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Yetzer Hara
In Judaism, () is a term for humankind's congenital inclination to do evil. The concept is prominent in rabbinic texts and in the works of the Syriac poet Narsai. The term itself is drawn from the phrase "the inclination of the heart of man is evil" (), which occurs twice at the beginning of the Torah ( Genesis 6:5 and Genesis 8:21). The Hebrew word having appeared twice in Genesis occurs again at the end of the Torah: "I knew their devisings that they do". Thus from beginning to end the heart's (plan) is continually bent on evil. However, the Torah which began with blessing anticipates future blessing which will come as a result of God circumcising the heart in the latter days. In traditional Judaism, is not a demonic force; despite this, Samael is considered the source of the ''yetzer hara'', through man's misuse of things the physical body needs to survive. Thus, the need for food becomes gluttony due to the . The need for procreation becomes promiscuity, and so on. Th ...
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Judaism
Judaism () is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic, Monotheism, monotheistic, ethnic religion that comprises the collective spiritual, cultural, and legal traditions of the Jews, Jewish people. Religious Jews regard Judaism as their means of observing the Mosaic covenant, which they believe was established between God in Judaism, God and the Jewish people. The religion is considered one of the earliest monotheistic religions. Jewish religious doctrine encompasses a wide body of texts, practices, theological positions, and forms of organization. Among Judaism's core texts is the Torah—the first five books of the Hebrew Bible—and a collection of ancient Hebrew scriptures. The Tanakh, known in English as the Hebrew Bible, has the same books as Protestant Christianity's Old Testament, with some differences in order and content. In addition to the original written scripture, the supplemental Oral Torah is represented by later texts, such as the Midrash and the Talmud. The Hebrew ...
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Pirke Avot
Pirkei Avot (; also transliterated as ''Pirqei Avoth'' or ''Pirkei Avos'' or ''Pirke Aboth'', also ''Abhoth''), which translates into English as Chapters of the Fathers, is a compilation of the ethical teachings and maxims from Rabbinic Jewish tradition. It is part of didactic Jewish ethical literature. Because of its contents, the name is sometimes given as Ethics of the Fathers. Pirkei Avot consists of the Mishnaic tractate of ''Avot'', the second-to-last tractate in the order of Nezikin in the Mishnah, plus one additional chapter. Avot is unique in that it is the only tractate of the Mishnah dealing ''solely'' with ethical and moral principles; there is relatively little halakha (laws) in Pirkei Avot. Translation of the title In the title ''Pirkei Avot'', the word "pirkei" is Hebrew for "chapters of". The word ''avot'' means "fathers", and thus ''Pirkei Avot'' is often rendered in English as "Chapters of the Fathers", or (more loosely) "Ethics of the Fathers". This trans ...
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Jewish Theological Seminary Of America
The Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS) is a Conservative Jewish education organization in New York City, New York. It is one of the academic and spiritual centers of Conservative Judaism as well as a hub for academic scholarship in Jewish studies. The Jewish Theological Seminary Library is one of the most significant collections of Judaica in the world. History Possible antecedents: Jewish Theological Seminary of Breslau Zecharias Frankel (1801–1875) was a rabbi and leading figure in mid-19th-century German Jewry. Known for both his traditionalist views and the esteem he held for scientific study of Judaism, Frankel was at first considered a moderate figure within the nascent Reform movement. He severely criticized the 1844 first Reform rabbinic conference of Braunschweig, yet eventually agreed to participate in the next despite warnings from conservative friends such as Solomon Judah Loeb Rapoport. He withdrew from the assembly, held in Frankfurt in 1845, making a final ...
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Shalom Shabazi
Shalom Shabazi (1619 – c. 1720) was the son of Yosef ben Avigad, of the family of Mashtā, also commonly known as Abba Sholem Shabazi or Saalem al-Shabazi (; ). He was a Jewish rabbi and poet who lived in 17th century Yemen, often referred to as the arch-poet of Yemen. Life and works Shabazi was born in 1619 in the town of Najd al-Walid. He claimed descent from Zerah, the son of Judah. At the death of his father, Yosef Mashta, Shalom moved to the small town of Shabaz, near the city of Ta'izz. Soon after he moved to Ta'izz where he built a house of prayer and a ritual bath (''mikveh'') outside the city, beneath Jebel Ṣabir. He and his family were expelled, along with most of the Yemenite Jews, in 1679. Shabazi, like many Jews of his generation, was influenced by Shabbetai Zevi and thought that he may be the messiah. He died c. 1720 and was buried in Ta'izz, at the foot of Jabal Sabir. In the early 20th century the grave of Shabazi was a place of pilgrimage for both Jews ...
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Lust
Lust is an intense desire for something. Lust can take any form such as the lust for sexuality (see libido), money, or power. It can take such mundane forms as the lust for food (see gluttony) as distinct from the need for food or lust for redolence, when one is lusting for a particular smell that brings back memories. It is similar to but distinguished from passion, in that properly ordered passion propels individuals to achieve benevolent goals whilst lust does not. In religion Religions tend to draw a distinction between passion and lust by further categorizing lust as an immoral desire and passion as morally accepted. Lust is defined as immoral because its object or action of affection is improperly ordered according to natural law and/or the appetite for the particular object (eg sexual desire) is governing the person's will and intellect rather than the will and intellect governing the appetite for that object. Whereas passion, regardless of its strength, is maintaine ...
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Sifrei
Sifre (; ''siphrēy'', ''Sifre, Sifrei'', also, ''Sifre debe Rab'' or ''Sifre Rabbah'') refers to either of two works of '' Midrash halakha'', or classical Jewish legal biblical exegesis, based on the biblical books of Numbers and Deuteronomy. The Talmudic era Sifre The title ''Sifre debe Rav'' (lit. "the books of the school of Abba Arikha") is used by Chananel ben Chushiel, Isaac Alfasi, and Rashi; it occurs likewise in Makkot 9b. The 8th century author of Halachot Gedolot names four "exegetical books belonging to the Scribes" (Heb. ''Midrash sofrim'') and which, in all appearances, seem to refer to "Sifre debe Rav" and which comprised the following compositions: 1) ''Genesis Rabbah'' 2) '' Mekhilta of Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai'' (on Exodus), 3) ''Sifrei'' (on Numbers) and 4) ''Sifrei'' (on Deuteronomy). Regarding the reference in Sanhedrin 86a to the Sifre of Rabbi Simeon, see ''Mekhilta of Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai''; the question has likewise been raised whether, given the ...
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Rashi
Shlomo Yitzchaki (; ; ; 13 July 1105) was a French rabbi who authored comprehensive commentaries on the Talmud and Hebrew Bible. He is commonly known by the List of rabbis known by acronyms, Rabbinic acronym Rashi (). Born in Troyes, Rashi studied Torah studies in Worms, Germany, Worms under German rabbi Yaakov ben Yakar and French rabbi Isaac ben Eliezer Halevi, both of whom were pupils of the famed scholar Gershom ben Judah. After returning to Troyes, Rashi joined the , began answering Halakha, halakhic questions and later served as the 's head after the death of Zerach ben Abraham. Rashi is generally considered a leading biblical exegete in the Middle Ages. Acclaimed for his ability to present the basic meaning of the text in a concise and lucid fashion, Rashi's commentaries appeal to both learned scholars and beginning students, and his works remain a centerpiece of contemporary Torah study. A large fraction of rabbinic literature published since the Middle Ages discusses Ra ...
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Cain And Abel
In the biblical Book of Genesis, Cain and Abel are the first two sons of Adam and Eve. Cain, the firstborn, was a farmer, and his brother Abel was a shepherd. The brothers made sacrifices, each from his own fields, to God. God had regard for Abel's offering, but had no regard for Cain's. Cain killed Abel and God cursed Cain, sentencing him to a life of transience. Cain then dwelt in the land of Nod (), where he built a city and fathered the line of descendants beginning with Enoch. The New Testament Epistle to the Hebrews interprets Abel’s sacrifice as more acceptable than Cain’s because it was offered in faith, earning Abel God’s approval. In the Qur'an, Cain and Abel are known as Qābīl () and Hābīl (), respectively. In Islamic tradition, the story of Cain and Abel portrays Cain as the first murderer driven by jealousy and lust, guided by the devil, and punished with guilt and disgrace, with some scholars debating the identity and motives of the brothers. In the ...
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Derech Hashem
''Derech HaShem'' (The "Way of Names of God in Judaism#HaShem, the Name") is a philosophy, philosophical text written around 1736 by Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto. Principles One of its core assertions is that man was created for the purpose of earning closeness to the creator by struggling against evil inclinations. Contents Introduction Part One # On the Creator # On the Purpose of Creation # On Mankind # On Human Responsibility # On the Spiritual Realm Part Two # On Divine Providence in General # On Mankind in This World # On Personal Providence # On Israel and the Nations # On How Providence Works # On the System of Providence # On the Influence of the Stars # On Specific Modes of Providence Part Three # On the Soul and Its Activities # On Divine Names and Witchcraft # On Divine Inspiration and Prophecy # On the Prophetic Experience # On Moshe's Unique Status Part Four # On Divine Service # On Torah Study # On Love and Fear of God # On the Sh'ma and Its Blessing ...
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Moshe Chaim Luzzatto
Moshe Chaim Luzzatto (; also ''Moses Chaim'', ''Moise Vita'', ''Moses Hayyim'' or ''Luzzato''; 1707 – 16 May 1746), also known by the Hebrew acronym RaMCHaL (or RaMHaL; ), was an Italian Jewish rabbi, kabbalist, and philosopher. Biography Early life Moshe Chaim Luzzatto was born in 1707 in the Jewish ghetto of Padua, Republic of Venice. The son of Jacob Vita and Diamente Luzzatto, he received classical Jewish and Italian education, showing a predilection for literature at a very early age. He may have attended the University of Padua and certainly associated with a group of students there, known to dabble in mysticism and alchemy. With his vast knowledge in religious lore, the arts, and science, he quickly became the dominant figure in that group. His writings demonstrate mastery of the Tanakh, the Talmud, the rabbinical commentaries and codes of Jewish law and Kabbalah. Poetry and literature At an early age, he began a thorough study of the Hebrew language and of po ...
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Maimonides
Moses ben Maimon (1138–1204), commonly known as Maimonides (, ) and also referred to by the Hebrew acronym Rambam (), was a Sephardic rabbi and Jewish philosophy, philosopher who became one of the most prolific and influential Torah scholars of the Middle Ages. In his time, he was also a preeminent astronomer and physician, serving as the personal physician of Saladin. He was born on Passover eve 1138 or 1135, and lived in Córdoba, Spain, Córdoba in al-Andalus (now in Spain) within the Almoravid dynasty, Almoravid Empire until his family was expelled for refusing to convert to Islam. Later, he lived in Morocco and Egypt and worked as a rabbi, physician and philosopher. During his lifetime, most Jews greeted Maimonides' writings on Halakha, Jewish law and Jewish ethics, ethics with acclaim and gratitude, even as far away as Iraq and Yemen. Yet, while Maimonides rose to become the revered head of the History of the Jews in Egypt, Jewish community in Egypt, his writings also ...
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Pirkei Avot
Pirkei Avot (; also transliterated as ''Pirqei Avoth'' or ''Pirkei Avos'' or ''Pirke Aboth'', also ''Abhoth''), which translates into English as Chapters of the Fathers, is a compilation of the ethical teachings and maxims from Rabbinic Jewish tradition. It is part of didactic Jewish ethical literature. Because of its contents, the name is sometimes given as Ethics of the Fathers. Pirkei Avot consists of the Mishnaic tractate of ''Avot'', the second-to-last tractate in the order of Nezikin in the Mishnah, plus one additional chapter. Avot is unique in that it is the only tractate of the Mishnah dealing ''solely'' with ethical and moral principles; there is relatively little halakha (laws) in Pirkei Avot. Translation of the title In the title ''Pirkei Avot'', the word "pirkei" is Hebrew for "chapters of". The word ''avot'' means "fathers", and thus ''Pirkei Avot'' is often rendered in English as "Chapters of the Fathers", or (more loosely) "Ethics of the Fathers". This tra ...
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