Why Do We Observe Shavuot by Studying All Night?
Since the Rabbinic period, Shavuot has been tied to the story of the Israelites receiving the Torah at Sinai. Because of this, Shavuot has come to be dedicated to the idea of Torah study and Jewish education.
Is there a ritual that marks the completion of reading one of the books of the Torah?
During a worship service, each time the reading of a book of the Torah is completed, the congregation rises and says, “chazak chazak v’nitchazek – be strong, be strong, and we will be strengthened.” According to Rabbi David Saperstein, the Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious
Can a person who died by suicide be buried in a Jewish cemetery?
The ancient prohibition against doing so is based upon the conception of suicide as the conscious and willful taking of one’s life.
Why do Jews wear head coverings?
The custom of covering one’s head is based on custom, a minhag, that first appeared during the Rabbinic Period (roughly, from the beginning of the Common Era to 500 C.E.).
Stories We Tell: The Rabbi and the Monastery
Judaism has a deep and rich tradition of storytelling, of passing down stories from one generation to the next. To carry on that tradition, Stories We Tell, from ReformJudaism.org, will share a new story with you every Thursday.
Stories We Tell: Feeding Your Clothes
Judaism has a deep and rich tradition of storytelling, of passing down stories from one generation to the next. To carry on that tradition, Stories We Tell, from ReformJudaism.org, will share a new story with you every Thursday.
On the Other Hand: Ten Minutes of Torah - B'midbar: Do Numbers Matter?
Do you know which countries have the largest population of Jewish people? What about how many Jews serve in the United States Congress?
On the Other Hand: Ten Minutes of Torah - B’har-B’chukotai: What the Torah Says About Being Green
For anyone who doubts that Judaism includes social and environmental justice, this week’s commentary on the double portion of B’har-B’chukotai sings forth that we have a fundamental responsibility to care for God’s Earth, and to be attentive to the neediest among us.
On the Other Hand: Ten Minutes of Torah - Emor: Gratitude, Obligation, and Responsibility: A Jewish Year with Abigail Pogrebin
Parashat Emor lays out the sacred calendar of the Jewish people as we know it in the Torah, and there’s no one better to discuss this parashah with Rabbi Jacobs than Abigail Pogrebin, author of the book “M