Midrash Halakha Midrash halakha (הֲלָכָה) was the ancient Judaic rabbinic method of Torah study that expounded upon the traditionally received 613 Mitzvot (commandments) by identifying their sources in the Hebrew Bible, and by interpreting these passages as proofs of the laws’ authenticity. Midrash more generally also refers to the non-legal interpretation...
What Is Ketuvim? Ketuvim (כְּתוּבִים Kəṯûḇîm, “writings”) is the third and final section of the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible), after Torah (instruction) and Nevi’im (prophets). In English translations of the Hebrew Bible, this section is usually titled “Writings”. Another name used for this section is Hagiographa. The Ketuvim are believed to have been written...
Jewish Liturgy Jewish liturgy refers specifically to following the Torah in all of its rites and ceremonies, whether in the home or in the Synagogue. The main purposes of following the carefully laid out observances is to maintain uniformity, and to avoid improper and unacceptable practices at variance with those...
What Is Halakha? Halakha (הֲלָכָה, also transliterated as halacha, halakhah, halachah, or halocho) is the collective body of Jewish religious laws derived from the written and Oral Torah. Halakha is based on biblical commandments (mitzvot), subsequent Talmudic and rabbinic law, and the customs and traditions compiled in the many books...
Jewish Ethics Jewish ethics is the moral philosophy particular to one or both of the Jewish religion and peoples. Serving as a convergence of Judaism and the Western philosophical tradition of ethics, the diverse literature of Jewish ethics‘s broad range of moral concern classifies it as a type of normative ethics. For...
What Is Gemara? The Gemara (Gemora, Gemarah, or Gemorra; from Hebrew גמרא, from the Aramaic verb gamar, study) is the component of the Talmud comprising rabbinical analysis of and commentary on the Mishnah. After the Mishnah was published by Judah the Prince (c. 200 CE), the work was studied exhaustively by generation after generation of rabbis in Babylonia and...
Devotion And Loyalty To God In The Old Testament This article covers Devotion And Loyalty To God In The Old Testament. Devotion And Loyalty To God mean your faith in Him. Faith is confidence or trust in a person, thing, or concept. In the context of religion, one can define faith as confidence or trust in...
Book Of Wisdom The Wisdom of Solomon or Book of Wisdom is a Jewish work, written in Greek, composed in Alexandria (Egypt). Generally dated to the 2nd century BC, the central theme of the work is “Wisdom” itself, appearing under two principal aspects. In its relation to man, Wisdom is the perfection of...
Closeness To God In The Old Testament This article covers the verses related to Closeness to God in the Old Testament. The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth. (Psalms, 145:18) Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my...
Book Of Proverbs The Book of Proverbs (מִשְלֵי, Míshlê (Shlomoh), “Proverbs (of Solomon)”) is the second book of the third section (called Writings) of the Hebrew Bible and a book of the Christian Old Testament. When translated into Greek and Latin, the title took on different forms: in the Greek Septuagint (LXX) it became...
Prophet Aaron According to the Abrahamic religions, Aaron (אַהֲרֹן ’Ahărōn) was a prophet, high priest, and the elder brother of Moses. Knowledge of Aaron, along with his brother Moses, comes exclusively from religious texts, such as the Bible and Quran. The Hebrew Bible relates that, unlike Moses, who grew up in the Egyptian royal court, Aaron and his...
Story Of Moses This is the story of Moses from Islamic literature. Prophet Moses’ mother was pregnant with Aaron in a year that boys were spared; thus she gave birth to the child publicly and safely. During a year in which boys were to be slain, she gave birth to Moses;...
Personal Morality in the Talmud This article covers the personal morality in the Talmud. The Talmud is concerned with man himself, and not only with the social consequences of his actions. Scattered throughout Talmudic literature, we have therefore a description of the ideal in human character. It is inspired by...
Wisdom From The Talmud This article covers Wisdom From The Talmud. Talmud is short for ‘Talmud Torah,’ which means “study of the Torah” in Hebrew. The Torah is the Hebrew term for the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.) The Talmud is...
Prophet Moses: A Reformer And Educator This article covers Prophet Moses: A Reformer And Educator. Prophets are the spiritual teachers of humanity. As the people selected by God to deliver His message to humanity, they were exemplary educators and role models. Therefore, teachers and parents should consider their educational methods seriously,...
Torah And Gospels Have Verses Concerning Resurrection This article covers that Torah and Gospels Have Verses Concerning Resurrection. Despite many distortions it has undergone during history, the Torah still has verses concerning the Resurrection. The Gospel came to restore the corruptions in the Torah and affirm what had remained intact...