Wish I Was In Yeshiva

Jewish things on this blog. I love halacha and prefer the Ramban over the Rambam, but both over Rashi. Sorry not sorry.

[yidquotes]

The question “what is God?” is the kind of question that only idolaters ask…. God is neither a concept belonging to the category of thought nor an object belonging to the category of imagination.  The way by which the believer can approach God is not through any kind of knowledge about God but only by accepting the obligation to serve God.

Professor Yeshayahu Leibowitz

[eisheschayil]

[hiddurmitzvah]

The Offenbach Haggadah was commissioned by Dr. Siegfried Guggenheim (1873-1961) an attorney and avid collector of rare books in Offenbach, near Frankfurt. The type designer Rudolf Koch created new fonts and the painter Fritz Kredel, a student of Koch’s, illustrated the new Haggadah inspired by the first Offenbach Haggadah which was printed in 1772. The Klingspor brothers  published the new version in 1927, in a bibliophile edition of 300 copies. Guggenheim translated the Hebrew text into German, provided the transliterations of the Hebrew blessings and also inserted a novelty into the service. Instead of ending with “next year in Jerusalem, the Offenbach Haggadah concludes with the words: “next year in Worms on the Rhine, our home.”  The author, we assume, was probably expelled with the Jews from Brünn in 1454, and here in his old age, he gives moving expression to his longing for the home he was forced to leave in his youth. This kind of conscious reinterpretation of the formerly intended meaning is not unusual. In the house of their parents in Worms, children traditionally called out with joyous voices “leshana haba b’ Worms am Rhein.” “Next year in Worms, our home.”

[yidquotes]

When a person puts all his effort into living correctly, in accordance with the truth of the Torah, then, even though he may not broadcast his virtues, the nation will seek him out. His life may be a quiet understatement, but all his actions will radiate inner purity and holiness like a beacon.

Rabbi Yaakov Asher Sinclair

[yidquotes]

The Torah is the prism through which one can observe how Judaism actually works - the interaction of its parts, the constellation of its views and values, the evolution of its halakhic system, and the nature of its ritual language. At Sinai, Israel responded to the intensity of the revelatory experience by signing on without a moment’s hesitation. In the age of the secular Jew, comprehension necessarily precedes commitment. The consequence of serious study, under the best of circumstances, will be a personal decision to renew the covenant.

Ismar Schorsch

[yerachmiel36032]

Davening is hard.

My yetzer hara has been kicking my ass and I’ve been feeling like a zombie for the past two weeks. Yesterday I read my siddur like a book, just so I could open it and remember the words. It was a start, but I need to get back in the game. At least I’m still listening to shiurim online and thinking about Hashem each day. I’ll feel better soon.

[yidquotes]

No one departs from this world unscathed by difficulties.

Rabbi Berel Wein

[drek-odradek-deactivated2022031]

Sephardi sefer torah cases

[progressivejudaism]

Fun fact:  If you vaccinate yourself and your children, the moshiach will come faster

[jewishaesthetics]

[yidquotes]

Nadav and Avihu are rare Jews, sons of Aaron, nephews of Moses, their lives dedicated to service in the Temple, privileged to be among the chosen few to have had a sapphire vision of God’s glory back at the sealing of the covenant in the portion of Mishpatim. We cannot even begin to comprehend their spiritual heights. Nevertheless, they die tragically because they brought a passionate fire not commanded by God. When people on the level of Nadav and Avihu fail to distinguish between Divine will and human will, allowing their subjective desires to take over, they are expressing their own emotions but are not necessarily doing the will of the Divine. Confusing our will with God’s will is truly playing with fire. If we limit ourselves to God’s commands in the ritual realm we can be reasonably certain that we are serving God and not our own egos and subjective hatreds and passions. One dare not get too close to the divine fire, lest one get burnt by that very fire.

Rabbi Shlomo Riskin

[queerchristianaffirmations]

Hello :) You mentioned that the Torah knows six genders and now I am curious: Where exactly can I find them? Thanks :)

Hello! I’d like to begin this with a disclaimer that I am not Jewish nor have read the Torah, so this is all stuff I’m picking up from other people.

I can’t find the original post that brought this to my attention, but this site has a very comprehensive listing of the genders listed. This person here goes a little more in depth as to how they’re referenced (I’m sorry that I don’t know how accurate their information is). The wikipedia page has a little more history to it (I’ll let you know that I mostly skimmed it, but it seemed pretty together). And this very interesting page breaks down some hebrew in the bible in reference to some early figures, and how the conjugations of some of the verbs suggest that their genders were more nuanced than the English leads us to believe.

I hope this helped!

[here are the links for anyone who can’t access them: 

1. http://www.sojourngsd.org/blog/sixgenders2. http://progressivejudaism.tumblr.com/post/157442695493/what-nonbinary-genders-are-there-in-the-torah-the 3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gender_and_Judaism4. http://nonbinary-support.tumblr.com/post/138106071263/gender-diversity-in-torah ]

[yerachmiel36032]

I’ve understood these six categories as physical distinctions for the purpose of developing halachic law. I’m not sure if they are actually nonbinary genders in the purest sense.

[yidquotes]

“Is Jewish identity determined solely by birth or is there an essential component of acceptance of God’s covenant in order to be a member of the Jewish community? The Rabbis argue vehemently for the latter. All who accept the yoke of God’s commandments may be called Israel, not just those with the proper lineage. The Rabbis’ definition of belonging sets an important example for us as we think about what makes each of us part of a larger community. This is true both for our local communities and our global responsibility as members of the Jewish people. The Rabbis demand that we ask ourselves: Do our behaviors and commitments clearly identify us as part of Israel?”

— Jason Rogoff

[shewhoworshipscarlin]

Jewish ritual hand washing vessel, late 1100s, Germany.

[abroccfotografia-blog]

#tefillin #tefila #barmitzvah #mati #emocion #nikon #nikond600 #nikonargentina #nikonlatinoamerica #sigma

[physticuffs]

How Long Can I Go As A Jew Without Finding Out What Shmini Atzeret Is

[uwmspeccoll]

Spotlight: Megillat Esther

Purim begins with the Fast of Esther at sundown this evening. The ceremony begins with the reading of the Megillah, or Scroll of Esther. Here we present the 2007 facsimile of an 18th-century megillah held by the Gross Family of Israel (one of the finest collections of Judaica in the world). The facsimile was produced by Facsimile Editions of London in an edition of 295 copies. This company is well known for producing state-of-the-art facsimiles of Hebrew illuminated manuscripts. This was their first attempt at printing a reproduction directly onto sheepskin parchment, rather than the usual method of having paper milled to the weight and texture of parchment to create a simulation. The original scroll case was also carefully reproduced by hand in sterling silver.

This particular scroll includes miniatures produced by an anonymous artist of virtually every scene of the story. A curious aspect of this megillah is that the text was written after the illuminations were completed; a reversal of the common practice.

Find this facsimile in the catalog here.

– MAX