“Windows To Spirituality”
Bereavement In Judaism Bereavement in Judaism (אֲבֵלוּת, avelut, mourning) is a combination of minhag and mitzvah derived from Judaism’s classical Torah and rabbinic texts. The details of observance and practice vary according to each Jewish community. Mourners In Judaism, the principal mourners are the first-degree relatives: parent, child, sibling, and spouse. There are some...
![The tree of life[Rev 22:2], a print from the Phillip Medhurst Collection of Bible illustrations in the possession of Revd. Philip De Vere at St. George's Court, Kidderminster, England.](https://slife.org/wp-content/uploads/Apocalypse_43._The_tree_of_life._Revelation_cap_22_v_2._Mortiers_Bible._Phillip_Medhurst_Collection-520x347.jpg)
Tree Of Life (Biblical) This article covers the Tree Of Life (Biblical). The tree of life (עֵץ הַחַיִּים, Etz haChayim) is a term mentioned in the Hebrew Bible. In the Book of Genesis, the tree of life is first described in chapter 2, verse 9 as being “in the midst of the Garden of Eden” with...
What Is Jewish Apocrypha? Jewish apocrypha includes texts written in the Jewish religious tradition either in the Intertestamental period or in the early Christian era, but outside the Christian tradition. It does not include books in the canonical Hebrew Bible, nor those accepted into the canon of some or all...
What Is Zohar? The Zohar (זֹהַר, “Splendor” or “Radiance”) is the foundational work in the literature of Jewish mystical thought known as Kabbalah. It is a group of books including commentary on the mystical aspects of The Torah (the five books of Moses) and scriptural interpretations as well as material on...
Weekly Torah Portion It is a custom among religious Jewish communities for a weekly Torah portion, popularly referred to as a parashah, to be read during Jewish prayer services. The parashah (Hebrew: פָּרָשַׁת הַשָּׁבוּעַ Parashat ha-Shavua), popularly just parashah (or parshah /pɑːrʃə/ or parsha) and also known as a Sidra (or Sedra /sɛdrə/) is a section of the Torah (Five...
Book Of Jubilees The Book of Jubilees, sometimes called Lesser Genesis (Leptogenesis), is an ancient Jewish religious work of 50 chapters, considered canonical by the Ethiopian Orthodox Church as well as Beta Israel (Ethiopian Jews), where it is known as the Book of Division (Ge’ez: መጽሃፈ ኩፋሌ Mets’hafe Kufale). Jubilees is considered one of the pseudepigrapha by Protestant, Roman Catholic, and Eastern...
What Is Sirach? The Book of the All-Virtuous Wisdom of Yeshua ben Sira, commonly called the Wisdom of Sirach or simply Sirach, and also known as the Book of Ecclesiasticus (abbreviated Ecclus.) or Ben Sira, is a work of ethical teachings, from approximately 200 to 175 BCE, written by the Jewish scribe Ben Sira of Jerusalem, on the inspiration of...
What Is Neviim? Neviim (נְבִיאִים Nəḇî’îm, “Prophets”) is the second main division of the Hebrew Bible (the Tanakh), between the Torah (instruction) and Ketuvim (writings). The Nevi’im are divided into two groups. The Former Prophets (נביאים ראשונים Nevi’im Rishonim) consists of the narrative books of Joshua, Judges, Samuel and Kings; while the Latter Prophets (נביאים אחרונים Nevi’im...
Aggadah Aggadah (אַגָּדְתָא “tales, lore”) refers to non-legalistic exegetical texts in the classical rabbinic literature of Judaism, particularly as recorded in the Talmud and Midrash. In general, Aggadah is a compendium of rabbinic texts that incorporates folklore, historical anecdotes, moral exhortations, and practical advice in various spheres, from business to...
Prayer In The Hebrew Bible Prayer in the Hebrew Bible is an evolving means of interacting with God, most frequently through a spontaneous, individual, unorganized form of petitioning and/or thanking. Standardized prayer such as is done today is non-existent, though beginning in Deuteronomy, the Bible lays the groundwork for organized prayer, including basic liturgical...
The Wisdom Of The Talmud A Thousand Years of Jewish Thought By Rabbi BEN ZION BOKSER New York: Philosophical Library [1951] TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION THE TALMUD AS LITERATURE The Bible Requires Supplementation; The Sanctions for Biblical Supplementation; The Method of Midrash Halakah; The Method of Midrash Haggadah; The Midrash as Literature; The...
Moral Virtues Recommended In The Torah This article covers the answer to the question: “What are the Moral Virtues Recommended In The Torah?“ Jewish ethics is the moral philosophy of the Jewish religion or the Jewish people. As a type of normative ethics, Jewish ethics may involve issues in Jewish law as well as non-legal issues, and...
Judaism’s Religious Books This article covers the most of Judaism’s Religious Books. Judaism is the oldest of the Abrahamic religions, and its primary sacred text is the Tanach, or the Jewish Bible, which is composed of the Pentateuch (Torah), the Prophets (Nevi’im) and the Writings (Ketuvim). Tanach is an acronym...
Jewish Religious Texts This article covers the outline of Jewish Religious Texts. The importance of Judaism’s sacred texts extends far beyond their religious significance. These ancient documents embody not only Judaism’s religious precepts, but also the historical, cultural and social heritage of the Jewish people. In Israel, where attitudes towards...
The Torah The Torah is Judaism’s most important text. It is composed of the Five Books of Moses and also contains the 613 commandments (mitzvot) and the Ten Commandments. The word “Torah” means “to teach.” Five books of story, law, and poetry Main article: Oral Torah For Jews, the concept...
Weekly Torah Readings We have weekly Torah readings in our synagogue. We read (or, more accurately, chant, because it is sung) a passage from the Torah. This passage is referred to as a parshah. The first parshah, for example, is Parashat Bereishit, which covers from the beginning of Genesis to...
What Is Tosefta? The Tosefta (Jewish Babylonian Aramaic תוספתא “supplement, addition”) is a compilation of the Jewish oral law from the late 2nd century, the period of the Mishnah. Overview In many ways, the Tosefta acts as a supplement to the Mishnah (tosefta means “supplement, addition”). The Mishnah (Hebrew: משנה) is...
Torah Database A Torah database (מאגר תורני or מאגר יהדות) is an electronic collection of classic Jewish texts in electronic form, the kinds of texts which especially in Israel are often called “The Traditional Jewish Bookshelf” (ארון הספרים היהודי); the texts are in their original languages (Hebrew or Aramaic). These databases...
The Torah The Torah (תּוֹרָה, “Instruction”, “Teaching” or “Law”) has a range of meanings. It can most specifically mean the first five books (Pentateuch) of the 24 books of the Tanakh, and it is usually printed with the rabbinic commentaries (perushim). It can mean the continued narrative from the Book of Genesis to...
The Obligations Of Faith According To The Torah This article covers The Obligations Of Faith According To The Torah. Faith in God without Idolatry But I am the Lord your God… You shall acknowledge no God but Me, no Savior except Me. (Hosea, 13:4) O Lord… there is no God...
