To till and to tend: one of the first mitzvot given to us by God in the Torah. Truly, we are the caretakers of this earth and of all the living things. (Including each other! but that’s for another day…) Bal Tashchit is the mitzvah that says, Do Not Destroy/Waste. It […]
Why is the Torah compared to a fig tree? The fruit of most trees - the olive tree, the vine, and the palm tree - is collected all at once, while that of the fig tree is collected a bit at a time. So, too, regarding the Torah. Today a person learns […]
Ha-la-CHAH is the collective body of religious Jewish law. This includes biblical law (mitzvot), Talmudic and Rabinnic law as well as customs and traditions.
Mitz-VAH is Hebrew for commandment. Usually mitzvah is translated as “a good deed” which is generally true, but not entirely the same as a commandment from the Torah. There are 613 Mitz-VOT (plural) in the Torah.
K’tu-VIM is the third and final section of the Tanach. The Hebrew word k’tuvim means, “writings.” This section includes the Psalms, Proverbs, and the book Song of Songs. It includes the stories of Ruth, Esther, and Job as well as Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Ecclesiastes. Additional books in K’tuvim are the Chronicles and […]
Mish-NAH and Tal-MOOD
Mishnah is the kernal of Talmud, the main post-biblical Rabinnic writing. The Mishnah is a compilation of Jewish practice up until the end of the 2nd century. According to the Rabbis there were two Torahs delivered at Sinai. One to be written down (the Five Books of Moses) and one […]
The term, “The Rabbis” was an academic title for scholars or experts of the Oral Torah. The term was used for the first time after the destruction of the holy Temple, 70CE. The Rabbis made it their work to explain the laws and the ideas stated in the Torah. Led by Rabbi […]
Ge-MA-tri-a is Hebrew numerology using the Alef-bet. Each letter has a numerical value. Meaning is derived from identifying the numerical value of whole words and/or comparing the value of words and phrases to each other. Gematria is used for a deeper exploration and study of Jewish texts.
For example, the numerical value of “Chai”, meaning “Life,” […]
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