small.Though species with large seeds like pol ("broad bean," Vicia faba) belong to this family, at least in one source this species is not included among kitniyyot (Ḥul. 52a). Although in his Mishnah commentary (Kil... read article

Jastrow

JASTROW, family of scholars originating in Prussian Poland, later in the U.S. MARCUS MORDECAI JASTROW (1829–1903) was a Polish-born rabbi and lexicographer and a leader of the historical school in the United States. Jastrow was born in Rogasen, Poznania. He was ordained by Rabbis Feilchenfeld of Rogasen and Wolf Landau of Dresden. He also studied at Berlin University and took his doctorate at Halle with a thesis on the philosophy of Abraham ibn Ezra (1855). With the aid of Heinrich *Graetz he was appointed preacher of the progressive German congregation in Warsaw... read article

Jewish Concepts: Desire

Genesis 3:6 And the woman saw that the tree was good to eat, and it was desirous for the eyes, and the tree was lovely to behold. And she took the fruit of it and she ate it. And she gave it to the man who was with her, and he ate it. Deuteronomy 5:18 Do not covet the wife of your neighbor... read article

Alphabet of Ben Sira

BEN SIRA, ALPHABET OF, a narrative, satirical work, written probably in the geonic period in the East. The Alphabet of Ben Sira is one of the earliest, most complicated, and most sophisticated Hebrew stories written in the Middle Ages... read article

Jewish Concepts: Arrogance

Ezekiel 25:17 17. Your heart was raised because of your beauty, you have corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor; I have cast you to the ground, I have laid you before kings, that they may behold you. Psalms 101:5 5... read article

Haggahot Maimuniyyot

HAGGAHOT MAIMUNIYYOT, a comprehensive halakhic work which is one of the most important sources for the halakhic rulings of the scholars of Germany and France. The author, Meir ha-Kohen of Rothenburg (end of the 13th century), was the distinguished pupil of *Meir b. Baruch of Rothenburg. He compiled it as a supplement and notes (see *Haggahot) to the Mishneh Torah of Maimonides, and its first part was published in the Constantinople edition of the Mishneh Torah (1509), and has appeared in all subsequent editions. Of it, Levi ibn Ḥabib writes (Responsa, ed. Lemberg No... read article

Israel Environment & Nature: Legumes

LEGUMES, a general name for plants of the family of Papilionaceae of the order Leguminae. In the Mishnah legumes are referred to as kitniyyot, a name derived from katan ("small"; cf. It.: leguma or minutia), because the seeds are usually small. Though species with large seeds like pol ("broad bean," Vicia faba) belong to this family, at least in one source this species is not included among kitniyyot (Ḥul. 52a). Although in his Mishnah commentary (Kil... read article

Compounding Offenses

The injunction: "Ye shall take no ransom for the life of a murderer.… And ye shall accept no ransom for him that is fled to his *city of refuge" (Num. 35:31–32), was interpreted as an exception to the general rule that for all other offenses you may accept a "ransom' (kofer), except only for the offense of homicide (BK 83b; Rash-bam to Num... read article

Jedaiah ben Abraham Bedersi

JEDAIAH BEN ABRAHAM BEDERSI (Ha-Penini; probably born in the 1280s and died about 1340), poet and philosopher. Possibly a native of Béziers, Jedaiah is known to have spent time in Perpignan and Montpellier. Little is known of his personal history. He may have been a physician. Jedaiah's intellectual interests were literary and philosophic, although the two spheres were not clearly separated. In his youth, he composed a poetic prayer of 1,000 words titled " Bakkashat ha-Memim," every word of which begins with the letter mem (in Olelot ha-Boḥen, 1808)... read article

Timeline of Jewish History in Austria

Timeline of Jewish history in Austria... read article

Space and Place (in Jewish Philosophy)

SPACE AND PLACE (in Jewish Philosophy).PhiloThe term "place" has three meanings for *Philo, one physical and two theological: (1) the space taken up by a body, (2) the divine *logos, and (3) God Himself (Som. 1:11, 62–64). The first definition is probably derived from Stoic philosophy and is, in fact, similar to Aristotle's definition. In contrast to the latter, however, Philo's conception is based on the existence of three-dimensional space, which is itself independent of the bodies which fill it. The second definition does not relate to physical space; the place identified with the divine logos is said to be wholly filled by God Himself... read article

Samuel ben Moses de Medina

Biography of rabbi, halakhic authority, and communal leader of Salonika Samuel ben Moses de Medina of Salonika... read article

Montpellier

MONTPELLIER, capital of the Hérault department, southern France. The first direct evidence of the presence of Jews in the city is found in the will of Guilhem V, Lord of Montpellier, who forbade the investiture of a Jew as a bailiff. The Jewish traveler *Benjamin of Tudela, visited Montepellier in about 1165. Though he does not mention any figure for the Jewish population of the city, its importance can be deduced from the fact that he mentions the existence of several yeshivot... read article

Microcosm

MICROCOSM (from Gr. mikros kosmos; "small world"), term in the Western philosophical tradition referring to man as an epitome of the universe (the macrocos) in his parts and structure. The Arabic (ʿālam ṣaghīr), Hebrew (olam katan), and Latin (mundis minor) terms are literal equivalents of the Greek. The term is said to be first attested in Aristotle (Physics, 8:2, 252b, 26–27), though the motif is older; indeed, the notion that some aspect of reality (the city, sanctuary, man) reflects the cosmos is both ancient and widespread... read article

Tallit

Encyclopedia Judaica:Tallit Practices & Rituals: Table of Contents | Menorah | Tefillin TALLIT (Heb. טַלִּית, pl. tallitot; Yid. tales, pl. talesim), prayer shawl. Originally the word meant "gown" or "cloak... read article

Medicinal Herbs

In ancient times herbs were the main source of remedies. According to the Book of *Jubilees (10:12), the angels revealed the various remedies to Noah, who wrote them down in a book. *Asaph the physician adds that Noah, having been taught by the angel Raphael the remedies obtainable from trees, plants, and roots, recorded them in a book which he gave to his son Shem and which was used by the ancient physicians (Asaph, ed. Venetianer, 6)... read article

Virtual Jewish World: Casablanca, Morocco

The history of Jews in Casablanca, Morocco... read article

Latif, Isaac B. Abraham ibn

LATIF, ISAAC B. ABRAHAM IBN (1210–1280), one of the foremost spokesmen of Jewish *Neoplatonism in 13th-century *Spain. Ibn Latif was a unique philosopher and biblical commentator who lived and taught mainly at Toledo (the capital of Christian Castile) one generation after the publication of Maimonides' Guide of the Perplexed and one generation before the appearance of the Zohar.Early YearsAlthough Toledo was reconquered by the Christians in 1212, Ibn Latif was still educated according to the Jewish-Andalusian legacy and was fluent in both Arabic and Hebrew... read article

Tractate Shekalim: Chapter 8

Spittle, utensils, and submerging of the defiled sacrifices MISHNA: (a) All spittle a1 to be found in Jerusalem is considered clean, except such as is found at the upper market (for this place was secluded and those afflicted with venereal diseases were in the habit of going there). Such is the teaching of R. Meir. The sages say: In the middle of the street it is at ordinary times unclean, and at the sides of the streets, clean... read article